How Graduate Transfer Would Work - Doubt We Hear Much Until Late Spring/Early Summer

I know there has some swirling rumors on the 5th year QB transfer front, especially Kevin Hogan, and someone asked me yesterday in the Hogan thread when they would declare - i.e. Feb 15th.  I had no idea so did some reading up.

From all indications I doubt we will really hear much until this summer.  I looked up a lot of stories about Russell Wilson from 2011 and he transferred in June.   Brian had mentioned Golson from ND as a candidate as well so I went to look up some stories on him and he said he plans to enroll this semester to graduate in May, which many of the media are stoking the fire to mean he too will transfer.  Stanford's semester ends in June.  So other than rumors I don't think we can expect much concrete on this end until earliest April.  These guys would take part in their own program's spring practies this February/March and miss ours.  Which is another reason I cannot imagine they say a peep in the winter - can't imagine practicing with 1 team when you have told the world you are leaving for another program.

In one of the Wilson stories they noted that up to that point in 2011 only 10 fifth year transfers of QBs had ever happened prior to Wilson so it was once very rare.  This year you may have 3 big names on the move (or not) with Miller, Golson, and Hogan.  Also in a story from November I dug up, Coach Shaw said Hogan "did not want to discuss his future" with Shaw last spring, which the reporter at the time thought meant more of Hogan going to the NFL or staying at Stanford.  But apparently scouts have dropped their assessment of Hogan this year - a year ago he was getting some Luck halo effect and thought of as a 3rd roundish guy, now he is more of a 3rd day pick with some concerns of a long delivery and slow release.

So I a not really sure how the politics of this is going to work out.  Most guys who are 5th year senior QBs who move to a new program I assume don't have NFL futures.  All 3 guys who could be on the move this year most likely do (even if not at the QB position).  So step 1 is to say I am not declaring for the NFL draft in the coming weeks.  Step 2 is more vague - they will remain enrolled in school to graduate in May/June and unless they pop off their mouth they would continue to practice with their current school this spring.  Then once they graduate they would be eligible to transfer.  I would assume this would make for some uncomfortable discussions with coaches due to the timing of it all.

Here is a cut and paste of Golson's stats for 2014.  He had 2 terrible games v USC and ASU and became a turnover machine with 8 fumbles and 14 INT.   That said he played very well against FSU and Louisville and Michigan.  His stats overall were not dissimilar to a Blake Sims or Devin Gardner 2013 vintage.   Looks like Kelly is going the Zaire route in the future and some message boards are saying Georgia or South Carolina are destinations for Golson but if you though dealing with the pressure of Kelly was fun I cannot imagine trying to pick up Spurrier's offense in 3 months.  He'd be more dynamic than Hogan with higher  upside but more downside - but maybe better coaching gets him to cut back on the TOs.

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Long story short - no one new will be here for spring practice for QB, it will be our recruits.  Any new face won't show up until August camp.   And we probably have months of radio silence on this front, at least officially.