Quarterback Tre Roberson to transfer

IU junior quarterback Tre Roberson — who was expected to compete for a starting job in the upcoming season — plans to transfer, IU Coach Kevin Wilson announced Wednesday.

“We appreciate and thank Tre for his contributions to our football program both on and off the field,” Wilson said in a release from the team. “He is an outstanding player and a great young man. We wish him well as he moves forward with his career.”

Roberson was the first Hoosier to ever start at quarterback as a true freshman, as he got the nod in five starts and appeared in nine games in 2011.

In total, he started 11 games during his career.

His 59.7 percent completion percentage is the third highest in program history.

Roberson ends his time as a Hoosier with 2,433 passing yards, 20 passing touchdowns, 982 rushing yards and 10 scores on the ground.

Shortly after IU Athletics made its official announcement, Roberson took to Twitter to thank his supporters.

“I want to thank Hoosier nation for all the support the last 3 years I’m going to miss my teammates more than anything I love them all,” Roberson tweeted.

After a successful freshman year in which he earned a starting spot, Roberson suffered a major setback his sophomore year when he broke his leg during a game against Massachusetts Sept. 8, 2012.

He was granted a redshirt, but in his place Cam Coffman — who transferred after the 2013 season to Wyoming — and Nate Sudfeld combined to help IU to a Big Ten best 311.2 passing yards per game.

Coffman and Sudfeld’s success paved the way for a three-man quarterback battle to start in 2013 that inevitably saw Sudfeld and Roberson split time.

The two started all 12 games but had mixed results throughout IU’s 5-7 season.

Despite Roberson having a higher quarterback efficiency rating, Sudfeld had the edge, as he passed for six more touchdowns during the year.

Sudfeld averaged 210.2 passing yards per game, which was more than double Roberson’s 94 passing yards per game.

Roberson did, however, have the ability to make plays on the ground.

He averaged 35.2 rushing yards per game, while Sudfeld averaged negative 2.8 yards per game on the ground.

Wilson was not afraid to play the hot hand with the two quarterbacks throughout the season, and he rarely established a true No. 1 quarterback.

While Sudfeld passed for more yards and touchdowns, his and Roberson’s completion percentages were nearly identical, separated by only .1 percent.

Roberson finished his redshirt sophomore year with a completion percentage of 60.1 percent while throwing for a career-high 1,128 yards and 15 touchdowns.

With Roberson and Sudfeld sharing time, IU broke program records in points per game, total yards, touchdowns, passing touchdowns and first downs.

With Roberson’s announced transfer, IU’s depth chart is down to two scholarship quarterbacks in Sudfeld and freshman Zander Diamont.

Class of 2015 quarterback Tommy Stevens also committed to the Hoosiers this past week, but he will not join the team until the 2015 season.

In Roberson’s final game as a Hoosier against Purdue, he threw for six touchdowns, which tied a program record.

He led IU to a 56-36 win to earn the Old Oaken Bucket.

Roberson was named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week in the effort, but that would prove to be the final time he would don an IU jersey in a regular season game.

“I want to thank the coaching staff, my teammates and Indiana University for all of their support over the last three years,” Roberson said in the release.

“My time in Bloomington will always hold a special place in my heart. I wish everyone at IU all the best as I move on to the next chapter in my life.”