If I'm reading this correctly, if he wasn't recruited, then maybe he could fall under this category, where he could be counted for next year instead.
15.5.6.3.4 Nonrecruited Student-Athlete Receiving Institutional Financial Aid. [FBS/FCS] A student-athlete not recruited (per Bylaw 15.02.8) by the institution who receives institutional nancial aid (based in any degree on athletics ability) after beginning football practice becomes a counter but need not be counted as an initial counter until the next academic year if the institution has reached its initial limit for the year in question. However, the student-athlete shall be considered in the total counter limit for the academic year in which the aid was first received. (Revised: 1/15/11 e ective 8/1/11)
NCAA considers an athlete "recruited" if an athletic dept staff member takes the following actions:
(a) Providing the prospective student-athlete with an official visit;
(b) Having an arranged, in-person, on-campus encounter with the prospective student-athlete or the pro-
spective student-athlete’s parents, relatives or legal guardians; or
(c) Issuing a National Letter of Intent or the institution’s written offer of athletically related financial aid to
the prospective student-athlete. Issuing a written offer of athletically related financial aid to a prospective student-athlete to attend a summer session prior to full-time enrollment does not cause the prospective student-athlete to become recruited.
I don't know how you can get an athlete to transfer without recruiting them, especially when they're not from here, but that seems to be the loophole.