SEC Extra Points: Should Ole Miss Be Worried About Latest NCAA Info?
Nothing spices up SEC media days like a scandal, and the wheels of Ole Miss' NCAA scandal kept spinning this week when Pete Thamel of Sports Illustrated dropped his feature on the depth and potential ramifications of the Rebels' current situation, including quotes from NCAA legal experts and former offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil's stepfather, Lindsey Miller.
In it, Miller claimed that he spoke with NCAA investigators for around 100 total hours and provided electronic communication between him and Ole Miss staffers and boosters that eventually led to impermissible payments from boosters and impermissible lodging.
Should Ole Miss be worried about this?
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The answer is no. Well, at least not any more or less worried than it was last week or last month.
As Thamel noted in the story and Ole Miss head coach Hugh Freeze stated in Destin, Florida, last month at SEC spring meetings, the program is only disputing one charge in the Notice of Allegations, and it has nothing to do with Tunsil:
"There were four [allegations] that preceded my tenure at Ole Miss and there were nine that were under my watch. We've been as honest as we can throughout the process. [AD] Ross [Bjork] made a public statement that says many of those allegations date back to a former football staff in 2010 and the withholding and re-instatement process around Laremy Tunsil in the fall of 2015. To be exact, nine is the total for that. So [Bjork's] statement is very accurate. Of the nine that occurred under my watch, four are Level 1s. Of those four, three have zero staff involvement. One has a staff involved in it that we look forward to sharing our view of exactly what the facts are in that case when the time is appropriate. The others are secondary, or Level 2s and 3s in the new penalty structure.
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As Thamel noted, three of the four Level I violations that are tied to Freeze's tenure are related to Tunsil. Keep in mind, Tunsil was suspended for seven games—more than half of the 2015 regular season, and reinstated by the NCAA in October.
So while Miller, who is suing Tunsil for defamation of character and hoping to depose Freeze in the case, has spilled the beans, it likely won't matter, considering Ole Miss not only self-reported and self-imposed penalties tied to his portion of the case, but also that Tunsil was reinstated by the NCAA itself based on the information that Miller provided.
Ole Miss doesn't want this case—which is in the midst of its third year—to drag on any longer than it has to. The lawyers whom Thamel spoke with in his story agreed that the program did what they called a "thorough job" with its self-imposed punishment—which included the loss of 11 scholarships over three years, recruiting restrictions to assistants Chris Kiffin and Maurice Harris, a fine and the disassociation of several boosters.
We're left wondering what's to come for Ole Miss.
The one Level I violation that includes connecting players to boosters is what Ole Miss claims should be a Level II.
"The one that is serious that has a staff member involved in it, we differ on the view of it," Freeze said in Destin. "I know the facts. Hopefully we'll be able to share that in due time."
If the NCAA is right, Ole Miss is likely looking at a few more scholarships being tacked on and/or those staff members involved receiving further discipline.
The elephant in the room is Tunsil's draft-night debacle, which, in addition to video of him smoking a bong through a gas mask appearing on his own Twitter account, included screenshots of electronic communication that appear to be between Tunsil and an Ole Miss football staff member arranging small payments to cover Tunsil's mother's electric bill.
Is Ole Miss that dumb?
Would it really set up a system for small payments through the football offices knowing that a similar system could already be in place through boosters—something that both the program and the NCAA agree on based on the suspension and subsequent reinstatement of Tunsil?
If you think it is, then more hits could be coming for Ole Miss. If you don't, then it likely won't get much worse than what was already self-imposed.
Either way, though, you shouldn't feel any differently about the case today than you did last week or last month. Miller has been in a rather public dispute with Tunsil, Freeze and the program ever since he was arrested (along with Tunsil) last summer for domestic violence following an altercation between the two.
That apparently will continue while Ole Miss waits to find out its NCAA fate.
Cause For Concern in Alabama?
Phil Savage of Alabama's radio network and the Reese's Senior Bowl appeared on The Roundtable on WJOX in Birmingham on Monday and commented on Crimson Tide quarterback Cooper Bateman—who was a counselor at the Manning Passing Academy last week in Louisiana.
"The short-to-intermediate stuff he seems to be pretty good at," Savage said (via Kevin Flaherty of 247Sports). "Anything beyond 25 yards though, the ball seems to come apart on him for whatever reason. I don't know technically why that would happen, I've never worked closely enough with him to know."
That's concerning, considering Bateman is a redshirt junior whose time in the system should have helped him be a little more consistent downfield.
What isn't concerning, though, is the progress of redshirt freshman Blake Barnett.
Listed at 6'5", 200 pounds, the ultra-athletic California-native with a rocket arm and deceptive speed has been busy bulking up this offseason.
That's tremendous news, considering one of the two primary concerns with Barnett entering the 2016 season is his size (along with some spring turnovers, as Matt Zenitz of AL.com noted). If Barnett can pack on 10-15 pounds without losing his speed, he should be in prime position to take the job.
At this point, if Bateman is still struggling downfield, it's unlikely that it will click. That leaves the door wide-open for Barnett, redshirt sophomore David Cornwell and true freshman Jalen Hurts. None of those three players have ever attempted a collegiate pass.
Don't be surprised if that changes in the season opener against USC, and if Barnett gets the first snap.
Chubb Back In The Mix
As Jason Butt of the Macon Telegraph noted, all signs are pointing to the return of running back Nick Chubb for Georgia's season-opening showdown with North Carolina in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game in Atlanta.
But what exactly will Chubb 2.0 look like?
It's unlikely he will look the same as he did prior to tearing ligaments in his knee on his first carry of the Tennessee game in early October 2015.
Part of the reason why is Sony Michel.
Michel rushed for 1,161 yards and eight touchdowns in essentially two-thirds of a season as Georgia's starting running back, averaging 5.3 yards per carry in a decidedly one-dimensional offense. That's what new head coach Kirby Smart and offensive coordinator Jim Chaney should build on.
Michel proved that he can be a true No. 1 running back in difficult circumstances last year, which is what Chubb did as a true freshman in 2014 when he rushed for 1,547 yards in essentially half a season as the true No. 1 back in Athens.
Two No. 1 running backs are better than one.
Because of Michel's impact last year and Chubb's status coming off injury, Georgia doesn't need Chubb topping 30 carries per game on a regular basis. Chubb's long-term future and Georgia's offense would be better off if both primary running backs share the responsibilities and hover around 15-20 carries per game.
If that happens, it will take pressure off the eventual winner of the quarterback battle and land Georgia in the mix for the SEC East title.
Coaches, Please Be Better
Twitter is a dangerous place.
The moment you hit "send"—often without thinking about all of the short- and long-term ramifications—your reputation is in the hands of how people interpret what you said in those 140 characters. Over the course of the offseason, there have been several instances of coaches subtweeting high school prospects after missing out on their commitments or seeing them flip to other programs.
Add Oklahoma assistant inside receivers coach and recruiting coordinator Cale Gundy to the list of coaches who should learn some social media restraint.
After losing 4-star center and Oklahoma-native Creed Humphrey to Texas A&M, Gundy posted a tweet discussing championships.
"Piece of advice to recruits," Gundy tweeted. "It's real simple. Schools are winning championships or talking about winning championships. Do your homework."
Come on.
While Oklahoma has a Big 12 title to brag about and Texas A&M hasn't been in contention for a division title in the SEC since November 2012, coaches need to be the bigger men in this situation. Gundy, who is listed as one of Humphrey's recruiters, according to 247Sports, should recognize that acting like the jilted lover in a public fashion only reflects poorly on himself and the program.
For A&M, Humphrey's commitment is huge.
Not only is he a player whom a regional recruiting rival clearly wanted, but he's a big, physical center who can help the Aggies be more physical in the trenches, as Billy Liucci of TexAgs.com noted.
According to 247Sports, the program has earned eight Class of 2017 commitments in this month alone. That includes Humphrey, 4-star quarterback Kellen Mond and 4-star linebacker Santino Marchiol.
That "College Station is crumbling" narrative seems like a bit of a stretch at this point.
Quick Outs
- It appears that former LSU quarterback and 2014 starter Anthony Jennings is on the brink of landing at Louisiana-Lafayette, according to Luke Johnson of the Advocate. LSU announced his intent to transfer long ago, so this is far from breaking news. The Ragin' Cajuns are likely getting a former 4-star prospect and SEC starter, which will certainly help their chances in the Sun Belt.
- Former South Carolina quarterback Connor Mitch announced his intent to transfer this spring and revealed on Twitter this week that he will land at James Madison.
- Former Alabama wide receiver Amari Cooper appeared on a celebrity edition of Family Feud, and it didn't go well, according to a pre-released clip.
Quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Statistics courtesy of CFBStats.com unless otherwise noted. Recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports.
Barrett Sallee is the lead SEC college football writer and national college football video analyst for Bleacher Report as well as a host on Bleacher Report Radio on SiriusXM 83. Follow Barrett on Twitter @BarrettSallee.
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