College is not about getting a degree or spending four years in one spot to go to another spot. It is about preparing for a professional career in your chosen field. It is with that in mind that we suggest John Brantley transfer for his final year of eligibility.
I thought Brantley would become a great passer for UF and contend for the Heisman next season. Of course, I thought Urban Meyer would design an offense around the talent he has and Steve Addazio would keep Brantley from running the option. Instead, it has become clear that Meyer took this year off, risking the short term impact of a 7-5 season instead of restructuring for one 9-3 season with a pro-style offense.
Brantley has plenty of flaws; balls sail on him or are underthrown, he can't run and is scared of contact (he can't step up into the pocket, leading to the erratic throws). But some of the blame for his failures can be placed on his awful offensive line, Mike Pouncey's inability to execute a shotgun snap and a lack of receivers. (UF played the entire season without a true TE.) In addition, the quarterback rotation is a fun idea, but it is a killer for the players being yanked in and out.
The biggest problem with Brantley was his relationship with the coaches, mainly that he could not have had one based on the plays that were called. Physically, Brantley cannot run the option. But that didn't stop Addazio from calling options and Meyer insisting it was part of the offense. On every down, Brantley did not know if the snap would get to him or if his line would hold up, which is why UF's passing game looked like the chuck 'n duck. If Meyer and Addazio wanted Brantley to be successful, they would have had better blitz protections, developed a tight end, and created an outside running game.
If I was in Brantley's position or advising him, I'd tell him to go somewhere else to play. I don't believe that Meyer kept Brantley around because of family legacy, because not even legacy can challenge Meyer's authority. Meyer kept Brantley around because he couldn't stand to lose a top QB recruit from 40 minutes south on I-75. Brantley has been a good soldier, but when he got his shot, Meyer failed him.
Brantley can tell Meyer to shove it and let Jeff Driskel, Trey Burton and Jordan Reed fight amongst themselves for the starting job. As it is now, Brantley would have to win his job back in an offense that Meyer does not want him in. Transferring might be a worst-case scenario, but Brantley has to think about his future. Playing under Meyer and Addazio in an offense they won't tailor to his talents is a career killer. Brantley can go to a 1-AA team, light it up for a season, kill in the combine and make an NFL team. If he stays at UF, the odds of an NFL job shrink considerably. Brantley has the talent to be successful, but the coaches at Florida won't help him get there. At another school, Brantley can be successful.