Jeremiah Masoli, Ex-Oregon Heisman Hopeful, To Enroll at Ole Miss

Jeremiah Masoli, who was dismissed from Oregon on June 9 after multiple run-ins with the law has found his new home in Mississippi. 

On Wednesday, University of Mississippi officials admitted Masoli to graduate school at the Oxford campus after a long courtship that commenced shortly after his dismissal from Oregon. 

Considering that Masoli's checkered past might soon include a probation violation stemming from his most recent non-criminal charges for possession of an illegal susbstance, the offense that sealed his fate at Oregon, Ole Miss had to carefully weigh the pros and cons of adding the former Heisman hopeful. 

On the Mississippi athletic department's Web site, head coach Houston Nutt addressed the issue of taking on a player at this point in the offseason. 

"Rarely are there are any talented players still available in the summertime," said Nutt. "The process can be very difficult, because there's no relationship there. You have to go off the word of a coach. Plus the player has to trust you, because he hasn't met you or spent any time with you. 

"The relationship factor makes it very difficult."

According to reports,  Masoli will not receive a scholarship, but may be subject to a reduction in tuition. If this is the case, he would have to compete for a roster spot with the Rebels as a walk-on.

With one year of eligibility remaining, Masoli will be able to bypass the NCAA rule requiring one year of residency by utilizing a loophole in the system. If a player enrolls in a graduate program not offered at their former school they become eligible to participate in team activities immediately with a waiver from NCAA officials. 

Masoli's Early History

Masoli's history of legal issues dates back to his days playing high school ball at Serra, where he was expelled from the school for robbing people at Hillsdale Mall in San Mateo.

His family then sent him to Hawaii to try and help him reform. Masoli attended St. Louis School in Honolulu, a powerhouse school that helped develop his skills and garnered him more recognition.

After a successful senior season, he moved back to the Bay Area and attended San Francisco City College, taking them to the JUCO Championship before signing with Oregon after his freshman year.

Masoli's College Career

Stephen Dunn/Getty Images

PASADENA, CA - JANUARY 01: Quarterback Jeremiah Masoli #8 of the Oregon Ducks jogs off the field during the game against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the 96th Rose Bowl game on January 1, 2010 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

2009 Stats:

Rating: 129.46 / Yards: 2,147 / TD: 15 / INT: 6 
Rushing Yards: 668 / YPC: 5.5 / TD: 13

In 2008, Masoli emerged out of no where to go from the third-string quarterback to starter as injuries plagued the depth chart. He threw for 13 touchdowns and five interceptions, while also rushing for 10 touchdowns. His 714 rushing yards in 2008 set an Oregon record for quarterbacks

In 2009, Masoli led the Ducks to the Pac-10 championship, capping his year with a 26-17 near-upset loss to Ohio State in the Rose Bowl. This came after Oregon's October victory over fifth-ranked USC, a game in which Masoli threw for 222 passing yards with 164 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

He was considered to be one of the top dual-threat QBs in the country and many experts put him on 2010 Heisman watchlists entering the offseason.

But his off the field troubles quickly derailed any chances of continuing his successful career uninterrupted.

The Suspension

On March 12, 2010 Oregon coach Chip Kelly suspended Masoli for the entire 2010 season after he plead guilty to second-degree burglary charges stemming from the theft of a pair of laptops and a guitar from a campus fraternity.

Kelly couldn't be faulted for the decision after taking so much heat over the controversy surrounding LeGarrette Blount from 2009. Kelly had suspended Blount for the length of the 2009 season for punching an opponent, but later allowed him to finish the year and took a lot of criticism for it.

There was no choice but to come down hard on Masoli and make an example out of him for the rest of the players.

The Dismissal

On June 7th a Springfield police officer stopped Masoli's vehicle after he failed to make a proper stop. The officer subsequently found less than an ounce of marijuana in the car and discovered that Masoli was also driving with a suspended license.

It didn't take long for Oregon to react to the news, dismissing him from the football team two days later for failing to adhere to obligations previously outlined by Kelly.

As an isolated incident, Masoli's recent run-in isn't of the most serious nature, but coupled with his previous infractions, a pattern of unacceptable behavior was emerging that needed to be dealt with in a serious nature.

Oregon did just that.

Masoli later pled guilty to non-criminal charges for possession of an illegal substance on June 24 and paid a $613 fine. 

The New Beginning In Mississippi

Tom Hauck/Getty Images

EUGENE,OR - DECEMBER 03: Quarterback Jeremiah Masoli #8 of the Oregon Ducks celebrates after defeating the Oregon State Beavers 33-37 at Autzen Stadium on December 3, 2009 in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo by Tom Hauck/Getty Images)

Talk heated up with Ole Miss when redshirt freshman quarterback Raymond Cotton quit the team on July 24, leaving the program with just two quarterbacks under scholarship after last year's starter, Jevan Snead, bypassed his senior season for the NFL.

Sophomore Nathan Stanely was expected to be the starter in Snead's stead with Cotton serving as his primary backup. That role fell to JUCO transfer Randall Mackey, but now the situation is muddled with Masoli in the mix. 

Stanely has potential to be a star and looked very good in the spring after playing sparingly as a freshman, but don't forget that before Masoli's troubles got the best of him, he was considered a Heisman candidate for 2010. He's a dangerous dual-threat quarterback who can beat you in any number of ways and provides a major boost to the Rebels' offense. 

With only one year of eligibility remaining and the program in dire need of offensive firepower and playmaking ability, you have to think that Nutt will give Masoli a fair chance to earn the starting job, if not outright force feed it to him.

Nothing against Stanely, but unless Masoli lost his edge this summer, the competition could be over fairly quickly, about as long as it will take Masoli to learn the offense. 

Put his off the field issues aside for a moment. Masoli gives this team the best chance to win, and if he wants any chance of furthering his football career, he'll come focused and ready to prove his doubters wrong. He may be a problem child, but there's no denying his talents.