Harrison Bailey, a former Tennessee quarterback, is starting behind center for Louisville football in Tuesday afternoon’s Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl game against Washington, giving him another chance.
Bailey has had a fast-paced collegiate career, earning playing time at UNLV, Tennessee, and now Louisville.
Bailey, a former top 50 recruit, spent two years in Knoxville after signing with Tennessee and Jeremy Pruitt during the 2020 recruiting season. Bailey earned the majority of his playing time off the bench, finishing 51-of-75 passes for 594 yards, four touchdowns, and two interceptions. He did get a brief start to close off the 2020 season.
After Hendon Hooker and Joe Milton III, Bailey was Tennessee’s third-string quarterback in 2021. He declared his intention to transfer in the middle of the season.
After the season, the Georgia native transferred to UNLV, where he started a game late in the season but mostly played as the Runnin’ Rebels backup in his one and only season in Las Vegas. At UNLV, Bailey gained 318 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception on 30 of 58 throws.
After his one and only season at UNLV, Bailey transferred as a walk-on to Louisville. He hasn’t played much for the Cardinals in either of the last two seasons. Bailey had completed all eight of his throw attempts this season for a total of 63 yards going into the Sun Bowl.
The Cardinals defeated Clemson, Pitt, and Kentucky to finish an 8-4 (5-3 ACC) record. As of this writing, Louisville and Washington are knotted 7–7 in the first quarter.
