Penn State quarterback Beau Pribula has exposed one of the big flaws of the college football transfer rules.
Pribula, who is a sophomore with the Nittany Lions, announced via social media Sunday that he will be transferring. In his note, he acknowledged the unfortunate timing of his transfer decision.
Pribula has decided to transfer before Penn State’s College Football Playoff game against SMU on Dec. 21.
“The current NCAA post-season model creates a challenge for student-athletes. The overlapping CFB playoff & transfer portal timeline has forced me into an impossible decision. After speaking at length with my family and coaches, it is with a heavy heart that I announce my intentions to enter the transfer portal and depart from the team to explore opportunities elsewhere,” Pribula’s note said.
— Beau Pribula (@beauprib) December 16, 2024
Pribula may be a backup quarterback, but he’s not an insignificant member of the Nittany Lions. He has seen action in 12 of Penn State’s 13 games. He has rushed for 242 yards and 4 touchdowns and is a rushing threat in games.
Pribula could stay through Penn State’s playoff game, but there are issues. The winter transfer portal window only runs from Dec. 9-28. If he doesn’t transfer then, he would have to wait until April for the spring window. The situation is like musical chairs, and he needs to grab his seat at his next school before all the spots and NIL money are gone. The same thing happened last year with Maalik Murphy at Texas, who transferred to Duke before the Longhorns’ playoff game.
With Pribula out of the picture, all the quarterbacking will fall on Drew Allar. Allar has completed 69.1 percent of his passes for 2,894 yards with 21 touchdowns this season. He has also rushed for 279 yards and 6 touchdowns.
In order to look out for his best interest, Pribula has to leave now and desert his teammates before their biggest game of the year. If the transfer portal window were opened after the season ended, he would be able to stay with his team.
But the big reason the window is in December is to allow students to transfer before the start of the academic semester in January.
