After announcing that he was leaving Baylor in July, quarterback Jarrett Stidham has remained quiet during the 2016 season. However, as the NCAA regular season has come to an end and bowl season is a week away, Stidham has once again inserted himself into the limelight.
Earlier in the week, Stidham said that he had narrowed his choices of schools down to Auburn University, Texas A&M University, and the University of Florida.
Stidham, who has been taking online classes this semester at McLennan Community College, was recruited to Baylor by former head coach Art Briles and his son, current offensive coordinator Kendal Briles. Despite narrowing his choices, he also said that he was open to considering transferring wherever [Kendal] Briles moved on to next.
“KB is my dude. I’m super tight with him,” Stidham said in an ESPN article by Max Olson. “I still talk to him all the time. I’m still considering waiting to see what happens with him and where he might go and just take it into consideration.”
Stidham made three starts for the Bears as a true freshman, replacing senior quarterback Seth Russell after he broke a bone in his neck against Iowa State. During that stretch, he led the Bears to a 2-1 record with wins over Kansas State and Oklahoma State, while throwing for 934 yards and six touchdowns before getting injured against the Cowboys.
On Saturday night, Stidham made the final revisions to his immediate future and took to Twitter to announce his decision.
“These last 6 months have been crazy and the craziness is finally over,” Stidham said. “Time to start my next chapter at Auburn University! WAR EAGLE!”
Stidham had remained impressed with both Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn and offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlie during his time away from Baylor and through the development of these relationships, Auburn established itself the front runner to land the quarterback.
As a result of transferring out for the fall semester, Stidham will be able to play for the Tigers as soon as he reports to campus. Auburn is currently preparing for a matchup with Oklahoma in the All-State Sugar Bowl.
Auburn currently has six quarterbacks on its roster, only one of which is a senior. Stidham will find himself in competition for the job when he arrives in Auburn, AL., including with current starter, sophomore Sean White.
Auburn will open its 2017 season against Georgia Southern on Sept. 2.
