Former Notre Dame QB Everett Golson can't just transfer anywhere, sources say

Published May. 10, 2015 11:40 p.m. ET

Bruce Feldman

If former Notre Dame quarterback Everett Golson wants to play for Texas or in the Southeastern Conference this fall, he may find his path blocked — or at least a bit rocky.

As a graduate transfer, Golson will be immediately eligible to play for his new school, but that doesn't necessarily mean he is free to go any program at the FBS level.

Notre Dame didn't give Golson a release to any school it will play in 2015, which includes Texas, and also would block some Big Ten programs, a source confirmed to FOX Sports Sunday.

In addition, two SEC rules potentially could make Golson ineligible to play in the conference, one SEC compliance official said.

Texas and the SEC's Georgia and LSU are among the schools rumored to be in the running for Golson.

However, a report that stated Golson, a Myrtle Beach, S.C., native, was expected to visit South Carolina Monday is inaccurate, the source told FOX Sports.

In his Notre Dame career, Golson threw 41 touchdown passes and 20 interceptions, passing for 5,850 yards. In 2014, he had a solid 29-14 TD-INT ratio while throwing for 3,445 yards and completing 60 percent of his passes. Golson also ran for 14 TDs and 581 yards in his Fighting Irish career.

Transferring to an SEC school might not be so easy for Golson, because he might need a waiver of conference rules.

The compliance official said Golson's academic suspension in 2013 might hinder his admission to one of that conference's schools because of SEC Bylaw 14.1.15.1 (d), which states that a student-athlete with less than two years of eligibility left can get financial aid, practice and compete if, "The student-athlete has not been subject to official university or athletics department disciplinary action at any time during enrollment at any previous collegiate institution (excluding limited discipline applied by a sports team)."

Another potential hurdle is the SEC's two-year eligibility rule, which states:

"A student-athlete who, upon enrollment at the certifying institution, has less than two years of eligibility remaining, is not eligible for financial aid, practice or competition at the member institution. A member institution may request a waiver from the Conference office for a student-athlete transferring from an institution discontinuing a sport, provided that the student-athlete cannot complete his or her eligibility at the institution discontinuing the sport, or for a student-athlete transferring for the purpose of enrolling in an academic program not offered at the institution from which he or she is transferring."

Bruce Feldman is a senior college football reporter and columnist for FOXSports.com and FOX Sports 1. He is also a New York Times best-selling author. His latest book, The QB: The Making of Modern Quarterbacks, came out in October 2014. Follow him on Twitter @BruceFeldmanCFB.