Auburn quarterback announces plans to transfer from program
As the Auburn Tigers gear up for the summer, they will be doing so with one fewer quarterback than expected.
Redshirt freshman Woody Barrett announced via Twitter on Monday his intentions to transfer from the program. The Winter Garden, Fla., native entered Auburn as a highly-coveted four-star recruit but exits without having played a game for the Tigers.
If the 6-foot-2, 239-pound Barrett opts to transfer to another FBS program, he will be forced to sit out the upcoming season.
— WB1_SVGSZN (@WoodyB_1) May 8, 2017
“I would like to take the time to thank Auburn University for welcoming me to their program,” Barrett wrote in his social media post. “However, after a long thought process with my family and coaches I have decided it’s in my best interest to transfer. I would like to thank the coaches and my teammates for a friendship I’ll never forget. Blessings to the whole tiger (sic) family. Go get it this season!”
Barrett redshirted his first season at Auburn in 2016 but figured to work his way up the depth chart in 2017.
“Woody did good things,” former Auburn offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee said before the Sugar Bowl. “We let our young guys play (in bowl practices). Woody took predominantly all of those reps, and that's almost like an extra spring ball for those guys.”
Those plans for the 2017 season were partially complicated by the arrival of Baylor transfer Jarrett Stidham, who ascended up the depth chart shortly after his arrival. Barrett’s limited use in Auburn’s A-Day scrimmage on April 8 seemed to reveal Barrett’s place among the other quarterbacks.
Even with junior Sean White sitting the scrimmage out, Barrett ended the day with only two pass attempts for 14 yards. By comparison, Stidham had 20 attempts for 267 yards. Malik Willis, a true freshman who enrolled in Auburn this January, had 18 attempts for 157 yards.
Barrett came to Auburn after a electric high school career at West Orange High. In his senior season, he had 43 total touchdowns with 2,018 passing yards while leading his team to the state semifinals. He was considered the sixth-best dual-threat quarterback in the Class of 2016, according to 247Sports.
Jordan D. Hill: 770-894-9818, @lesports
This story was originally published May 9, 2017 at 10:46 AM with the headline "Auburn quarterback announces plans to transfer from program."