Matthew Baldwin is eligible to play for TCU this season after all.
Following TCU's season-opening win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Saturday, Horned Frogs coach Gary Patterson told reporters that Baldwin's reconsideration request for immediate eligibility has been granted by the NCAA.
This is big: #TCU's Gary Patterson says postgame that Ohio State transfer QB Matthew Baldwin has had his waiver appeal granted by the NCAA.
— Dean Straka (@DWStraka49) September 1, 2019
Baldwin's initial request for a waiver for immediate eligibility was denied last month, but upon his appeal, the NCAA opted to reconsider and allow the former Ohio State quarterback to forgo the one-year waiting period for a transfer. Baldwin's mother, Mindy, told Bill Rabinowitz of the Columbus Dispatch that the NCAA changed its decision upon receiving more information about Baldwin's family connections within 100 miles of TCU, while she also expressed that Ohio State assisted Baldwin in the process of receiving a waiver.
Mindy Baldwin, Matthew's mom, tells me that the NCAA reversal on the transfer waiver claim is based on it reconsidering the 100-mile rule to take into account that Matthew's dad often works in Dallas and the Baldwins also have multiple relatives in the area. 1/
— Bill Rabinowitz (@brdispatch) September 1, 2019
Mindy Baldwin expresses her gratitude to Ohio State's compliance office, specifically Justin Kume, for assistance in the transfer waiver process, as well as TCU and the Baldwin's attorney, Travis Leach (who also handled Tate Martell's transfer). 3/3.
— Bill Rabinowitz (@brdispatch) September 1, 2019
Baldwin, who learned that his reconsideration request had been approved on Friday, did not play in TCU's season opener Saturday. According to Drew Davison of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Baldwin is still working his way back to full health after undergoing a cleanup surgery on his knee this summer.
Alex Delton, a graduate transfer from Kansas State, started at quarterback for TCU on Saturday and true freshman Max Duggan also saw playing time off the bench. Patterson hasn't committed to Delton as his starter for the remainder of the season, though, and now that Baldwin is eligible, he could potentially also factor into the competition once he is healthy.
With Baldwin receiving his waiver, all four former Ohio State players who left the Buckeyes via the transfer portal this offseason – Baldwin, Tate Martell, L'Christian "Blue" Smith and Keandre Jones – have received waivers for immediate eligibility to play at their new schools. Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith told Eleven Warriors this offseason that OSU will support former Buckeye student-athletes who choose to transfer and pursue a waiver for immediate eligibility in most cases.
