Having graduated from Ohio State with a degree in consumer and family financial services, redshirt junior quarterback Joe Burrow announced earlier this week he intends to leave the Buckeyes’ football program to complete his collegiate career elsewhere.
Burrow competed this spring with redshirt sophomore Dwayne Haskins and redshirt freshman Tate Martell, but told reporters after the Spring Game that he would consider a transfer if he was not named the starter.
"I came here to play," Burrow said. "I didn’t come here to sit on the bench for four years. And I know I’m a pretty darn good quarterback. And I want to play somewhere."
Though Ohio State has yet to make an official announcement on who its starter will be, Haskins was the presumed front-runner after he led the Buckeyes to a comeback win at Michigan last November. Burrow’s transfer was the expected result, and something head coach Urban Meyer has thought about since last summer
"We have constant conversations about it," Meyer told reporters during Big Ten Media Days in July. “You have graduate transfers, and now we have all this opportunity for guys to move on and guys want to go play. So, yes, we have talked about it. We are preparing as if something might happen, but we do that every year, especially at that position."
Burrow is set to pick a destination in the coming weeks, with visits to Cincinnati and LSU to occur this week. And given his overall potential, he’s certainly a top priority for a number of quarterback-stricken programs.
With that said, let’s take a look at some of the notable players who left Meyer’s program and went on to have a productive career at another Football Bowl Subdivision school.
Nyan Boateng - WIDE RECEIVER
An ankle injury derailed Boateng’s sophomore season at Florida, and an argument with his girlfriend — during which he was stabbed in the leg — led to his suspension. He transferred to California following the 2006 season, where he finished his career with 42 catches for 630 yards and seven touchdowns.
Cam Newton - QUARTERBACK
Seemingly waiting in the wings behind starter Tim Tebow, Newton was reportedly caught cheating and then was arrested and charged with felony burglary, larceny and obstruction of justice after he bought a stolen computer — though the charges were ultimately dropped. He was suspended a transferred to Blinn College before he ended up at Auburn, where he won the Heisman Trophy and a national championship.
Adrian Bushell - CORNERBACK
Hampered by academic issues, Bushell transferred to Cedar Valley, Texas, Community College in 2010. He linked up with former Florida defensive coordinator Charlie Strong at Louisville, and was named first-team all-Big East after he recorded 62 tackles, 13 pass break ups and one interception to lead the Cardinals to the Sugar Bowl — against the Gators, no less.
Jeremy Cash - SAFETY
Cash left Ohio State for Duke just two months after Meyer was named head coach, citing differences is philosophy. He became the first Blue Devil to win the ACC’s defensive player of the year award as senior in 2015. Cash was also named a consensus all-American, having finished that season with 101 tackles, 18 tackles for a loss, eight quarterback pressures, four pass break ups and three sacks.
David Durham - FULLBACK
Believing he wasn’t a fit for Meyer’s offensive scheme, Durham transferred to Pitt in February 2012. He played in 25 games as a defensive end with the Panthers, and totaled 51 tackles, four tackles for a loss and three sacks.
Brian Bobek - CENTER
Bobek played in a handful of games as a true freshman in 2011, but fell on the depth chart the following spring. He transferred to Minnesota, but a heart ailment and other injuries hindered his career with the Golden Gophers. Bobek finished his career at Iowa State, having been granted an extra year as a graduate transfer. He started all 12 games with the Cyclones and helped pave the way for three 500-yard rushers.
Najee Murray - CORNERBACK
Murray appeared in six games as a freshman at Ohio State in 2012, but was suspended indefinitely for a training camp issue the following fall. He transferred to Kent State shortly thereafter, and went on to be named first-team all-Mid-American Conference after he finished his senior year with the Golden Flashes with 103 tackles, six tackles for a loss, four fumble recoveries, two interceptions and one defensive touchdown.
Jamal Marcus - DEFENSIVE END
Marcus was poised for a breakout junior campaign after he started the 2014 Orange Bowl in place of the suspended Noah Spence, but transferred to Akron in the spring after dealing with some academic issues. He was named third-team all-conference as a junior — as he racked up 30 tackles, 13 tackles for a loss, six sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery for the Zips — but struggled to stay healthy as a senior and played in just six games.
Evan Lisle - OFFENSIVE LINE
Lyle played in 26 games as a backup across the offensive line, but transferred from Ohio State to Duke after he received his degree in family resource management in December 2016. He started all 13 games for the Blue Devils last season and was named academic all-Atlantic Coast Conference.
