Oklahoma quarterback Austin Kendall has entered the NCAA’s transfer portal. The Oklahoman was the first to confirm the story.
While it’s important to note that entering the portal does not necessarily guarantee a player is leaving, it is also important to understand Kendall’s value and placement on the depth chart.
After pushing Kyler Murray through the summer, Kendall finally gave way to the eventual Heisman Trophy winner and played the role of QB #2 through the season.
With Murray almost certain to take the riches of Major League Baseball or the NFL as his next adventure, Kendall would have been the front-runner to become a two-year starting quarterback at Oklahoma. The fact that he’s even looking at the possibility throws up a bunch of red flags though.
Spencer Rattler was the top pro-style quarterback in the 2019 recruiting class but he won’t be on campus until the summer. Even then, Kendall has three years in the program and would have entered spring ball as QB #1. That’s a pretty lengthy head start on a true freshman.
There’s got to be something else then, right? Kyler Murray has yet to confirm his intentions but the odds are pretty great that he’s going to be playing for money next year, in whichever sport he chooses.
That leaves us the transfer market as the potential root of Kendall’s decision. There are plenty of rumors swirling around Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts and Oklahoma. It makes since that Kendall’s decision to enter the portal means there’s more to the story than just rumors.
Having already played back-up to two transfer quarterbacks, you can’t blame Kendall for not wanting to battle against another one. Kendall would be a graduate transfer, making him immediately eligible to play should he choose to leave Oklahoma.
There’s almost certainly going to be more developments with this story.