Quarterback Kurt Benkert announced that he will transfer to Virginia, where his former East Carolina coach, Ruffin McNeill, is an assistant on staff.
I'm ready for the next chapter, it's going to be a great 2 years! #UVa #HoosRising ⚔ pic.twitter.com/yR7RjtMLow
— Kurt Benkert (@KurtBenkert) May 1, 2016
As a graduate transfer, Benkert will be eligible to play in 2016. He will have two years of eligibility.
He was slated to start for the Pirates in 2015 before a knee injury sidelined him for the entire season. He competed for the starting job in the spring with Philip Nelson and announced his decision to transfer last week.
"We just weren't on same page with everything moving forward, and I felt like with me having a couple of years left to go out and play right away and not have to sit, it would be in my best interest to explore other options and give myself an opportunity to have a better future," Benkert told The Daily Reflector.
Virginia returns starter Matt Johns at quarterback, though new coach Bronco Mendenhall said after spring practice that Johns would continue to compete with Connor Brewer in the offseason for the starting spot.