AD: Miami Hurricanes won’t let transfer Gus Edwards play immediately at Syracuse, Pittsburgh | Canes Watch
It looks like Miami’s home game against Syracuse this fall will not be the Gus Edwards Bowl.
A report from Scout.com said Miami is not allowing Edwards, a grad transfer running back, to transfer to Syracuse or Pittsburgh, two schools closer to his Staten Island, N.Y. home.
The issue, UM Athletics Director Blake James said, is that those schools are on Miami’s 2017 schedule. According to James, Edwards has not approached UM with a formal request to transfer, but UM would not waive the NCAA’s one-time transfer exception for those schools.
“Institutionally, our policy has been that we would not do that for a school we’re going to play in the upcoming season,” James said.
Without a waiver from UM, Edwards could still transfer to Syracuse or Pittsburgh, but he would have to sit out a year. That would not be in his best interests, since his five-year NCAA eligibility expires after 2017.
The situation seems to be at odds with Mark Richt‘s prior statements on transfers. While at Georgia and Miami, he has said he doesn’t like restricting players moving anywhere — even teams he would face that season — because “life’s too short.” Richt’s role in this current situation is unclear.
“If he thinks he will have success at a school you compete against, then so be it,” Richt said in 2012.
Edwards, who played three seasons at UM and rushed for 977 yards and 12 touchdowns on 186 carries, recently became a father and reportedly seeks family support.
As a high-schooler, Edwards chose Miami over Syracuse and 13 others. Schools on that list not on Miami’s 2017 schedule include Boston College, UConn, Rutgers and Temple.
