As Will Grier continues to search for his post-Florida home, several options for his college football future are coming to light. Reportedly.
Wednesday afternoon, Mike Casazza of the Charleston Gazette-Mail reported that Grier was on the campus of West Virginia University visiting the football program. A short time later, the Gainesville Sun‘s Graham Hall reported that the erstwhile Florida quarterback has previously “met with plenty [of other schools], including Ohio State and Miami (Fla.).”Former University of Florida quarterback Will Grier, seeking a new school after deciding to transfer in December, is on WVU’s campus today.
— Mike Casazza (@mikecasazza) March 2, 2016
I’ve also been told he’s met with plenty others, including Ohio State and Miami (FL). https://t.co/5a8VvN04nd
— Graham Hall (@GrahamHall_) March 2, 2016
Grier was suspended in Oct. of 2015 for one full year after testing positive for performance enhancing drugs. Grier had appealed the NCAA’s initial decision, but that maneuver was shot down. It was reported in mid-December that Grier would resume workouts with the Gators; a couple of days later, Grier decided to transfer from the UF football program.
Regardless of where Grier ends up, it’ll be awhile before he actually sees the field. Probably.
If, as looks likely, Grier ends up at another FBS program, he’ll be forced to sit out the 2016 season to satisfy NCAA transfer rules. As it stands now, he would then be suspended for the first six games of the 2017 season to finish off the NCAA suspension. That latter season, Grier would be a redshirt junior, and would have one more full year of eligibility after that.
However, it’s expected Grier and his new school will seek to have the remaining six-game suspension run concurrently with sitting out the transfer season in 2016. That appeal is thought by most to be a longshot at best, though.
Grier took a redshirt as a true freshman after coming to the Gators as a four-star member of their 2014 recruiting class, then started the first six games of the 2015 season before the suspension sidelined him for the remainder of the year.