Notre Dame Football: It doesn’t make much sense for Phil Jurkovec to transfer

Even though the Notre Dame Fighting Irish still have one game left in the regular season against the Stanford Cardinal, there is already a lot of talk about the 2020 season. Maybe that’s because the early signing day on December 18 is rapidly approaching — or maybe it’s because we can start to see the possibility of a really good season in 2020. It really doesn’t matter why, and we’re here now... so let’s chat real quick about one of the bigger storylines.

Will Phil Jurkovec transfer?

A lot of people are under the impression that Phil Jurkovec put his name in the transfer portal if Ian Book returns to Notre Dame in 2020. While there are delusional thoughts out there about Book moving on to somewhere like the Oklahoma Sooners — if Book doesn’t come back to South Bend next year it will be because he entered the NFL Draft (whether you think that’s a good move or not).

As far as Jurkovec goes, all I offer is this simple question: what would a transfer actually do?

Jurkovec has already used a redshirt for a non-medical reason, so after this season he has a maximum of three years of eligibility available. If Jurkovec transfers to another FBS school, he will have to sit out all of 2020 per transfer rules, and will be eligible to return in 2021 with 2 years of eligibility remaining.

In 2021, Ian Book will definitely be gone and Jurkovec should be lined up as the heir apparent early in spring football. I just don’t see any reasonable logic that would suggest a transfer would help Phil out. Why transfer to sit out when you can have another year of developing, learning, and actually PLAYING in 2020?

There’s nothing to suggest Phil has some type of grievance that he can lawyer up about like Justin Fields did when he transferred from the Georgia Bulldogs to the Ohio State Buckeyes. So, yeah... he will have to sit.

Two years as a starting quarterback (should he win the job) is more than enough to show to the NFL, and he would do it with no upheaval in his college life. I realize this isn’t the most common opinion about this situation, but it certainly feels like the most logical. Then again... when has logic ruled supreme in college football.