A change to Vanderbilt scenery worked just fine for one Pro Bowl quarterback's little brother.
Another younger sibling of a top NFL signal-caller will aim for similar results as he makes the same move.
LSU quarterback Stephen Rivers, the younger brother of San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers, signaled Wednesday that all is official with his transfer to Vanderbilt, and the school confirmed he's joining the Commodores:
The younger brother of Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, Jordan, transferred from junior college to Vanderbilt and enjoyed two successful seasons as a starter for the Commodores. He was waived by the Miami Dolphins last month.
Rivers' transfer, which has been in the works since March, could prove just as timely as Rodgers'. Rivers was not figuring into the competition to replace Zach Mettenberger at LSU. Anthony Jennings, who led a comeback win over Arkansas after Mettenberger's season-ending injury, has headlined that battle along with true freshman Brandon Harris.
Rivers did not play last season as the Tigers' No. 3 quarterback. He will be a fourth-year junior at Vanderbilt with two seasons of eligibility remaining. And because he's earned a business degree, he escapes the NCAA transfer rule that normally requires transfers to sit out one season.
"I'm happy for Stephen and looking forward to having him join our program," Vandy head coach Derek Mason said in a story posted to the team's website. "Stephen brings both ability and experience to our team. He also fits the offensive system we will run under (offensive coordinator) Karl Dorrell. We're going to see great competition at the quarterback position this August."
Vanderbilt was reportedly the only SEC school to which LSU would release Rivers from his scholarship. And that could work out just fine for the Commodores, who must replace last year's starter, Austyn Carta-Samuels. With a new coach in place in Mason, Rivers will have a clean slate as he competes with Vanderbilt's returning quarterback candidates.
Quarterback transfers are more common in college football than any other position, and some of them make no sense.
This one does.
*Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter **@ChaseGoodbread*.
