Texas A&M starting quarterback Kyle Allen is transferring out of the program, the school announced Thursday.
Allen, who started 14 games in his Texas A&M career, has been granted his release from the school.
In a tweet Thursday, Allen gave no reason for his departure but thanked the university:
Thank you College Station and thank you Texas A&M University 👍🏼 pic.twitter.com/hekE2O31ZK
— Kyle Allen (@KyleAllen_10) December 11, 2015A 6-foot-3, 210-pound sophomore, Allen arrived in College Station before the 2014 season as a highly regarded recruit. He was the No. 1-ranked pocket passer in the 2014 ESPN 300 and the nation's No. 35 overall recruit. He started the last five games of the 2014 season, replacing then-starter Kenny Hill, and started the first seven games of this season before being benched after struggling in consecutive performances against Alabama and Ole Miss.
Before this season, Allen won a training camp competition for the starting job with true freshman Kyler Murray, a five-star recruit in the 2015 recruiting class and the No. 1 dual-threat quarterback in the ESPN 300. Murray took snaps in the Aggies' first four games and later replaced Allen as the starter for three games.
Allen, a Scottsdale, Arizona, product, regained the starting job for the final two regular-season games. He was 9-5 as a starter in his Texas A&M career. This season he completed 56.5 percent of his passes for 2,210 yards, 17 touchdowns and seven interceptions. After leading Texas A&M to a 5-0 start, he led the SEC in passing efficiency before throwing three interceptions returned for touchdowns in a 41-23 loss to Alabama on Oct. 16. He went 12-for-34 passing for 88 yards in a 23-3 loss to Ole Miss on Oct. 24.
In the Alabama game, Allen said he suffered an AC sprain in his throwing shoulder but told the coaching staff he was well enough to face Ole Miss. Upon his return to the starting lineup Nov. 21, a 25-0 win over Vanderbilt, Allen said he felt 100 percent healthy.
With Allen departing, Murray is likely to start the Aggies' game against Louisville in the Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl on Dec. 30 in Nashville, Tennessee. This season Murray is 72-of-121 passing (59.5 percent) for 686 yards, five touchdowns and seven interceptions and has rushed for 335 yards and a touchdown.