Jarrett Stidham announces he is transferring from Baylor

Nov 14, 2015; Waco, TX, USA; Baylor Bears quarterback Jarrett Stidham (3) drops back to pass against the Oklahoma Sooners during the first quarter at McLane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 14, 2015; Waco, TX, USA; Baylor Bears quarterback Jarrett Stidham (3) drops back to pass against the Oklahoma Sooners during the first quarter at McLane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /
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Baylor Bears quarterback Jarrett Stidham is transferring out of the much-maligned program that continues to see players getting as far away as possible from this program.

Jarrett Stidham was the top recruit in Art Briles’ recruiting class two years ago when he successfully landed the former four-star recruit to come play for Baylor in their quarterback-friendly offense.

However, Stidham has now elected to leave the program and will transfer after a tumultuous offseason for Baylor in the wake of the sexual assault scandal that saw Briles fired and half the Bears recruiting class leave for other schools.

Stidham released a message on his personal twitter account to confirm the news that had been whispered about in recent days. Stidham previously pledged his support to Baylor in the immediate aftermath of Briles’ firing but with more time and reflection, he’ll look to continue his career elsewhere in 2017.

Stidham started three games as a true freshman after the season-ending injury to Seth Russell and threw 12 touchdowns to only 2 interceptions with 1,265 yards while completing 68.8 percent of his passes.

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I don’t blame Stidham for leaving Baylor to play for a coach he didn’t think he’d be playing for in a program that suddenly isn’t the destination spot it once was with Briles at the helm. He has a bright college career in front of him and a possible NFL future, so he is wise to get as far away from this program as possible and get a fresh start.

The 6-3, 210-pound quarterback was the No. 38 overall recruit, No. 2 dual-threat quarterback and the No. 7 recruit in the state of Texas, according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings. He will be a coveted free agent next year and should have interest from teams all over the country, including at Texas depending on how well their signal-callers fare this year.

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The Stephenville, Texas native was previously committed to Texas Tech before committing to Baylor. It is unclear where Stidham will be this year or if he’ll play at a junior college, but when he does transfer back to the FBS, he’ll have four years to play three seasons.