A day after helping Florida hold off East Carolina in the Birmingham Bowl, quarterback Jeff Driskel has a new home for his final season of college football.
Driskel and Florida confirmed on Monday that he will transfer to Louisiana Tech for the 2015 season.
“There have been rumors going around that I am going to leave the University of Florida and transfer to Louisiana Tech University for my fifth and final year of eligibility. This is indeed true, and I look forward to the upcoming chapter of my life," Driskel said. "I have nothing but good things to say about the University of Florida and the football program there.
"I am grateful for the opportunities that have been presented to me over the course of the past four years. Although things did not play out on the field as I would have liked, I have no regrets on the choice I made to attend UF. Again, I appreciate everything that my coaches, teammates, strength coaches, athletic trainers, equipment staff, academic staff, fans, and the University of Florida have done for me.”
New Florida head coach Jim McElwain said on Saturday morning that he gave Driskel his release.
Driskel, a redshirt junior, finished his up-and-down career with the Gators by replacing an injured Treon Harris on Saturday and ultimately running for the game-clinching first down in the final minutes of a 28-20 win over the Pirates.
Driskel began the season as the starting quarterback but was replaced by Harris, a true freshman, in October. He threw for 1,140 yards, nine touchdowns and 10 interceptions this season.
Driskel, Rivals’ top-ranked pro-style quarterback in the class of 2011, started for the Gators in 2012 and led the team to 11 wins and the Sugar Bowl. He then broke his leg in Week 3 of the 2013 season, forcing him to miss the rest of the year and allowing him to take a medical redshirt.
That medical redshirt gives him one final season of eligibility with the Bulldogs, a program coming off a 9-5 season that culminated with a Heart of Dallas Bowl victory over Illinois.
If Driskel wins the starting position with the Bulldogs, he will replace Cody Sokol, an Iowa transfer who threw for 3,436 yards, 30 touchdowns and 13 interceptions this season.
Overall in his career with Florida, Driskel threw for 3,411 yards, 23 touchdowns and 20 interceptions. Additionally, he has 644 career rushing yards and nine touchdowns.
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