Darrington Sentimore Transferring to JUCO Ranks

Another suspension turns into yet another transfer, this time with defensive end Darrington Sentimore. Per the Tuscaloosa News:

Suspended University of Alabama defensive lineman Darrington Sentimore will not return to the team this fall and will transfer to Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, marking the end to the UA career of one of the team's more promising defensive linemen.

"Our camp starts next week and we're excited to get him in here," said MGCCC Defensive Coordinator Steve Davis. "He stayed there (UA) for summer school, so he's not here yet, but we think he can make a difference for us."

This one comes as no real surprise, and has been expected for some time now. Given the current state of the defensive line a return by Sentimore would have been welcomed news from a depth perspective, but midsummer suspensions under Nick Saban have generally been harbingers of looming departures, and that holds true of Sentimore as well.

Where Sentimore goes next is all speculation at this point, but you can probably expect that he will end up at a major program some time next year. The raw talent is clearly there with him -- he was easily our best pure pass rusher at defensive end, and he's probably a better fit for a 4-3 defense at that -- and someone will take a chance on him even given the off-field issues that apparently caused his exit from Tuscaloosa. Guys who can effectively rush the passer are at a heavy premium in this league, and clearly Sentimore does not expect to play the remainder of his days on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The smart money is probably on him turning up at another SEC program next fall so long as he can get it together off the field.

For 'Bama, this is no small loss. The defensive line is thin on quality depth, and again Sentimore was the best pure pass rusher we had at defensive end. His shortcomings against the run would have prevented him from being an every-down player, but he almost certainly had a role on this team in the Rabbit package and on special teams. Losing him certainly won't help things moving forward, and it puts increased pressure on Ed Stinson and Quinton Dial to deliver this fall.

Hope for the best, and in the meantime best of luck to Sentimore wherever he ends up next.