Under normal NCAA rules, when a player transfers from one Division 1-A school to another, they have to sit out one year -- unless they’ve already graduated from their previous program.
That exception could apply to former Texas quarterback Garrett Gilbert, who will be moving on to SMU after a pair of disappointing seasons as a Longhorns quarterback. FOX Sports Southwest reports that Gilbert is staying at UT and will graduate this spring, making him immediately eligible to compete for a starting job with the Mustangs.
Had Gilbert transferred before finishing his undergraduate degree, he wouldn’t have been available to play until 2013 as a redshirt senior and would have to get a special waiver from the NCAA to play beyond that.
All of this comes shortly after former SMU starter Kyle Padron was granted release from his scholarship. J.J. McDermott, who took over SMU’s offense when Padron was benched in the first game of 2011, has used up all his eligibility.