Tag: Lane Kiffin (Page 3 of 11)

      NCAA looking to ban early scholarship offers

      July 12, 2010 /

      The NCAA is reviewing whether or not to ban scholarship offers to recruits before July 1 in the summer between their junior and senior years of high school, according to ESPN.com.

      The rule would apply to all sports if passed later this year or next. Some coaches are hopeful it could slow an arms-race mentality that has led to earlier and earlier commitments by unproven prospects.

      Two years ago, the National Association of Basketball Coaches said it opposed accepting commitments from students who had not yet completed their sophomore seasons in high school. Jim Haney, the group’s executive director, says he understands the reasoning behind the new proposal.

      The proposal would also require coaches to receive a high school transcript documenting at least five semesters or seven quarters of academic work for a recruit before offering a scholarship.

      Considering Lane Kiffin recruited a 13-year-old quarterback this past February, I’d say it’s about time that the NCAA did something about this. Kids are easily impressionable and even though being offered an athletic scholarship is a great thing, I’m sure some feel pressured to commit early.

      Teams that have always recruited well might not like this proposal, but this is a good thing for everyone involved. Schools can take a longer look at a potential recruit without feeling pressured to get a commitment out of him too early, and the recruit can have more time before deciding where to attend. Hopefully the NCAA follows through with this next year.

      College Basketball, College Football, External Sports

      USC takes another hit as redshirt freshman Moore decides to transfer

      July 9, 2010 /

      Add defensive back Byron Moore to the growing number of players that have decided that the two-year bowl ban is enough for them to bolt USC for the chance to play elsewhere.

      From the Los Angeles Times:

      “He wants a fresh start,” Byron Moore Sr. said in a text message. “USC coaches and staff were great.”

      Moore is the third player to leave USC since the NCAA announced major sanctions against the athletic program in June. The penalties include four years’ probation, a two-year bowl ban and the loss of 30 scholarships over three years. USC is appealing some of the sanctions.

      Junior defensive end Malik Jackson said Monday he would transfer to Tennessee. Junior linebacker Jordan Campbell is transferring to Louisville.

      The Trojans lost their entire 2009 secondary to the NFL this past April and now the position looks incredibly thin with the departure of Moore. They’re going to be hurting for depth once the season gets rolling (especially when injuries, which are always inevitable, start to stack up).

      Unfortunately for USC, Moore probably won’t be the last player to transfer this offseason. For current Trojans, having the opportunity to play in a bowl game is outweighing staying with Lane Kiffin and riding things out in Southern Cal right now.

      College Football, External Sports

      Looking at the bigger picture when it comes to Seantrel Henderson and USC

      July 7, 2010 /

      It’s hard to blame Seantrel Henderson for getting out of his letter of intent at USC to join another program like Miami, Ohio State or Minnesota (which were three schools, along with USC, that he was reportedly interested in). Thanks to the fairly recent sanctions handed down by the NCAA, the Trojans won’t be able to compete in a bowl game over the next two years and obviously that’s important to a player like Henderson, who was considered the second best recruit from the class of 2010 according to Rivals.com.

      But will Henderson inevitably miss out in the long run?

      The 6’7”, 295-pound offensive lineman, who played for Cretin-Derham High School in Minnesota, committed to USC in February before waiting to sign his letter of intent with the Trojans until the NCAA had wrapped up its investigation. Then, after reportedly meeting with Miami head coach Randy Shannon over the weekend, Henderson wanted to opt out of his commitment to USC, which Lane Kiffin and the Trojans granted by releasing him from his LOI with zero penalties or restrictions. (If USC wanted to, they could have made Henderson sit out an entire year before transferring because he had already signed with the program.)

      On the surface, it appears as though Henderson is making the right decision. After all, what blue chipper would want to go through the next two seasons without the opportunity to play in a bowl game or perhaps a national title? It couldn’t have been a hard sell for someone like Shannon to sit the young man down and say, “Come to Miami and have the opportunity to play in four postseason games over the next two years, or go to USC and be limited to two.”

      But let’s keep in mind that USC is a NFL-producing factory. Last year, the Trojans sent seven players to the NFL, while in 2009 they sent 11 and in 2008 there were 10 USC players drafted.

      Continue reading »

      College Football, External Sports

      USC juniors and seniors can transfer without having to sit

      June 11, 2010 /

      In what could wind up being a massive blow to USC’s football program, the NCAA has ruled that juniors and seniors to-be can transfer to other FBS programs without having to sit out a season.

      ESPN.com has the details.

      “The second school would have to submit a waiver asking to waive the year in residence, but NCAA rules allow for this waiver to be granted if a student-athlete’s first school has a postseason ban in their sport,” NCAA spokeswoman Stacey Osburn said in an e-mail to ESPN’s Joe Schad.

      The rule does not apply to freshman who have signed national letters of intent, however. But schools with an interest in a USC junior or senior are allowed to initiate contact with the player, Osburn said.

      Among juniors and seniors whom the transfer rule applies to are quarterback Mitch Mustain, running backs C.J. Gable and Marc Tyler, receiver David Ausberry, cornerback T.J. Bryant, tight end Blake Ayles, safety Drew McAllister and center Michael Reardon.

      First-year coach Lane Kiffin said Thursday he hadn’t heard from any schools with possible interest in a USC player.

      When asked if he’s concerned about some of his juniors and seniors transferring, Kiffin said, “If someone wants to leave the best place in the country to play football, we won’t stop them.”

      Lane Kiffin has quite the situation on his hands. For the next two seasons, his program won’t be competing for the chance to play in the postseason and he’ll also lose 30 scholarships over the next three years. He also has the daunting task of recruiting players who know that the Trojans won’t be playing in a bowl game until 2012 and now his juniors and seniors can transfer without fear of sitting out a full year.

      It’s unfair to the current Trojans players that because two sports marketers pampered Reggie Bush, they won’t have the opportunity to play in a bowl game over the next two years. I wouldn’t blame any of them for wanting to jump ship and start fresh elsewhere, although I’m sure Kiffin is doing all he can to keep them right where they’re at. If he doesn’t, who knows what kind of a team he’ll be able to field over the next two seasons.

      College Football, External Sports

      USC football program gets two-year postseason ban

      June 9, 2010 /

      USC just got gorilla-smacked by the NCAA.

      From ESPN.com:

      The USC football program will receive two-year postseason ban, a reduction in scholarships and a forfeiture of wins from at least the 2004 season when the NCAA releases it sanctions on Thursday, a source told ESPN’s Shelley Smith.

      I’ll have more on this topic when more details are released, but here are some quick-hit thoughts:

      – Looks like Pete Carroll got out of So Cal at the right time. Think he knew the shit storm that was about to come down on the program when he decided to take the Seahawks job in January? Many people thought it was odd timing for Carroll to head back to the NFL when the decision was announced, but something tells me Pistol Pete had an inkling that something was about to go down and decided to hightail it out of town.

      Before Captain Wiseguy points out the obvious, yes, I’m just speculating. But let’s be realistic about the situation: Carroll, who has been courted many, many, many times throughout the years by NFL teams, decides to accept the Seahawks’ head coaching job five months prior to USC getting a two-year postseason ban. Coincidence? I think not.

      – I wonder how Lane Kiffin feels about leaving Tennessee in the dust to take over for Carroll at USC now. If you listen closely enough, you can her Vols fans laughing in the distance.

      – That 2004 USC squad is highly considered one of the greatest college football teams of all time, so the fact that the program will have to forfeit their 13 wins from that season is jarring to say the least. People will still remember how powerful that team was, but from now on, it’ll always be associated with this ban.

      – Soooo, is Oklahoma now the 2004 (or 2005) BCS National Champion? How does that work?

      College Football, External Sports

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