Parker McQuarrie is on one of the most unique journeys in college football history. The former four-star quarterback recruit recently committed to play next season at Johnson C. Smith, an HBCU.
It will be his fourth different school in six years.
His college football career has not quite played out as expected but there are two years left to make his mark. The return to glory starts with a quarterback battle this summer.
Who is Parker McQuarrie?
If you are a true ball-knower, you will remember the name Parker McQuarrie from the recruiting Class of 2020. He was ranked as the top player in New Hampshire, the No. 11 pro-style quarterback and a top-300 player overall. He received interest from schools like Penn State, UNC and Ohio State and 12 scholarship offers from schools like Minnesota, Pittsburgh, Missouri, Boston College, Michigan and Miami. UCLA ultimately received his commitment.
McQuarrie spent two years with the Bruins but did not see game action behind Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Chase Garbers. That led him to hit the transfer portal for the first time.
He decided to transfer down to Independence Community College (of Last Chance U fame) to regenerate some hype on the JUCO level. However, McQuarrie completed only 19 passes for 121 yards in nine games. It did not quite go as well as he had hoped but his practice film showed his potential.
6’7”, 242lbs 4⭐️ Transfer from UCLA, to Indy CC. 3 years of Eligibility remaining. Experienced, will master any scheme, in love with football. Indy CC Practice Clips. pic.twitter.com/MDihnMPpYV
— Parker McQuarrie (@PBMcQuarrie) December 3, 2022
His tape (and high-profile recruitment out of high school) earned him the opportunity to continue his career at the University of New Haven. It was more of the same.
Entering the Transfer Portal due to scheduling uncertainty at New Haven following our D1 transition.
— Parker McQuarrie (@PBMcQuarrie) May 11, 2025
Most Polished QB in College Football
6'7" 235lbs
New Haven Starting QB | 2-year Captain
UCLA Transfer
3.8 College GPA | 4⭐️ QB out of high school
Only goal is to win National… pic.twitter.com/qOW9zMSQaG
McQuarrie only completed one pass for the Chargers in two seasons but he balled out in practice! He has yet to unlock his full potential.
From UCLA to HBCU …
The unusual career of Parker McQuarrie took yet another twist when New Haven made the move to Division-I. The uncertainty with the transition led him to re-enter the transfer portal in May 2025.
As far as I can tell, he sat out all of last season while in search of his next opportunity.
McQuarrie has two years of eligibility remaining for 2026 and 2027. The 6-foot-7, 235-pound former four-star quarterback committed to Johnson C. Smith University earlier this month.
Johnson C. Smith is a private HBCU in Charlotte, North Carolina. It enrolls ~1,300 students. The Golden Bulls compete on the Division II level as members of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association. They went 10-2 last season to win the conference and to qualify for the playoffs for the first time.
Enter Parker McQuarrie. He will compete alongside former FCS quarterback Joshua Jackson this summer. Needless to say, it has been a crazy journey from UCLA to JUCO to D2 to HBCU.