Never have I ever… heard of this, but nor am I complaining.
The intensity of the World’s Largest Cocktail Party just got kicked up a notch.
Former Georgia defensive end/linebacker and five star signee Brenton Cox has decided to transfer to Florida. In doing so, Cox becomes the first player in recent memory to switch sides in the Florida-Georgia rivalry.
The only question surrounding Cox is when Florida will get to enjoy his services. Logic says he won’t be eligible to play in 2019, but if he somehow decides to apply for a waiver for immediate eligibility, all bets are off: the NCAA has no consistency with its decision making regarding these waivers, and they’ve granted waivers for less deserving players than him- and in less time. If reports that he was dismissed from the Georgia program are true, that throws another monkey wrench into the NCAA’s decision. That would also explain why his transfer within the SEC wasn’t blocked by Georgia. So anyway, we’ll see, but he’s probably going to have to wait a year.
There were also questions surrounding his time off the field in Athens. He was cited for marijuana possession when UGA police found the weed in the dorm room Cox shared with fellow defender Robert Beal back in April.
But there’s no question as to the type of talent Florida just added to its 2020 roster. Cox combines blazing speed with incredible natural athleticism and a nose for the football, which he used to rack up 20 tackles as a true freshman for Georgia, including one against Florida. He appeared to break out in the Bulldogs’ Sugar Bowl loss to Texas with six in that game, and he also showed out during Georgia’s spring football season, recording two TFL’s in the Bulldogs’ spring game.
And though there’s always a risk in accepting a transfer who’s had run ins with the law, Cox is an instant plug-and-play piece either at defensive end with Jabari Zuniga about to depart, or at linebacker once the older David Reese is gone.
