COLUMBUS, Ohio — With so much movement in the college football transfer portal, a walk-on quarterback tossing himself into the mix doesn’t cause much of a stir. But that’s where former Ohio State quarterback Jagger LaRoe finds himself now.

After three years at OSU, with three seasons in the football program under his belt and his degree in hand, he’s looking for a place where he might be able to showcase his abilities a little more. The Texas native, who spent one year at Texas A&M before transferring to Ohio State ahead of the 2019 season, has two more seasons of eligibility remaining.

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The Athletic caught up with LaRoe to discuss life in the portal, what three years in the OSU quarterback room was like, what he learned from C.J. Stroud and Justin Fields and more.

You’ve been in the portal for about a month. What’s the experience been like? What would you say you’re looking for in your next opportunity? 

I’m just looking for a team that needs a quarterback and wants to win. I’m coming from one of the best organizations in the nation, and I’ve kinda gotten accustomed to winning. I want to find a place that wants me, values my skill set and wants to win immediately. I’ve entertained the FCS level. To me, it really doesn’t matter as long as there’s a want.

This portal is absolutely insane. It’s nuts. You see about 40 kids go in the portal every day. Right now, you’re just trying to get in where you can. A lot of people are valuing game film. I don’t think a lot of people understand the level of competition that I’ve been practicing against for three years at Ohio State. It’s some of the best athletes and best coaches in the nation. That’s a bit undervalued. But I’ve been talking to both FBS and FCS schools.

So what was an Ohio State practice like for someone in your position, where you’re not getting those first-team reps but you’re still out there competing? What’s that like on a daily basis? 

During fall camp is really the best chance for all the young kids and people who don’t play a lot to test themselves and develop their craft. During scout team prep, all of those third- and fourth-teamers, all the people you don’t hear about on Saturdays until it’s Senior Day, that’s where we perform and get better. When I first got here, I was going up against Jeff Okudah, Damon Arnette, Jordan Fuller and Chase Young. Those guys are not messing around in practice. No one really takes it easy. It’s uber-competitive all day, every day.

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That sounds like an NFL game.

Yeah, it was really fun to practice in.

When you first went into the portal, you stayed with the team through the Rose Bowl, and I know they needed a quarterback after a couple guys left. Is there any chance you’d stick around at OSU for next year? 

I think my time at OSU is done. I told Coach Ryan Day when I transferred here originally from Texas A&M that I’m staying here until I graduate, that I was fully committed to the team. And I feel like I have been. However, we have an exceptional quarterback right now in C.J. Stroud and a fantastic backup in Kyle McCord. A bunch of other great guys coming in. I feel like I served my purpose to the team and now I’m trying to find a place where I can be the starting guy and show everyone how great I am.

What did three years in the OSU quarterback room teach you about the position? How do you feel like you’ve grown?

My leadership and my football IQ have grown tremendously. Coach Day and Coach Corey Dennis both, and also Coach Yurcich when he was here, do a fantastic job of not only acclimating you to the culture but also preparing every single person in that room to be ready when their number is called. If you talk to (fellow walk-on) J.P. Andrade, we’ve done about 10,000 mental reps behind the ones and twos. I’m not even exaggerating, 10,000 mental reps, because we had to be ready if God forbid something happened.

There are some organizations out there that I’ve heard kinda set their walk-ons or people further down the depth chart aside and don’t really share a lot of information with them. It’s the opposite case at Ohio State.

How did that work in the room? Coach Day is the head coach, but he’s a quarterbacks coach by trade and used to coach the position here. How involved was he with you guys on a daily basis compared to how much Coach Dennis ran the room? 

Coach Day comes in quite often, but Coach Dennis does a large part. We break down film with Coach Dennis, go through concepts with him. Coach Day kinda comes in and teaches other stuff. It really depends on the day and part of the season. They do a really good job of working in tandem to get the best out of the quarterbacks.

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You had a front-row seat to the quarterback competition going all the way back to last spring that a lot of people didn’t have. What was that like, and when did you get the sense that C.J. was going to be the starter?

Kyle McCord was there a little later than everybody else because he had just gotten there in the spring. We already had Jack Miller and C.J. for the COVID season, which was weird. It was between Jack and C.J., then Kyle came in and really dove in headfirst into the offense. I think anyone around the team would tell you that Kyle is really involved in the playbook and trying to get ready that spring. When spring came around, it was just about who performed. I think they all did a phenomenal job. C.J. just performed a little bit better and was more consistent. The momentum that he had in the spring carried into the summer and then he had a great camp.

What impresses you the most about C.J.?

He’s a pro on and off the field. I’ve had people, even with Justin, say, “Oh that guy is famous, he’s gotta be a jerk or whatever.” C.J. respects everyone from the janitors to Coach Day. When you meet him, that’s who he is all the time. But that doesn’t take away from him as a competitor. He definitely has that edge to him. You can tell that he’s driven by something other than a need for fame or notoriety. It’s from his core. He’s going to be really successful.

As you’re looking to take a step up and show what you can do, what kind of stuff did you pick up from Justin and C.J. that might help you moving forward? 

When I was around Justin, the way he led. Each person has different styles. Not everyone is J.T. Barrett, who’s one of the best captains Ohio State has ever had. But they both (Justin and C.J.) taught me that you can lead without being the rah-rah guy. You can show by the way that you play, the way you practice, the way you study, that you are a leader. I think they both did that here very well.

Was there a time during the year where you felt like you saw C.J. take things to another level?

I’ve always been on the train. I know fans in Columbus, even my barber after the Minnesota and Oregon games was like, “What do we think about C.J.?” And I was just like, “I’m not sure what y’all are talking about.” C.J. threw for about 500 yards against Oregon. The kid is ballin’. I think everything kinda needed to sync up. Naturally, the blame is gonna go toward the quarterback, but I felt like C.J. did a great job of blocking out the noise and focusing on his game. I couldn’t pinpoint a single game. I genuinely thought he was playing at a high level the entire season.

What about that week he didn’t play against Akron? It wasn’t a surprise, really. It seemed like all week that he wasn’t going to play. What did you sense from Kyle as he prepared for that game?

He was locked in, taking it seriously. Anyone of us would’ve done the same thing. Shoot, I was third-string and still preparing like I’m about to go in. Worst-case, I had to be able to do it. But that’s just normal Kyle. He over-prepares for everything.

You guys obviously had a very high-profile addition at an odd time with Quinn Ewers coming in. What was it like for you guys in the room when a kid with that kind of following and stature comes in during the middle of camp? 

We all welcomed him. That’s still my guy. No one in the quarterback room was malicious toward him. If anything, we were just trying to support him and help him reach his full potential. I think that’s what everyone does around Ohio State. You try to bring someone in, and if they’re the best and can do the job, good. If not, then let’s try to get them better.

How have you guys been able to cultivate that in the quarterback room? Only one of you guys can play, there’s no shortage of talent and we all know what being the starting quarterback at Ohio State can do for someone. How do you balance the competitive nature of it with still wanting to help each other out? 

I feel like most of it comes from Coach Dennis. He’s real upfront with everyone. The best player is gonna play, but he wants everyone to support whoever plays. He wants us to have his back because outside of the room, a lot of people are gonna say stuff. If we have each other, we’re gonna be alright. And we’ve been fortunate at Ohio State to have a bunch of really fantastic personalities come into the quarterback room. Jack and Kyle, there was never a day when they came in angry about not being the starter. They were just working to get better and perfect their craft.

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So when I knew we’d be talking, I went back and watched your throws from the spring game. I still think that last touchdown to Sam Wiglusz was the best ball anyone threw that day. What was that moment like for you? 

It was fantastic. You sit around and do a bunch of mental reps, and sometimes it can get to you. You think, “I’ve been doing mental reps for two years. What’s gonna happen when they actually throw me in?” I studied my butt off for that scrimmage so I would know what to do if I had that opportunity. Once I got in and was able to perform, my first pass was an out-route to the sideline and was like, “Damn, that was pretty good. I remember this feeling.” Being on that field is an unbelievable feeling. You can’t describe anything like it. There have been low points where it’s felt like I would never get a shot or my career is gonna go anywhere, and then you get back on that field and it’s like a high. You need another fix. You just want to stay out there and compete. It’s electric.

I’m glad you mentioned that first out-route. That was a really good throw, too, touch throw over an underneath defender, good placement. You can clearly throw the football. I know you’ve not gotten a lot of chances to show that, but what would you bring to the table wherever you end up next?

I feel like my accuracy is a strong suit. I’ve been really fortunate to be developed by some of the best strength coaches in the nation. If you saw my picture when I first got here, it looks a whole lot different now. My deep ball is another a positive thing, and my leadership abilities. I’ve been around some fantastic leaders that have influenced me and the way that I carry myself. I’ll be able to bring that to whichever program I end up at.

(Photo courtesy of Ohio State Athletics)