Shea Kuykendall, one of two returning Northern Colorado quarterbacks who played for the Bears in 2023, has entered his name into the transfer portal and plans to leave the program.
Kuykendall announced the move Tuesday morning on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. He’s listed as a redshirt sophomore on the UNC roster with three years of eligibility remaining, according to the post.
Kuykendall played in four games last season with three starts after injuries to Jacob Sirmon and Hank Gibbs. Kuykendall completed 52 of 81 passes (64.2%) for 454 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Kuykendall threw for 222 yards (17 of 25) in the last game of the season against Portland State.
Kuykendall said in the X post he’s thankful for everyone who has supported him, especially the coaches, staff and teammates the last two seasons at UNC.
I’m officially in the transfer portal with 3 years of eligibility remaining, excited for new opportunities!
5 Appearances, 3 Starts (played Washington State, Montana, Idaho, Northern Arizona and Portland State).Highlights – https://t.co/W7fpocbPDw pic.twitter.com/UbxFp1NprR
— Shea Kuykendall (@KuykendallShea) April 16, 2024
“I’m grateful for everything Northern Colorado has allowed me to do, my time here was truly a blessing,” he wrote.
Kuykendall, 6-foot-1 and 211 pounds, according to the UNC, came to UNC in 2022 from San Pedro, California, and Long Beach Polytechnic High School in Long Beach. He didn’t play in any games with UNC as a freshman in 2022.
“I love my teammates and can’t wait to see them do great things this year,” Kuykendall wrote in a message to the Tribune.
The NCAA transfer portal began in 2018. The portal is a database where athletes enter their names to allow schools to see their availability. A 30-day portal was open last fall. The spring portal window opened Tuesday and extends through April 30.
Gibbs, a redshirt junior from Fayetteville, Arkansas, is expected to compete for the starting quarterback position this year with Peter Costelli.
Gibbs, listed as 6-foot-5 and 240 pounds, was at Wyoming for three seasons before transferring to UNC as a graduate student in 2023. Gibbs has an accounting degree from Wyoming, according to his X profile.
Gibbs played in eight games last season, according to UNC stats. He was 5 of 15 passing for 124 yards and a touchdown. He also ran for a touchdown at Washington State.
Costelli, 6-3 and 222 pounds, is a redshirt senior from Redondo Beach, California. He’s in his second year at UNC. He came to the Bears by way of Utah and Troy University in Alabama. Costelli did not play his freshman year at Utah, and he played in one game for Troy in 2022.
