In his first official interview as an Auburn Tiger, freshman quarterback Tyrik Rollison said he felt like Auburn would be a “second home” to him.

Less than one full season on the Plains later, Rollison is headed back to his native Texas, where he’ll hope to get a fresh start at Sam Houston State.

Rollison announced he planned to “move on” from Auburn on his Facebook page early Wednesday morning, and his father, Michael Kelly, confirmed to multiple media outlets later in the day that Rollison was transferring out of Auburn.

“He wanted to get closer to home,” Kelly told AuburnSports.com. “He and I both really appreciate the opportunity Auburn gave him. I actually tried to talk him out of leaving, but he has his mind made up.“

Auburn officials could not confirm Rollison’s departure by press time.

A Sulphur Springs, Texas, native, Rollison was considered one of the biggest snags in Auburn’s 2009 signing class. He was rated the top dual-threat high school quarterback in the nation after his 2008 season, when he compiled 5,822 yards of total offense — the best total in the nation — while leading his school to a Texas 4A Division II state title.

Rollison never really caught on at Auburn, though, as he arrived later than most incoming freshmen, briefly contended for the starting quarterback job and eventually fell into a third-string role, never seeing the field in 2009. Shortly after Auburn’s season-ending loss to Alabama, Rollison was suspended for an unspecified violation of team rules and missed out on a December’s worth of practices and all the Outback Bowl perks.

Coach Gene Chizik said in January that Rollison, along with three other players who were suspended for the Outback Bowl, were back in the team’s good graces. On Monday, Chizik, in his first meeting with reporters since Signing Day, said there had been no further attrition “to his knowledge.”

The signing of junior-college standout Cameron Newton in late December contradicted the belief that Auburn would not go after a quarterback in 2010, and may have ultimately set Rollison’s wheels in motion to find a place he could play.

Rollison was expected to compete with Newton, Neil Caudle, Barrett Trotter and Clint Moseley for Auburn’s vacant starting quarterback job. Now, the race is down to four.

Sam Houston State, an FCS school, was recently the landing place for Oklahoma’s Rhett Bomar, who, after a strong 2005 season, was dismissed from the team for allegedly receiving exorbitant payments to work at a car dealership owned by an Oklahoma donor. Bomar, despite his team not having much success winning games, went on to have a banner career with the Bearkats, passing for 5,564 yards and compiling 6,159 yards of offense — both good for school records.

Bomar, a fifth-round pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, is now a reserve quarterback on the New York Giants.

Because Sam Houston State is an FCS school, NCAA transfer rules do not apply and Rollison will be able to play in 2010. Rollison’s home is roughly four hours from the school, which is located in Huntsville.

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