Quarterback Kyler Murray To Transfer From Texas A&M
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COLLEGE STATION (AP) — Texas A&M has lost its top two quarterbacks after Kyler Murray left the team and was granted a release to transfer Thursday.
The highly touted freshman followed Kyle Allen in leaving the team. Allen was granted his release last Thursday.
"To all my family, friends and fans out there, I thank you for your love and continued support," Murray said on Twitter. "I will forever be grateful for the opportunities I've been given and relationships I've made at Texas A&M. I wish nothing but the best to all my guys in that locker room."
The move leaves the Aggies in a difficult predicament for the Music City Bowl against Louisville on Dec. 30. Texas A&M has just one scholarship quarterback on its roster in Jake Hubenak, a junior college transfer from Blinn College who played sparingly this season.
Murray missed practice Wednesday and coach Kevin Sumlin said at the time that the quarterback was "going through some things and didn't feel well."
Sumlin addressed Allen's departure for the first time on Wednesday, but did not specifically address the then-rumors that Murray also wanted to leave.
"He and his family got together and made a decision they thought was best for them," Sumlin said in a story in the Houston Chronicle. "Obviously we didn't agree with it. But this program is not about one person or one coach."
It's unclear what caused the pair to leave the team, but the moves raise questions about whether there are problems between the coaching staff and the players. Top receiver Christian Kirk took to Twitter to voice his support for the school on Thursday.
"I came to A&M because I love this town and University simple as that. This teams (sic) been through adversity before, we'll be (all right) (hashtag) GigEm," Kirk tweeted.
Hubenak also was active on Twitter on Thursday evening, retweeting several tweets of support and tweeting: "S/O to the 12th man for all the love and support! Now let's go."
Allen, who is a sophomore, won the job in camp and started the first seven games for A&M before struggling with interceptions, including throwing three that were each returned for touchdowns in a loss to Alabama, and was benched after a defeat at Mississippi. Murray took over after that, starting the next three games and leading the Aggies to two wins in that span. But he also had problems with interceptions and Allen got his job back for Texas A&M's final two games.
Murray came to A&M after going 43-0 in leading his high school in Allen, Texas, to three state titles. Murray is the son of Kevin Murray, who played quarterback for the Aggies from 1983-86 and was inducted into the Texas A&M Athletic Hall of Fame in 1999. The younger Murray threw for 14,500 yards and scored 186 touchdowns in his three championship seasons in high school. The two-sport star was expected to play baseball for the Aggies this spring.
Allen threw for 2,210 yards with 17 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Murray had 686 yards passing with five touchdowns and seven interceptions and was second on the team with 335 yards rushing.
Hubenak appeared in five games for the Aggies this season, but threw for just 92 yards and one touchdown. He threw for 4,052 yards with 47 touchdowns and nine interceptions in eight games for Blinn last season in his only season there.
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