Do Alabama football transfers star at their next stop? Not often
Florida and Florida State hope their hit rates in Tide transfers are better than the historical norm.
The Florida Gators’ Damieon George started 11 games last season after transferring from Alabama.
The Florida Gators’ Damieon George started 11 games last season after transferring from Alabama.
Florida State and the Florida Gators have collectively nabbed a half-dozen Alabama transfers in the ongoing exodus since Nick Saban’s retirement.
Both programs should hope this cycle pans out better than previous ones; the hit rate on transfers from Alabama is lower than you might expect.
We examined the four previous transfer cycles (weeding out as many walk-ons as we could) to see how players did after leaving the Crimson Tide. Of the 58 players who transferred from ’Bama to another Football Bowl Subdivision school:
• 12 became major players at their next stop
• 15 others became at least part-time starters
• 22 flamed out with little, if any significant impact.
Miami went 1 for 3 last cycle. Javion Cohen was one of the ACC’s best guards, but receiver Tyler Harrell had four catches in eight games and defensive lineman Jamil Burroughs didn’t play at all.
This rush’s inciting factor — the retirement of the greatest coach ever — adds a new variable to this class for transfers like Tampa Catholic’s Jameer Grimsley (who committed to UF over the weekend). Regardless, here’s a look at some of the previous hits, misses and in-betweens
