One of the big pieces of college football news that many fan bases have been waiting on has officially been dropped. The speculation surrounding the quarterback job in Columbus for head coach Urban Meyer has been one of the big storylines of spring football, not necessarily for who would win the job but if the player who lost out would leave the school. Ohio State redshirt sophomore quarterback Joe Burrow has decided to leave Columbus and pursue opportunities elsewhere.
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
Since Burrow graduated at the end of the spring semester, he is immediately eligible to play for his new school and will have a full two years to play which makes him a unique graduate transfer. The talented signal-caller has not had much real game action with only two touchdowns in regular-season play. However, that may not be indicative of his true potential since he has had to sit behind longtime starter and Ohio State record holder J.T. Barrett. Burrow was a star in this year’s spring game for Ohio State, throwing for 238 yards and two touchdowns on 15-of-22 passing.
There are deep family ties to the Huskers, so naturally it will come up if Burrow is a legitimate option for Nebraska to pursue. On the surface, the fit looks good. Burrow played in a spread offense at Ohio State and the Huskers will have an inexperienced quarterback as a starter in the 2018 season. If you dig a little deeper, there are questions if Burrow is actually the right fit for Frost’s version of the spread. Also, injecting Burrow into a still ongoing quarterback battle could really hurt the team chemistry that is building in Lincoln. Whether Tristan Gebbia or Adrian Martinez wins the starting job, it’s clear both players have the respect of their teammates so Frost would be wise to steer clear of disrupting that.
Burrow’s likely top suitors will be LSU and Florida who both seem to always be in desperate need of a quality quarterback despite being located in some of the most talent-rich areas in the country.
Greg is the Recruiting Analyst for Hail Varsity and has covered Husker athletics since 2013. He has always had a passion for sports while growing up in the Chicago area. As he got older and had to hang up his cleats and sneakers, he realized his passion for sports went beyond just watching and attending games. He has covered many events from the Rose Bowl to championship boxing matches. If he’s not talking sports, he’s hovering over his grill. He is married to an amazing woman, Kim, and they have a dog that barks when Greg yells at the TV during games.
