College football now has a true free agency market, as certain players can move freely from one FBS team to another without having to sit out a season. The graduate transfer rule has been a godsend for teams in desperate need for a quick fix.

Or is it really?/>

It's of little surprise that the graduate transfer market is dominated by quarterbacks. There are two simple reasons for this:

1) Quarterbacks, generally the smartest guys on the field, are most likely to graduate in four years or even a semester or two early, to take advantage of the rule.
2) An upperclassman quarterback with playing experience is much more likely to immediately help a team than a player at any other position.

The graduate transfer rule actually has been around since 2006, but in its first five seasons only 11 quarterbacks used it. That changed after 2011, when Russell Wilson, who had a mostly pedestrian career at N.C. State, led Wisconsin to a Big Ten title and Rose Bowl berth while finishing his college eligibility as a Badger. The grad transfer market boomed after that.

Following Wilson, who has gone on to lead the Seattle Seahawks to back-to-back Super Bowl appearances, a throng of quarterbacks took advantage of the rule and jumped ships. Last season alone 15 quarterbacks went to new schools and played immediately, and five of them led their respective teams to bowl appearances.

This year's market is headlined by several big names leaving high-profile programs. Everett Golson, who led Notre Dame to the 2012 BCS championship game, just picked Florida State this week and will be vying for the job to replace Jameis Winston. Jake Rudock, Iowa's former starting QB, jumped at a chance to play for Michigan's new coach Jim Harbaugh. Jeff Driskel, the face of the ill-fated Will Muschamp regime at Florida, has landed at Louisiana Tech.

But the most intriguing free agent is still in the market. Braxton Miller has a couple of months to decide whether he wants to return to Ohio State or go lead another program in 2015. Miller was a preseason Heisman candidate in 2014 before a shoulder injury in camp forced him to miss the entire season. He has since been usurped by both J.T. Barrett and Cardale Jones, who led the Buckeyes to the inaugural College Football Playoff championship. Would Miller, who already graduated, return to Ohio State to be merely the, gulp, third stringer?

So far, Miller has decided to stay put, as did Stanford's Kevin Hogan. But the transfer window remains open all the way until fall camp in August and more than a handful of quarterbacks are still deciding their destinations.

The question, then, must be asked. Does a grad transfer QB really help a program?

A former starting quarterback takes advantage of the grad transfer rule typically for two reasons:

1) He lost his job either because of injury, substandard performance or disagreement with his coaches;
2) He's not good enough to be a top NFL prospect.

Of all the grad transfer quarterbacks since the rule was enacted, only Wilson has had any kind of an NFL career. And he was only a third-round pick and not nearly as highly regarded coming into the draft as fellow QBs Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III and Ryan Tannehill. You're very unlikely to get a can't-miss talent with a grad transfer, mostly you're looking for serviceable.

And since a grad transfer QB typically only has a year (at most two) of eligibility left, he can't be much more than a quick fix. Most of the time, it's a bridge-the-gap situation where a coach isn't quite willing to trust a true freshman or a former backup with little playing experience.

Some of the quarterbacks did post respectable numbers and helped their teams to winning seasons:

-- Ben Mauk led Cincinnati to a 10-3 record in 2007 after transferring from Wake Forest.
-- Tyler Murphy led Boston College to a 7-6 record in 2014 after transferring from Florida.
-- Clint Trickett actually started 18 games over two seasons (2013-14) at West Virginia after transferring from Florida State.

Those are exceptions, however, as many more grad transfers failed to pan out. Some managed to torpedo an already floundering program (Dayne Crist, Notre Dame to Kansas; Drew Allen, Oklahoma to Syracuse) while others simply couldn't win the job even against mediocre competition (Danny O'Brien, Maryland to Wisconsin; Jake Heaps, Kansas to Miami).

This season promises to bring more scrutiny to the grad transfer QB market simply because of the presence of household names at marquee programs. Besides Golson, Rudock, Driskel and possibly Miller, there's still Jacob Coker, who left FSU to go to Alabama last season only to be beaten out by Blake Sims. He's back for his final year of eligibility to fight for the right to start for Nick Saban and Lane Kiffin.

We know the rule appears to be here to stay despite opposition from the ranks of administrators and some coaches. The NCAA, already under siege from multiple lawsuits challenging its authority, can ill afford to rescind whatever little freedom it's granted the student-athletes. And most coaches, being what they are, will try to exploit every rule to their advantage.

So the grad transfer market will only become more popular even given its so-far pretty paltry output. But just heed this warning: Buyer Beware.

-- Samuel Chi is the managing editor of RealClearSports.com and proprietor of PlayoffGuru.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ThePlayoffGuru.

Check out more college football stories on ThePostGame.

Heisman Winners And National Champions

 

1938 Davey O'Brien, TCU

At 140 pounds, O'Brien was a slender quarterback, but a dominant player. His Heisman-winning season saw him throw for 1,733 yards and 19 touchdowns, and he still holds the college football record for most rushing and passing plays in a season, with 400 under his belt. O'Brien led Texas Christian to an undefeated season in 1941 and a share of the national championship. After college, O'Brien enjoyed a short stint in the NFL before briefly serving as an FBI agent.

 

1941 Bruce Smith, Minnesota

Bruce Smith received his Heisman Trophy just two days before the attack on Pearl Harbor. At 200 pounds, Smith was a freight train in the 1940s, and he lead Minnesota to undefeated national championships in both 1940 and 1941, the latter being his Heisman-winning season.

 

1942 Frank Sinkwich, Georgia

A serviceman through and through, Sinkwich wore his Marine uniform to receive his Heisman Trophy. His 1942 campaign was capped by a dominant Orange Bowl performance in which he piled up 382 combined rushing and passing yards -- still an Orange Bowl record. The victory lifted Georgia to a share of the 1942 national championship. (Ohio State was No. 1 in the final AP poll, which in those days was published after the regular season, but didn't play a bowl game.)

 

1943 Angelo Bertelli, Notre Dame

Before entering the Marines and serving in World War II, Bertelli was an integral part of Notre Dame's famous T-formation offense. Bertelli's quarterback play lifted the Fighting Irish to a scoring average of more than 40 points in his Heisman-winning season. After his college days, Bertelli served on both Iwo Jima and Guam in the Pacific Ocean.

 

1945 Felix "Doc" Blanchard, Army

One of the fastest men in college football, Blanchard was a three-time All-American who rushed for 1,908 yards and 38 touchdowns over three years at West Point. He won the Heisman Trophy and a national championship in his junior season before entering into active military service.

 

1946 Glenn Davis, Army

Davis was a prolific offensive star for his entire Army career, accounting for 59 touchdowns and more than 4,100 yards. His Heisman-winning season was also an undefeated run for Army, which claimed a share of national championship that year. (Notre Dame was No. 1 in the AP poll.) Davis served in Korea until 1950 and then resumed his football career with the Los Angeles Rams, winning two championships.

 

1947 John Lujack, Notre Dame

After Bertelli left Notre Dame, Lujack stepped in as his successor. He was no less prolific than his predecessor: Lujack's greatest moment came when he led the Fighting Irish to a stunning 26-0 victory over then-unbeaten Army. Lujack led Notre Dame to championships in 1946 and 1947, winning the Heisman in his final season.

 

1949 Leon Hart, Notre Dame

A captain for the 1949 national championship team, Leon Hart was the second lineman to win a Heisman. He played both sides of the ball and received every major award available in 1949. After Notre Dame, Hart joined the Detroit Lions and helped the franchise to three championships.

 

1976 Tony Dorsett, Pitt

By the time he left Pittsburgh, Tony Dorsett was one of the greatest running backs in college football history. He set a slew of records for rushing at the time, including his 1,948 rushing yards in his Heisman-winning season. Dorsett dominated Heisman voting, beating the runner-up 701-73 in first-place votes, and Pittsburgh rumbled to the 1976 national championship.

 

1993 Charlie Ward, Florida State

A two-sport star who ultimately opted for an NBA career, Ward was a tremendous pass-run threat under center for Florida State. He led the Seminoles to the 1993 championship with his slippery footwork in the backfield, which allowed him to extend plays and run upfield for an average of six years per attempt.

 

1996 Danny Wuerffel, Florida

The strong arm behind Steve Spurrier's Fun 'N Gun offense, Wuerffel threw for 3,625 yards, 39 touchdowns and only 13 interceptions. His incredible pass efficiency mark of 170.61 was a big reason Florida went 11-1 and won the national title.

 

1997 Charles Woodson, Michigan

Though primarily a defensive back, Woodson also contributed as a wide receiver and return man for the Wolverines. His prowess helped Michigan split the 1997 national championship with Nebraska. After college, Woodson became a respected NFL player and is still playing professional ball.

 

2004 Matt Leinart, USC (later vacated)

Although scandals later vacated several wins, including the BCS Championship game, Leinart was dominant as a junior quarterback, partnering with running back Reggie Bush to lead USC to an undefeated season. Despite a Heisman Trophy and championship ring, Leinart turned down the NFL to return for his senior season.

 

2009 Mark Ingram, Alabama

Ingram won one of the closest votes in Heisman history, edging out Stanford's Toby Gerhart by just 28 points. He did so by setting Alabama's single-season rushing record with 1,659 yards, along with 334 receiving yards and 20 total touchdowns. Thanks to Ingram's contributions, the Crimson Tide won its first championship under Nick Saban.

 

2010 Cam Newton, Auburn

A junior-college transfer given the starting QB job at Auburn, Cam Newton didn't disappoint. His dual-threat work as a passer and scorer led Auburn to the national championship game, where it narrowly edged out Oregon. With a Heisman Trophy to boot, Newton bolted for the NFL after the 2010 season.

 

2013 Jameis Winston, Florida State

In the face of sexual assault accusations, Winston propelled Florida State to a national championship as a redshirt freshman. The conduct accusations didn't abate with a Heisman Trophy and championship ring, however, continuing into the offseason and his sophomore campaign with the Seminoles.

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