Former 4-star quarterback Joe Burrow is transferring from Ohio State football. The talented grad transfer can play immediately, but which schools fit him best?
Every year the offseason gives way to transfers. Some of the most high-profile transfers are the quarterbacks, and to some extent that makes sense. A handful of defensive backs will be named starters, there will be five more first stringers on the offensive line, but only one man will take the starting quarterback job out of the spring.
Sometimes the battle at the quarterback position is so intense that it bleeds over into the fall. Coaches can’t make up their mind between their top two candidates so they trot them both out onto the field in games that could until someone flinches.
By the time the spring has come to a close teams have usually whittled their depth chart down to two passers, leaving a third option a luxury rather than a priority. That’s where former 4-star quarterback Joe Burrow finds himself. The odd man out in a quarterback depth chart at Ohio State which features starter Dwayne Haskins and backup Tate Martell, Burrow has decided it’s time to move on. He announced the decision on Twitter:
After weeks of struggling with this decision, I have decided to leave Ohio State and explore other options. My teammates and coaches all know the love I feel for them. I will decide where I will play next year in the coming weeks.
— Joey Burrow (@JoeyB) May 8, 2018
A graduate transfer, Burrow will be eligible to play this season. Thanks to a redshirt season in 2015, he’ll have two more years of eligibility. Here are the five schools that should consider bringing him into the fold.
5. Ohio
The Ohio Bobcats are an interesting wild card who could come into play. Joe’s dad Jimmy Burrow is the defensive coordinator for the Bobcats and his family is from Athens, Ohio. The former Mr. Football in the state of Ohio in 2014, Burrow would be returning to a comfortable situation.
The biggest hurdle with the Bobcats is the return of quarterback Nathan Rourke. Ohio’s starter last season, Rourke put together a solid sophomore campaign. He threw for 2,203 yards and 17 touchdowns with seven interceptions. His numbers aren’t impressive enough to guarantee him the starting job in 2018, but they’re solid enough to make the competition for the position a legitimate possibility.
Ohio won’t be the biggest name that comes knocking on Burrow’s door, but if they could assure him of a starting job it might be too good of an opportunity to pass up. If Burrow’s end goal is the NFL he would be better off as the star of a MAC school than riding the bench at Ohio State or elsewhere. Plenty of NFL quarterbacks have come from outside the Power 5 conferences, keeping Ohio in the mix, even if it’s kept at a distance.
4. UCLA
Josh Rosen is out and Chip Kelly is in. The spring is over and Kelly has had a chance to evaluate his options and so far there haven’t been much in the way of glowing reviews.
Devon Modster is on track to be the starter, but he was extremely underwhelming when he took over for Rosen at the tail end of the 2017 season. He completed more than 15 passes just once and was 2-3 as a starter with wins coming over Hawaii (3-9) and Cal (5-7). Freshman dual-threat quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson is also in play, but he’s not on campus yet.
Burrow has 39 career passing attempts to his name, but he completed 74.4 percent of those passes and threw two touchdowns. The sample size is small, but Burrow has the benefit of three years studying under Urban Meyer.
Meyer’s track record with quarterbacks is fairly impressive. He’s coached several high-profile players like Alex Smith, Tim Tebow and most recently J.T. Barrett. Burrow will enter as an experience passer who shouldn’t have a steep learning curve, putting him in an advantageous situation compared to the two younger quarterbacks on the roster.
3. Texas A&M
Texas A&M is another school with a new head coach and a new offensive system. Jimbo Fisher is in the midst of installing a pro-style attack in College Station and could be in the market for a short-term solution at the quarterback position.
The Aggies starting duties were split throughout spring between redshirt sophomore Nick Starkel and true sophomore Kellen Mond. Both saw significant playing time in 2017, but neither was able to put enough distance between themselves and their competitor to lock down the starting job, that was true in the spring and last fall. Each has their own sets of strengths and both have a steep learning curve when it comes to assimilating into the new Fisher’s more complicated scheme.
Burrow is a better passer than Mond, who struggled in the pocket last season. He’s already proven himself capable of managing an offense and taking care of the football. Both of the Aggies’ current passers have potential, but Burrow could be the best option for Fisher in year one. At the very least, he’d be under heavy consideration for a starting role in 2018.
2. Iowa State
Iowa State was the No. 2 option for Burrow during his original recruiting process. Before arriving at Ohio, his dad was on staff with the Cyclones for eight years. That was enough to get Joe interested in playing in Ames a few years ago and fellow Ohioan Matt Campbell’s tremendous success in 2017 won’t have gone unnoticed in the Burrow household.
If Burrow can beat out senior starter Kyle Kempt he’d be in line for an incredible opportunity in Ames. After winning two games against top five opponents last season, the Cyclones are looking to take the next step and contend for a conference title in 2018. Both Oklahoma and Oklahoma State are replacing veteran quarterbacks and Texas is struggling to make a decision between their pair of passers.
The Big 12 is more wide open now than it’s been in a long time. Burrow could be the missing piece that brings pushes the Cyclones over the hump. Iowa State is going to spread the ball out and open the field for Burrow to make plays. The flexibility and creativity of the offense was highlighted by quarterback slash linebacker Joel Lanning‘s tremendous success last season. Burrow could follow in his footsteps and take Iowa State further than they’ve ever gone before.
1. Florida
The Florida Gators are the best fit by far. Dan Mullen is a former Urban Meyer assistant who runs a similar scheme to his former boss and he doesn’t have a sure-thing on his roster. Feleipe Franks did nothing to inspire confidence and was benched shortly after being named the starter for the Gators last season.
Behind him is former 3-star quarterback Kyle Trask, who was not a starter on his own high school team. Neither earned rave reviews this spring from their new head coach and both could use additional seasoning before being asked to lead an offense against the stingy defenses of the SEC.
Florida checks all the boxes. If Burrow chooses the Gators he’ll have a starting spot in a premier conference as he studies under a coach that’s continually coached up quarterbacks at a phenomenal rate. The potential fit makes perfect sense both for Mullen and for Burrow, making this option extremely intriguing.
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Whether it’s Florida, Iowa State or some place else, Burrow has a difficult decision to make as a prized target. There’s no such thing as a sure thing when it comes to recruiting, but bringing in Burrow is a safe option that will draw interest from programs that need a starter right away. As the calendar creeps towards fall the phone lines at the Burrow household will continue to heat up.