Student anger forces Texas State QB Jayden de Laura to withdraw from school one week after transfer announcement

Jayden de Laura has withdrawn his name as a student of Texas State a week after enrolling at the university. The Bobcats made the headlines last week after receiving the commitment of the former Arizona quarterback. However, he won't be playing for the program anymore.

The university confirmed this development in a statement on Wednesday afternoon, disclosing the end of association between the program and the quarterback.

“Jayden de Laura has withdrawn as a student at Texas State University and will not be a part of the Texas State football program,” the statement read.

The signal-caller will once again hit the transfer portal in a bid to seek a move elsewhere within the landscape. The Bobcats will also be in search of a new starting quarterback after incumbent starter TJ Finley transferred to Western Kentucky following the arrival of de Laura.

Why did Jayden de Laura withdraw from Texas State?

The arrival of Jayden de Laura at Texas State has been a controversial one and led to an uproar among students of the university. The quarterback faced criticism and backlash within the university due to his alleged connection to a lawsuit arising from a 2018 sexual assault case.

The lawsuit filed in December 2021 claimed that de Laura and a teammate at St. Louis High School in Honolulu, Hawaii, Wisconsin safety Kamo’i Láti, pleaded guilty in juvenile court to second-degree sexual assault. The case notably reached a settlement last week with terms undisclosed.

Bobcats coach G.J. Kinne clarified the quarterback neither pleaded guilty to nor was convicted of criminal charges. Kinne also mentioned that the school had vetted the quarterback before he enrolled.

Nonetheless, the decision to add him to the football program drew criticism from students across the university campus. The student had reportedly organized a planned protest for Friday on the school campus to stop the quarterback from joining the Bobcats football team.

Jayden de Laura’s career so far in college football

Jayden de Laura started his college football career at Washington in 2020. He earned the starting quarterback position for the opening game against Oregon State, marking him as the first true freshman in program history to start a game at quarterback.

He kept the starting role in his sophomore season where he played 12 games and threw for 2,798 yards and 23 touchdowns. The quarterback transferred to Arizona in 2022 following the arrival of Kalen DeBoer. His two years with the Wildcats saw him throw for 4,805 yards and 35 touchdowns.