Getty ImagesFor the second time in less than 24 hours, Florida has reportedly lost a player to transfer.
The Gainesville Sun is reporting that oft-injured offensive lineman Matt Patchan has decided to take his leave of the Gators football program and transfer elsewhere. As was the case with De’Ante Saunders, who is likely to transfer to Louisville to be reunited with Charlie Strong, the school has yet to confirm Patchan’s impending departure.
The Sun writes that Patchan “will either transfer to Ohio State, where Urban Meyer is the coach, or Boston College, where Steve Addazio is the coach.” Meyer recruited Patchan to UF, while Addazio served as the lineman’s position coach.
The decision to move on by Patchan ends a Gator career littered with injuries.
After playing in 11 games as a true freshman in 2008 as a defensive lineman, he suffered a leg injury that cost him a chance to play in the BCS title game. An October ACL tear prematurely ended Patchan‘s 2009 season and cost him the entire 2010 season as well, while a back injury sidelined the starting offensive lineman for Florida’s bowl win over Ohio State at the end of last season. He missed all of the 2012 season with a pectoral injury suffered during a summer camp scrimmage this past August.
After starting the final seven games of the 2011 regular season, Patchan entered that camp as the presumptive starter at right tackle before suffering the latest in a string of injuries.
Patchan was a five-star member of Meyer’s 2008 recruiting class, rated as the No. 5 offensive tackle and the No. 18 player at any position in the country.
Please don’t choose tOSU. You’re a liability, Matt
No disrespect intended, but this isn’t much of a loss at all. Even without the injuries, he’d have been lucky to get any playing time next year. The Gators have two (that I know of) new incoming O-linemen that would render Patchan meaningless other than as a backup in case of injury to one of them. One was the #2 recruit in Florida, at ANY position, a couple years ago who is transferring in, and the other is a highly-regarded freshman, if I remember right. Good luck, Matt. Again, no hate intended, but his career never panned out, nor would it if he stayed. This is actually a good move by him, for his own sake. Maybe he can revitalize his career and still have a shot at playing at the next level despite the injury problems.
Awww he misses urban
See Ya!!!
Should have never snubbed UM where he would have been a legacy player. Instead of seeing the downtrodden UM sideline under Shannon and wanting to change it, he whined and went elsewhere. Playing under Al Golden would be great for him….in fact I wouldn’t surprised if Golden inquired about the transfer.
Business decision. He doesnt have to sit out and will go wherever it benefits his education the most. No offense to UF, its a great school, but he’s obviously thinking long term.
Business decision. He doesnt have to sit out and will go wherever it benefits his education the most. No offense to UF, its a great school, but he’s obviously thinking long term.
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Hate to break it to you, but if he is thinking long term he should stay at UF. UF is rated higher in academics than both of the other schools mentioned.
patspoo
Spoken like a true Florida idiot. The graduate programs at BC and OSU both are ranked higher than Florida. Sorry.
Spoken like a true Florida idiot. The graduate programs at BC and OSU both are ranked higher than Florida. Sorry.
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Where does it say he is going into a graduate program? If he is going into a grad program US News & World report puts UF and Ohio State right next to each other in many graduate programs (some going to UF others to OSU). I didn’t have time to check BC, although I bet it ranks very high. I guess those guys are just Florida idiots also? Oh, one other thing there smart guy, when has Lousiville (another school listed as a consideration) ever been thought of as a great school, undergrad or grad?
Subtraction by addition.
So long Patchman.
patspoo
No it doesnt, BC is ranked No.24 in graduate studies, OSU is not far behind, and UF is pulling up behind them. Again, all outstanding schools but you simply dont know what the hell you’re talking about. And graduate programs are specialized… duh.