Alabama freshman running back Alvin Kamara will reportedly transfer from the Crimson Tide after being granted a release from his scholarship Friday. 247 Sports was first to report the scholarship news.
Kamara will not be allowed to transfer to any SEC school as part of the agreement to release him from his scholarship at Alabama (a silly rule, of course). The top targets are reported to be Florida State, Clemson, Oklahoma State and UCLA. The Georgia native was previously a four-star recruit holding offers from a number of schools including Florida State, Clemson and Oklahoma State. According to Rivals.com, UCLA was not a school offering a scholarship or on Kamara’s radar. The only other school Kamara visited, last January, was Georgia, but with SEC schools off the list that would rule out the possibility of staying in his home state. Clemson would seem to make some sense.
Kamara’s freshman season had some bumps in the road, including a suspension from Alabama’s Sugar Bowl against Oklahoma and an earlier game against LSU for violations of team rules and behavior. He did not record a single rushing attempt this season. He was also one of four four-star running backs to join Alabama in the Class of 2013. That is one year after recruiting a four star and five-star running back in the Class of 2012.
This is what happens when a program absorbs all of the top players they can through recruiting. Only a certain number of players can actually get on the field. Alabama has been stockpiling running backs over the years under Nick Saban and with T.J. Yeldon coming back in 2014 for what could be a Heisman hopeful season, the opportunities to carry the football for Alabama’s offense for some figures to be limited.
The bottom line is Alabama will be just fine at the running back position in 2014 despite losing a four-star running back. this is what we call an “Alabama problem.”
NCAA transfer rules would prohibit Kamara from playing FBS football in 2014. He will be eligible to play in 2015 if he transfers to an FBS program. He may play in 2014 if he transfers to an FCS program.