It’s official: Everett Golson is transferring.
ESPN’s Brett McMurphy reported the move via Twitter, likely scooping Fox Sports’ Bruce Feldman, who has an official quote from Golson, who is deciding to move on after earning his degree from Notre Dame.
The two-headed quarterback of Golson and Malik Zaire left spring practice with Golson seemingly ahead of Zaire. But Golson’s decision to leave and start over leaves the Irish with Zaire and a depth chart of inexperienced backups behind him, with redshirt freshman DeShone Kizer and true freshman Brandon Wimbush getting to campus in June.
Golson gave the following statement to Feldman and Fox Sports:“After much thought, prayer and discussion with my family, I have decided that it is in my best interest to graduate from Notre Dame and transfer to another school effectively immediately,” Golson said. “I would like to thank everyone at Notre Dame for the opportunity to compete at the highest level of college football, but most importantly to obtain my degree from one of the finest universities in the country. To all the Fighting Irish fans, I want to thank you for your support over the past four years and let you know I truly love Notre Dame. To my former teammates, who I will miss tremendously, I wish much success in the future and will be your biggest fan from afar.
“I will have no future comment at this time and ask that you respect my time as I figure out this live changing moment. God has a plan for each of us and I ask for your prayers as I move forward in this new journey in my life.”
Poised to be a four-year starter, Golson’s career went sideways after leading the Irish to an undefeated 2012 regular season and a date in the BCS title game against Alabama.
An academic violation cost him the 2013 season and the fall semester. Golson returned for spring football after his suspension, winning the 2014 starting job over Zaire.
But after a hot start to the season, turnovers doomed Golson, torpedoing the Irish offense and eventually costing him his starting job after being pulled before halftime in the blowout loss to USC.
There’s been no comment from Notre Dame about the transfer. But entering his sixth season, Brian Kelly is once again looking for a starting quarterback—as Golson’s career in South Bend is over.
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UPDATED: Brian Kelly and the Notre Dame football program released the following statement:
“I’d like to thank Everett Golson for all he did as a member of our football program. He had many significant achievements, including helping us to an undefeated regular season and berth into the national title game. But his most important accomplishment is completing his course work toward a degree from the University of Notre Dame. I wish him all the best moving forward.
“We, of course, have approached our preparations for the upcoming season with this possibility in mind. The emergence of Malik Zaire, based on his performance in the Music City Bowl win over LSU, and throughout spring practice, has given our staff supreme confidence that he can lead our team to great success in 2015.”