Joe Burrow Gives Advice For Players Considering A Transfer
Transfers have become exceedingly common in college football, and many players have had serious success with it. Joe Burrow is the third straight quarterback transfer to win the Heisman Trophy.
He was preceded by Kyler Murray (Texas A&M to Oklahoma) and Baker Mayfield (Texas Tech to Oklahoma). In the College Football Playoff this year, three of the four teams are led by transfers at quarterback, with Burrow facing Jalen Hurts (Alabama to Oklahoma) in one semifinal, and Justin Fields (Georgia to Ohio State) in the other. Burrow, Hurts, and Fields were all Heisman finalists this season. Burrow has predicted that Fields will keep the transfer Heisman run going.
While I doubt anyone would argue that transferring is ideal, it is hard to go against the idea that the advent of the transfer portal and spread of graduate transfers have given opportunities for players to find the best possible situations for themselves and their careers.
That doesn't mean it is the right choice for every player that isn't happy with lot at the school he signed with out of high school.
Ahead of Saturday's Playoff game, Burrow was asked his advice for other players considering a move to a new school. He had a very measured, valuable response.
From USA Today's Dan Wolken:
The way Joe Burrow handled his situation at Ohio State is why he remains very popular at his former school and in his home state. He only left after it became very clear that Dwayne Haskins was going to be the guy going forward, after years in the program. Alabama and Jalen Hurts have a similar dynamic. He was an incredible starter for them, and stepped up big when they needed him, even after losing his job to Tua Tagovailoa. No one could really blame him for leaping at the chance to play for Lincoln Riley and Oklahoma, and it has probably helped his NFL Draft stock in the long run. Wherever they started their careers, we're pretty pumped to see how Burrow and Hurts finish them over the next few months, and how Fields continues to shine in Columbus. [
Joe Burrow on what he’s told kids asking for advice about transferring: “I always tell them don't make it an emotional decision. Don't walk off the field one day when you get not as many reps as the other person and say screw this I’m leaving."
— Dan Wolken (@DanWolken) December 24, 2019
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