STARKVILLE —Â Dylan Favre has left the Mississippi State football program and intends to transfer to another school.
MSU coach Dan Mullen announced the third-string quarterback’s departure Saturday after the team’s first practice for its game against Wake Forest at 5:40 p.m. Dec. 30 (ESPN) in the Music City Bowl, but he declined to give the redshirt freshman’s motivation for the move.
“Dylan has decided to transfer, and we wish him the best,” Mullen said. “He has our full support in everything and did a great job for us during his time here.”
The Dispatch learned the redshirt freshman quarterback, who is the nephew of former NFL quarterback Brett Favre, indicated to MSU’s compliance department he would be transfer to a junior college so he could be eligible to play next season.
Favre didn’t see much playing time behind senior Chris Relf and sophomore Tyler Russell. The 2009 Gatorade Player of the Year and Mr. Football selection in the state of Mississippi told The Biloxi Sun Herald on Saturday he would transfer to Pearl River Community College. Attempts by The Dispatch to contact Favre on Saturday were unsuccessful.
“Making major changes to the life I’m living,” Favre tweeted Friday night. “I have no choice I gotta prove I made the right decision.”
According to NCAA rules, MSU’s compliance department isn’t required to issue a formal letter of release of Favre from his scholarship, and only is only required to do so and give formal permission for schools to recruit him if he chooses to talk with schools from the Football Bowl Subdivision.
Favre saw action at quarterback in four games this season, going 13-for-26 for 119 yards and one touchdown. He also had two rushing touchdowns against the University of Tennessee at Martin and the University of Arkansas. He chose MSU over Southern Mississippi and Tulane after shattering most of the state high school passing records.
Favre’s departure leaves MSU (6-6) with three scholarship quarterbacks on the roster. Freshman Dak Prescott took significant second-team reps in practice Saturday. Prescott, a 225-pounder from Haughton, La., likely won’t be forced into action against Wake Forest.
Mullen was confident Saturday that Relf and Russell, who have received the majority of playing time this season, should be able to handle every snap against the Demon Deacons (6-6).
“They’re pretty tough,” Mullen said of the quarterbacks with a laugh.
Russell said he was aware of Favre’s situation earlier in the week after discussing it with the Bay St. Louis product, but he wouldn’t go into detail Saturday about what prompted Favre to leave MSU.
“He didn’t really have a reason, and he just said he thought and prayed on it,” Russell said. “At the end of his decision, he thought what he was doing was just right for him.”
Stigers leaving program
Junior defensive end Trevor Stigers will forgo his final year of eligibility and will graduate from MSU in the spring.
Stigers, who had 10 tackles, two forced fumbles, and a sack this season, didn’t participate in the final two games of the season, and hadn’t had a multi-tackle performance since the season-opening victory at the University of Memphis, when he had four tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble.
“Trevor is graduating,” Mullen said. “He had some academic things to get caught up and finish his graduation, and he’s going to graduate and start his next phase of his life.”
Stigers, who was born in Crawford, committed to MSU in the fall of 2007 after making 84 tackles at Ridgeland High School as a senior. He also had 11 1/2 sacks, three forced fumbles, and four pass deflections as a senior.
Young running backs getting major practice time
In the past, Mullen has used the first week of practice for a bowl game to tinker with rotations and positions.
Saturday was no different, as Mullen focused on getting running backs experience with the first-team offense.
“This is an opportunity for us to get a lot of young players some reps,” Mullen said. “We’ll get a couple live practices and full practices in as we go, but it’s just a lot of teaching and installation.”
MSU focused in practice on getting repetitions for tailbacks Nick Griffin, Derek Milton, and Josh Robinson. Griffin is the only one who has carried the ball this season (against the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Tennessee-Martin, and the University of Mississippi).
“All the young running backs are players I’m looking forward to seeing what they bring to the table because they’re going to be a big part of our offense next year, and that starts right now,” Russell said. “They have to grow up quick.”
After fully recovering from a torn anterior cruciate ligament in spring workouts, Griffin rushed for 109 yards on 16 carries in three games.
“It’s just good to be getting reps and being able to show people what I can do again,” Griffin said. “Tyler (Russell) is my boy, and we already have that important quarterback-running back relationship.”
This season veterans like senior offensive lineman Quentin
Saulsberry and even Russell are part of the teaching process this week.
“It’s weird now but fun because you’re encouraging guys that are going to be here next year,” Saulsberry said. “They have to build the foundation of what’s to come in the next few years. That’s exciting to see.”
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