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Texas A&M football: Nick Starkel expected back for spring practice

ByJeff Shull|
(Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
(Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)

A looming decision for Texas A&M football quarterback Nick Starkel has apparently been made, at least according to Jimbo Fisher.

College football quarterbacks transferring to better their situation has become common place in today’s landscape. The NCAA has loosened their transfer rules — and could loosen them further, turning college football into a free agency frenzy akin to the NFL — making it easier for players to play right away in some cases.

Texas A&M was right smack in the middle of this in 2015, when both Kyler Murray and Kyle Allen elected to transfer. They were each 5-star recruits and the beginning of the end of Kevin Sumlin’s tenure.

When Jimbo Fisher took the head coaching job at Texas A&M, one could only help but notice he had two young quarterbacks with experience and a case for being the starting quarterback. They were both freshmen (one a redshirt) and had three years of eligibility remaining at the time.

So the questioned was begging to be asked right away — would Nick Starkel or Kellen Mond transfer if they didn’t win the starting job?

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Now that we’re a full season into Jimbo’s tenure, and he went with Mond and never wavered in his support for his starting quarterback, one wouldn’t blame Starkel for transferring, especially if he has designs on playing at the next level.

It would seem we now have our answer on this looming question. According to Travis L. Brown of The Eagle, Fisher expects Starkel to be in attendance at Texas A&M’s spring practices in 2019.

I speculated on the future of Starkel earlier this week and honestly it wouldn’t have surprised me either way it turned out. It’s obviously great for Fisher to have a backup quarterback he can trust should anything happen to Mond. However, Starkel showed he can play at a high level, and I expected he might look for greener pastures.

Having said that, this could still change. Starkel has the ability to graduate in the spring or summer if he takes a ton of hours, meaning he could be a graduate transfer and play immediate for another school in 2019.

If it’s his intention to play elsewhere, the likeliest path is backing up Mond for a year, graduating in the fall, and transferring with one year left and starting as a senior.

Starkel has earned the right to do what’s best for him. If that means staying an Aggie, or finding a new home, either way he will have all the support in the world from the best fan base in the country.

Jeff Shull is the Site Expert for the Gig Em Gazette on FanSided. Follow him on Twitter, and be sure to follow the Gig Em Gazette on Facebook and Twitter.