REDIRECT::Anu Solomon announces plans to transfer from Arizona
Anu Solomon is moving on after a checkered three-year career as quarterback of the Arizona Wildcats.
Solomon announced in an Instagram post on Tuesday that he is transferring from Arizona "with a heavy heart" to pursue a fresh start for his senior season.
Solomon had tremendous success as a redshirt freshman in 2014, passing for 3,793 yards and 28 touchdowns and leading the Wildcats to 10 victories and a Pac-12 South Division title, but through a combination of injuries and inconsistency, he was unable to duplicate that success in the two years that followed.
Injuries sidelined him for two games in the 2015 season, but he still finished with 2,667 passing yards, 20 touchdown passes and only five interceptions while helping Arizona to a 7-6 record.
He fought off a challenge from Brandon Dawkins to retain the starting position for the start of the 2016 season but was fully healthy only for one game -- a season-opening loss to BYU. He missed the next six games after suffering a knee injury in practice, didn't start again until Nov. 19 at Oregon State, but was forced out of that game with a foot injury that sidelined him for the rest of the season. He finished his junior year with 465 passing yards, one touchdown pass and two interceptions.
His departure leaves Arizona with two returning quarterbacks -- Dawkins, who started nine games as a third-year sophomore, and Khalil Tate, who started one game as a true freshman when both Solomon and Dawkins were injured.
Arizona also has commitments from two high school quarterbacks: Braxton Burmeister from La Jolla, Calif., and Rhett Rodriguez of Tucson, son of head coach Rich Rodriguez.
Solomon thanked Rich Rodriguez in his Instagram post "for making me the man I am today."
It is expected that he will earn his degree prior to transferring, which would make him immediately eligible to play in 2017 as a graduate transfer.
UNLV, in Solomon's hometown, is being speculated as a possible destination. The Runnin' Rebels are coached by Tony Sanchez, who was Solomon's head coach at Bishop Gorman High School.
Solomon leaves Arizona ranked fourth in career passing yards with 6,922. In his 27 career starts, he led the Wildcats to a 17-10 record.
A photo posted by Anu Solomon (@anusolomon) on Dec 13, 2016 at 11:23am PST
