Gators' Transfers Lose Stars in New 247Sports Transfer Rankings
While players are ultimately judged by what they do on the gridiron, before any of that takes place, pundits and fans will typically project players heading into college based on their number of "stars".
Sure, the number of stars a player receives ultimately means next to nothing in the long-run, but it can - to an extent -, tell you how confident an individual, or a group of individuals, feel on the player's skill set to advance into the next two levels of play in any given sports - colligate and professional.
For 247Sports, their star rankings have been used for a number of years, ultimately leading players, coaches, media, and fans to use them in their initial assessment of their newfound talent heading out of high school.
However, there has not been much of a check between a player heading from one school to another. Over the past few years, transferring has become far more commonplace, likely due to the addition of a "transfer portal", which essentially makes it easier for players to leave the school they'd previously attended.
Now, 247Sports has put together a system that will do exactly that - provide a ranking system for transferred players. This system was delivered over the course of 500+ emails along with several phone calls, Bud Elliot of 247Sports writes. That complicated system allows onlookers to get a better feel of what to expect of their new talent.
To get a better understanding of why some rankings appear lower than expected, 247Sports laid it out quite reasonably, stating that - besides quarterbacks - players transfer for a reason, and typically it isn't a good one. Whether a player needs more playing time, is coming off of an injury, or simply didn't perform well at their previous landing spot - all of these are accounted for.
For their 2020 transfer class, the Gators were slated to have three five-star players, including running back Lorenzo Lingard (Miami), OLB/DE Brenton Cox (Georgia), and WR Justin Shorter (Penn State). Now, after revealing their new transfer-ranking, the Gators are slated to have zero five stars, as is the case with all transfer players.
Note: Only 15 of the slated 166 players received four stars, according to 247Sports.
Of the Gators' three five-star players, Cox was the only one to receive a four-star transfer ranking, both Lingard and Shorter are now three stars. Here is what 247Sports had to say about Cox:
Florida defensive end Brenton Cox gets a new start following a brief stint at Georgia. Cox is expected to be an impact pass rusher for the Gators and gets a 91. Last cycle, transfer Jonathan Greenard also received a 91 and went on to have a big final year before being drafted in the third round.
Cox is slated to be a high-impact player for the Gators this season after sitting out all of last year due to transfer rules, something head coach Dan Mullen has spoken about ad nauseam over the past year. Four stars seem fair at first glance because Cox has not suffered a major injury, nor was he viewed as simply not good enough, he just needed more playing time.
As for players such as Shorter (possibly talent and playing time), along with Lingard (injury), they will be three stars heading into 2020, needing to prove themselves more capable as they proceed further.
This new system by 247Sports appears fair and takes into account several factors, allowing everyone to get a clear understanding of their process. While many may not agree, it is important to lower expectations for transferred players. There is always a reason for why they transferred, and that absolutely should not be discounted.
