Jim Mora on Everett Golson’s transfer: ‘I don’t want mercenaries’

The biggest transfer news of this college football offseason came earlier this week, when former Notre Dame quarterback Everett Golson transferred to Florida State.

The talented albeit turnover-prone passer will play immediately at FSU, after having submitting a list of 10 schools to the Fighting Irish’s compliance department as his potential destinations. That list, according to ESPN, also included Alabama, South Carolina and UCLA.

But the Bruins weren’t interested in the prospect of landing Golson as a graduate transfer, despite the fact that they are without a game-proven option to replace former three-year starter Brett Hundley.

“We never even talked about it,” head coach Jim Mora said today on the Rich Eisen Show. “I don’t want mercenaries on my team. I want guys that grew up in our culture and understand what we’re all about. I think that when you bring in a fifth-year guy, especially at a position like quarterback, he has too much influence on guys that I want to have influence on — our staff wants to have influence on, our other players. …

“In order to have sustained success, in my estimation, you have to have a culture. If you bring in mercenaries, you fracture that culture. I think Everett is a great quarterback. Obviously, Jimbo Fisher disagrees with me. He’s won a national championship. I haven’t. That’s just my feeling.”

Mora also clarified that his use of the term “mercenary” simply reflected his attitude toward the use of graduate transfers, and did not imply that the Seminoles had committed NCAA violations in recruiting Golson.

UCLA had welcomed former Miami offensive lineman Malcolm Bunche as a graduate transfer last season, but Mora said that situation was different due to Bunche’s position.