Not that long ago, very seldom did a college football player transfer and eventually face his original team. Transfers often had limited options. The first team could restrict where the player could transfer. Typically, conference teams or any upcoming opponents were off-limits.
In 2015, Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield faced Texas Tech, where he began his collegiate career. But that clash occurred after Mayfield was forced to sit out the 2014 season due to Big 12 transfer restrictions.
Recent rules changes will make players facing their original teams rather commonplace.
West Virginia quarterback Austin Kendall transferred from Oklahoma. He’ll face the Sooners on Oct. 19. Ohio State guard Jonah Jackson transferred from Rutgers. He’ll play against the Scarlet Knights on Nov. 16. South Carolina running back Tavien Feaster will close the regular season against Clemson, the team for which he played the first three seasons of his collegiate career.
Further, Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields could face Georgia, his former team, in the playoff. The same goes for Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts, who transferred from Alabama.
One of this season’s first games — if not the first — matching a player against his former team is Saturday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington when Arkansas quarterback Nick Starkel faces Texas A&M.
A powerful-armed drop-back passer who wore a Justin Bieber T-shirt under his shoulder pads, Starkel was quite popular among his former A&M teammates.
“I always wished him the best of luck,” A&M quarterback Kellen Mond said. “We were in the same locker room for two years. He's always been a great person to me.”
Safety Keldrick Carper shared those sentiments.
“Nick’s a great guy. He was a good friend and a good teammate.”
Two years ago Starkel, who transferred to Arkansas last March, passed for 1,375 yards and eight touchdowns for A&M. He started the last four games that season and in that span twice threw for more than 400 yards.
Starkel was unavailable for interviews this week. But in July he told the Arkansas Democrat that he felt he should have been A&M’s starting quarterback in 2018. Instead, coach Jimbo Fisher chose Kellen Mond.
“Him (Fisher) and I have had this conversation,” Starkel told the Democrat. “I told him I think he made the wrong decision. And he said, ‘OK.’ I said, 'I'm going to show you that every day at practice,' and I feel like I had the better spring ball when he first got there. And I feel like I had the better fall camp. We got into it a little bit with some disagreements, then ultimately (he) just ended up playing Kellen.”
Arkansas coach Chad Morris didn’t originally start Starkel, either. Ben Hicks, a transfer from SMU who Morris already knew well, started the first two games, but he struggled in a lackluster win over Portland State and a lopsided loss to Ole Miss.
That prompted Morris to go with Starkel, who completed a 38-yard pass on his first attempt of his first start against Colorado State. Starkel passed for 305 yards and 3 touchdowns in a 55-34 victory.
However, Starkel threw five interceptions in a 31-24 loss to San Jose State last week. He was so distraught by that subpar showing he tweeted apologies to Arkansas fans. He even ripped apart his Beiber T-shirt as a gesture to show his attention will be only focused on football.
“Hopefully, we can get ourselves some picks as well,” Carper said. “Nick's a competitor. He's going to come out and play well. He’s a good guy. I know he’s good at heart. He meant what he said. I feel like he’ll try to give it his best shot as always.”
Fisher said he’s had to play former players before. New rules may ensure he’ll do so more frequently. That’s just part of the game’s evolution.
"It’s not weird. It's part of today’s world,” Fisher said. “You get used to it. Old coaches, old players.”
1. Joe Burrow, LSU, QB: He keeps rolling. Burrow passed for 398 yards and 6 touchdowns in a 66-38 victory over Vanderbilt. It’s the third game in which he’s thrown at least 4 touchdown passes. He’s passed for 1,520 yards with 17 touchdowns and 2 interceptions.
2. Jalen Hurts, Oklahoma, QB: Sooners were idle last week. Hurts remains second in the nation in total offense. He’s rushed for 373 yards and passed for 880 in three games. He’s thrown 9 touchdown passes and has rushed for four.
3. Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama, QB: He’s thrown 5 touchdown passes in each of the last two games and at least 3 TD passes in every game. Tagovailoa is completing 77.7 percent of his attempts while throwing for 1,300 yards and 17 touchdowns with no interceptions.
4. Sam Ehlinger, Texas, QB: Ehlinger passed for 281 yards and 4 TDs and rushed for another 70 in a 36-30 victory over Oklahoma State. He’s sixth in the nation in total offense having thrown for 1,237 yards and rushed for 191. He’s thrown 15 TD passes and rushed for another.
5. Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin, RB: Taylor returns to my Top Five after a dominant showing in a 35-14 victory over Michigan. He rushed for 203 yards and scored TDs on first quarter runs of 1 and 72 yards. Through three games he’s rushed for 440 yards and has scored 7 touchdowns.
1. Clemson: Only one of Clemson’s next five opponents has a winning record. That team, Boston College (3-1), lost to Kansas.
2. Alabama: Some say Alabama is vulnerable. OK, but the Tide is ranked in the national Top 10 in scoring offense and scoring defense. Alabama has won every game by at least 24 points.
3. Oklahoma: Sooners defense is still suspect. The offense appears unstoppable, though.
4. Ohio State: The Buckeyes likely must beat Wisconsin twice to reach the playoffs. If they can’t pull that off, look out for Georgia or LSU.
No. 18 Virginia at No. 10 Notre Dame: Virginia is expected to win the ACC Coastal Division. Notre Dame has to bounce back from an emotional loss at Georgia.
Arizona State at No. 15 Cal: This has to be the most surprising “big game” of the week — maybe of the year. Could this really be a preview of the Pac-12 championship? Cal is unbeaten. Arizona State is 3-1.
No. 21 USC at No. 17 Washington: USC keeps appearing to be in deep trouble. And keeps getting out of it. Down to its third-string quarterback, the Trojans beat Utah. Go ahead and accept they are for real — and coach Clay Helton’s job is secure — if they win in Seattle.
Mississippi State at No. 7 Auburn: The Bulldogs showed signs of life in a convincing win over Kentucky last week. Auburn presents a much more difficult challenge, though.
No. 5 Ohio State at Nebraska: Buckeyes haven’t yet been seriously challenged. Maybe that changes in Lincoln. Maybe. Kinda. Sorta.
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