re: 2016 Ole Miss Football Recruiting Thread

I like this dude.


Why Notice of Allegations is good news for Rebels
By Chadd Scott on January 30, 2016

Nov 29, 2014; Oxford, MS, USA; Mississippi Rebels fans celebrate from the stands during the game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. The Rebels won 31-17. Mandatory Credit: Spruce Derden-USA TODAY Sports
When news broke regarding Ole Miss’ receipt of a Notice of Allegations from the NCAA, I, like most people, assumed it a terrible omen for the future of the Rebels football program and confirmation of all the unsubstantiated innuendo slung at the school for its recent recruiting success.

Unlike most people, however, I took the time to read subsequent reporting on the story. After doing so, I find the NOA to actually be GOOD news for Rebel Football fans.

The opening sentence of Pat Forde’s story on the letter states “dozens of rules violations.” The next sentence states “30 rules violations in football, (after which I’m assuming most people stopped reading) women’s basketball and track and field.”

That sounds bad.

In our mile-a-minute, socially driven, “hot take” media culture, the story’s headline – combined with mountains of unconfirmed hearsay collected over the years – was all most fans and commentators needed to condemn Ole Miss and Hugh Freeze as filthy cheaters.


What I find to be the most important details regarding this story, the details which prove this development to be good news for Ole Miss Football, were reported later in the day.

Details like:

Ole Miss was aware the letter was coming and pushing the NCAA to release it in order to be done with the matter.
Most of the football violations predate current coach Hugh Freeze and his staff.
“The Ole Miss football program has already taken some steps — like reducing recruiting official visits — to try to mitigate any punishment from the NCAA.”
“Only five of the 32 are alleged football violations, and that coaches are ‘confident’ allegations related to the current staff are secondary violations.”
These facts were ignored in the minutes and hours after the initial report was released. The witch hunt was on and the chase was too thrilling to be slowed by the truth.

The NCAA gave Ole Miss Football the white glove treatment during an investigation which lasted over three years and has come up with five secondary violations related to the current coaching staff. The violations related to the current staff center around Laremy Tunsil, violations Ole Miss has long been aware of and has already begun accepting responsibility and punishment for.

That’s good news.

That proves Freeze and the Rebels are clean. There’s nothing salacious in these reports. There’s nothing damning. There’s nothing that approaches Nevin Shapiro.

The NCAA gave Ole Miss a full body cavity search and only found contraband which the program already admitted to having. There’s nothing new here. Nothing surprising. Nothing which will in any meaningful way derail the team’s momentum.

I don’t know Hugh Freeze, but I know his boss, Ole Miss Athletic Director Ross Bjork. I’m not arrogant enough to call him a friend, but I’ve spent many hours with the man. I know his character. I know his beliefs.

Bjork released this statement following the report:

“As has been the case for the past three years, we are bounded by confidentiality and cannot comment publicly on the matter, However, I can say that I’m confident in how our coaches and staff operate our program, and we take compliance, NCAA and SEC rules very seriously. We are working hard to seek a resolution to this matter.”

Ross Bjork is not a cheater. I don’t believe for an instant he would allow cheating to occur in his football program. He’s also not stupid. I don’t believe for an instant he wouldn’t sniff out cheating if it did occur in his football program.

This phenomenon of the college football world being convinced the Rebels are dirty without any evidence of impropriety aside from Tunsil stands as unique in my 20+ years covering the sport. Fans’, but especially the media’s – which is supposed to have a higher standard of proof before leveling accusations of misconduct – belief that Ole Miss is incapable of recruiting at a high level without cheating continues to shock me.

At this moment, Baylor sits atop the Big 12 recruiting rankings. Above Texas. Above Oklahoma. No one is accusing the Bears of cheating. Clemson with Dabo Swinney has begun recruiting a level of athlete in volume it has never attracted before. No one is accusing the Tigers of cheating or Swinney of being crooked.

Yet fans outside Oxford and the media are convinced Ole Miss is dirty and that the only reason any top prospect would commit to the Rebels is because they were enticed to do so outside of NCAA rules.

This is what’s really taking place: College Football (fans and media) was comfortable with six-win Ole Miss. That’s where College Football felt the Rebels belonged – great tailgate, mediocre team. Now that Hugh Freeze has challenged that judgment, College Football has been made uncomfortable.

College Football likes its order with Alabama, Ohio State, USC and the like on top, and everyone else slotted in somewhere after. Ole Miss is challenging that order. As long as it does it will continue to be the subject of gossip, no matter how unfounded.

GridironNow

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We aren't confident on AJ

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i probably would be if I were yall. We gone get landmassed again. It's crazy impressive how you two both lock the state down.

Yeah but we are setting ourself up for a surprise. If AJ committed tomorrow we still wouldn't be confident

Pulling a kid from Starkville High would be a feat.

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We need a photoshop with Freezes face on here and says "Oxford"

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Love seeing real journalism, not some lazy story for clicks.

Up to 5 Crystals for Jacob Mathis.

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Johnson City Reb

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How many spots does Ole Miss have left?