OT - I.O.A.N. (In Other Alabama News): Five-star Alabama quarterback to transfer after beginning year as starter
From the starting quarterback of Alabama's season-opener to out the door. That's the path Blake Barnett has chosen, as he's decided to transfer from Alabama. That's according to AL.com, which is reporting Barnett will transfer and has already left the program.
And apparently Nick Saban is aware, but not FULLY aware:
When asked about Barnett's transfer, Nick Saban said he talked to Barnett about his future, and that he wants him to remain at Alabama. He also said that as far as he knew a final decision hadn't been reached yet.
UM recruited him...think Harbaugh would have any interest? He'd obviously have to sit out a year...but what a QB stable we would have!
As for where Barnett will land, he likely won't find himself with a shortage of interested suitors. He was the No. 2 pro-style quarterback in the 2015 class, and the California-native had offers from schools like Notre Dame, Michigan, Ole Miss, Oregon and UCLA just to name a few.
He's a West Coast kid though...maybe he'll take his talents to USC? Maybe Kiffin let him know he would soon follow? #FoilHats
Seriously though, F Nick Saban and all things Alabama.
****EDIT****
Down below, I messed up and called Wilton Speight a Junior. This was based on information I got from the MGoBlue site.
My apologies.
http://www.mgoblue.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/wilton_speight_888316.html
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September 29th, 2016 at 11:52 AM ^
September 29th, 2016 at 4:20 PM ^
Speaking of Speight (who yes, is a RS So).
Anyone rememer David Cornwell? He was the high 4, low 5* kid that everyone wanted and we took Speight over him. Speight was a middle of the road 3* kid.
Well he's still at Bama and he was the #4 QB and just got promoted to #3 with this transfer.
#Recruiting
And no chance he comes to Michigan to sit on the bench. He should probably go to UCLA, sit his transfer year, and try to start when Josh Rosen leaves.
Or go to USC, because they've got so much going for them right now.
September 29th, 2016 at 11:52 AM ^
September 29th, 2016 at 11:56 AM ^
If you lose your job to a true freshman you should transfer if you think you are good enough to play at the next level. Flacco tranfered from Pitt to deleware after losing the starting qb job and it worked out ok for him. He isn't fleeing competition, he already lost and he is smart enough to move on.
September 29th, 2016 at 12:04 PM ^
But doubt he wants to come in and compete with Peters and McCaffrey.
September 29th, 2016 at 12:07 PM ^
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September 29th, 2016 at 12:10 PM ^
Still doesn't justify the timing. The guy gains nothing by leaving now. Beyond that, he's one play away from being back on the field. You want to at least be coached up between now and next fall, right? So keep going to practice, keep having access to world-class coaches, facilities, and trainers, and make a decision at the end of the season. For all anyone knows, he could be the starter again one offensive snap into their next game.
September 29th, 2016 at 12:45 PM ^
he can spend the next few weeks looking for a new school, instead of practicing with Bama, and enroll somewhere else in January. Plus, how much qb coaching is he getting at Bama? He goes and works with Whitfield for 3 months, he'll probably come out better.
September 29th, 2016 at 1:40 PM ^
Well, he's not getting any coaching at Bama now, but I don't think their backup QB is getting ignored at practice. So long as he's on the roster, they have an incentive to ensure he's capable and performing as well as possible. Also, his food, housing, medical treatment, and coaching are all 100% paid for during that period.
September 29th, 2016 at 9:34 PM ^
September 30th, 2016 at 1:05 PM ^
Who are all the excellent qb prospects Saban has prepared for the NFL?
September 29th, 2016 at 1:46 PM ^
You're actually wrong here. This is THE BEST time to do it if he's going to use the 4-2-4 loophole. So if he transfers right now from a four year institution to a junior college then back to a 4 year institution, he will be eligible to play at the second 4 year school one calendar year after leaving Bama. So by this time next year he could be playing again if he's the next team's new starter.
September 29th, 2016 at 2:40 PM ^
I'm pretty sure this is only true if he graduates from whatever JUCO he attends. So you must be assuming that, between now and the start of next fall semester, he is completing a two-year associate's degree.
September 29th, 2016 at 4:39 PM ^
Yeah. Here is an article on it. http://247sports.com/Article/Alabama-QB-Blake-Barnett-has-more-options-…
apparently it's done in basketball a lot.
September 29th, 2016 at 3:16 PM ^
September 29th, 2016 at 11:57 AM ^
we don't know for sure as to the details.
Shying away from competition? Maybe.
Who knows? Maybe he just doesn't like this guy:
September 29th, 2016 at 12:04 PM ^
Is Abalama more of a spread team now? He is probably not a fit for their offense anymore.
September 29th, 2016 at 12:17 PM ^
Pretty much everyone is a spread team now, other than us, MSU, and Wisconsin.
September 29th, 2016 at 12:18 PM ^
They tried their pro style passers in the first game and the offense was stagnant. You could tell Saban wasn't happy in the game having to switch b/c it's less control on his part. Hurts fumbled on his first carry and you could see the "I told you so" look on Saban's face. He was eventually proven wrong though when Alabama started scoring points.
September 29th, 2016 at 7:07 PM ^
just not sure about Alabama.
September 29th, 2016 at 12:20 PM ^
Not too much different than O'Korn and he is here.
September 29th, 2016 at 11:53 AM ^
With Speight (possibly) here for another two years and B. Peters with young McCafferey coming in, it would be very tough for Blake to see a path to a starting spot.
But hey its not up to me but MOAR QBs is never a bad thing.
September 29th, 2016 at 11:56 AM ^
is a Junior - so only one more year...which would correspond with Barnett's year to sit out.
But I understand the path to starting is still tough!
September 29th, 2016 at 11:58 AM ^
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September 29th, 2016 at 12:10 PM ^
The MGoBlue website lists him as a Junior from an "Experience" standpoint.
Neg away for using official UM Websites for accuracy.
http://www.mgoblue.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/wilton_speight_888316.html
September 29th, 2016 at 12:16 PM ^
http://www.mgoblue.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/mich-m-footbl-mtt.html
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September 29th, 2016 at 12:16 PM ^
The MGoBlue website lists class year, and doesn't take into account redshirts until a guy's fifth year. It's accurate with regard to his year in school, but not his remaining eligibility, which is what is relevant here.
September 29th, 2016 at 12:58 PM ^
but it says Jr for class, and Jr for experience.
Guess I am ignorant of their policy of ignoring a Redshirt year until they are a RS Senior.
September 29th, 2016 at 12:16 PM ^
Speight is a Redshirt Sophmore i believe so he would indeed have two more years
September 29th, 2016 at 11:54 AM ^
Maybe he goes there?
September 29th, 2016 at 11:59 AM ^
I speculated this in the O.P.
Depth chart at USC is pretty stacked with young guys - albeit not all 5-stars:
| QB | 4 | Browne, Max RS JR/2 | 14 | Darnold, Sam RS FR | 19 | Fink, Matt FR | 15 | Fitts, Thomas RS FR | 16 | Thomas, Holden FR |
September 29th, 2016 at 12:13 PM ^
Darnold is now the starter at USC, so they have the same situation as Alabama with a freshman starter. I'd be surprised if Barnett goes there.
September 29th, 2016 at 12:15 PM ^
UCLA may work since Josh Rosen is a strong candidate to jump to the NFL after 3 years. Barnett would have two years to play then.
September 29th, 2016 at 12:47 PM ^
Because UCLA is on the quarter system if he enrolls in the next several days he can sit out this year and be eligible to play next year. There are only a couple of destinations where that could work at this late date. It will be interesting to see if Saban fucks him by delaying a response to the release request. That's why he is using the weasel language-he is just making it appear that someone else is responsible for screwing the kid.
September 29th, 2016 at 1:02 PM ^
A w. coast kid commits to an eastern school for one reason: because its name is Alabama. Surrounded by future high draft picks at every position - their TEs, although as not as plentiful as ours - is definitely on par with UM's.- it would seem that a QB with his talent would thrive there. Obviously, that didn't happen.
The fact that we offered him does not mean harbaugh would take him if he expressed interest. He is fully aware of how many ships he has to give away and I think he's fully satisfied with what he inherited, brought in through transfer and he's only a season away from making a decision between the incumbent and his first QB recruit at Michigan. With Dylan on the way, I believe Jim is very happy and the next qb he takes will again be from the high school level.
Darker Blue made an interesting observation, one that would actually work. MSU has proven if a young man has the talent, they are surrounded by enough experience due to M.D.'s red shirting policy to make a good qb look just that way. But given the information in regard to UCLA, i.e., the quarter system, returning home makes a hell of a lot of sense and Mora has a lot of connections at the next level. I see the young man suiting up in a PAC 12 uniform in the future.
September 29th, 2016 at 1:08 PM ^
First time I ever heard of Alabama referred to as "an Eastern school"
September 29th, 2016 at 1:42 PM ^
but, believe me, to those living w. of the Mississipi, Alabama is east of them. Hell, when I was in OK - yeah, I had to do that for a year, MI was referred to as east. I think, as well, the E in SEC stands for Eastern. Inasmuch as they are a charter member not named Mizzou, A&M, ARK, et. al, I'll stand by it.
September 29th, 2016 at 12:24 PM ^
Weren't there rumors that Browne was going to transfer?
September 29th, 2016 at 12:37 PM ^
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September 29th, 2016 at 12:37 PM ^
Cal makes more sense than USC or UCLA, but he could end up anywhere. Davis Webb is gone at the end of the year, and Dykes has a QB-friendly offense.
September 29th, 2016 at 11:55 AM ^
We would take him, but if he doesn't want to compete against Hurts, what makes you think he wants to take on Speight/Peters/McCaffrey?
September 29th, 2016 at 12:01 PM ^
with Speight, as Speight only has 1 more year (he's a Jr).
I don't know how much to read into the transfer...maybe it was backing away from competition, or maybe it was other factors not yet revealed...dunno.
O'Korn left Houston after being demoted...and we embraced him with open arms.
That there is precedent. :)
September 29th, 2016 at 12:04 PM ^
Speight is a redshirt sophomore my friend
September 29th, 2016 at 12:11 PM ^
I unfortunately used the MGoBlue official site as source of my eligibility statement.
http://www.mgoblue.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/wilton_speight_888316.html
They list him as a Junior under experience, and then detail his accomplishments as a Sophomore:
Sophomore (2015)
• Appeared in six games as a reserve quarterback
• at Minnesota: (Oct. 31): Completed 3-of-6 passes for 29 yards and a touchdown; Helped engineer game-winning scoring drive
• Ohio State (Nov. 28): Completed 6-of-14 passes for 44 yards and an interception
September 29th, 2016 at 12:15 PM ^
They used to denote redshirts with a # or * (I can't recall which). I'm surprised they don't do that anymore. I can understand where the confusion comes from.
September 29th, 2016 at 12:29 PM ^
September 29th, 2016 at 12:14 PM ^
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September 29th, 2016 at 12:16 PM ^
but they then list him as a JR under Experience.
September 29th, 2016 at 11:59 AM ^
Barnett may be a great talent but we've got a ton of talent at QB with Speight, O'Korn, Peters and McCaffery. More is better, but not sure we need him.
Also, given that he just left Alabama because he didn't want to compete with Hurts, it's hard to see him looking at our depth chart and finding it appealing when there are a lot of other high level programs that are hurting for QB talent. Just looking at the list of schools listed in that article, all of them have a much clearer path to starting QB than we do.
If I had to guess, I'd say he ends up at Oregon. He was interested in them before he committed to ND (and then to Alabama), they have nothing at QB after Prukop and don't have anyone commited in their class yet.