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For the third time in his college career, quarterback Blake Barnett has chosen where he wants to continue his football career. According to JP Peterson of 620 WDAE in Tampa Bay, the former Alabama and Arizona State quarterback is headed to the University of South Florida.
Great source telling me Blake Barnett has decided to transfer to USF. @USFFootball hosted him on a visit. He will have 2 years of eligibility and be immediately eligible. He was a 5 star recruit started for Bama in opener replaced by Jalen Hurts then went to ASU. Huge for USF
— JP Peterson (@JPPetersonSprts) May 8, 2018
Barnett graduated from Arizona State on Monday, and because he will be a graduate transfer, the 6-foot-5, 201-pound QB will be eligible to play right away. He visited USF, which plays in the American Athletic Conference, the weekend after announcing his intentions to transfer, according to Bruce Feldman.
Barnett announced his plans to move away from Tempe on April 25 after failing to earn the starting spot at ASU in 2017. As Manny Wilkins’ backup, Barnett threw just five passes in two games.
The former Elite 11 MVP and five-star recruit has had trouble winning the starting spot. At his first college stint at Alabama, Barnett played in just three games before Jalen Hurts took over the starting spot under center in Tuscaloosa.
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ASU fans have almost grown accustomed to Sun Devil quarterbacks transferring at this point. In June, Bryce Perkins decided to transfer to Virginia after spending a year in JUCO after his time in Tempe. Then, in January, Brady White decided to join his former offensive coordinator, Mike Norvell, at Memphis
Perkins has already been named the starter at Virginia, and White and Barnett should at least have a chance to compete for the No. 1 spot at their respective schools.
With those three no longer taking snaps under center in Tempe, the Sun Devils’ depth at quarterback is, to put it nicely, limited. Junior Dillion Sterling-Cole, who split second-team reps this spring with Barnett, will now move into the backup role.
Behind him, though, ASU has only two redshirt freshmen quarterbacks — Ryan Kelley and Kevin Brown — on its roster. The Sun Devils, too, did not sign a quarterback in their 2018 class.