Silas Redd's decision to leave Penn State for USC is unique not just because he has the chance to help make the Trojans into one of the most formidable offensive teams in recent seasons.
Transfers are a veritable cottage industry in college basketball and football. But most of them don't involve high-profile players. Even more rare is a major transfer in college football that doesn't involve the quarterback position, such as Russell Wilson's perfectly timed move to Wisconsin after earning his degree at N.C. State.
While Danny O'Brien (Maryland to Wisconsin) and Dayne Crist (Notre Dame to Kansas) are following in Wilson's footsteps, Redd can join some unique company should his move to Los Angeles work out. He ran for 1,241 yards and seven touchdowns last season in State College.
Tashard Choice saw the writing on the wall when he found himself behind Adrian Peterson on the depth chart after his freshman season at Oklahoma. At Georgia Tech, he led the ACC in rushing as both a junior and a senior. Randy Moss' historic career at Marshall makes it easy to forget he was originally headed for Notre Dame and then Florida State.
Emmanuel Moody wasn't nearly as successful when he switched coasts in the opposite direction as Redd. The Trojans' second leading-rusher with 459 yards in 2006 was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated the following summer, but he became disgruntled and left for Florida. Moody never quite adjusted to the Gators' spread offense and never matched his first USC season.
- Craig Stouffer