(Editor’s note: Sources told Yahoo Sports late Wednesday that Austin Kendall’s family has been informed by Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley that he’s free to transfer without sitting out. USA Today reported that Oklahoma “worked through its concerns over a transfer within the Big 12 to arrive at the decision.” The story below was published prior to Oklahoma relenting to pressure and granting Kendall a waiver.) In recent years, universities that attempt to place limits on athlete transfers have been shamed out of it with increasing frequency. Public tolerance for such controlling impulses has all but vanished. But in the face of that trend, Oklahoma remained unapologetically shameless. On Wednesday, the very day when the Sooners welcomed yet another transfer quarterback to Norman, sources confirmed to Yahoo Sports that the school was standing by the Big 12 rule that would prohibit QB Austin Kendall from gaining immediate eligibility at another conference member as a graduate transfer. The school in question is West Virginia, which is in acute need of a quarterback with Will Grier headed to the NFL. In no just world should a school or conference have the power to tell a student where he can or cannot go. Especially a graduate student, who has fulfilled the core purpose of higher education by earning an undergraduate degree. It doesn’t matter whether that player wants to attend the school’s biggest rival — he should be free to do so. That is a level of institutional control that simply shouldn’t exist in modern college sports. But it does, and the hypocrisy emanating from Oklahoma takes this particular situation to an even more odious level. Let’s look at that school’s recent quarterback history. The starter from 2015-17 was Baker Mayfield, who transferred to Oklahoma from fellow Big 12 member Texas Tech. Mayfield sat out the 2014 season as a transfer and then became a star for the Sooners. But he never would have had a 2017 season — when he won the Heisman Trophy and led the team to the College Football Playoff — if not for a Big 12 rule change the year before. Story continues Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley talks to quarterback Austin Kendall (10) in the second half of a game against Kansas State on Oct. 27, 2018. (AP) Under existing conference rules, Mayfield would have lost that fifth year of eligibility due to transferring within the conference. Oklahoma lobbied for a rule change that would not strip Mayfield of his extra year, since he was a walk-on at Tech. The proposed new rule originally was voted down by the league at its spring meetings in June 2016, but Oklahoma persisted and a slightly different version was passed the next day. Among the Oklahoma comments that day, after the amended rule passed and Mayfield was granted a fifth year: “It was the right thing to do,” said then-coach Bob Stoops. “With student-athlete welfare always on the front of our minds, today’s decision was the appropriate one,” said athletic director Joe Castiglione, who did not return a phone message from Yahoo Sports on Wednesday. Given the Kendall stance, Oklahoma now appears highly selective in regard to what is the “right thing to do” and “student-athlete welfare.” Program welfare appears much more important than student-athlete welfare. Mayfield’s shoes were filled last year by Kyler Murray, who transferred from Texas A&M and moved ahead of Kendall on the Oklahoma depth chart. Murray went on to win the Heisman as well. And now comes Jalen Hurts from Alabama, riding in as a grad transfer to once again shove Kendall back down the depth chart. Hurts is immediately eligible at Oklahoma, as he should be. He also could have been immediately eligible at any Southeastern Conference school — even Auburn, Alabama’s bitter rival — because the league changed its rule to get in step with both modern times and common decency. Yet even now, having recruited transfers over Kendall twice and having tacitly told him he’s not good enough to start at Oklahoma, the school is telling him he’s too valuable to allow an unencumbered transfer to another Big 12 school. “It’s a little bit disingenuous,” said a Big 12 source. “Two years ago they were fighting for Baker Mayfield to get a waiver. They fought for him and got that waiver. They’re not willing to do it for Austin.” It’s an appalling stance to take. Kendall was recruited in high school by new West Virginia coach Neal Brown, who at the time was an assistant at Kentucky. Brown coached Kendall’s older brother, Ryan, a walk-on wide receiver for the Wildcats, in 2014 before Brown left for the head-coaching job at Troy the next year. So there is an established relationship between Brown and the Kendall family. And the opportunity for immediate playing time. But because of conference affiliation and Oklahoma’s intransigence, West Virginia will have to file an NCAA waiver seeking immediate eligibility if Austin Kendall comes to school there. (Indications are that WVU would do exactly that.) Austin Kendall backed up Oklahoma Heisman winner Kyler Murray in 2018. (Getty) Attempting to obstruct his immediate eligibility at West Virginia is both petty and short-sighted. Is Oklahoma really afraid of what a guy who has thrown 39 collegiate passes can do for a program the Sooners have beaten every single year since it joined the Big 12? (If Oklahoma needs to be shown how this is done, Kansas State is reportedly choosing not to block QB Alex Delton’s transfer to fellow Big 12 member TCU. Delton will be eligible to play for the Horned Frogs next season.) This situation is reminiscent of Michigan basketball blocking guard Spike Albrecht’s attempted transfer to fellow Big Ten school Purdue in 2016. The Wolverines made it clear that they had recruited over Albrecht, anticipating his graduation, and that his fifth year might as well be spent elsewhere — until the guard wanted to stay within the conference. Then it became a problem. At the time, Michigan coach John Beilein made the argument that there were more than 300 other schools where Albrecht was free to go. Oklahoma fans have said the same thing about the Kendall situation — he has 120 other options, among 130 FBS schools. But he should have 129, not 120. Widespread backlash led Beilein to quickly and smartly change course and drop any restriction to Albrecht’s transfer. Lo and behold, that decision didn’t harm the Wolverines in the slightest. Michigan beat Purdue twice in the 2016-17 season and advanced to the NCAA tournament Sweet 16 as a No. 7 seed. Last year the Wolverines went to the Final Four. This year they’re one of two remaining unbeaten teams. Letting Spike Albrecht do what he wanted to do changed nothing about the trajectory of Michigan basketball. Austin Kendall gaining immediate eligibility at West Virginia is unlikely to do fundamental harm to almighty Oklahoma football. And even if it did, the Sooners should have no right to impede him. It’s a shameless move, in a time when athletic departments should know and act better. More from Yahoo Sports: • Report: Tourney nixes Ball’s team after $10K request • Bob Costas announces his NBC career is over • Deion Sanders has some advice for Heisman winner • ’96 World Series MVP charged with child sex abuse<doc-sep>The quarterback transfer carousel is still spinning at a fast rate of speed. Oklahoma’s Austin Kendall is one of the players on the ride. Kendall has entered his name in the transfer portal, and is looking to transfer somewhere as a graduate transfer. That means he would be eligible immediately. Kendall has two seasons of eligibility remaining, so he’s an even more valuable commodity to a potential suitor. One of the schools that he’s been linked to is Auburn. According to Kendall’s Instagram story, he appears to be on a visit to Auburn now. Transferring Oklahoma quarterback Austin Kendall appears to be in Auburn, per his Instagram story.https://t.co/BS5k6BN1Ne pic.twitter.com/ecQ869aXEp — Justin Lee (@ByJustinLee) January 14, 2019 Auburn is losing starting quarterback Jarrett Stidham to the NFL, and the Tigers missed out on Clemson transfer Kelly Bryant. There’s a clear opening for Kendall there. However, if Oklahoma doesn’t land Alabama graduate transfer Jalen Hurts, Kendall could still have a shot at starting in Norman. In that case, perhaps he’ll elect to stay put and compete with prized incoming freshman Spencer Rattler. Kendall has thrown for 265 yards and three touchdowns in his OU career.<doc-sep>Update: Following reports indicating Austin Kendall was visiting West Virginia today, the Oklahoma quarterback has posted a photo at Auburn. Transferring Oklahoma quarterback Austin Kendall appears to be in Auburn, per his Instagram story.https://t.co/BS5k6BN1Ne pic.twitter.com/ecQ869aXEp — Justin Lee (@ByJustinLee) January 14, 2019 Earlier: Oklahoma quarterback Austin Kendall is reportedly taking a major transfer visit today. The Sooners’ QB, who’s put his name into the NCAA’s transfer portal, will be visiting another Big 12 program. Kendall is reportedly taking a visit to West Virginia. Can't say Neal Brown hasn't hit the ground running. He's been everywhere while also interviewing and hiring coaches and this week has had Ohio State transferring QB Tate Martell and Oklahoma transferring QB Austin Kendall visiting. #wvu — Bob Hertzel (@bhertzel) January 14, 2019 Kendall is a former four-star recruit. He was ranked the No. 9 pro-style QB in the country coming out of high school in 2016. Austin Kendall has now officially been listed in the NCAA Transfer Portal. pic.twitter.com/Q3fkSmRTgi — SoonerScoop.com (@SoonerScoop) January 11, 2019 Kendall has already graduated, so he’ll be able to play at another school immediately in 2019. Oklahoma has been linked to Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts, who reportedly visited the Sooners’ program on Saturday. Hurts is expected to choose between Maryland, Miami and OU. A decision could come this week. Kendall’s decision could be impacted by what Hurts does. It’s possible the Sooners’ quarterback could return if he feels the starting QB job is winnable.<doc-sep>
Oklahoma quarterback Austin Kendall (10) has been at OU for three seasons. (AP) Update: 1/16 – 6:45 p.m. Oklahoma has reconsidered its stance on Austin Kendall’s transfer. Yahoo Sports confirmed Wednesday evening that the school will permit Kendall, a quarterback with two seasons of eligibility remaining, to be eligible to play in 2019 at West Virginia. USA Today first reported the news. Sources told Yahoo Sports’ Pete Thamel that Sooners head coach Lincoln Riley informed Kendall’s family that he is free to transfer without having to sit out in 2019. Kendall is expected to arrive on campus in Morgantown on Thursday. Earlier Wednesday, multiple outlets reported that OU would not permit Kendall to be eligible at another Big 12 school in 2019. Original story: 1/16 – 12:30 p.m. Transferring Oklahoma QB Austin Kendall may need to cross West Virginia off his transfer list. According to ESPN, the Sooners are preventing Kendall from being immediately eligible at West Virginia. Kendall, Oklahoma’s backup QB in 2018, is eligible immediately as a graduate transfer. He could transfer to WVU, but since there’s no rule in the Big 12 that prevents teams from stopping players from transferring within the conference, Oklahoma has put its foot down regarding Kendall playing for the Mountaineers in 2019. Under new transfer rules, Kendall is able to talk to West Virginia coaches and is free to transfer there. Oklahoma, however, still reserves the right under NCAA rules to keep Kendall from becoming immediately eligible at West Virginia, another Big 12 school, for the 2019 season, even though Kendall has earned his undergraduate degree at Oklahoma. Kendall could still transfer to West Virginia, but he would have to sit out the upcoming season, leaving him with only one year of eligibility left. Oklahoma’s reported decision to block Kendall from playing immediately came right as the Sooners landed a high-profile transfer QB of their own. Alabama QB Jalen Hurts announced Wednesday that he will be transferring to Oklahoma. The ESPN article also notes that Oklahoma has previously been helped by the Big 12’s in-conference transfer rules. In 2016, the conference changed the eligibility rules for walk-ons that transfer within the conference and put the rule in effect retroactively to accommodate Baker Mayfield, who had transferred from Texas Tech to Oklahoma. The rule allowed Mayfield to play both the 2016 and 2017 seasons at Oklahoma. As you know, Mayfield won the Heisman in 2017 and Oklahoma made the College Football Playoff. Mayfield ended up being the first overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft. Story continues West Virginia looking for Grier successor West Virginia has been entertaining transfer quarterbacks this offseason as Neal Brown begins his tenure as the school’s coach. Will Grier was a senior in 2018 and the team’s backup quarterback, Jack Allison, started the Camping World Bowl loss to Syracuse. Ohio State QB Tate Martell took a visit to Morgantown earlier in the offseason and announced Tuesday that he was heading to Miami. Kendall spent three seasons at Oklahoma and was the backup QB for two of them. He was the No. 2 QB in 2016 to Mayfield and redshirted in 2017 after Kyler Murray became eligible to play after transferring from Texas A&M. Kendall then backed up Murray in 2018. Another QB was allowed to grad transfer within the Big 12 Kendall wouldn’t be the first Big 12 QB to grad transfer within the conference this offseason either. Former Kansas State QB Alex Delton said Tuesday that he was heading to TCU in 2019. Man I am so blessed for what I’ve learned through this game & how it has shaped me. I’m proud of what I’ve done but I am not done yet… Change of plans. I will be finishing my final year at TCU. Excited to get started!!! 🐸🐸🐸@TCUFootball pic.twitter.com/is55VZtZdY — Alex Delton (@adelton005) January 16, 2019 Delton will immediately eligible to play for the Horned Frogs. There was a report that K-State’s coaches were considering blocking the transfer, but that ultimately did not come to fruition. Delton appeared in 20 games during his time at Kansas State with six starts. He was mainly the backup quarterback in 2018. He previously said he was transferring to UTEP for his final season to play for former KSU offensive coordinator Dana Dimel, but changed his mind. – – – – – – – Nick Bromberg is a writer for Yahoo Sports.