All-MAC LB Austin Valdez to pursue graduate transfer
An intriguing player just became available on the graduate transfer market.
Austin Valdez, an All-MAC linebacker from Bowling Green, announced Thursday night that he will play his final season of college football at another school. In a note posted on Twitter, Valdez explained that he already has earned his degree and would like to “pursue different options” for his fifth year of eligibility.
Thank you for everything BG. pic.twitter.com/v2T85fPtmE
— Austin Valdez (@AValdez01) March 2, 2017
“Linebacker Austin Valdez has asked for and been granted permission to contact by the BGSU Football program,” the school said in a statement. “He plans to graduate and seek a graduate transfer opportunity. We wish him well.”
The 6-foot-1, 236-pound Valdez was an all-conference choice in 2015 when he racked up a whopping 144 tackles along with 11 tackles for loss and seven passes defended. He dealt with injuries throughout the 2016 campaign and finished the year with 58 stops in 10 games.
Valdez redshirted his first season and tallied 20 tackles in 13 appearances as a backup in 2014.
While his injury-plagued 2016 season could be of some concern, a guy with that level of production — 144 tackles is an eye-popping number no matter the conference — could draw significant interest.
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Sam Cooper is a writer for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!
