QB Nick Starkel looking to leave Texas A&M as grad transfer

Former Texas A&M Aggies starting quarterback Nick Starkel announced on Tuesday he will explore joining another team as a graduate transfer with two years of eligibility remaining.

Starkel, a third-year sophomore from Argyle, Texas, opened the 2017 season as the Aggies' starting quarterback, but he played sparingly in four games behind Kellen Mond this past season.

"I am forever thankful for all of the help I have received and I am blessed to have developed important relationships with my professors, mentors, coaches, teammates and many others," Starkel wrote. "I will always cherish my time at Texas A&M. I will be an Aggie for life! I am also excited to play more football. I will explore finishing my final two years of eligibility at another school."

Starkel said in the social media post that he is scheduled to graduate in June, meaning he would be eligible to play at another school this coming season.

Starkel, 6-foot-3 and 218 pounds, began the 2017 campaign as the starter, but he injured his left foot in the first half of a 45-44 season-opening loss at UCLA, in which the Aggies blew a 34-point lead. He returned to play in the Aggies' last four games, including a 55-52 loss to Wake Forest in the Belk Bowl, in which he completed 42 of 63 passes for 499 yards with four touchdowns and one interception. He set Texas A&M freshman records for passing yards, attempts, completions and touchdown passes in the bowl game.

This past season, Starkel played in only four games behind Mond, completing 15 of 22 passes for 169 yards with one touchdown. Mond threw for 3,107 with 24 touchdowns under first-year coach Jimbo Fisher.

During practices before the Aggies' 52-13 victory over NC State in the Dec. 31 TaxSlayer Gator Bowl, Fisher said he expected Starkel to return to Texas A&M this spring.

"We've had a few [conversations], and I anticipate him being back at spring practice," Fisher said.

If Starkel leaves, the Aggies will have three scholarship quarterbacks behind Mond, rising sophomore Connor Blumrick, redshirt freshman James Foster and early enrollee Zach Calzada.