Former Florida offensive tackle [autotag]Michael Tarquin[/autotag] is headed to the West Coast, according to a social media post he sent out on Friday.
Tarquin announced his plans to enter the transfer portal on Dec. 22 and has found a home just over a week later with the USC Trojans. He started the season as Florida’s first-string right tackle and ended up serving in that role for seven of his eight appearances with Florida this year. An injury forced him to sit for four games early in the season, earning [autotag]Austin Barber[/autotag] some significant playing time.
Pro Football Focus gave Tarquin a season pass-blocking grade of 76.4, with his strongest performance (81.6) coming against Texas A&M in Week 10. He struggled against South Carolina (56.8), but made up for it with one of his best run-blocking games of the season (73.6). He committed just four penalties during the season and allowed just six hurries on the quarterback while not allowing a single sack.
I greatly appreciate every coach that has given me another opportunity to play football at their respective school. This being said, I am very excited to announce that I will be furthering my career at The University Of Southern California. Cannot wait to get to work! Fight on! pic.twitter.com/PCJT1Crc4r
— Michael Tarquin (@Mike_Tarquin70) December 30, 2022
USC’s gain here is a major loss for Florida. The Gators are down four starting offensive linemen this offseason and need to replace what was considered the best line in the SEC this year. Tarquin was the expected starting right tackle in 2023, but now he’ll likely take over that spot for the Trojans.
There’s a chance that he shifts over to left tackle, having played some of the position during his time in Gainesville. Tarquin received a four-star grade from 247Sports as a transfer prospect and has two years of eligibility remaining.
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