Earlier this week, it was reported that Mekale McKay was contemplating a transfer from Arkansas. A couple of days later, the contemplation is over; the wide receiver is indeed bolting Fayetteville.
Following his team’s first scrimmage of summer camp, head coach Bret Bielema confirmed that McKay had been granted a release from his scholarship. The coach added that he believes the receiver has a transfer destination picked out, but did not want to reveal it and step on his former player’s toes.
For what it’s worth, McKay went to high school in Louisville, Kentucky.
As a true freshman last season, the 6-6, 200-pound McKay finished second on the team in receiving yards (317) and was tied for fourth in receptions (21). He added a pair of receiving touchdowns.
McKay was a three-star member of the Razorbacks’ 2012 recruiting class.
Updated 4:45 p.m. ET: That certainly didn’t take long. Just a day after Bret Bielema confirmed that Mekale McKay would be transferring from the Hogs, the first-year coach shed light on where the sophomore would be heading.
Bielema said that McKay will transfer to the University of Cincinnati to play under first-year coach Tommy Tuberville. There’s been no official comment from UC, but given that Bielema made the announcement, it would seem it’s only a matter of “when” and not “if” on that front. McKay would have to sit out a season to satisfy NCAA transfer rules (barring a special waiver), but he would be relatively close to his hometown of Louisville.