Former Texas, Nebraska and FAU quarterback Casey Thompson committed Thursday to Oklahoma, where he will play his seventh season in college football.
Thompson was a graduate student at FAU this past season playing for coach Tom Herman, who originally signed him at Texas. He played in three games before tearing an ACL and was granted a medical hardship waiver for one more year.
Thompson, the son of former Sooners quarterback Charles Thompson, will return home to Oklahoma where he was a high school star, setting a state record with 12,840 yards of offense and 154 touchdowns. He will be the third player in modern history (joining offensive lineman Paul Moriarty in 1991 and wide receiver Brenen Thompson this spring, both of whom also started out at Texas and transferred to Oklahoma) to have played on both sides of the Red River Rivalry.
Thompson will turn 26 on Oct. 3, nine days before the Sooners and Longhorns meet.
Thompson’s winding path began when he chose Texas because Herman made him a priority, he said. Oklahoma already had a commitment from Cam Rising, who eventually flipped and signed with the Longhorns as well before later transferring and becoming a star at Utah.
Thompson redshirted while backing up Sam Ehlinger his first season, then played in seven games for the Longhorns in 2019 and 2020, including a breakout performance in the Alamo Bowl in the latter. After Ehlinger was injured at halftime with Texas leading 17-10, Thompson came on in relief and threw for 170 yards and four touchdowns to finish off a 55-23 win.
After Herman was fired and Steve Sarkisian took over in 2021, Thompson played in 12 games with 10 starts, throwing for 2,113 yards with 24 touchdowns to nine interceptions. After a 5-7 season, Thompson said he wanted a fresh start, entered the portal and landed at Nebraska.
Thompson started 10 of 12 games for the Huskers in 2022, throwing for 2,407 yards and 17 touchdowns, with five rushing scores. But after Matt Rhule named Jeff Sims the starter, Thompson opted to reunite with Herman at FAU before he was injured.
For his career, Thompson has played in 33 games, completed 63.5% of his passes for 5,338 yards and 52 touchdowns to 24 interceptions.
At Oklahoma he is expected to back up Jackson Arnold, who made his first start in the Alamo Bowl, going 26-of-45 for 361 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions in a 38-24 loss to Arizona.