South Carolina to pursue 6-figure buyout for edge rusher who transferred to Alabama, per report
By Andrew Olson
Published:
South Carolina will reportedly seek compensation for Desmond Umeozulu transferring to Alabama after signing a contract to remain with the Gamecocks.
Umeozulu entered the transfer portal before Friday’s deadline. On Sunday, he announced his commitment to Alabama. One issue: Umeozulu previously signed a contract with South Carolina.
Jordan Kaye of The State reports, per a university source, that South Carolina will pursue a six-figure buyout for Umeozulu breaking his contract. Kaye writes that the buyout can be paid by Umeozulu or Alabama, and the amount was not further detailed.
Umeozulu left South Carolina after 3 seasons playing for Shane Beamer‘s Gamecocks. He played in 36 games at South Carolina, leaving him with 1 full season of eligibility.
This past season, Umeozulu appeared in 12 games and made 1 start, the first of his career. He logged 19 total tackles, including 2 TFLs with 1 sack. In his South Carolina career, Umeozulu had 30 total tackles with 14 solo stops, 2.5 TFLs and 1.5 sacks.
Umeozulu is not the first transfer involved in a buyout case. LSU reportedly owes Ole Miss $550,000 for Princewill Umanmielen transferring to the Tigers after signing with the Rebels. Last offseason, Damon Wilson II’s transfer to Mizzou led to a suit from Georgia seeking $380,000, a matter that is still ongoing.
Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaigns of Fred Taylor and Andruw Jones.
