Florida quarterback Will Grier saw his season cut short due to a failed NCAA drug test.
As it turns out, his career there was cut short as well.
Grier will transfer, according to Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports, leaving a thin position for the Gators much thinner. Grier won the starting job as a freshman and was a key factor in UF's 6-0 start to the season until Oct. 12, when the school announced he would miss the remainder of the season and half of the 2016 season under a one-year NCAA suspension.
"Will came to be about exploring his options to transfer," UF coach Jim McElwain said. "We will support him and help him in any way we can. This has been very difficult on him and obviously he is looking for a fresh start. We will always be there for him, as will all Gators."
In half a season, Grier completed 106 of 161 passes (66 percent) for 10 touchdowns and only three interceptions. He led UF to a comeback win over Tennessee that proved to be a springboard for Florida's first SEC East title since 2009. Typically, schools restrict transfers from going to a school within the same conference or on a future schedule, though it is unclear what restrictions, if any, will be placed on Grier's transfer. If Grier transfers to another FBS program, NCAA transfer rules require him to sit out one season of eligibility in 2016, making him a junior in 2017 by the time he takes the field for a different program.
Grier's exit leaves a thin position much thinner for McElwain, whose team faces Michigan in the Outback Bowl on New Year's Day. And he's not the only SEC freshman quarterback on the move; Texas A&M's Kyler Murray will transfer as well.
Quarterback transfers are relatively common, though more often they happen with established backups who want a chance to play. Grier and Murray, by contrast, both had a starting role in their first season.
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