Golson and Miller to Alabama talk is probably just that, talk

It was the topic of discussion during the Southeastern Conference's spring coaches' teleconference with reporters this week, with everyone from Jim McElwain to Mark Richt fielding questions about players not on their rosters.

At least not yet.

With speculation only growing that Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller and Notre Dame quarterback Everett Golson are looking to transfer potential landing spots are widely being speculated, including Alabama.

I'm not saying it won't happen, but Crimson Tide fans shouldn't hold their breath either.

What's fueling the talk is the success Russell Wilson had at Wisconsin after posting two 3,000-yard passing seasons at North Carolina State. He went on to set the single season Football Bowl Subdivision record for passing efficiency (191.8 rating) and led the Badgers to a Big Ten title.

He also did so without the benefit of spring practice as then-Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema announced his addition to the roster on June 27, 2011.

I'm not doubting how good of a player Golson and Miller are/could be, as both are proven quarterbacks. What I'm doubting are their circumstances, especially when you read between the lines from what Nick Saban said Tuesday about graduate transfers in general.

“I think the first thing in the consideration is what kind of person, how would he fit with your team? What kind of character, attitude, competitive spirit that would blend in and fit in on the team that you have?" he said. “Certainly, I think if you’re going to ... any time we’re dealing with a transfer, whether it’s a junior-college transfer or somebody that wants to transfer here later in their career, opportunity to play becomes a big thing because they need to play and that means you need to make sure that they would have an opportunity to play relative to their skill set and the players that you have.

“So I think those would be the two major considerations that I would always make if we were going to consider something like that.”

For either Golson or Miller to land at Alabama it would mean that Saban views the addition as a "nothing-to-lose" option. The coach has a roster spot available and the player would essentially be a semester rental.

But consider the flip side:

1) The quarterback would have to immediately come in and essentially learn the playbook in two months.
2) He'd have to win over teammates and not be a distraction.
3) He'd have to beat out the all of the other quarterbacks already on the roster, otherwise what's the point?

Alabama already has a graduate quarterback, Jake Coker, who wasn't able to do those things last year while competing with Blake Sims for the starting job. And even though he has nowhere near the same career statistics as the quarterbacks being mentioned, if the Crimson Tide coaches brought in someone else wouldn't it signal that they don't have confidence in the players they already have?

It's a precedent that really needs to be avoided.

“I think all the quarterbacks made progress this spring," Saban said. "I think we have several guys that we would still like to continue look at, give reps to. I think there’s three or four guys there that all showed some promise in the spring. Our two young freshmen (David Cornwell and Blake Barnett) both made a lot of improvement, showed a lot of promise.

“So this is going to be something that we’re going to have to follow through the summer and fall camp and see who sort of emerges as the guy that we feel gives us the best opportunity to be successful in the fall.”

Coker took the most reps during A-Day and Saban's message since the middle of spring has been that he wants to see a quarterback show leadership and take the offensive reins. Coker knows the offense, has the kind of arm strength to really stretch a defense and he's being given every opportunity to win the job.

But it's this line from Saban that makes me think that Golson and Miller are likely to end up elsewhere (at schools more desperate for quarterbacks), when commenting about how the depth chart will eventually fill out: "I don’t think that’s something we can force. We’re going to let it happen, not make it happen.”

Thus, for now feel free to file the Golson and Miller rumors and speculation as just that, talk.

[Quick update: ESPN is quoting a source saying Alabama would take Everett Golson he wants to play for the Crimson Tide, but is skeptical of getting a necessary waiver from the Southeastern Conference. A league rule states that graduate transfers must not have been subject to "disciplinary action at any time during enrollment at any previous collegiate institution." Golson was academically suspended at Notre Dame.]