I read with great interest a story written by my former New Haven Register colleague Brian Dohn.

Dohn, the UCLA beat writer for the Los Angeles Daily News, reports that former Nebraska quarterback Patrick Witt is considering Yale as one of four potential schools where he would transfer.

Witt told Dohn that academics were a major reason why he chose to transfer from Nebraska even though he was expected to compete for Nebraska's starting job in Nebraska's spring camp. Witt served as the primary backup to senior Joe Ganz last season.

Witt appeared in five games last season, completing 6 of 8 passes for 48 yards and rushing four times for 20 yards. Witt was 2 for 2 for eight yards and ran for a 16-yard touchdown on his only carry in mop-up duty in the Cornhuskers' 62-28 loss to Oklahoma on Nov. 1.

The 6-foot-4, 225-pound Witt is considering Duke, UCLA and Stanford. Witt has already visited Yale and Duke and one thing working in Yale's favor is that it is the only one of his potential schools where he wouldn't have to sit out a season because of the NCAA transfer rules. He will have two years of eligibility remaining.

Rising junior Brook Hart, who started the final five games of the season, heads into spring camp as Yale's starting quarterback. Hart threw for 919 yards, seven touchdowns and two interceptions as a sophomore. Rich Scudellari, Bryan Farris and Dawson Halliday are other quarterbacks on Yale's 2008 roster who are returning.

Yale will begin spring practice on Apr. 6 with the spring game set for Apr. 25 at 2 p.m. The biggest news heading into the spring outside Tom Williams preparing for his first season as the Bulldogs' coach is the move of captain Paul Rice from cornerback to linebacker to help fill the void left by the graduation of All-American Bobby Abare and Jay Pilkerton.