Update: In a statement, Nick Saban confirmed late Thursday that five-star quarterback Blake Barnett has left the Alabama football team.
"We received word this afternoon that Blake Barnett has officially withdrawn from school and is no longer with our program. The quarterback position is a very unique position where only one player can play. We are very disappointed any time a player leaves the program who feels he can compete for a starting position elsewhere, rather than here at Alabama. We wish Blake the very best of luck in the future."
Original story
From the starting quarterback of Alabama's season-opener to out the door. That's the path Blake Barnett has chosen, as he's decided to transfer from Alabama.
That's according to AL.com, which is reporting Barnett will transfer and has already left the program.
When asked about Barnett's transfer, Nick Saban said he talked to Barnett about his future, and that he wants him to remain at Alabama. He also said that as far as he knew a final decision hadn't been reached yet.
Barnett was a five-star member of Alabama's 2015 recruiting class, but redshirted last season. He spent the offseason in a quarterback battle for the starting job, and although he took the first snaps of the season against USC, he was replaced by Jalen Hurts on the second series of the game.
While Barnett's appeared in games since then, the job has belonged to Hurts, and with Hurts being a freshman as well, it seems Barnett is convinced that if he's going to get playing time somewhere, it won't be in Tuscaloosa.
As for where Barnett will land, he likely won't find himself with a shortage of interested suitors. He was the No. 2 pro-style quarterback in the 2015 class, and the California-native had offers from schools like Notre Dame, Michigan, Ole Miss, Oregon and UCLA just to name a few.
