re: Ely might transfer to USF

Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Phillip Ely is considering a transfer, according to a report out of South Florida.
Josh Newberg of 247Sports.com reports that Ely, currently third on the Tide depth chart, is looking into a transfer to the University of South Florida. The USF Bulls are an FBS school, which means that if he does transfer there, Ely would have to sit out a year.
Ely signed with Alabama in 2011 out of Plant High School in Tampa, FL. He was ranked as the No. 9 pro-style quarterback in the country at the time. He took a redshirt his freshman season, then saw action in six games in 2012. Ely went 3-of-4 for 42 yards and one touchdown.
Alabama was very thin at quarterback in 2012, but with AJ McCarron returning for his senior season and the arrival of Cooper Bateman, a four-star prospect out of Utah and Parker McLeod, a three-star our of Georgia, the thinking is that Ely may see his window closing at the Capstone.
Ely would join former Tide quarterback Phillip Sims in transferring. Sims left Alabama last April when it became clear that McCarron had entrenched himself in the starting job.
While not set in stone, this report makes clear that the battle for the No. 2 spot among quarterbacks will be hot and heavy going into the spring.