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Jafar Mann will transfer from Florida, says Will Muschamp, but Jacoby Brissett will "be a Gator"

Freshman lineman Jafar Mann will transfer from Florida, Will Muschamp announced on Monday. But another Gator not transferring may be a bit of a surprise.

By Andy Hutchins
Kim Klement-US PRESSWIRE

Florida freshman Jafar Mann, who practiced at defensive tackle and offensive line in his time in Gainesville, will transfer, Will Muschamp announced Monday.

That move is not particularly surprising: Mann, recruited from Stone Mountain, Georgia as a defensive tackle and rated a three-star prospect by Rivals, had not made it onto the field for Florida this fall, and was shifted from defense to offense in August to shore up the weaker line unit, an indication that he had some time to go before earning snaps. I wish the best of luck to him as he continues his life and career.

But Muschamp's second comment about transfers from his Monday media eligibility was, frankly, far more interesting: Jacoby Brissett will "be a Florida Gator."

Brissett's transfer has been rumored since Jeff Driskel was named the starter entering Florida's game at Texas A&M, and Brissett has only thrown a pass in one game this year, Florida's season opener against Bowling Green. Brissett has the talent to be a productive quarterback somewhere else, and would be an ideal transfer candidate for a number of in-state schools.

But he has also, by all accounts, bought into the idea of serving as the Gators' backup. And the comments reiterated during fall practice would suggest that Brissett was not all that far behind Driskel by the end of their quarterback competition. (Or, well, they would have if they had been honest appraisals and not a smokescreen, anyway.)

I still think that Brissett's best move is to wait until the end of the semester and make plans to transfer; he's enrolled in classes, and has already played, using up a year of eligibility, so there's little benefit to leaving now and not once he has another full semester done. But Brissett staying would give Florida much-needed quarterback depth, as there are no quarterbacks on the roster behind him who have thrown a collegiate pass.