Four-star 2027 recruit Colton Nussmeier decided to move to Denton to play at Ryan High School for the senior season. A transfer meant to reset his season backfired.

The move came after an injury-shortened junior season at Marcus High School (Flower Mound, TX). That move didn't help Colton's cause. He was ruled ineligible for his senior season by a 3-3 District Executive Committee vote on Tuesday morning, June 16.

This came after Colton committed to the Georgia Bulldogs on June 5, during an official visit.

"The University Interscholastic League does not allow students to transfer for athletic purposes," Greg Riddle of The Dallas Morning News said.

Colton comes with a good pedigree in the sport. His father, Doug Nussmeier, serves as an offensive coordinator for the New Orleans Saints. His elder brother is the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback, Garrett Nussmeier.

Colton is coming with some good hype behind him. He has been rated as the 14th-best quarterback in the nation in the Class of 2027. Surely his school can use someone who throws for 1,382 yards and 12 touchdowns. Last season, he completed 60% of his passes as well. In addition to this, he also ran the ball 45 times for 278 yards.

As reported by Riddle, a district executive committee reached a 3-3 tie on whether his transfer from Marcus High School to Ryan High School was solely driven by athletic purposes, as reported by USA Today.

Nussmeier can appeal the decision to the University Interscholastic League.

Now, what would come as a surprise is that Nussmeier isn't the only Texas player who has been deemed ineligible.

It is the third high-profile transfer denial in Texas high school football within the past month, following similar ineligibility rulings for Bryson Kennedy and John Meredith after their respective transfers.

UIL's Rules Different From NCAA Regarding Transfer Guidelines

One major difference between the NCAA and the University Interscholastic League (UIL) is that the UIL has rules against transfers.

As per UIL guidelines, all transfers must fill out the Previous Athletic Participation Form (PAPF). This move requires administrators of the athlete's previous schools to sign off that a transfer was not made for athletic purposes.

If the administrators decline to check that box, voting follows, which goes to the new school's district. The decision then went to a vote, which led Marcus officials to say Colton went there for athletic reasons.

"I checked what I feel. Given the proximity of the relocation, I checked yes [that he moved for athletic purposes],” said Marcus head coach Mike Alexander

However, Colton's father, Doug Nussmeier, has spoken out against this move made by the UIL.

"This move was not made for athletic purposes," said Doug on the Morning News. "This move is not about football, Mike Alexander or the Marcus football team. Our family move is about changes in our family, downsizing, and growth opportunities for our son."

It’s not yet clear where Colton will play his senior year of high school football.

What do you think of the decision to rule Colton ineligible? Let us know in the comments.

Read more at Michigan Football Community.

Written by

Sourav Ganguly

Edited by

Soheli Tarafdar