The transfer portal saw well over 3,000 players throw their names in it during the 2023 college football offseason. Add in the crazy coaching movement that took place and the portal madness certainly delivered. Just about every power conference school took part in that madness one way or another. The Florida Gators football program was no exception. They made a series of additions to their team, including bringing in the likes of former Wisconsin wide receiver Chimere Dike, Tulane cornerback DJ Douglas, and a ton of offensive linemen from all over the country. They will all have big parts to play for the Gators this upcoming season. But one under-the-radar addition Florida made in the portal has the most to prove in 2024. That would be former Colorado State quarterback Clay Millen.
Clay Millen, Quarterback
Who is Clay Millen? That is a great question.
Millen was a four-star quarterback prospect out of Snoqualmie, Washington with plenty of Power Five offers. Oregon, Oregon State, Colorado, Indiana, and Arizona all came knocking at Millen's door, but he opted to commit to the University of Nevada. Unfortunately, Carson Strong was still in Reno by the time Millen got there and he did not play much as a freshman at Nevada. So, Millen transferred to Colorado State in 2022. When he got to Fort Collins, he balled out.
Millen's 2022 season was pretty stellar. He only threw for ten touchdowns in ten games, but he made the most of those appearances. He completed 72% of his passes that season and averaged 8.16 yards per attempt en route to a 1,910-yard season.
Again, the overall numbers don't jump off the page, but the efficiency does. And yes, he did play the majority of his games against non-Power Five schools, but he held his own against the Power Five schools he did go up against. Against Michigan, who made the College Football Playoff this season, Millen completed 16 of 20 passes for 137 yards and added a touchdown in this game as well as an interception. A couple of weeks later against Washington State, Millen went 25 of 35 for 212 yards with another touchdown and interception.
Millen got injured in 2023 and only played in one game. He then entered the transfer portal again with the hopes of landing a starting spot in a Power Five conference. He just might get his wish after transferring into the Florida football program. Graham Mertz, the former Wisconsin starting quarterback who the Gators plucked from the portal, is out of eligibility and will be leaving the program.
Millen will have competition for the starting quarterback job in Florida. It doesn't appear to be anyone with previous starting experience in college football, however. Max Brown was Florida's backup quarterback last season. He entered college football with less fanfare than Millen; Brown was graded as a three-star recruit by ESPN coming out of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Brown has spent two seasons in college football. He has thrown only 28 passes in that time.
If anyone other than Millen is going to win the starting quarterback job for the University of Florida, it is going to be incoming freshman DJ Lagway. Lagway is regarded as the number one quarterback prospect in this recruiting class according to ESPN and is the eighth-best overall prospect according to their calculations. It seems more likely than not that Lagway will see significant playing time at some point in 2024, but Florida may not want to rush it with a quarterback that young.
That's where Millen can factor in. He can help Lagway get adjusted to the college game and help Florida in the interim. Millen can be a serviceable quarterback for them in that time. But he also has to earn that trust and make the Gators give Lagway time with a strong camp. That's why he has the most to prove among the players the Florida football program brought in via the transfer portal.
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