Purdue Lands UCLA Quarterback Transfer Austin Burton
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Former UCLA quarterback Austin Burton announced on Monday that he is transferring to Purdue, adding much-needed experience and depth to the Boilermakers' roster.
The 6-foot-2, 197-pound quarterback entered the NCAA transfer portal on March 4. He has only started one game in three seasons at UCLA, playing in five total contests. Burton completed 68.8 percent of his passes (44-for-64) in his career for the Bruins. In his lone start, a loss to Oregon State, he played well and finished the game 27-for-41 passing for 236 yards and one touchdown pass.
Burton joins the quarterback competition along with the Jack Plummer and Aidan O'Connell, who both saw considerable action for the Boilermakers in 2019. Burton will add more experience to the room.
“They obviously didn’t promise anything,” Burton told Yahoo Sports. “They guaranteed I’d have an opportunity to show my ability. If I earned it, I’d be the starter. Everything is earned there. That’s how it should be.”
Why did Burton end up choosing Purdue?
He was a fan of Jeff and Brian Brohm's pass-heavy offense that blends the spread and pro-style in their system.
Burton has never been to West Lafayette. His parents actually stopped by Purdue back in March when they were in Indianapolis for the Big Ten women's basketball tournament supporting Burton's sister, Veronica, who plays at Northwestern.
“It’s hard to commit to a place I’ve never been to,” Austin Burton said. “It’s a weird thing. But I trust my parents more than anyone in the world. They told me how enjoyable it was and how much they liked the coaching staff and the facilities.”
