Former Maryland quarterback Danny O’Brien made his second visit to Penn State earlier this week, but that didn’t stop him from instead picking Wisconsin, where he’ll compete against the Nittany Lions rather than for them. The Washington Post notes that O’Brien follows Russell Wilson as another quarterback to move from the ACC to the Badgers.
O’Brien, who is expected to graduate from Maryland this spring and is originally from Minnesota, will have two years of football eligibility remaining. He was named ACC rookie of the year in 2010 before struggling through a 2011 season that was ended when he broke his non-throwing arm against Notre Dame on Nov. 12. He completed 150 of 266 passes for 1,648 yards with seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 2011.
Wisconsin will play Penn State on November 21.
O’Brien himself sounds excited about his decision:
I will always be a proud Terp alum, but am hungry to get after it and start my next chapter in Madison! Lots of hard work ahead.
Penn State certainly could have used O’Brien. The Nittany Lions have had troubles with Matt McGloin and Rob Bolden over the past two seasons. Both will return in 2012.
For more on Wisconsin football, check out Bucky’s 5th Quarter.