When the fax from Stephenville, Texas, was received in Baylor's football office in February 2015, the Bears had signed one of the most heralded quarterbacks in recent years.
Seventeen months later, that recruit permanently took himself off Baylor's depth chart.
Sophomore quarterback Jarrett Stidham announced Thursday he will transfer from the Big 12 school. The former four-star recruit made the decision public on his Twitter account.
"After careful thought and consideration, I am announcing my decision to transfer from Baylor University," Stidham said as part of a four-sentence statement.
Stidham intends to enroll at Waco's McLennan Community College, according to a source with knowledge of the situation. McLennan does not have a football team, but the move allows him to keep three years of eligibility.
The 6-3, 210-pound quarterback appeared in 10 games and made three starts after Seth Russell suffered a season-ending neck injury. Stidham went 75 of 109 passing for 1,265 yards, 12 touchdowns and two interceptions before a broken ankle ended his season Nov. 21.
Interim Baylor coach Jim Grobe told Waco's KRZI-AM (1660) that Stidham wasn't receiving enough snaps behind Russell, who will be returning for his senior year.
"I don't think he was happy backing up Seth Russell, and so he's decided to move on and try to find a place where he can get more snaps," Grobe told KRZI-AM.
Grobe took over the program this summer after Baylor suspended and then fired Art Briles in the aftermath of a third-party investigation that looked into the school's mishandling of sexual assault cases that involved many football players.
Briles originally didn't look like he'd land Stidham, who was the second-best dual-threat quarterback in the Class of 2015, according to 247Sports.com's composite rankings.
Stidham was originally committed to Texas Tech until he switched his pledge to Baylor two months before National Signing Day.
Now, Stidham is once again in the position of finding a new depth chart.
"I want to thank the coaching staff that brought me here and gave me this opportunity to play," Stidham said in his statement. "This has been a difficult decision, but I wish nothing but the best to my teammates and Baylor Football in the future."
