USF senior Grant Gregory, the Bulls' backup quarterback for the past three seasons, has been granted a sixth year of eligiblity by the NCAA but said Thursday he will transfer and spend his final season at a Division I-AA program.

Gregory, who has graduated from USF with a degree in communications, said he is considering Towson and Eastern Kentucky, two schools where he would be able to transfer and play immediately this fall. Both schools have majors -- kinesiology and sports management -- that Gregory said he can't get at USF, and both had senior starters at quarterback in 2008, giving him a good chance to step in as starter this fall.

"I've got one last shot, and I just want to play," said Gregory, who said he has coach Jim Leavitt's blessing to play elsewhere.

Gregory's departure leaves the Bulls without an experienced backup to rising senior Matt Grothe. The Bulls will have redshirt freshmen B.J. Daniels and Evan Landi. Daniels played sparingly in two games last fall and is expected to get a medical redshirt after being sidelined most of the season with a wrist injury. Gregory said he believes the Bulls will be in good shape with Daniels and Landi backing up Grothe.

Gregory has connections to the coaches at both I-AA schools he is considering. Towson recently named former Tampa Bay Storm quarterback John Kaleo as its quarterback coach, and Gregory has previously trained with Kaleo in Tampa. Eastern Kentucky's offensive coordinator, Mike Springston, coached with former USF offensive coordinator Rod Smith at West Virginia Tech in 2000.