UNIVERSITY PARK - Quarterback Rob Bolden's rocky career at Penn State appears to be over as he's no longer on the team's roster and reportedly visited LSU over the weekend.
A source told the Altoona Mirror late Sunday night that Bolden was granted a release from his scholarship prior to the NCAA sanctions coming down last Monday. His name was removed from the Nittany Lions' roster online at gopsusports.com Sunday evening.
Calls to the Bolden family went unanswered.
It should come as no surprise to many PSU fans that Bolden would transfer, something he tried to do following his freshman season in 2010. Joe Paterno would not release him from his scholarship at that point, however, so Bolden had to stay for the 2011 season or pay his own way at another Division I-A school for a year.
In 2010, the highly touted recruit became the first true freshman quarterback to start a season opener at PSU in 100 years. He suffered a concussion midway through the season and started one more game before losing his job to Matt McGloin.
Bolden and McGloin competed for the starting job in 2011. Bolden started the first seven games despite struggling badly and getting outplayed by McGloin.
The coaching staff finally decided to start McGloin in week eight at Northwestern, and Bolden received little playing time the rest of the regular season. He did start in the TicketCity Bowl because McGloin had gotten injured in a post-practice fight with receiver Curtis Drake.
Bolden completed just 39.3 percent of his passes for 685 yards and threw seven interceptions with only two TDs in 2011. He completed 58 percent for 1,360 yards, five TDs and seven interceptions in 2010.
McGloin already has been named the starting quarterback for this season by coach Bill O'Brien, and Paul Jones will be the backup. Central Cambria product Shane McGregor is third string.
Running back Silas Redd could announce today if he will stay with PSU or transfer to USC.
There was no news on Redd's decision Sunday after he was scheduled to visit USC over the weekend.
Several of the top prospects who have given verbal commitments to Penn State have told the team's coaches they will stick with the program despite the sanctions handed down by the NCAA last week.
Offensive linemen Brendan Mahon of Randolph, N.J., and Andrew Nelson of Hershey, Philadelphia wide receiver Will Fuller, defensive end Garrett Sickels of Little Silver, N.J., and two of Bill O'Brien's most anticipated commitments - tight end Adam Breneman of Camp Hill and quarterback Christian Hackenberg of Fork Union, Va. - visited State College on Saturday and met with Penn State coaches.
"I didn't think it was so much giving us a pitch to re-recruit us, because we were all committed," Hackenberg said. "It was more about getting us together and keeping us on the same page."
Defensive tackle Greg Webb of Sicklerville, N.J., and cornerback Ross Douglas of Avon, Ohio, have de-committed from a Penn State class that once included 14 commitments - Webb has since committed to North Carolina and Douglas to Michigan - but the remaining 12 have stayed firm in their pledges to O'Brien and the Nittany Lions.
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The Associated Press contributed to this story.
