Ole Miss up to 38 signees!
Tom Dienhart, of Rivals.com has written an article called NUTT NEVER SLOWS DOWN ON THE RECRUITING TRAIL, (
[url]http://collegefootball.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=905931[/URL]) in which he unwittingly exposed several recruiting infractions committed by Ole Miss coaches Houston Nutt, Mike Markuson, and Kent Austin. The violations don't need to be pointed out to anyone that even casually follows recruiting, but several posters in other threads have asked for explanations of the violations and some Ole Miss fans have disputed them. To help these people understand, I have identified six of the most obvious violations committed by Ole Miss, followed by the excerpt from the article that proves Ole Miss violated that rule, followed by the rule which was violated:
VIOLATION 1: Markuson and Nutt allow media to be present during a recruiting contact.
Quote
Markuson is on his BlackBerry, talking to an offensive line recruit from Chatham (Va.) Hargrave Military Academy he wants. "Hey, we are going to get you to 'the league,' " Markuson says. "You know that. We are the best school to develop you."
RULE VIOLATED:13.10.1
A member institution shall not permit a media entity to be present during any recruiting contact made by an institution's coaching staff member.
VIOLATION 2: Nutt comments on the likelihood of QB
Raymond Cotton (from Baltimore) signing with Ole Miss.
Quote
"It went great," Nutt says. "That kid has a terrific family, the mom, the dad. I think we have a chance to get him... We have some big-time players we still are trying to land. If we get them – like this quarterback we just visited – it will really help us."
"We had to go see him at his job stocking shelves at a 7-Eleven on base. That says a lot about him. How many big-time recruits would even have a job?"
Nutt smiles and shakes his head. He wants this quarterback even more now. But Ole Miss will have to beat Kansas State to get him. "It won't be easy," says Nutt.
RULE VIOLATED: 13.10.2
...the institution is precluded from commenting in any manner as to the likelihood of the prospective student-athlete's signing with that institution
VIOLATION 3. Nutt comments on the likelihood of signing
Tahj Jones, LB from Sulpher, LA.
Quote
Nutt and his staffers would love to add a linebacker from Sulphur High they are going to visit. Dameron has been the point man on this prospect's recruitment.
"This is a good kid," Dameron says. "He doesn't have a mother or father. He lives with his 21-year-old brother, his brother's girlfriend and their baby in a trailer across from the high school. A counselor at the high school has taken him under her wing, really mentoring him and looking out for him. She's a great lady." Nutt frets about the upcoming visit. He knows it'll be difficult to woo this recruit away from LSU. … We wanted to visit this kid today because he's coming to our campus tomorrow for an official visit. We know LSU is pinching him and we think this will ensure that he will visit us. If he does that, we have a chance to get him."
RULE VIOLATED: 13.10.2 ...the institution is precluded from commenting in any manner as to the likelihood of the prospective student-athlete's signing with that institution…
VIOLATION 4: Ole Miss allows media entity to be present during Nutt, Markuson, and Dameron's recruiting visit of
Tahj Jones, at Sulpher High in Sulpher, LA.
Quote
Nutt, Dameron and Markuson enter the high school and immediately find the head coach and the counselor, who are expecting the Ole Miss coaches. Next, the recruit is summoned. Soon, everyone is smiling and laughing. Nutt is good at this.
RULE VIOLATED: 13.10.1
A member institution shall not permit a media entity to be present during any recruiting contact made by an institution's coaching staff member
VIOLATION 5: Markuson comments on
Evan Swindall's (C, Lafayette High, Georgia, who was actually committed to Central Florida, not Miss) ability and the contribution that he might make to Ole Miss.
Quote
(Nutt)… heads south to LaFayette, Ga., to visit a big offensive lineman who had committed to Ole Miss the previous week.
It takes about an hour to reach the recruit's house. The coaches already have sold this prospect on Ole Miss, so the visit is about showing the recruit some love and attention. He isn't a blue-chipper, but this is the type of lineman Markuson routinely turned into a star during his stint at Arkansas with Nutt.
"He's a coach's son," Markuson says. "His mom is a teacher. He comes from a great family. He's big, strong, smart … just what you want. We think he'll be a good one for us at center. We need linemen. We don't have much depth up front."
RULE VIOLATED: 13.10.2 …
The institution may not comment generally about the prospective student-athlete's ability or the contribution that the prospective student-athlete might make to the institution's team
VIOLATION 6: Ole Miss Coach Austin comments on
Raymond Cotton's ability and the contribution that he might make to Ole Miss.
Quote
"The kid is pretty quiet," says Austin, a former star Ole Miss quarterback from the 1980s who is the point man on the prospect's recruiting. "The mom is pretty quiet, too. But the dad will talk. He knows his football. His dad is big on trust. He wants to know who he can trust.
"I told him we have a plan for him. The kid and his dad are all for coming in and redshirting. They believe he isn't ready to play right away. So any school that tells him that he will play him right away turns off the father and kid. I have told him we can play him as a redshirt freshman in 'Wildcat' formations, getting him ready for when Snead is gone."
Rule Violated: 13.10.2 …
The institution may not comment generally about the prospective student-athlete's ability or the contribution that the prospective student-athlete might make to the institution's team
