Nick Starkel transferring from Texas A&M, but where will he go?

Texas A&M quarterback Nick Starkel is the latest signal-caller to enter the NCAA transfer portal.

The NCAA transfer portal is heating up with big names at quarterback throughout the country. The likes of Jalen Hurts, Tate Martell and Austin Kendall have all moved on to different schools. The latest to join them is Texas A&M backup, Nick Starkel.

On Tuesday, Starkel announced he is looking to transfer, thanking Aggie fans for their support in a post on Twitter.

“I am forever thankful for all of the help I have received and I am blessed to have developed important relationships with my professors, mentors, coaches, teammates and many others,” Starkel wrote on Twitter. “I will always cherish my time at Texas A&M. I will be an Aggie for life! I am also excited to play more football. I will explore finishing my final two years of eligibility at another school.”

Starkel will look to join another program as a graduate transfer and has two years of eligibility remaining. While the loss of Starkel hurts the Aggies’ depth, Kellen Mond clearly proved he is the right man to lead this program moving forward under head coach Jimbo Fisher.

Not long ago, Starkel was the starter heading into the 2017 season. However, a knee injury limited him to seven games and Mond showed flashes in his absence. The two split time and Starkel finished the season with 1,793 yards and 14 touchdowns to six interceptions. He did set Texas A&M freshman records in the Belk Bowl loss to Wake Forest for passing yards (499), attempts (63), completions, (42) and touchdowns (4) in a bowl game.

When Fisher took over, a quarterback controversy ensued. Both battled in fall camp, but the job went to Mond. Starkel barely saw the field, only appearing in four games. He threw for 169 yards and a single touchdown. Losing his starting job and the transfer portal filling up with talented quarterbacks ultimately led Starkel to his decision.

A former three-star recruit coming out of Liberty Christian in Argyle, TX, Starkel should have a good amount of options for a fresh start. Oklahoma State, UCLA and North Texas all recruited him heavily and offered scholarships. It is possible he could look there or another Power Five program in Texas.

With Starkel transferring, the Aggies are left with three quarterbacks behind Mond. Sophomore Connor Blumrick and redshirt freshman James Foster will look to win the backup job, but early enrollee Zach Calzada will be fighting for reps this spring as well.