In a somewhat surprising turn of events, Oregon State’s battle to replace Sean Mannion has been whittled from three down to two.
In a release Thursday, OSU head coach Gary Andersen announced that Luke Del Rio has decided to transfer out of the Beavers football program. No reason was given for the departure.
“Luke has decided to transfer and we will support him,” the first-year OSU head coach said in a statement. “He has handled the transition very well and has done everything asked of him. However, he feels it is time to start a new chapter in his life.”
Del Rio, the son of former USC great and current NFL head coach Jack Del Rio, transferred to OSU from Alabama in January of 2014. He was granted immediate eligibility by the NCAA, and served as Mannion’s primary backup last season as he completed 8-of-18 passes for 141 yards.
Del Rio was a three-star member of the Tide’s 2013 recruiting class, rated as the No. 28 pro-style quarterback in the country and the No. 3 player at any position in the state of Colorado.
To where he will transfer now remains to be seen.
“I want to thank Coach Andersen for the opportunity and wish all of my former teammates the best of luck this season and in the future,” the quarterback said.
With Del Rio’s departure, it’s now a two-man fight for the starting job between true freshman Seth Collins and redshirt freshman Nick Mitchell. Based on their respective class status, you may have divined that neither player has attempted a pass at the collegiate level.
The only other scholarship quarterback currently on the roster is redshirt freshman Marcus McMaryion, which means that, regardless of which player wins the starting job -- and barring a graduate transfer -- the Beavers will go into the 2015 season with a player under center who has never thrown a pass at this level of football.