GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) -Former Southern California running back Emmanuel Moody enrolled at Florida on Thursday.
The 6-foot-1, 205-pound sophomore from Texas decided to transfer from USC after getting caught in a glut of highly touted tailbacks.
Gators coach Urban Meyer recruited Moody two years ago, but he eventually signed with the Trojans.
“I think he’s a very high character guy,” said Meyer, who inadvertently released the news of Moody’s transfer Monday. “He’s a decent student. … It’s not like he can pick up and go again somewhere. He’s got three years. He has ambition. He either does it or he doesn’t do it. It’s up to him now.”
Meyer said his coaching staff did “quite a bit of research” before agreeing to accept Moody.
“We talked to his strength coach, trainers, assistant coaches at the school he was at,” Meyer said. “We talked to other people that recruited him. We talked to the high school coach, then I made my own judgment. There’s positives and negatives about transfers.
“Obviously (former Utah and Florida cornerback) Ryan Smith was one that turned out. … There’s a whole bunch that haven’t, so you have to be real careful. We don’t normally do this.”
Moody has to sit out this season under NCAA transfer rules and will have three years of eligibility remaining.
Meyer said Moody will spend the year on the scout team while learning Florida’s offense.
Before missing the final four games because of a sprained ankle last season, Moody gained 458 yards on 79 carries and finished as USC’s second-leading rusher.
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