When coach Tom O’Brien announced last week that he had cut the quarterback competition to three players, it left redshirt junior Harrison Beck and redshirt sophomore Justin Burke out of the picture.

So when he made the decision, O’Brien met with the two quarterbacks to talk with them about their options of transferring if they felt the need to do so. Burke did, deciding to transfer to Louisville.

“I told them that if they had any desire to move on we’d help them do whatever they wanted to do,” O’Brien said.

Burke was not at Saturday’s media day or the team’s Monday practice, but released a statement to the media day.

“With the situation here I felt the need to do something that was important for me,” he said in the statement. ” I had a great experience at N.C. State that was a special place for me for the past two and a half years.”

After redshirting his freshman year, Burke played in three games last season, completing two of his three passes with one interception.

“He was a great kid and he’s done a great job for our program,” O’Brien said.

As for Beck, O’Brien said his situation is a little more complicated. Beck has already transferred once, in 2006 from Nebraska, and NCAA rules make it difficult to transfer twice.

“So I think what his options are are to probably go through this year and graduate and then I think his only option would be to go to an NAIA school next year,” O’Brien said. “But who knows, he may end up playing this year.”

O’Brien said he still hasn’t come to a decision on the starter for next Thursday’s game at South Carolina.