Both Gabberts gone

Missouri announced this morning that backup quarterback Tyler Gabbert would transfer from the University of Missouri.

Gabbert, a redshirt freshman, was the second-string quarterback coming out of spring football with sophomore James Franklin atop the depth chart.

Gabbert's older brother, Blaine, was recently the No. 10 overall pick in the NFL Draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars. The younger Gabbert was expected to compete for the starting quarterback job with Franklin this fall. Missouri had not named a starter.

That job now falls to Franklin with Ashton Glaser, a redshirt sophomore, moving up to second-string. Incoming freshman Corbin Berkstresser will begin competing for the job this fall.

Missouri is heavily recruiting two quarterbacks in the 2012 class. Gunner Kiel was named this morning as the top quarterback in the class and the No. 19 overall player in the Rivals100. Maty Mauk is also highly sought after and has had Missouri high on his list.

"We wish Tyler the best and will do everything we can to assist him going forward," said Gary Pinkel in a statement. "He's worked very hard in our program this past year, and we thank him for his efforts. Tyler is a high quality person and an outstanding football player."

PowerMizzou.com spoke with Gabbert's father, Chuck, who indicated that the transfer was not a decision that was reflective of hard feelings between the family and Missouri in any way.

"Tyler he's an absolute competitor, but when he took in a number of factors in this decision, he just felt that a fresh start was something that he wanted to do," Chuck Gabbert said. "Absolutely fantastic terms. We think the world of them, they've been wonderful to our family and they're like family to us. To the fan who doesn't understand the inner workings of college football. There's personal decisions and there's business decisions and we look at this more as a business decision."

Chuck said that Tyler had a list of five or six schools to which he has been released. Iowa, Arizona, Wake Forest and Louisville are on the list, but he had not spoken with Tyler since the news became public and did not immediately recall the other schools on the list.