USC’s loss will be Bret Bielema‘s gain at Arkansas, and it has potential to be a big gain. Quarterback Ricky Town will reportedly join the Arkansas Razorbacks. Joe Schad of ESPN.com was the first to report the transfer news. It’s a good day to be a Razorback.
Arkansas emerged as one of the leading candidates for the quarterback transfer, along with Florida. Both programs could use some help improving the position. This also brings Town back to the SEC West, where he had previously committed to Alabama before flipping to USC during his recruiting process. A reported desire to play in a pro-style offense was what Town was looking for, and that is certainly something Arkansas can provide. The question is just how soon will he be given a chance to start leading the Razorbacks offense? Town will have four years of eligibility after sitting out this season, so there is no rush to get him on the field, but 2016 would seem to be a reasonable enough expectation for Town to stake his case for the starting job under center.
Town requested a transfer from USC after the spring and head coach of the Trojans Steve Sarkisian reportedly agreed to allow for that. Despite being a talented recruit in USC’s Class of 2015, he was not going to get a chance to start for the Trojans this season unless Cody Kessler was injured.
“If I was going to transfer, I wanted to do it immediately as to not lose two years of eligibility,” Town said to Schad. “I’m excited to compete and to help Arkansas win games. It’s a long journey.”