Chase Garbers eyeing NFL or return to Cal
BERKELEY, Calif. — Chase Garbers is in his fifth year of a rare college football career where he has been the starting quarterback for one school for four consecutive years.
The college career of Garbers at Cal Berkeley began all the way back in 2018 when he was just a redshirt freshman. Garbers was on campus in 2017 but did not play in his redshirt season. He then started 10 games in 2018 though, and has never looked back since.
The now redshirt senior has been the starter his entire time since then for the Bears and is having his best season statistically in 2021. Garbers is making a name for himself as one of the best quarterbacks in the Pac-12 in 2021, as he is fourth in passing yards, only 16 yards behind second place, and also fourth in passing touchdowns. Already this season Garbers almost has more passing yards than he has had in any other season, and is also on pace to smash his personal passing touchdown record with at least five more games to play.
While Garbers is already in his fifth year at Cal and has played four of those years, he is still eligible for a sixth season of college football. The NCAA has granted many players an extra year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic shortened season where many teams were only able to play less than half of their scheduled games.
Garbers knows he has the option to play another season of college football but is weighing his options between giving the NFL a shot or returning to play for a sixth season as a graduate student.
“I haven’t given it too much thought,” Garbers said in an article with SI’s Cal Sports Report. “Obviously, I know the opportunity is there. No decision has been made in my head. We’ll just see what happens after this season.”
He has already graduated from undergraduate school at Cal, but now has his eyes potentially set on bigger education goals.
“Certain academic things here at Cal that I’d be able to take,” Garbers added. “I’m already graduated so I’d have to find a grad school or another certificate program to enroll in. There’s a couple of factors, but no decision has been made.”
One key factor is how he will be perceived by NFL scouts heading into the 2022 NFL Draft. If he begins to make his way onto draft boards, he could forgo his last college season and make the jump to the NFL as he has already accomplished so much for the Bears.
Some of those accomplishments include being the leading rusher all-time at Cal for a quarterback and eclipsing Aaron Rodgers for most passing yards at Cal. Currently, Garbers is not on any draft boards, but his production is just starting to pick up even more this year and he is on pace to blow by his past season’s statistics.
Garbers hopes that his athleticism and running ability is a big enough added bonus to get NFL scouts attention.
“Have you ever seen him get caught?” offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave asked in an article with SI’s Cal Sports Report. “I’ve not ever seen anybody catch him. He can move.”
The ability to move around the pocket and make something out of nothing on any given play is a special quality in today’s NFL quarterbacks. The remaining games of the 2021 season will determine if Garbers stays at Cal or attempts to start his NFL career.
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