In this Aug. 9, 2014, photo, Mississippi defensive player Robert Nkemdiche takes a pause during the team's final open NCAA college football practice, in Oxford Miss. Nkemdiche was the consensus No. 1 recruit in the country in 2013, and the defensive lineman arrived at Mississippi with lofty aspirations of dominating the Southeastern Conference. Then, as the transition to high-level college football often does to young players, Nkemdiche was humbled, struggling to learn a new position while also trying to get a handle on the playbook. Then came a hamstring injury. For many highly recruited SEC players, early hype can lead to unrealistic expectations. Now, Nkemdiche is part of group of young but experienced players around the league hoping to have breakout seasons. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)Rogelio V. Solis/Associated Press

Robert Nkemdiche Withheld from Consideration for Lott Trophy by Ole Miss

Adam WellsOct 27, 2015

Mississippi defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche is widely regarded as one of the nation's best defensive players, but his apparent academic standing has kept him off of the list of candidates for the Lott IMPACT Trophy.

According to Pat Forde of Yahoo Sports, Nkemdiche's name was not on the most recent quarterfinal ballot for the award.

"When the Lott Impact Trophy folks sent out the lengthy ballot of quarterfinalists for the award for the nation’s top defensive player, there was a surprising footnote at the bottom: 'ROBERT NKEMDICHE, DE, Ole Miss – School does not feel he meets academic standards,'" Forde wrote.

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Forde also mentions that Ohio State's Joey Bosa and Baylor's Shawn Oakman were kept off of the list after they were suspended for one game this season, but Nkemdiche was withheld because the university "simply felt he wasn’t doing the job in the classroom."

The Lott IMPACT Trophy website states the award recognizes "individuals who demonstrate excellence in the field of athletics" and the IMPACT acronym stands for "Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community and Tenacity."

In terms of football talent, Nkemdiche has been very good in 2015 with 5.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks in seven games. He's also one of the best known players in the country, thanks to his status as a potential first-round pick in next year's NFL draft.

Nkemdiche has never been suspended or missed a game due to academic problems in three years at Mississippi, but his apparent issues in the classroom will cost him a shot at winning at least one major postseason award.