Iowa quarterback Jake Rudock is free to transfer anywhere, including to another Big Ten school, Hawkeyes coach Kirk Ferentz said Wednesday.
"We signed a release, basically, with no strings attached," Ferentz said on the first day of Hawkeyes spring practice. "... Bottom line is I want him to be happy about the opportunities in front of him."
Rudock, who visited Michigan earlier this week, could play immediately as a graduate transfer. He technically remains on Iowa's roster and has not been banned from the football building, but he's also not practicing with the team.
"Until he decides what he's going to do definitively," Ferentz said, "we'll keep him outside the program at this point.
"He's not banned from the building by any stretch, yet. I think right now he just kind of has to finalize what his plans are going to be, and we'll move from there."
The two-year starter appeared in 12 games last season and started in all but one due to injury. He finished the year with 2,436 passing yards, 16 TDs and five interceptions. But backup C.J. Beathard also played in nine games, outshined Rudock at times and was listed as Iowa's starter in a spring depth chart released in January.
"If Jake's heart's not totally into being here, then it's probably best he does go somewhere else," Ferentz said. "But, right now, he's in the exploratory process in this stage."