After reportedly receiving attention from Texas Tech and Kansas State, former Minnesota Gophers quarterback Philip Nelson has decided to transfer to Rutgers, which will become a member of the Big Ten this coming academic year.
Nelson visited Rutgers this past Sunday and his father said he enjoyed the visit, but made it sound as if the sophomore signal-caller would take a bit of time to decide his next destination, stating that Kansas State was a late entrant for his services.
The Star-Ledger in New Jersey reported yesterday that Nelson would make a decision by Friday, citing NCAA transfer rules that require an athlete to enroll at a university by Feb. 1 in order to retain their full allotment of remaining eligibility.
In this case, by making the decision in time, Nelson will hold onto the the two years he has left.
Under NCAA rules, he will have to sit out the 2014 season because of the transfer.
Nelson announced his intention to leave the university two weeks ago on KFAN, a sports talk radio station in Minneapolis, which came as a surprise to many.
The two-year, part-time starter for the Gophers told KFAN that he would seek an offense that better fit his skill set, and said the fact that he split time with Max Shortell his freshman season and Mitch Leidner his sophomore year had nothing to do with the decision.
Rutgers joins the conference on July 1, and Nelson will be eligible to return to the field in the 2015 season.
