On the same day Stanford brought in a new recruiting class, it’s the transfer of KJ Costello that will serve as the day’s biggest headline down on The Farm.
Matt Zenitz of al.com was the first to report that Costello had placed his name into the NCAA transfer database. A Stanford official subsequently confirmed that the quarterback was likely to leave the program, although the individual wouldn’t confirm that Costello is already in the portal.
If Costello ultimately does depart the Cardinal, he would be leaving as a graduate transfer. That would allow him to play immediately at another FBS school in 2020.
Source: Stanford quarterback K.J. Costello has entered his name into the transfer portal.
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) December 19, 2019
Listed as a graduate transfer.
Was a second-team all-conference selection last year.
The 6-5, 222-pound Costello started all 13 games for the Cardinal last season after starting seven the year before. As a redshirt sophomore in 2018, Costello was named second-team All-Pac-12.
This year has been an entirely different story. In very large part because of multiple injuries (thumb, head), Costello played in just five games in 2019. He last played made an appearance Nov. 9, which turned out to likely be his last in a Stanford uniform.
For his career thus far, Costello has completed 494 of his 790 passes (62.5 completion percentage) for 6,141 yards, 49 touchdowns and 18 interceptions. He’s added another three touchdowns on the ground, although all of those came as a redshirt freshman in 2017.
This season, Costello threw for 1,028 yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions as he completed just under 61 percent of his 166 pass attempts.
A four-star member of Stanford’s 2016 recruiting class, Costello was rated as the No. 3 pro-style quarterback in the country; the No. 7 player at any position in the state of California; and the No. 47 recruit overall on 247Sports.com‘s composite board. Only one signee in the Cardinal’s class that year, tight end Kaden Smith, was rated higher than Costello.
Costello is also at least the 13th player to transfer from David Shaw‘s program this season.