Thearon Collier was dismissed from the Miami Hurricanes after a meeting several weeks ago, and now the Booker T. Washington grad has officially found a new home with the double-secret probation-laden USC Trojans.
He arrived in Los Angeles on Saturday, prepared to sit out a year per NCAA transfer rules.
For Miami, who sport an embarassment of riches in the receiving corps, Collier's departure from the team meant more opportunity for one of eight other equally capable receivers and fewer in-house disciplinary issues.
Coach Randy Shannon informed the rising junior he would not be part of the football team after a variety of problems caused Collier to miss the end of spring football. Collier was reportedly refusing to regularly attend classes, though he was given time to deal with several family issues and the loss of a child at birth.
Shannon had encouraged Collier to remain in school, and granted permission for a transfer to another program. USC coach Lane Kiffin thinks a change of scenery will do Collier well.
(Lane Kiffin also thinks stabbings are paper cuts, but whatever.)
"He's been through a lot, had a very tough life so far," Kiffin said. "He wanted a fresh start."
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For the Trojans, who have 30 fewer scholarships to give over the next three years thanks to NCAA sanctions stemming in part from the Reggie Bush agent scandal, Collier's skills make for a handy transfer aquisition.
The shifty 5'9" speedster caught 44 passes for 574 yards and three touchdowns in the wo seasons since his arrival with the heralded, locally-stocked 2008 recruiting class, and returned 20 punts for 158 yards and two touchdowns.
