Well this is certainly at least a somewhat mildly unexpected development.
The high school coach of Greyson Lambert confirmed to 247Sports.com that his former player asked for and has been granted a release from his Virginia scholarship. Lambert’s intention is to transfer to another FBS program.
The player subsequently took to his personal Twitter account to confirm the transfer news, thanking pretty much everyone connected to the football program on his way out the door.
Hardest decision of my life... I love my brothers. #Wahooforlife pic.twitter.com/KbX5RV9Jvj
— Greyson Lambert (@Greyson_Lambert) May 16, 2015
Lambert will graduate from UVa. later next month, and will thus be eligible to play immediately in 2015. He will actually have two years of eligibility remaining, meaning any school that lands him wouldn’t be getting the normal one-and-done grad transfer.
The coach, Jody Grooms, stated that Colorado State has already reached out to him expressing an interest in the quarterback.
Last season, Lambert started nine of the Cavaliers’ 12 games. He threw more interceptions (11) than touchdowns (10) while completing just under 60 percent of his 261 passes. That performance, as well as their collective performances in the spring, allowed Matt Johns to wrest control of the starting job exiting those 15 sessions.
The fact that he had lost, rather decisively, the starting job was likely the tipping point in Lambert’s decision -- as well as how his coach framed the fight for the job.
“It wasn’t close,” head coach Mike London said in late April of the competition. “If it was close we’d still be talking about going into August camp with two guys fighting for the same position. Matt clearly did what he was supposed to do and led our team in a way that we think the quarterback should be able to play to make us successful.”
Lambert also becomes the second quarterback who started games for the Hoos in 2014 to leave the program since the end of the 2014 season. David Watford, who started one game last year, announced in early December that he’d be leaving the Cavaliers, ultimately ending up at FCS-level Hampton.
Additionally, Corwin “Turtle” Cutler announced on Twitter late this past week that he too would be transferring. The quarterback, a three-star member of the Cavaliers 2013 recruiting class, took a redshirt as a freshman last season after spending a year at a prep school getting his academic house in order.
Thank you to all the fans at UVA for the support I LOVE YOU GUYS but can't stay somewhere I'm not wanted 💯
— IamShinobi (@naurto4x) May 14, 2015
#WAHOOWA
Good luck to Yall boys
