Welcome to the newest holiday on the college football schedule: New Redshirt Rule Transfer Monday. (Okay, so we need to work on the name.)
Thanks to the new rule that passed this spring, players are now allowed the play in up to four games and retain their redshirts. The rule was intended as cover when injuries leave depth charts shallow without punishing players and/or to get true freshmen experience without using an entire season. But a handful of players have taken advantage to pull the plug on a disadvantageous situation without losing the entire season.
They’re celebrating (or, more likely, lamenting) NRRT Day at Arkansas and Oklahoma State, and now Oregon running back Taj Griffin has announced his intent to transfer as well.
“Thankful for all the support and positivity i have recieved (sic) from the fan base here, but I’m going to open up other options from here,” Griffin tweeted Monday.
“It’s playing time oriented,” Ducks head coach Mario Cristobal said Monday. “Any time a student-athlete has a decision to make that’s in the best interest of himself, we support it 100 percent.”
A senior from Powder Springs, Ga., Griffin registered 77 carries as a freshman in 2015 and saw his usage decreased from there, totaling 37 totes in 2016, 18 in 2017 and six through three games this season. Royce Freeman hogged the bulk of the carries over the past three seasons, but now freshman C.J. Verdell has become the feature back with 59 rushes through four games.