NCAA Looking at Miles, LSU for Recruiting Violations

[Southpaw]

Oooops, the SEC doesn't cheat. Do they?

NCAA Looking at Miles, LSU for Recruiting Violations

By: The Illadelph

les-miles.jpg

A Michigan booster has informed The Jock Rap.com that LSU head football coach Les Miles and the University could be facing an investigation into serious NCAA recruiting violations in the coming year. According to the source, violations were made during the last two recruiting seasons and stem from specific incidents allegedly taking place on the national college signing day over the past several years.

The source went on to say that the University of Michigan’s Athletic Department was made aware of the possible violations committed by Miles, causing the Wolverines to back off their pursuit of him. If the allegations are true, it would certainly validate the rumors circulating - that for years Les Miles’ recruiting practices have been questionable. We will let you know more as we hear it.

As for the NCAA’s pursuit of the violations, we are confident something will be made public in the coming months, but not holding our breaths. USC has been skirting punishment for alleged recruiting violations with a number of high profile players - including Joe McKnight - for a number of years.
Posted In: The Illadelph: College Football 24 /7 on January 11, 2008

 

[Dback Jon]

Interesting - maybe OSU will win the MNC after all!

 

[Trey]

A Michigan booster has informed The Jock Rap.com that LSU head football coach Les Miles and the University could be facing an investigation into serious NCAA recruiting violations in the coming year

In other news, a West Virginia booster has informed The Jock Rap.com that Michigan head football coach Rich Rodriguez and the University could be facing an investigation into serious NCAA recruiting violations in the coming year.

 

[LVCARDFREAK]

In other news, a West Virginia booster has informed The Jock Rap.com that Michigan head football coach Rich Rodriguez and the University could be facing an investigation into serious NCAA recruiting violations in the coming year.

Actually those alligations were made by WVU and are in a pending lawsuit against RR regarding him contacting recruits on Michigan's behalf as he was still the HC at WVU.

 

[Trey]

Actually those alligations were made by WVU and are in a pending lawsuit against RR regarding him contacting recruits on Michigan's behalf as he was still the HC at WVU.

Point taken.

Still, how PFT of them to use a Michigan booster as a source against LSU coach Les Miles, who spurned Michigan. It's obviously sour grapes, and a vain attempt to spoil the national title party.

There's plenty of shenannigans that goes on in the SEC, as well as the rest of the big time college football conferences (Big 10 included). But at least have a real source when "breaking" a story. Someone with ties to the program, or the NCAA, for instance. Not a booster from the school who couldn't get "their man."

 

[AsUdUdE]

I REALLY hope this is true, I HATE Les Miles and LSU, and if this is true, their National Title Should be taken Away if you ask me...

 

[Southpaw]

The #1 HS CB,Patrick Johnson, who committed to Miami 3 months ago, just switched to LSU. His stated reason was for academics. Could be because they will take players who don't qualify. The rampant rumor is the paycheck was better at LSU.

 

[Trey]

I REALLY hope this is true, I HATE Les Miles and LSU, and if this is true, their National Title Should be taken Away if you ask me...

If you're a real ASU fan (and I know you are), there's no way you can hate LSU more than Ohio State.

 

[Trey]

The #1 HS CB,Patrick Johnson, who committed to Miami 3 months ago, just switched to LSU. His stated reason was for academics. Could be because they will take players who don't qualify. The rampant rumor is the paycheck was better at LSU.

Rampant rumor among Canes fans, no doubt.

I mean, how could a high school aged kid change his mind? And why, oh why, would someone want to play for the defending national champs? It boggles the mind!



While it's naive to think the more successful programs (including Michigan, Ohio State, Miami, etc.) don't bend, if not break the rules, this particular story is rather silly until someone other than a Michigan booster and some Hurricanes fans has something concrete to say.

 

[Southpaw]

Rampant rumor among Canes fans, no doubt.

I mean, how could a high school aged kid change his mind? And why, oh why, would someone want to play for the defending national champs? It boggles the mind!



While it's naive to think the more successful programs (including Michigan, Ohio State, Miami, etc.) don't bend, if not break the rules, this particular story is rather silly until someone other than a Michigan booster and some Hurricanes fans has something concrete to say.

You are right. I was spreading a worthless rumor and have no business posting that unsubstantiated waste of space. Sorry to take up your time.

LSU does not , has not, and never will bend the rules.

Dwayne Bowe and Ali Highsmith were actually Rhodes Scholar candidates before matriculating at LSU.

Every kid who ever went to Miami or Michigan was a thug and was paid under the table.

 

[Mulli]

If you're a real ASU fan (and I know you are), there's no way you can hate LSU more than Ohio State.

truth

 

[AsUdUdE]

If you're a real ASU fan (and I know you are), there's no way you can hate LSU more than Ohio State.

Very good point... but you could imagine my agony for the National Championship this year... BY FAR the worst possible match-up on earth...

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

Most cash payments to recruits and players (and it happens at EVERY major athletic program in the country) don't come from boosters but rather street agents with no official ties to any university. Schools these days aren't dumb enough to leave a paper trail linking money from them to a player.

 

[Arizona's Finest]

The #1 HS CB,Patrick Johnson, who committed to Miami 3 months ago, just switched to LSU. His stated reason was for academics. Could be because they will take players who don't qualify. The rampant rumor is the paycheck was better at LSU.

I was actually listening to Sports talk down here in MIA the other day and it was hilarious. It was All Canes all the time and Johnson came on right after he announced for an interview. He was getting bashed all sorts in fact one UM caller called in and said "I heard you got 18K to go to LSU" and all sorts of pro canes drivel. He kept stressing that it was academics and the anti-johnson calls just kept coming in. The sad thing is the host was just RIPPING this kid to shreds. Saying "Why would you go to LSU - had to be money, he doesn't care about academics, blah blah"

It was so myopic it was disgusting. I wanted to call in and say "Hey Canes fans - How about this - LSU just won the NC a couple days back. Your program is 5-7. Maybe he thought he was going to the better program?"

 

[Russ Smith]

What's the actual rumor, paying players?

I postedin the Pac 10 hoops thread that UCLA was notified before the start of the season there was a complaint of illegal contact with Kevin Love and John Wooden before Love committed to UCLA. This is the accidental bump that every school in America does. UCLA said in their response that since Wooden is a paid consultant for the school he's allowed to speak to recruits
under certain guidlines which UCLA doesn't break.

The irony here for me is UCLA recently lost a basketball recruit named J'mison Morgan who picked LSU. Morgan had attended an NBA game where after the game he was taken back to meet among others Tyrus Thomas and Shaq, both of whom spoke to him about why he should attend LSU. He admitted this, it was in a story on a Kansas Scout.com site that got pulled after complaints by LSU fans that the author was trying to influence Morgan's decsiion(Kansas was recruiting him too). But the story quoted Morgan saying he spoke to both NBA guys about LSU, they're both former LSU players, doing so broke NCAA rules.

If that's the kind of stuff alleged against Miles it won't go anywhere, the NCAA knows all aobut it and doesn't care. If they're alleging payments that's another thing entirely.

 

[Skkorpion]

Come on guys, get over the cheating stuff. It goes on, will continue to go on and doesn't matter.

These are my opinions on the subject:

I can't put a number on it but a substantial proportion of many schools' football players on scholarship can't write a coherent term paper on any subject.

Stopping the cheating, even if a school wanted to try, would be hard to do, for many reasons. And the results would be unacceptable.

Agents and players collude and cheat, hiding it from school officials.
Jock sniffing boosters cheat by doing illegal recruiting and slipping players money, again uncontrollable by the school.
Other boosters cheat with car deals, apartment deals, all kinds of deals, too many to monitor.

Many schools would never be willing to take steps such as this:

Getting rid of their "Hospitality" squads, or whatever they call them, made up of attractive young women, sometimes on scholarship, whose jobs are to escort around potential prize recruits. If the kids get laid, wink, wink, the school doesn't condone it and never even dreamed that could happen.

There are other obvious ones, like eliminating fake majors and all kinds of academic shenanigans.

In the end, Oklahoma boosters just want to win. Ditto Texas, Auburn, LSU, LSU, insert big winning program name here...

Get over it guys. Some schools always try to run clean programs. Many don't. Won't ever change.

 

[Southpaw]

I was actually listening to Sports talk down here in MIA the other day and it was hilarious. It was All Canes all the time and Johnson came on right after he announced for an interview. He was getting bashed all sorts in fact one UM caller called in and said "I heard you got 18K to go to LSU" and all sorts of pro canes drivel. He kept stressing that it was academics and the anti-johnson calls just kept coming in. The sad thing is the host was just RIPPING this kid to shreds. Saying "Why would you go to LSU - had to be money, he doesn't care about academics, blah blah"

It was so myopic it was disgusting. I wanted to call in and say "Hey Canes fans - How about this - LSU just won the NC a couple days back. Your program is 5-7. Maybe he thought he was going to the better program?"

or...

……What’s the reaction of UM’s coaching staff to comments made by standout Pompano Beach Ely defensive back Patrick Johnson, who claimed he decommitted from the Hurricanes two weeks ago because UM’s coaching staff didn’t show him enough attention? “I laugh it,” said defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator Clint Hurtt, without referring to Johnson specifically. “With our coaching staff, we’re grinding ourselves into the ground to stay in contact with kids, writing letters, staying on top of stuff. The kids that we target are the kids that we’re going to give our undivided attention to. Any kid that gives us a verbal commitment, it’s a kid that we consider to be part of our family. I don’t care if a kid has been committed for 24 months, we’re still going to recruit that kid as if he didn’t commit to us at all. The thing is, we’re trying to let those kids know how vital they are to our program.”

………By the way, UM’s staff expects between six to nine freshman to enroll in school on Monday, making them eligible for spring practice. Players that enroll at UM this month can be counted as part of the 2007 recruiting class, which will enable the Hurricanes to sign more than 30 players.

…….ESPN’s Tom Luginbill ranks Miami’s recruiting class No. 1 in the country with 11 Top 150 players. That despite Johnson’s much-publicized decommitment and the decision by big-time offensive line prospect Matt Patchan to attend Florida instead of UM. “Things like that are going to happen,” Hurtt said. “The ones that you want, you go after them hard. But on the flipside, just because you go after them hard and you show them how much you want them and how important they are to your program……if a kid doesn’t want to be at the University of Miami, we don’t want them. If a kid decides Miami is not the best place for him, we’re happy with his decision. It’s better than he’s not here. We want kids who want to be here. End of story.”

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/blogs/...008/01/11/um_hoops_recruiting_news_and_s.html

 

[Arizona's Finest]

or...



http://www.palmbeachpost.com/blogs/...008/01/11/um_hoops_recruiting_news_and_s.html

Thats right - he kept saying things would have been different if UM called him back or got in touch with him when he was getting ready to de-commit. The show host scoffed at him and was way condescending. Pretty good live radio from this dorky Canes loving jock sniffer overall.

High school athletes and the schools they choose is just such a slimy process. ESPECIALLY here in the South East.

 

[Southpaw]

Thats right - he kept saying things would have been different if UM called him back or got in touch with him when he was getting ready to de-commit. The show host scoffed at him and was way condescending. Pretty good live radio from this dorky Canes loving jock sniffer overall.

High school athletes and the schools they choose is just such a slimy process. ESPECIALLY here in the South East.

Why would you listen to a radio show about high school recruiting?

 

[Arizona's Finest]

Why would you listen to a radio show about high school recruiting?

790 the Ticket bro. It was the show after LeBetard's with Zazlo or something and he is a geeked up Canes fan. I think they were just talking Canes football after signing day and Johnson surprisingly came on for an interview after commiting to LSU. Caught my ear.

 

[Southpaw]

790 the Ticket bro. It was the show after LeBetard's with Zazlo or something and he is a geeked up Canes fan. I think they were just talking Canes football after signing day and Johnson surprisingly came on for an interview after commiting to LSU. Caught my ear.

Aha. I thought all the Cane shills were on 560 Qam.

 

[Southpaw]

BTW, the NCAA just red flagged Johnson's admission to LSU. Seemed his jump from 13 to a 26 on his ACT caught their attention. They are requiring a 3rd test in a controlled environment. Seems they are denying his admission based on this score.

 

[Southpaw]

Amazing to me about 18 year olds who think they are better than the process.

Top-rated DB recruit tackles ACT again
Floridian still committed to LSU
Saturday, January 19, 2008
By Mike Strom

LSU's top-rated football recruit, cornerback Patrick Johnson of Blanche Ely High School in Pompano Beach, Fla., said he still plans to join the Tigers even though he was unable to begin school this week as expected after his ACT score was questioned by the NCAA.

Johnson, the nation's top-rated defensive back and No. 2 overall defensive prospect by Rivals.com, said he took the ACT again Thursday and is awaiting results in hope of registering for the spring semester by the deadline next Thursday.

"I'm still coming to LSU," Johnson said Friday via telephone from his Pompano Beach home. "(ACT officials) are trying to get me out and get everything cleared up. I was good to go regardless. I just had to take it again for the writing portion."

Johnson said he took the ACT three times before Thursday, scoring 22 in October after 16s on his first two.

Johnson said Florida, one of his top three choices (along with Florida State) before he settled on LSU, questioned his academic eligibility with the NCAA. ACT officials subsequently reviewed his test results and "flagged" the October score.

"I'm not upset," Johnson said. "Florida made an issue about the ACT score. They're cowards. They had to go behind my back. But that's OK. We play them this year (on Oct. 11 at Florida)."

Johnson, who committed to LSU on Jan. 5, had expected to arrive in Baton Rouge by Wednesday to begin taking classes and participate in spring practice with an eye toward earning a spot on the two-deep depth chart.

If Johnson does not meet Thursday's registration deadline, he still can sign with LSU on Feb. 6, national signing day, in anticipation of joining the Tigers in the fall.

"Everything is going to be cleared up," Johnson said.

 

[Southpaw]

Rampant rumor among Canes fans, no doubt.

I mean, how could a high school aged kid change his mind? And why, oh why, would someone want to play for the defending national champs? It boggles the mind!



While it's naive to think the more successful programs (including Michigan, Ohio State, Miami, etc.) don't bend, if not break the rules, this particular story is rather silly until someone other than a Michigan booster and some Hurricanes fans has something concrete to say.

Just a follow up. This "kid" who stated his decommit from Miami and commitment to LSU for academic superiority did not qualify academically. He is now choosing between JUCO or Prep School.

Miami knew he wouldn't qualify and stayed away from this "kids" theatrics and statements. Maybe this takes the "silly" out of this segment of the story.Guess the heat is off Urban Meyer also for being accused of exposing this "kid's" ACT score leap.