On the same day Texas A&M coach Dennis Franchione apologized for a late hit (heck, there were two of ’em!) that hospitalized Texas QB Colt McCoy, Mack Brown confirmed the worst kept secret in Austin (well, other than the Black Angels sucking) : McCoy’s backup, freshman Jevan Sneed is leaving the program. From the Austin American Statesman’s Suzanne Haliburton.
Texas backup quarterback Jevan Snead was released from his scholarship Friday and plans to transfer to another school.
A person close to Snead said this week that the quarterback had yet to decide on a school, saying he could visit campuses much like he did a year ago, when he was starring at Stephenville High. Snead, a Parade magazine All-American, originally committed to Florida, but switched to the Longhorns in time to enroll at mid-semester.
Snead started putting out transfer feelers in mid-October, after Texas’ starting quarterback, Colt McCoy, a redshirt freshman, hit a stretch where he threw 14 touchdown passes in four games.
Possible destinations for Snead include Texas Christian, Houston or Louisville.
There is some question whether McCoy will be available for the Longhorns’ bowl game, either the Gator or Alamo, since he suffered a severe pinched nerve in his neck on Nov. 24 against Texas A&M.
The other Texas quarterbacks on the roster are Matt McCoy, a walk-on, and Sherrod Harris, a freshman who is redshirting this season.
The Longhorns also have commitments for 2007 from two five-star quarterbacks, John Brantley and John Chiles. Several schools, including Oklahoma and South Carolina, have targeted Brantley with hopes of shaking his commitment. But OU apparently has given up on Brantley, a standout from Ocala, Fla., after securing a commitment from Keith Nichol, who had previously committed to Michigan State. Nichol, from Lowell, Mich., reportedly will enroll at Oklahoma in January.
Burnt Orange Nation is fairly certain that when and if Mack Brown is grilled on this matter, his response will read something like this :
“Coach, do you think that your decision to play a wounded Colt McCoy over a healthy Jevan Snead had anything to do with his transfer?
Well, Brad McCoy assured us Colt was feeling great. And in all my years coaching football, I’ve never once heard a father exaggerate the preparedness or ability of his child. So, no, I don’t think that was factor. Also, Brad McCoy is a great high school football coach.
“Do you think the fan base will buy into your faux enthusiasm over an Alamo Bowl berth?”
Well, any time you get an invitation to a bowl, it’s a great thing. We’re 44-1-0 in games decided by less than seven points in which the opposing quarterback’s last name comes in the third quintile of the alphabet. So losing to Texas A&M really caught us off guard. Sure, we’re disappointed, but it’s a great honor to get to play our bowl game here in Texas. The Alamo Bowl is named after one of the most corageous moments in this state’s great history. We’re proud to have an opportunity to show our courage this year by showing up to the Alamo Bowl when we should be playing in the Fiesta Bowl. Lesser teams would have mailed it in already.