FORT WORTH, TX - NOVEMBER 19: Head coach Gary Patterson of the TCU Horned Frogs leads the Horned Frogs against the Oklahoma State Cowboys in the second half at Amon G. Carter Stadium on November 19, 2016 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)Some Big 12 drama is brewing in this college football offseason.
TCU quarterback Chandler Morris, a transfer from Oklahoma after the 2020 season, is still ineligible to play in the upcoming season. Despite announcing his decision to switch programs back in January and starting practice with the the Horned Frogs this spring, the Sooners have yet to release Morris from his previous scholarship.
On Tuesday, TCU head coach Gary Patterson directly called out Lincoln Riley and the Oklahoma program.
“Right now the ball is in Oklahoma’s court,” the longtime head coach said, per Texas college football insider Sam Khan Jr.
TCU coach Gary Patterson said there is no update on QB Chandler Morris’ status. The transfer from Oklahoma is practicing but “right now the ball is in Oklahoma’s court,” regarding Morris’ eligibility status.
— Sam Khan Jr. 😷 (@skhanjr) April 6, 2021
A few weeks ago, Riley explained the program’s reluctance to sign Morris’ release. While the Sooners coach doesn’t oppose transfer decisions in general, he doesn’t like the idea of sending talent to in-conference competition.
With the NCAA’s new one-time transfer rule, this concern will soon become a much more prominent issue in the college football world.
“Myself, the leadership here at OU, we think it’s unhealthy for college football to encourage intraconference transfers,” Riley said, via Jason Kersey of The Athletic. “Now, that doesn’t mean that we’re against people being able to transfer at other institutions, any other institution we want. I think that rule obviously has been changed, and I think it was a good rule to change, and now players have the ability and freedom, as they should, to be able to go to any school they want. But I do think the intraconference can complicate things.”
As a three-star recruit out of Highland Park, Texas, Morris joined the Sooners roster as a backup QB in 2020. Playing in just five games this past season, the dual-threat option threw 3/5 for 39 yards and rushed for 44 yards and two touchdowns.
Luckily for the Horned Frogs, the program is already set with their 2021 QB1. Rising-junior quarterback Max Duggan has started for TCU over the past two seasons, logging 3,872 yards, 25 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. Despite some pretty significant criticism from fans, Patterson has continually vouched for his starting guy.
That being said, the Horned Frogs coach would certainly like to have Morris eligible by the time the 2021 season begins.
