Apparently message board speculation has been bubbling in recent days that Tyler Ferguson may be contemplating a transfer from Penn State.
In an apparent response to the rumors, the quarterback’s stepfather talked to PennLive.com Tuesday and stated in no uncertain terms that his son is 100-percent committed to the Nittany Lions, with the t-word not even a remote possibility.
“There’s no change in his status,” David Reese told the paper. “It’s not 99 percent, 99.9 percent or anything else. He’s 100 percent committed. He came home for the 4th of July just because everybody else went home too. ...
“We’re not going to surprise anybody with any decision because there’s no decision to make. He came home to see his mom and his family. That’s it. There’s no story to this. I’m 100 percent sure he’s going back and he’ll be back prior to training camp and ready to go.”
Ferguson’s mom is undergoing chemotherapy, which explains the player’s decision to delay a return to Happy Valley. “He just wanted to come home, see his mom and make sure she’s doing okay,” Reese said.
The stepdad added that he will be speaking to Bill O’Brien in short order about a return to campus. The head coach subsequently confirmed that Ferguson is firmly entrenched on Penn State’s roster.
“He just went home the end of last week,” the coach said. “He’s only going to be home for a little while; he might even come back next week. Or by the following week.
“He’s committed. He’ll be back for training camp.”
In the middle of last month, Ferguson, a JUCO transfer, and incoming five-star recruit Christian Hackenberg were listed as co-starters on the latest depth chart. Most observers view the high-profile Hackenberg as a near-lock to win the starting job in summer camp.
A Ferguson transfer would’ve put an even bigger dent in the Nittany Lions’ depth at the position as Steven Bench left the program earlier this offseason and ultimately landed at USF.