MADISON, Wis. - Stop me if you've heard this one before. A notable ACC quarterback is planning on transferring after earning his degree, and is apparently interested in Wisconsin. But this time, it's not Russell Wilson.
Maryland quarterback Danny O'Brien is planning on transferring after the Terps released him from his scholarship, according to the Baltimore Sun. The 6-foot-3, 215-pound O'Brien took a step back in his sophomore season, after breaking out as a freshman and winning the ACC's Rookie of the Year award.
Reports flew that O'Brien did not mesh well with new Maryland coach Randy Edsall, who led the Terps to a 2-10 season in his first year in College Park. O'Brien threw for 1648 yards in 2011, posting a paltry 7-10 touchdown to interception ratio. That's a far cry from his first year as a starter, where he threw for 2438 yards and 22 touchdowns.
The Sun report mentions that Wisconsin, Stanford, Michigan State, and Vanderbilt all could be options for the redshirt sophomore, who could play immediately after joining a team. In addition, O'Brien has two years of eligibility left, meaning his transfer would be more than just a one-year stopgap move.
The report does not mention the interest level of any of the listed teams, but the Badgers will probably inquire with O'Brien about his interest level. After Wilson exhausted his eligibility, the Badgers are left with a similar situation at quarterback that they had before his arrival last year. The position is low on experience, and injury questions mar the viability of the older players.
Time will tell if the Badgers end up bringing in another transfer quarterback. They already missed out on the Dayne Crist transfer, but the Badgers just might be able to find another veteran quarterback in their hour of need.