Trevor Knight pens letter on why ‘grad transfers are right for CFB’
By Andrew Olson
Published:
Trevor Knight originally wanted to be an Aggie, and now the former Oklahoma quarterback is getting that chance thanks to the NCAA’s graduate transfer rule, which allows student-athletes who have received their degrees to use any remaining eligibility as a graduate student at another school (with a major not available at the other school).
Knight penned an open letter for Sports Illustrated’s Campus Rush, which has featured an eight-part offseason series on quarterbacks. In the letter, Knight reflects on his original recruitment, time at Oklahoma and why he chose to transfer to Texas A&M. He also reveals that he’s kept his Oklahoma gear and still considers himself a Sooners fan – something that could come up in the postseason.
On his original interest in the Aggies as a high school prospect:
I was fortunate to receive a lot of scholarship offers from all over the country but as a San Antonio native, I knew I wanted to stay home, in Texas, close to my family. So I committed to coach Mike Sherman and the Texas A&M Aggies and thought I was done.
Then I was urged to go to a Junior Day in Norman at the University of Oklahoma. On our way home, I looked at Connor, my twin brother, and we both knew OU was the perfect place for us. So I switched my commitment.
On why he chose Texas A&M the second time around:
The recruiting process as a mature student-athlete is different than as a teenager. Coaches don’t focus as much on trying to show off the facilities or the uniforms. We talk seriously about what I could accomplish in one season. For me, I felt instantly comfortable at A&M. I know what happened in the off-season with the other quarterbacks transferring out, but I also know the media and outside talk can sometimes make situations sound a lot worse than they really are. I believe in the culture at A&M. I believe in the people here, and the direction coach Sumlin is taking the program. The community here is really tight knit, and the football family wrapped its arms around me from the moment I arrived. I feel like I’ve already been here four years. I couldn’t have asked for a better situation—and that’s why I ran toward it.
On why the graduate transfer rule should stay in place:
I’ve heard some coaches complain about the grad transfer rule, say they don’t like it or don’t think it’s “right.” I hear some people say we have a transfer epidemic. Well, there are a lot of similarities to coaches leaving for what they call better opportunities—why is it different for players? The majority of transfers in college football are positive; it winds up being a better situation for the individual player and program. During recruiting, coaches talk to prospects and their parents about going to a university to get their education. Whether coaches believe it or just preach it, kids hear that and most of us buy in. So if you put in your time and effort to get your undergraduate degree (which I did, in business management), why does any outsider have the right to question what’s right for you?
Knight’s full letter, which goes into greater detail about his four years at Oklahoma, can be read here.
Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaigns of Fred Taylor and Andruw Jones.
