DeJaun Marrero, a red-shirt sophomore forward for men’s basketball, has decided to transfer away from the program.

Marrero will move to Chipola College, a junior college in Marianna, Florida.

“DeJuan is looking for a situation where he feels he’ll have more of an opportunity to play and develop,” DePaul men’s basketball head coach Oliver Purnell said. “I understand it and wish him nothing but the best.”

Marrero missed his freshman season when he suffered a torn ACL on Oct. 24, 2012 in practice. The Blue Demons were then able to grant him a red-shirt for the 2012-2013 season since the injury occurred before the games started.

In the 2013-2014 season, Marrero struggled to get playing time. Although he did appear in 25 games and made three starts, he only averaged 6.8 minutes a game.  He averaged 1.2 points a game and 2.2 rebounds, with a career-high six points coming against Illinois State in December.

The Gary, Indiana native came into DePaul ranked in the top 50 small forwards by ESPN and was also ranked 13th in Indiana by ESPN. He was a McDonald’s All-American nominee that average 20 points and 14 rebounds during his senior season at Bowman Academy. He also represented Puerto Rico at the U18 FIBA Americas Tournament in 2010.

This transfer leaves DePaul with six forwards heading into the 2014-2015 season, plus center Tommy Hamilton IV. DePaul added freshman Raymond Doby and also added junior Rashaun Stimage on a transfer, as well as Myke Henry gaining his first year of eligibility with the Blue Demons this season. Darrick Wood, Henry, and seniors Jamee Crockett and Charles McKinney could all see time at small forward next season, making it unlikely that Marrero was going to see more playing time.

DePaul men’s basketball opens their season Nov. 14 with a game against University of Illinois-Chicago.