Ohio State Linebacker Looks to Transfer To Harvard

UPDATED: July 5, 2013, at 3:25 p.m.

A few months after Clemson redshirt quarterback Morgan Roberts decided to take his talents to Yale, it seems that another Roberts is attempting to follow in his footsteps from a powerhouse football school to the Ivy League.

Rising sophomore Luke Roberts, a three-star recruit out of Lancaster, Ohio, will pursue a transfer from Ohio State to Harvard after appearing in just four games last season with the Buckeyes.

According to the Columbia Dispatch, Roberts’ decision was motivated by academic opportunities.

Roberts also received offers from other Big Ten schools such as Purdue, according to ESPN.com. Under NCAA rules, he would be ineligible to play for the first year after a transfer to an FBS school.

Rated as the No. 28 inside linebacker in the high school class of 2012 by Scout.com, Roberts verbally committed to Ohio State in July 2011.

Roberts told The Lantern that he made his decision to attempt to transfer too late in the year and therefore will spend the fall semseter at OSU but hopes to join the Crimson for the 2014 season.

But Harvard coach Tim Murphy said Roberts' admission to Harvard is not yet guaranteed.

"Luke did officially visit Harvard and did turn down offers to Penn and Virginia for 2013," Murphy wrote in an e-mail. "Luke was interviewed by Harvard admissions but would not be considered for 2013. Therefore he must return to Ohio State for 2013 with the possibility of matriculating with no guarantee in 2014."

—Staff writer Samantha Lin can be reached at samanthalin@college.harvard.edu. Follow her on Twitter at @linsamnity.