The Pittsburgh Panthers opted to bench starting quarterback Phil Jurkovec after their fourth consecutive loss in Week 5. And surprisingly, this has prompted Jurkovec to try out a new position for the rest of the 2023 season.
Jurkovec is in the midst of his sixth and final season of college football, and it is safe to say that things have not gone to plan. The team success has not been there, and neither has his individual performance, completing just 50.9 percent of his passes on the year.
This led to Jurkovec being benched for sophomore quarterback Christian Veilleux as the Panthers look for answers offensively. This obviously leaves Jurkovec without much of a role in his final collegiate season, or so we thought.
Instead of just being a backup quarterback, Jurkovec has opted to change his position, trying out the tight end position at practice on Thursday.
The Panthers have a Bye Week in Week 6, so Jurkovec has a bit of time to learn his new position before they take the field again.
Regardless, it is a surprising decision for Jurkovec to try out this new position, and fans offered their opinion of the move on social media.
Considering it is the final season of eligibility for Jurkovec, it makes sense to be able to get on the field in some fashion. He also clearly has the size for the position, standing at 6-foot-5 while weighing 235 pounds.
This experiment could obviously flame out, but it is cool to see a sixth-year player like Jurkovec doing anything it takes to stay on the field.
About Reice Shipley
Reice Shipley is a staff writer for Comeback Media that graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Sports Media. He previously worked at Barrett Sports Media and is a fan of all things Syracuse sports.