Danny Etling is leaving Purdue.
Head coach Darrell Hazell announced Thursday that the junior quarterback asked for and was granted his release from the program.
The 6-foot-2, 216-pound Etling started 12 games for the Boilermakers over the past two seasons and was competing for the team’s starting quarterback job headed into the 2015 season.
“We appreciate all the hard work and dedication that Danny has put into the Purdue program,” Hazell said in a statement. “We wish him nothing but the best in his future both on and off the football field.”
Etling started the 2014 season as Purdue’s starter but was supplanted by Austin Appleby after five starts. In those five games, Etling threw for 800 yards, six touchdowns and five interceptions while completing 54.9 percent of his passes. In eight games (seven starts) as a true freshman in 2013, Etling, a former Rivals four-star recruit, threw for 1,690 yards, 10 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
With Etling exploring his options elsewhere, Appleby, redshirt freshman David Blough and true freshman Elijah Sindelar remain in contention for the starting role.
According to GoldandBlack.com, Appleby received most of the first-team reps during spring practice.
In Hazell’s second season as head coach, Purdue went 3-9 in 2014.
For more Purdue news, visit GoldandBlack.com.
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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!
