Defensive end Devonte Fields won’t be transferring to Stephen F. Austin after all. TCU officials changed their minds and have decided to prevent Fields from playing anywhere next season.
In a statement released by Stephen F. Austin, the school detailed exactly what happened...“After originally agreeing to grant a release to Devonte Fields, which would allow him to enroll and play football at Stephen F. Austin, Texas Christian University has since convened a committee and declared that Fields does not meet the requirements to attain the one-time transfer waiver.
“The decision by TCU renders Fields ineligible, prohibiting him from participating in football related activities at SFA for at least one year. In light of these developments, Fields has decided not to enroll at SFA and will not be a member of the Lumberjack football team.”
Fields now has two options. Either he can sit out this season and transfer to another program in 2015, or he could spend his time preparing for the 2015 NFL draft. As a member of the 2012 recruiting class, Fields will meet the NFL requirement of being out of high school three years to be eligible for the upcoming draft. Although, it may be in Fields’ best interests to transfer to another institution for one year and prove he can be reliable both on and off the field before he decides to make the leap to the professional ranks.
Being the Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year in 2012 will only go so far when you’ve barely played any football for two straight seasons.