Mississippi State football backup quarterback Sawyer Robertson entering transfer portal | Reports

Mississippi State football's quarterback room is thinning. After freshman Braedyn Locke announced he was entering the transfer portal Tuesday, redshirt freshman Sawyer Robertson is following behind, according to reports from On3 and 247Sports.

Robertson was a four-star prospect, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings, who had one of the best careers in Texas high school football history. He graduated from Coronado High School ranking eighth all time in completions (813), 10th in touchdowns (135) and 13th in yards (11,302) in the state.

He received offers from schools including Florida State, Arkansas, USC and Texas. He committed to MSU and coach Mike Leach on March 31, 2020. Robertson's decision comes amidst a coaching change as defensive coordinator Zach Arnett was promoted to head coach after Leach's death on Dec. 12.

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Entering the 2022 season, Leach said Robertson was competing for the starting job. Will Rogers remained the starter, but it was a promising sign in Robertson's development.

Robertson's progress was evident in preseason practice compared to his true freshman season. He threw two interceptions in two public scrimmages, but he matched it with three touchdowns.

Entering the season opener against Memphis, Leach expressed his confidence in Robertson if he was forced into a game.

"We’ve invested a lot of reps in him which is important," Leach said. "He’s had some ups and downs, but he’s on an upswing.  He’s always been an explosive player."

Leach started recruiting Robertson while coaching at Washington State. Robertson — a Lubbock, Texas, native — was aware of Leach well before that. Lubbock is home to Texas Tech where Leach coached for a decade.

When Robertson committed, it wasn't only to play football for the Bulldogs. He was also a baseball commit. Perfect Game rated him as the No. 85 overall recruit and No. 8 outfielder in Texas. Robertson received attention from schools such as Texas Tech, TCU, Texas and Florida State.

His dad, Stan Robertson, was a first-round pick (40th overall) by the Montreal Expos in 1990.

Stefan Krajisnik is the Mississippi State beat writer for the Clarion Ledger. Contact him at skrajisnik@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter @skrajisnik3. 

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Mississippi State football: Sawyer Robertson entering transfer portal