Jacques Perra, a Gophers third-string quarterback this past season and former Star Tribune Metro Player of the Year at Roseville, is transferring to St. Thomas, he announced Tuesday on Twitter.

"I couldn't be more excited to represent such an amazing university and football program for the next 3 years," he tweeted.

Perra announced on Jan. 7 that he would be leaving Minnesota. He will have three years of eligibility remaining and won't have to sit out a year because he's moving to a lower division.

As a senior at Roseville High School, he was named Star Tribune Metro Football Player of the Year as well as the Minnesota Gatorade Player of the Year. He joined the Gophers as a preferred walk-on in 2014 and climbed to third on the depth chart that fall and redshirted behind Mitch Leidner and Chris Streveler.

Perra looked like he might challenge for more playing time during spring practice last March but entered camp with a sore elbow.

This past season, after Streveler moved to wide receiver, Perra was third on the depth chart behind Leidner and freshman Demry Croft. Perra saw his only college action against Purdue on Oct. 10.

The Gophers have since landed a quarterback commitment from former Oregon recruit Seth Green.

Star Tribune staff reports