Jaden Craig was an Ivy League star. Now Harvard transfer is looking to make a leap at TCU
NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...
TCU football found itself without a quarterback this offseason after veteran three-year starter Josh Hoover entered the transfer portal before eventually committing to Indiana, the reigning national champion.
The Horned Frogs didn’t go out and find a highly touted transfer to replace Hoover, though. Instead, they’re putting their faith in Jaden Craig, an Ivy League star who TCU thinks can be a standout, despite moving up from the FCS level.
Craig, a graduate transfer and multi-year starter from Harvard, passed for 6,074 yards with 52 touchdowns to 12 interceptions in three seasons with the Crimson. He also rushed for 194 yards and 11 additional scores. The 6-foot-3, 225-pound signal caller will face a much-tougher schedule than the one he faced at Harvard, but has received rave reviews in fall camp heading into the season.
He’ll face a test against a Power Four opponent out the gate, as TCU faces North Carolina in a Week 0 matchup in Dublin, Ireland. Craig is looking to show college football he can compete with the jump in competition.
Here's what to know of Craig as he makes his debut for the Horned Frogs at the Aer Lingus College Football Classic:
Why did Jaden Craig transfer to TCU?
The timing of Craig’s transfer to TCU makes sense. Not only was Craig able to earn an illustrious Harvard degree, but also was able to transfer to a program that gives him a better chance of becoming an NFL draft pick.
Craig only has one season of eligibility left, which he’ll spend at TCU this season. It gives him one last chance at proving his game translates against better competition, rather than the lower level of Division I.
“Just one of those gut feelings,” Craig told The Harvard Crimson, the school’s student newspaper. “Going somewhere to get developed and get better and prepare yourself that much more for the next level, I think that was the ultimate decision.”
There are still questions about his game: Against Villanova in the first round of the FCS playoffs, Craig completed only 9-of-21 passes for 107 yards and a touchdown to two interceptions in a 52-7 loss.
He’s the latest Harvard player to make the jump to high-major football, along with defensive tackle Thor Griffith (Louisville) and receiver Cooper Barkate (Duke and Miami), who had over 1,000 receiving yards last season for the Blue Devils before transferring to the Hurricanes.
Head coach Sonny Dykes has mentored numerous NFL quarterbacks, such as Jared Goff, Davis Webb, Shane Buechele and Max Duggan. Craig, who last season was viewed as one of the top NFL draft prospects of the Ivy League, is hoping to be the latest added to the lineage.
“He’s been really good," Dykes told reporters during in camp. "I mean he’s turned the ball over twice, I think, the entire fall camp, and it’s been two tipped balls. He’s had a really good camp. I mean, he’s in command of the offense. He’s been really smart with the football, he understands what we’re trying to do and how we’re trying to do it.
"I think he’s really developed a strong relationship and trust with some of our receivers and running backs in the passing game, so I’ve been encouraged by that.”
Jaden Craig Harvard records
Craig is the greatest passer in Harvard history, setting numerous school records in three seasons as a starter. Here are each of the records held by the 2025 finalist for the Walter Payton Award, the FCS equivalent to the Heisman Trophy.
- Most completions in a season: 208 (2025)
- Most touchdown passes in a season: 25 (2025)
- Single-season passing yards: 2,869 (2025)
- Career touchdown passes: 52
- Career passing yards: 6,074
Jaden Craig Harvard stats
Here’s a look at Craig’s year-by-year stats at Harvard:
- 2023: 58-of-97 passing (59.8%) for 775 yards with four touchdowns to two interceptions | 64 carries for 135 yards with seven touchdowns
- 2024: 169-of-279 passing (60.6%) for 2,430 yards with 23 touchdowns to three interceptions | 38 carries for -19 yards with a touchdown
- 2025: 208-of-338 passing (61.5%) for 2,869 yards with 25 touchdowns to seven interceptions | 48 carries for 78 yards with three touchdowns
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jaden Craig was an Ivy League star. Now Harvard transfer is looking to make a leap at TCU
More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos