Hognobbing

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FAYETTEVILLE – Arkansas gained another big addition to its 2019 roster Monday evening when quarterback Nick Starkel announced his plans to transfer from Texas A&M to Fayetteville. The grad-transfer announced his decision Monday evening, approximately 48 hours after wrapping up an official visit in Fayetteville.

Starkel, 6-3, 218, graduates from Texas A&M in May and will then have two years of immediate eligibility remaining with the Hogs. He was also considering Florida State but no longer plans to visit the Seminoles later this month. 

Several other schools made contact, including Ohio State, Louisville, Washington State, Georgia Tech, Duke, Memphis, Rutgers and others, but Starkel didn’t need long to make up his mind after visiting the Hogs.

“Arkansas felt like home the moment I set foot on campus,” Starkel told HawgSports. “Coach [Chad] Morris and his staff know the true meaning of family and are growing closer together as a team and as a family each day.”

Starkel signed with the Aggies out of Argyle (Texas) Liberty Christian in the Class of 2016. After redshirting in his first season, Starkel won the starting job but broke an ankle in Texas A&M’s season opener against UCLA.

He returned to action in Week 8 and finished his redshirt-freshman year with a 60-percent completion rate and 1,793 yards, 14 touchdowns and six interceptions. He also rushed for a score.

After a coaching change in College Station, Starkel lost his starting job heading into the 2018 season and decided to transfer after the Aggies’ bowl game in January.

By choosing the Razorbacks, he’ll still be close to home and able to play in college football’s top conference.

“It is closer to home, only four and a half hours away,” Starkel said. “My family will be able to see every game. I know a lot of people at this university and I know the coaching staff really well so I figure that will be the best fit for me.”

Starkel’s many connections to Arkansas’ coaches and players can’t be understated. He is former teammates with running back Rakeem Boyd, who also signed with Texas A&M in the Class of 2016 and spent one year in College Station.

Additionally, Morris and his assistants recruited Starkel to SMU out of high school, and Starkel played under a Texas A&M staff that included two of Arkansas’ current defensive coaches in John Chavis and Ron Cooper.

“Obviously Coach Chavis and Coach Cooper were at A&M, so it was good to see them,” Starkel said. “Coach Morris, Coach [Joe] Craddock and Coach [Justin] Stepp have been recruiting me since high school when they were at SMU. It’s been good to see them as well and touch base with them.”

Boyd hosted Starkel during the quarterback’s official visit last week.

“Rakeem is a really good guy,” Starkel said. “It’s just been good hanging out with him again. He’s been helping me and taking me around everywhere. That’s been really nice.”

In Fayetteville, Starkel will be joining a group of quarterbacks that already features one grad-transfer in former SMU quarterback Ben Hicks, who is also immediately eligible in 2018 but only has one year remaining.

Arkansas’ 2019 quarterbacks also include redshirt-sophomore Daulton Hyatt, who has yet to see game action, and two redshirt-freshmen in Connor Noland and John Stephen Jones. 

Noland made one start and appeared in four games as a true freshman last season, finishing the year 21 of 43 with 255 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. 

The Hogs’ quarterback room will get deeper this summer when 2019 four-star signee KJ Jefferson of Sardis (Miss.) North Panola arrives on campus.