BOULDER, Colo. -- Colorado quarterback Craig Ochs, who announced on Monday he won't play again this season after suffering his third concussion in a year, is requesting a transfer to the University of Montana.

Colorado head coach Gary Barnett told The Associated Press on Wednesday that Montana had asked him for a release, which would allow Ochs to play elsewhere.

Barnett has said repeatedly he would not stand in the way of a player who wants to transfer.

Montana coach Joe Glenn did not return telephone calls. No telephone number was available for Ochs.

Ochs suffered his third concussion in the past year on Sept. 7. He has missed the last two games.

In an announcement that stunned Barnett and offensive coordinator Shawn Watson, Ochs said Monday he was withdrawing as a student and was relinquishing his athletic scholarship, and also was applying for a medical waiver redshirt for the 2002 season.

While insisting that extensive medical tests were normal, Ochs said in a statement he wanted to "re-evaluate my options for returning to play football next season.''

The reevaluation process apparently didn't take long.

Barnett received the release request from Montana during Wednesday's practice.

"They are asking us to waive a one-year residency requirement. What it basically means is he wants to transfer to Montana,'' Barnett told The Associated Press.

"The release gives permission for a player to talk to another school and receive a scholarship from that school.''

It wasn't known if Ochs was interested in transferring to any schools other than Montana.

Ochs, a junior who has started since his freshman year, would have two years of eligibility remaining and could resume play in 2003 without sitting out a year because Montana is a Division I-AA school.

Glenn, who coached Northern Colorado to two Division II national championships, has guided Montana to the Division I-AA championship game the past two seasons, winning the title last year.

Glenn led Montana to a 28-3 record the last two seasons, and the Grizzlies are 4-0 this year.

Ochs, one of Colorado's four captains, reportedly has told some ex-teammates he was unhappy at not regaining his starting job last season after he recovered from two concussions and a sprained ankle. He also didn't like an increased emphasis on the running game.

Robert Hodge, who has started the last two games at quarterback in Ochs' absence, told KUSA television in Denver that Ochs "wasn't completely happy all the time, but who is?''

Guard/center Wayne Lucier said he assumed that some Colorado players "will be bitter at Craig. I transferred from Northwestern, and I'm sure some guys back there are bitter at me. But if it's best for him to go somewhere else, that's what he should do.''