Canadian quarterback Kurtis Rourke will have a new football home next season as he has entered the NCAA transfer portal.
The 23-year-old led Ohio University to a 9-3 regular-season record in 2023, completing 63.5 percent of his passes for 2,207 yards with 11 touchdowns and five interceptions while also carrying the ball 67 times for 219 yards and four touchdowns.
“It has been an honour over the last five years to pour my passion and heart into Ohio University,” Rourke said in a statement.
“I love this game and have always dedicated myself to becoming the best football player I can possibly be.
To my coaching staff and teammates, thank you. You have helped shape me into the person I am today. We’ve battled through adversity together as brothers and our relationships go way beyond football.
To my fellow Bobcats, I’m thankful for every relationship I’ve made during my time at OU and I’ll never forget the memories that were made. To the city of Athens, I thank you for all the consistent support, it’s truly been an amazing five years.
My football journey has had its fair share of obstacles that I’ve had to face head on and throughout my experience this community has become my family. I will carry my time at OU with me forever as Athens has given me so much!
After careful consideration, I am going to explore both the transfer portal as a grad transfer and the NFL draft to evaluate all my options for next season.”
The six-foot-five, 231-pound signal-caller returned to Ohio this year after tearing his ACL in a 32-18 victory over Ball State University last November. Despite the injury, the six-foot-five, 231-pound signal-caller became the first Ohio Bobcat to win the Vern Smith Leadership Award as the Mid-American Conference (MAC) Most Valuable Player.
Rourke was also named the conference’s Offensive Player of the Year, the first Bobcat to win that award since 1996, and was the runner-up for the Jon Cornish award, handed out to the top Canadian player in NCAA football.
The 23-year-old threw for 3,256 yards and 25 touchdowns during the 2022 season, leading the Bobcats to their first 10-win season since 2011, first MAC Championship game appearance since 2016 and first bowl game since 2019. Rourke leaves Ohio University as the school’s second-all-time leading passer with 7,666 yards.
The Oakville, Ontario native was ranked as the No. 1 prospect on CFL Scouting Bureau list that was released in August.
Ohio University will play Georgia Southern University in the Myrtle Beach Bowl on Saturday, December 16 with kickoff slated for 11:00 a.m. EST.
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