Ex-Irish center transfers to Florida

[News Bot]

After an injury-riddled five years at Notre Dame, Dan Wenger has decided to finish his collegiate career a little further south and with a pair of very familiar coaches. According to the Orlando Sentinel, the center has decided to transfer to Florida and rejoin Charlie Weis and Frank Verducci with the Gators. Weis, UF’s new…

Source: CollegeFootballTalk.com

 

[Escambia94]

This is good news. Even if he is broken, he knows the Weis play book and could be an on-field coach.

 

[DRU2012]

A competent senior center that knows the playbook? Are you kidding?!! If he is game-healthy and is allowed to play immediately (which is sometimes the case with these "medical hardship" cases), that could be a real plus for our O-line this year--and in the future, in terms of bringing along that promising young freshman center we are bringing in this season.

 

[robdog]

Agree with Dru on this one. If he is good to go, he is starting. But I thought transfers have to sit out one year? Or is there something I am missing about that rule?

 

[CaliZona_Gator]

If you transfer to another school into a graduate program that is not offered at your original school, then you do not have to sit out. Remember CB Ryan Smith? He was playing at Utah in 2005 then transferred to Florida and started all 14 games on the 2006 national championship team. The rule was new when Smith transferred. He took 21 credit hours in the summer of 2006 so he could graduate from Utah and transfer to Florida. The last I heard Wenger still hasn't chosen a graduate program yet.

 

[Leakfan12]

If you transfer to another school into a graduate program that is not offered at your original school, then you do not have to sit out. Remember CB Ryan Smith? He was playing at Utah in 2005 then transferred to Florida and started all 14 games on the 2006 national championship team. The rule was new when Smith transferred. He took 21 credit hours in the summer of 2006 so he could graduate from Utah and transfer to Florida. The last I heard Wenger still hasn't chosen a graduate program yet.

Heard somewhere Ryan Smith originially wanted to go to Georgetown but heard about the "new" rule and went to Florida. I wish he stayed in 2007. Also sure the center would do better than Mike Pouncey though not saying much.

 

[DRU2012]

Yeah, that sure was a shocker last year--a blindside-nightmare that just wouldn't quit! Between Pouncey, Brantley and The OC-who-shall-continue-to-remain-nameless, on Offense our "expected-strengths" turned out to be anything but, especially right there in the middle.
One more reason to temper our expectations going into 2011. Still, seems to me the "small-but-good things" are starting to add up. This shapes up as one of those seasons where I'd feel best if the media and "folks out there" were to underrate/overlook us somewhat, at least through the early going.

 

[robdog]

Thanks for the answer @CaliZona_Gator. I definitely did not know that about the transfer rule. But since a lot of players are not enrolling in graduate programs or their school offers it, I can see how it is not common.

 

[CaliZona_Gator]

Yeah smith was pretty darn good. I wish he would have stayed as well. Maybe he would be playing in the NFL if he had stayed another year.

And it's the same rule that allowed Masoli to play right away for Ole Miss after screwing up at Oregon.

 

[robdog]

LOL after he stole that laptop. I guess that rule came in handy there for a nice little loop hole.