Arizona's Parks, Morrison enter transfer portal; Texas A&M QB interested in Wildcats

Arizona Wildcats cornerbacks Sammy Morrison and Antonio Parks have entered their names into the NCAA’s transfer portal, the Star has confirmed.

Morrison will pursue a graduate transfer. The cornerback played 12 games as a true freshman in 2015, starting his first two, but has been limited to just eight total games since then because of injuries. Morrison, the son of "Desert Swarm"-era safety Darryl Morrison, did not play last year because of an undisclosed injury. 

Parks, who’s from New Orleans, enrolled at Arizona in January 2016 and will be a redshirt junior this season.

Parks appeared in 24 games over the past two seasons, mostly playing on special teams. He accumulated nine tackles, including six solos, and one pass breakup.

WildcatAuthority.com first reported Parks’ intent to transfer.

Arizona cornerback Antonio Parks has entered into the transfer portal. Struggled for consistent playing time, but physical corner and has potential.

— WildcatAuthority.com (@AZAuthority) January 23, 2019

The transfer portal is a new database that allows student-athletes to essentially put themselves on the market. Other institutions can contact them without interference from their current school.

Park and Morrison are the latest UA players to put themselves in position to transfer this offseason. This is not an unexpected development as Arizona continues to turn over the roster under second-year coach Kevin Sumlin.

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Transferring also is becoming increasingly commonplace in college football and basketball. The Wildcats could be on the receiving end of a high-profile transfer.

Texas A&M backup quarterback Nick Starkel announced Wednesday that he plans to transfer. Starkel is on track to graduate in June, meaning he’d be immediately eligible in the fall.

Thank you Aggieland 👍🏼 pic.twitter.com/7CRUy2YxkU

— Nicholas Starkel (@NickStarkel) January 23, 2019

MyAggieNation.com reported that Starkel has “early interest” in four schools: Duke, Ohio State, SMU and Arizona. Starkel began his college career playing for Sumlin and current UA offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Noel Mazzone.

Starkel would have two years of eligibility remaining. Khalil Tate enters 2019 as the Wildcats’ presumptive starting quarterback. Starkel would provide experienced competition and depth if he decided to reunite with Sumlin and Mazzone.

Starkel (6-3, 215) was a part-time starter as a redshirt freshman in 2017, when he missed several games because of an ankle injury. Kellen Mond took over as the full-time starter last season. Starkel appeared in 12 games with A&M, completing 138 of 227 passes (60.8 percent) for 1,962 yards with 15 touchdowns and six interceptions.

Freshman quarterback Grant Gunnell, the all-time leading passer in Texas high school history, has enrolled at Arizona and joins a crowded QB room that also includes Tate, who will be a senior next season, as well as would-be junior Rhett Rodriguez and redshirt freshmen Kevin Doyle and Jamarye Joiner.