USF’s Jeff Scott adds former North Carolina quarterback Cade Fortin

Six days into his new gig, new USF football coach Jeff Scott apparently has made his first significant recruiting splash.

Former North Carolina quarterback Cade Fortin, who entered the NCAA transfer portal in August, announced via Twitter on Tuesday he’s headed to Tampa, where he’s expected to be eligible for the 2020 season.

Wednesday marks the start of the NCAA’s three-day early signing period for football.

An early enrollee at UNC with a heralded right arm, Fortin started two home games for the Tar Heels as a true freshman in 2018, a 22-19 loss to Virginia Tech and 34-28 overtime loss to N.C. State.

In those six quarters (he missed the second half against the Hokies with an injury), he went a combined 29-for-58 for 373 yards, with one touchdown and an interception.

He was beaten out by freshman Sam Howell for the starting job last summer and immediately entered the portal afterward. Fortin then started taking classes at Hutchinson (Kan.) College, according to 247Sports.

"I will have my AA in December and be ready to enroll in January," Fortin told 247Sports.

"Since I transferred before the first game, I'm just taking junior college classes at Hutchinson and training and doing all my classes. So that’s why I'm able to take official visits right now. So I'll sign in December, then going somewhere in January and be eligible next year and have three years to play."

His arrival at USF would represent an early coup for Scott, who evidently made a strong late push for Fortin.

A former three-star prospect from Suwanee, Ga., Fortin (6-foot-3, 210 pounds) reportedly already had visited Kansas, Vanderbilt and Syracuse.