It appears that we've nearly turned the final page on an incredibly stupid chapter of the offseason.
According to a report from the Tuscaloosa News, Alabama has granted defensive back Maurice Smith a full release from his scholarship. That means that Smith, who graduated from Alabama last week, is free to contact any school he chooses to about a transfer -- even schools within the SEC.
Though it's not clear whether Smith actually can transfer to another SEC school just yet, it's been widely reported that Smith requested a transfer to Georgia where former Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart is now coaching.
The SEC still must approve a waiver for Smith in order for him to transfer within the conference, and if the SEC has any common sense or decency, it'll do just that.
While I certainly understand why any coach would be hesitant to allow a player to transfer to a school within the conference, when it comes to graduate transfers, I don't believe coaches should have any influence or power over where the player moves on to.
After all, when that coach originally sat in that players living room four or five years prior, he told that player and his parents about how the top priority should he choose their school was going to be getting him an education.
That degree was what it was all about.
Well, a grad transfer has their degree. They've accomplished the main goal of attending that school. When any other student gets their undergraduate degree, the school that hands it to them has no say on where they can pursue their post-graduate degree if they choose to get one.
Football players -- or any other student-athlete -- shouldn't be treated any differently.
I mean, not unless the coaches are full of crap when they say it's about education first, but surely that's not the case!
