24-year-old JT Shrout was announced as Arkansas State Red Wolves’s starting quarterback on August 29th. Butch Jones announced this as Shrout made an early impact on the team. He was born into a household in Santa Clarita, California. His parents, Stephanie and Jim Shrout, are his biggest supporters. Both of his parents have followed his football journey very closely since he started playing in high school. He attended William S. Hart High School, where he developed his skills as a quarterback. He became a three-start recruit with his great potential on the field. His passion for football earned him a reputation and made him a top quarterback in his class.

Shrout was not at William S. Hart High School for a long time because he changed his decision to continue high school with the California Golden Bears, an easy decision for him. After all, the university is in his hometown. Shrout performed impressively during his high school days. When he entered the transfer portal, more than seven football programs approached him, including Ball State, Colorado State, Hawaii, and Montana State.

After consulting and visiting colleges, Shrout started his college journey in Tennessee in 2018. He redshirted his true freshman year. In 2019, he played four games and started one of them. During that year, he completed 13 out of 27 passes for 179 yards and scored one touchdown. In his last season with Tennessee, Shrout appeared in four games and completed 24 out of 42 passes. He recorded 315 yards and four touchdowns.

In 2020, the quarterback decided to enter the transfer portal. He joined Colorado five days after he entered the portal. Unfortunately, Shrout had to go through knee surgery as he joined the Buffs. He had to miss the entire 2021 season due to an injury. Although he returned stronger in 2022 and played nine games. He completed 90 passes for 1,220 yards and scored seven touchdowns. After playing two seasons with Buffs, Shrout again made up his mind to enter the transfer portal, and on 30th January, he announced his decision to join Arkansas State Red Wolves.

What Are JT Shrout’s academic pursuits?

Shrout was drawn to some opportunities at Arkansas State, especially the chance to play in offensive coordinator Keith Heckendorf’s West Coast-style offense. Another reason is that most of his former Tennessee teammates had trained under head coach Butch Jones, and everyone just spoke good things about him. As he made visits to the university, he was further influenced to make his decision and join the Red Wolves.

During Shrout’s time with Tennessee, he pursued a major in kinesiology. It shows interest in physical health. When he joined Colorado in 2021, he completely shifted his academic focus to ecology and evolutionary biology. His academic interests reflect a diverse range of likings and interests beyond football. It also highlights his educational growth and his focus on academics as well. The QB has been playing college football for more than five years; his experiences have shaped his growing football career both on and off the field.