Birdsong to transfer from James Madison

Apr 14, 2014 - 9:49 PM Harrisonburg, VA (SportsNetwork.com) - Starting quarterback Michael Birdsong is transferring from James Madison following an offseason in which the football program brought in former Georgia Tech starter Vad Lee.

JMU first-year head coach Everett Withers said on Monday that Birdsong will leave the program following the conclusion of the spring semester.

"We are grateful for Michael's contributions to the football program," Withers said. "We are building an atmosphere of competition at James Madison, and he was a big part of that this spring. He informed us this morning that he felt like he could better pursue his football goals at another institution. While disappointed, we respect his decision and wish him the best."

Birdsong, from Matoaca, Va., started all 12 of JMU's games last season. He passed for 2,728 yards and 22 touchdowns with 15 interceptions, and rushed for 310 yards and three touchdowns.

He participated in JMU's spring practices, which wrapped up with the intrasquad game this past Saturday.

Lee, Georgia Tech's starting signal caller last season, transferred to JMU in January. He has two seasons of eligibility remaining.

Lee had been recruited by Withers when the Dukes' coach was at North Carolina.