Danny O’Brien has now left both Wisconsin and Maryland, reportedly

Danny O’Brien’s time at Wisconsin appears to be over, as the former Maryland quarterback who started at the beginning of the 2012 season for the Badgers is no longer with the program, per Fox Sports Wisconsin.

O’Brien had been the presumptive starter as soon as he arrived in Madison, but quickly found himself replaced by then-freshman Joel Stave and junior Curt Phillips. He went 0-for-3 in the spring game, with Stave and Phillips well established ahead of him on the depth chart.

Danny O’Brien will be Wisconsin’s starting quarterback in 2012. We know this because Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema told us so on Twitter:

Wisconsin opens its season on Sept. 1 at home against Northern Iowa, which should be a perfunctory entry exam for O’Brien. The Badgers’ first game against a BCS conference foe comes the week after, when they travel to Oregon State.

In an article Wednesday afternoon, CBS Sports author Tom Fornelli wrote that the transfers of Russell Wilson in 2011 and Danny O’Brien in 2012 indicate that Wisconsin needs to change how it recruits quarterbacks. Specifically, Fornelli says that Wisconsin needs to recruit more quarterbacks.

I disagree.

Bret Bielema clearly has a unique quarterback recruiting plan going, so let’s try and forecast his 2013 ACC quarterback import, because of course it’s going to happen again. Eight names to watch:

Chad Voytik, Pittsburgh: It’s also important to remember that today’s four-star Big East recruit is tomorrow’s Rose Bowl-losing former ACC quarterback. We have the most confusing sport of all.

* Speaking of Ball:

For more on Badgers football, visit Wisconsin blog Bucky’s 5th Quarter, plus Big Ten blog Off Tackle Empire.

O’Brien was the ACC’s 2010 Rookie of the Year before losing the starting job at one point in 2011, his only year under Gary Crowton in College Park.

No word yet on Max Garcia, who left Maryland at the same time as O’Brien and is expected to land with a SEC school.

Ole Miss does still present an interesting option and shouldn’t be counted out, but until O’Brien goes and visits another school for a second time, I think PSU and Vandy have to be considered the favorites here. Sharing a last name with the head coach always forms an instant bond, I’m sure we can agree. What if Bill O’Brien is Danny O’Brien’s uncle? You have to consider these things.

Before we take a peek at what each offense has to offer, here’s what the lucky winner gets in O’Brien. We can all but disregard his whelming 2011 numbers (56.4 percent completion, seven touchdowns, 10 interceptions, 1,648 yards), which came during one of the worst seasons in Terps history under a new offensive coordinator who was fired after one year. His 109.6 passer rating was the worst of any Gary Crowton quarterback in at least the last seven years (I don’t have all day), but remember the bleeding Maryland program is stocked with much less surrounding talent than those LSU and Oregon teams were.

In 2010, O’Brien was the ACC Rookie of the Year, putting up 22 touchdowns and 2,438 yards under Ralph Friedgen. That’s a better sampling of what he can do in his first year of a well-designed offense.

O’Brien says he’ll be visiting “this coming weekend,” giving him just a couple days after he leaves Oxford before he resumes his great road trip. Offensive lineman Max Garcia is reportedly joining him at Ole Miss, but there’s no word on whether he’ll make a Big Ten stop as well. Garcia has drawn plenty of interest from around the SEC, while O’Brien’s suitors hail from all over.

For more on Nittany Lions football, visit Penn State blog Black Shoe Diaries, plus Big Ten blog Off Tackle Empire, SB Nation Pittsburgh and SB Nation Philly.

But, really, is there anywhere besides Ole Miss that these players could’ve landed? I mean, it’s not official yet, and they haven’t even visited Oxford, but can’t you just feel fate drawing them all together?

All God’s people are already saying amen.

For more on Nittany Lions football, visit Penn State blog Black Shoe Diaries, plus Big Ten blog Off Tackle Empire, SB Nation Pittsburgh and SB Nation Philly.

The rising junior plans to take visits and make a decision soon.

For more on Cowboys football, visit Oklahoma State blog Cowboys Ride For Free.

During an appearance on 104.5 The Zone, Franklin denied trying to woo Maryland players onto his team in an inappropriate fashion, but did appear to acknowledge he’s stayed in touch with his former players:

I wasn’t aware Franklin had been accused of doing anything frowned-upon here, but apparently he has?

According to the coach, an appeal wouldn’t be a guarantee that O’Brien would choose to head to Vandy. Instead, it would give the passer the chance to make a decision with a full suite of options in front of him, rather than those approved for him by a coach he never signed up to play for in the first place.

Feldman also cites a NCAA source, who says this kind of appeal has a good chance of succeeding. Edsall may want to drop the matter himself instead of letting the NCAA do it, as this sort of thing isn’t exactly great for future recruiting.

Tuesday, O’Brien took the high road in his official statement on the situation:

Wisconsin, Michigan State, USF, Stanford, Ole Miss, East Carolina and Arizona have all been rumored as possibilities for O’Brien. He could actually go play at Vanderbilt, though he would not be allowed to accept a scholarship there, or he could appeal. It’s unclear what his next move will be.

↵↵The shame is that O’Brien won’t be able to play for the coach he thought could mold him into the player he thought he could be, and will instead have to settle for another coach despite doing nothing wrong. The NCAA! For the student-athlete!

↵ht Blutarsky

Particularly harsh timing for the Terps, since O’Brien seemed to be one of the factors that helped Maryland land star receiver recruit Stefon Diggs. O’Brien hosted Diggs on a visit just before his weekend announcement. Whether this news will have any affect on Diggs remains to be seen.

For more on Terps football, visit Maryland blog Testudo Times, plus SB Nation DC.

Thus, the Randy Edsall-ea Maryland Transfer Count sits at a healthy eight for the time being. Maryland fans are in a fragile state and tracking the adventure’s every development, so please be sure and be extra nice to them through Monday.

Dan Hellie, the man who originally broke all this, is mostly standing by his story:

Though Maryland’s quarterback depth chart -- and entire depth chart -- remains in flux, Maryland fans appear quite relieved to see they’re apparently not losing the 2010 ACC Rookie of the Year after all. Pretty weird hour there.

For more on the Terps, visit Maryland blog Testudo Times and SB Nation DC.