Those reports that had Michael Dyer leaving Auburn and reuniting with Gus Malzahn at Arkansas State? It appears they are close to coming to fruition.
According to AuburnUndercover.com and the Birmingham News, Dyer has been given a conditional release from his AU scholarship by the school. While the release is conditional, Arkansas State is reportedly one of the schools to which the Tigers will permit the running back to transfer.
Neither report explicitly stated Arkansas State is where Dyer is headed, although that certainly appears to be the direction this situation is headed. The other schools to which Dyer would be permitted to transfer were not named.
As ASU is a Div. 1-A (FBS) school, Dyer would be forced to sit a season to satisfy NCAA transfer rules unless he were granted a waiver. It’s believed Dyer will pursue that tack, although it’s unclear on what grounds the appeal to the NCAA would be based.
Dyer has rushed for more than 1,000 yards each of his two seasons with the Tigers, and was a first-team All-SEC performer this year, but has found himself ensconced in Gene Chizik‘s doghouse of late. The sophomore was suspended Dec. 11 for violating unspecified team rules and did not play in the Chick-fil-A Bowl win over Virginia.
Even as rumors of a potential transfer began to gain steam in recent weeks, the head coach said recently that there has been no change to the running back’s status.