'Bama QB Tranfers to Toledo

It seems to be common these days that, just like Georgia has player arrested every summer, Alabama seems to have players transfer out of the program.

Last year it was quarterback Phillip Sims who left Tuscaloosa for Virginia. This year, it's back-up QB Phillip Ely who has decided to transfer to Toledo.

Coming out of high school, Ely was one of the top-rated quarterbacks in the country, but like Sims last season, he obviously saw the writing on the wall that he would not be AJ McCarron's replacement next year and decided to go elsewhere.

Unlike certain coaches who will not let his players transfer -- here's looking at you, Mike Gundy -- Nick Saban helped Ely with his transfer.

"He told me he'd get in contact with whoever I needed," Ely said. "He was really supportive in that part. Sometimes those things can be very bitter, but in this case it really wasn't."

Who can blame Ely for leaving? He was one of six quarterbacks on the team, and rumor has it when McCarron graduates next year, either Blake Sims or Alex Morris will take his place. That obviously leaves Ely out in the cold.

My advice to any qb with the first name of Phillip: Stay out of Tuscaloosa. It just doesn't seem to work out  for you there.

And what are you doing going to a school so loaded at that position, anyway? Was it the recruiting services' rating system that put lotsa stars next to your name? Those stars aren't there to sway coaches. They're there to sell subscriptions.

And it looks like another one just expired.