Former South Carolina quarterback Robby Ashford transfers to nearby ACC school

Former South Carolina quarterback Robby Ashford has a new home.

Ashford, a veteran QB who served as LaNorris Sellers’ top backup in 2024 during his one year with USC, has committed to Wake Forest out of the transfer portal.

ESPN and 247Sports both reported on Sunday that Ashford had committed to play for the Demon Deacons of the ACC after taking an official visit there this weekend.

Ashford made it official on his social media pages later Sunday.

Ashford told ESPN he was intrigued by the opportunity to come in and be “the guy” at Wake Forest, which underwent a recent coaching change.

Longtime coach Dave Clawson was retired, and Wake hired former Washington State coach Jake Dickert to replace him. Star QBs Cam Ward and John Mateer previously thrived under Dickert’s offensive system at WSU.

“You see that, how could you not want to come to play for a coach like that?” Ashford, who has one year of eligibility left, told ESPN on Sunday.

Winston-Salem, North Carolina (where Wake Forest is located) is only about two and a half hours north of Columbia, South Carolina.

Robby Ashford’s USC career

It will be Ashford’s fourth college after he previously played at Oregon, Auburn and South Carolina. Ashford appeared in eight games with USC in 2024, throwing for 324 yards and two touchdowns and rushing for 227 yards and two scores.

Ashford became popular among South Carolina during his lone season in Columbia after he transferred to provide depth and competition in the quarterback room, lost the job to Sellers in the offseason and still performed well in spot duty.

The majority of his Gamecocks playing time came in a September home loss to LSU after Sellers hurt his ankle and a home win over Akron the following week.

With Sellers sidelined, Ashford was 15-21 for 243 yards and two touchdowns and also rushed 16 times for 133 yards and a score in a 50-7 win over the Zips.

Ashford put his name in the portal as a grad transfer ahead of the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl, but coach Shane Beamer and the team allowed Ashford to participate in bowl practice and suit up for that loss to Illinois before he left the program.

“Robby loves it here,” Beamer said in December. “Robby wants to be the starting quarterback. I get that, and he should be. And there’s only one of those guys on the field. ... I want Robby to get a chance to be a quarterback somewhere.”

Ashford, 22, also took a visit to UNLV after entering the portal. As a Class of 2020 recruit, he has one year “COVID year” of eligibility remaining at Wake Forest.

Ashford has played five seasons so far: A redshirt year at Oregon plus four normal years (one at Oregon, two at Auburn and one at South Carolina).

To add more quarterback depth after Ashford’s departure, USC and Beamer ended up signing former Ohio State quarterback Air Noland this offseason. Sellers, of course, still projects as the Gamecocks’ clear starter in 2025.

Gamecocks in the transfer portal

QB — Robby Ashford (Wake Forest)

RB — Djay Braswell (Georgia State)

WR — CJ Adams

WR — Elijah Caldwell

WR — Debron Gatling (Georgia Tech)

WR — Tyshawn Russell

WR — Payton Mangrum

TE — Connor Cox (North Carolina)

TE — Reid Mikeska (Florida Atlantic)

TE — Nick Elksnis (UNLV)

OL — Ni Mansell

DL — Jamaal Whyce

DL — Elijah Davis

LB — Bangally Kamara (Kansas)

LB — Mo Kaba

PK — Daniel Lester