The 10 Best Ineligible College Football Players for 2015 Season
When college football returns this weekend, several top players from seasons past will be sitting on the sidelines or away from the stadiums altogether because of one thing—ineligibility.
The offseason between the 2014 and 2015 campaigns didn't feature nearly as many season-long suspensions or big-name, non-graduate transfers from last season. However, former blue-chip stars who had already made an impact at the collegiate level won't be able to suit up this fall.
For some, academics and other off-the-field troubles were the main issues. For others, a desire to switch schools will cause them to sit out the entire 2015 campaign.
The following countdown contains 10 highly touted players who have been ruled ineligible for 2015.
Notable names on this list include a pair of bright young quarterbacks who shined early in the Lone Star State, a couple of experienced defenders from two of college football's biggest names and a trio of transferring running backs.
Auburn OL Darius James
1 of 10
Auburn got an impact transfer last year when Austin Golson, now officially the team's starting center, transferred from Ole Miss and sat out the 2014 season. The Tigers are set to add another experienced lineman to its ranks next season with Texas transfer Darius James.
The former 5-star recruit is not eligible for the 2015 season after making his move from Austin to Auburn in the summer. After redshirting his freshman season, James played in six games in 2014, starting against Baylor and Oklahoma at right tackle and also playing some at guard.
"Obviously [James] won't be eligible this year but looking forward to having him the next year," Auburn coach Gus Malzahn said at SEC media days, per James Crepea of AL.com. "I think to get a guy that has experience that's a little bit older, because you never know about the guys that leave early. We do have some talented guys that could possibly do that if they have good seasons."
According to Crepea, four of Auburn's top offensive linemen—Shon Coleman, Avery Young, Devonte Danzey and Alex Kozan—are eligible for the 2016 NFL draft. Having a versatile and experienced lineman such as James waiting in the reserves will help offset whatever turnover the Tigers face after this season.
Florida State LB Matthew Thomas
2 of 10
Florida State's already-thin crop of linebackers suffered a major blow last month when redshirt sophomore Matthew Thomas was ruled ineligible for the entire 2015 season.
Thomas, who was recovering from offseason shoulder surgery when the news broke, wasn't expected to play early in 2015 for the Seminoles. But he would've been an experienced piece for depth reasons when healthy—he started three games in 2014, including the ACC Championship and the Rose Bowl.
The former 5-star recruit from Miami has already had an up-and-down career with the Seminoles. He received a medical redshirt in 2013 after a shoulder injury and dealt with multiple suspensions in 2014, including one for targeting.
However, Gene Williams of Warchant.com reported last month the team hoped Thomas would return next spring, so the highly touted linebacker still has time to resurrect his career in Tallahassee.
Michigan QB John O'Korn
3 of 10
Jim Harbaugh still hasn't announced who will start at quarterback for Michigan's season opener among his multiple candidates. But the most successful signal-caller in Ann Arbor right now will be on the sidelines for all of Harbaugh's first year as the Wolverines head coach.
John O'Korn threw for 3,117 yards, 28 touchdowns and 10 interceptions as a freshman in 2013 at Houston, winning the American Athletic Conference's Rookie of the Year award. But after losing his starting job midway through the 2014 season under a new offensive coordinator, O'Korn announced his transfer to Michigan.
"Sitting out this year is going to be frustrating for him, it is," Ken Mastrole, O'Korn's personal quarterback coach, told Nick Baumgardner of MLive.com. "But I think it is good in terms of the fact that he sits the year, he learns the offense."
O'Korn will battle for playing time in an increasingly crowded Michigan quarterback room starting in 2016. If he can adapt to a new offensive system, he'll have a chance to show off what made him such an effective gunslinger at Houston.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Middle Tennessee State RB I'Tavius Mathers
4 of 10
A former leading rusher for an SEC West program returned home this year. But former Ole Miss running back I'Tavius Mathers won't be able to suit up for Middle Tennessee State this season because of NCAA transfer rules.
Mathers landed at MTSU in January, shortly after announcing he would leave Ole Miss. The Tennessee native led the Rebels with 563 rushing yards in the 2013 season, but he fell behind Jaylen Walton in terms of carries last season, finishing 2014 with just 290 yards and three touchdowns.
With an offensive depth chart dominated by juniors this season, the Blue Raiders could have a special attack in the Conference USA when Mathers becomes eligible in 2016.
"This kid is everything you dream of," MTSU offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner said, per Will Borthick of the Tennessean. "It's like he's been here the whole time. He's picked up on the offense great. The one thing he possesses that I wish we had next year is the home run capability. He's got that ability."
Notre Dame RB Greg Bryant
5 of 10
Greg Bryant, Notre Dame's second-leading rusher from last season, wasn't allowed to follow up his sophomore season in South Bend—and now he's done with the Fighting Irish.
Bryant was ruled academically ineligible for the 2015 season last month after already facing a suspension for the first four games of the season. While he wasn't the No. 1 guy for Notre Dame out of the backfield, the former 4-star recruit was an important piece for the Irish's offense after averaging 5.4 yards per carry in 2014.
"Bryant arrived on campus in 2013 as one of the crown jewels of that star-studded recruiting class, and he was a terrific pull from Florida," Bleacher Report's Mike Monaco wrote last month. "He hasn’t approached expectations through two seasons, though, and won’t see the field in 2015."
Even though he was allowed to practice with the team and stay on scholarship, Bryant posted on Instagram that he would be playing JUCO ball at ASA Miami.
Notre Dame DE Ishaq Williams
6 of 10
Notre Dame's issues on the defensive line got worse last week when the NCAA denied a petition to allow senior end Ishaq Williams to play in 2015.
Williams came to Notre Dame as a 5-star outside linebacker in the class of 2010. The 6'5", 271-pound New York native recorded only 45 tackles in his career with the Irish, but he was one of the more experienced defenders on campus, having played in 35 games between 2011 and 2013.
He was one of five players who were suspended from Notre Dame last season as part of an academic dishonesty investigation. Williams returned to school earlier this year, but his football status was still up in the air until late August.
Although he never lived up to his 5-star hype in South Bend, Williams would have been a huge boost for depth on the Irish's defensive line this season.
TCU QB Kenny Hill
7 of 10
This time last year, Kenny Hill had the entire college football world in the palm of his hand. The successor to Johnny Manziel at Texas A&M threw for 511 yards and four touchdowns in his first career start for the Aggies, a nationally televised blowout win over South Carolina.
However, after a rough stretch of play during a three-game losing streak—capped by a 59-0 destruction at the hands of Alabama—Hill lost his starting job to Kyle Allen. By January, Hill was leaving Texas A&M and headed to TCU, where he's reportedly had an "awesome" start to his life there.
"As I told Kenny: This season won’t be about Kenny," TCU head coach Gary Patterson told Max Olson of ESPN.com. "He’ll be the best scout team quarterback down on our end that we’ve ever had. He’ll learn the system and redshirt and then compete in the spring."
Hill will have an entire year to learn the Horned Frogs' offensive system and then compete to replace another Heisman-caliber quarterback—Trevone Boykin. Perhaps he'll be able to tap into that "Kenny Trill" magic that made him an overnight sensation early in 2014.
Texas A&M RB Keith Ford
8 of 10
Although one former blue-chip offensive star left Texas A&M this offseason, another one entered the backfield. Keith Ford, who was a 5-star running back out of high school, is now an Aggie after transferring from former Big 12 rival Oklahoma.
The Texas native started Oklahoma's first three games at running back last season but missed five straight games with a leg fracture. By the time he returned to the field, freshman Samaje Perine had already taken over as the Sooners' top rusher.
Ford announced he would return to his home state in May, following in the footsteps of Texas A&M running back Brandon Williams as former top prospects who left Norman for College Station.
With former Utah offensive coordinator Dave Christensen taking over the running game for Texas A&M, Ford should be able to get plenty of opportunities to make an impact for the Aggies in 2016. This year, though, Ford and Aggies fans everywhere will have to wait out his year of transfer ineligibility.
Texas Tech DE Ondre Pipkins
9 of 10
Ondre Pipkins caused quite a stir this offseason in the college football world, but it wasn't for something he did on the field. Pipkins, the subject of many summer headlines, must sit out the 2015 season after leaving Michigan for Texas Tech.
The former 4-star recruit in the class of 2012 told Joe Schad of ESPN.com that new Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh and members of his staff pressured him to quit football. The Michigan staff reportedly asked Pipkins 10 times over a two-month period to sign a medical scholarship form that would've ended his playing career.
Pipkins decided to transfer to Texas Tech in July, and he'll sit out a season for the rebuilding Red Raiders defense. The former blue-chip prospect brings plenty of experience in Power Five football, as he played in 24 games for the Wolverines.
Texas Tech is set to lose six defensive linemen to graduation after this season, so you can expect to see Pipkins again.
West Virginia CB Antonio Crawford
10 of 10
Antonio Crawford is one of the many transfers to hit West Virginia in recent seasons, although the Mountaineers won't be able to use his talents on defense just yet.
Crawford, who played in 38 games for Miami at defensive back, will bring plenty of experience to the Mountaineers defense in his final season of eligibility. According to John Taylor of College Football Talk, Crawford was in line to become a full-time starter for the Hurricanes at Nickel this season.
"When it's all said and done, Crawford will only play a single season with the WVU Football program, but once he's available he will add a veteran body to a cornerback position with several assets," Matt Hauswirth of West Virginia Illustrated wrote. "Crawford tallied 58 tackles, eight pass breakups and one interception during his time at Miami."
Although he is undersized at 5'11" and 191 pounds, Crawford played higher than his 3-star rating out of high school and showed a willingness to be physical, according to 247Sports. He'll provide a boost for the Mountaineers next season.
All stats courtesy of CFBStats.com. Recruit rankings courtesy of 247Sports.
Justin Ferguson is a college football writer at Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @JFergusonBR.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
