Former Longhorn Garrett Gilbert, expected to be Texas’ quarterback of the future when he arrived from Lake Travis High School in 2009, will transfer to SMU in January and be eligible to play for the Mustangs in 2013, the Dallas Morning News has reported.

Gilbert, who started Texas’ first two games before being replaced at halftime of the Brigham Young game in week two, underwent season-ending shoulder surgery shortly after that. He currently has one season of eligibility remaining, but could apply for a medical waiver that would give him a second year if the NCAA approves.

SMU is expected to formally announce Gilbert’s transfer soon. The news is not a surprise. He was spotted at a Mustangs’ practice in Dallas in early October after UT announced it had given him his unconditional release.

A former Gatorade and Parade national player of the year, Gilbert was expected to be the heir apparent to Colt McCoy but it just never worked out. After seeing limited action in 2009, capped when he replaced the injured McCoy early in the BCS championship game against Alabama, Gilbert struggled throughout his first full season as a starter in 2010. He completed 59 percent of his passes (260 of 441) but threw only 10 touchdown passes and had 17 interceptions.

Gilbert opened the 2011 campaign by completing 13 of 23 passes for 239 yards and a TD in Texas’ victory over Rice. But against BYU, he completed just two of eight passes and threw two interceptions before being replaced by Case McCoy and David Ash, who rallied the Longhorns from a 13-3 halftime deficit to a 17-16 victory.

Gilbert won the 2011 starting job over McCoy, Ash and Connor Wood, who transferred to Colorado just before the season opener. With Ash and McCoy the only scholarship quarterbacks on the current roster, Texas has added a second quarterback to its 2012 recruiting class, Jalen Overstreet of Tatum. He’ll join highly regarded Connor Brewer of Scottsdale, Ariz., as true freshmen next season.