seems like im the only one who doesnt think its that bad of a thing clemson did. he didnt do his job. he wasnt qualified. that leaves clemson a reasonable out. its dog eat dog, and the high school coach knows it. this player very easily could have changed his mind anytime along the way. yes, bowden was wrong for saying all that crap about honor and the bad timing, but the kid was wrong for not hitting the books, and the coach was the most wrong for not looking out for the kid.
I hate to break it to everyone, but this is typical Bowden. They are the Kennedy's of college football. Media loves them, they play up their good 'ol boy image, but have closets that are FULL of skelatons. Glad to see this situation getting some coverage.
It sounds to me like this kid was a I-AA recruit that Clemson made the mistake of offering. After the new assistant coaches looked at his tapes and Bowden looked at his senior year, they didn't want to offer him a scholarship. If he was really a good player, there would have been plenty of big time schools lining up to give him a scholarship. If West Virginia or Virginia really wanted him, they could have offered him a grayshirt. It looks like a player who is academically unqualified and is not that great of a football player. He should have studied in high school and he would have had to worry about teams passing on him because of his academics. I would be very upset if LSU offered a kid like this who is not that great on the football field and athletically unqualified. Saban did a similar thing that Bowden did. Remember when Jerald Watson who had been committed since the summer decommitted a month before signing day. Saban said it was mutual, which means Saban had better players that he wanted to offer and Watson didn't want to go where he was no longer wanted.
The difference is that you're talking about marginal players...EVERYONE rated Watson as a legitimate Top 25 program elite level blue chipper. I watched him play at the Plaquemine Jamboree his senior year...and straight up, he was the MAN on that football field...Very, VERY good... Had his team's quarterback not been about 5-4, he'd have been the next Stefon Lefors, but I'm getting offtrack...
Tommy learned this from his old man. Back in Nov. or Oct. 2003 a blue-chip recruit Carl Grimes from Detroit committed to FSU. But on signing day Feb. 2004 Saint Bobby takes away the scholarship and offers Grimes the opportunity to grayshirt--on signing day! The kid though got a scholarship to Michgan State who had room.
This kid is 5-10, 190 runs a 4.5. Rivals rated him a 2 star player with a 5.2 rating. So, you have a low 2 star player who is unqualified academically. I don't think Bowden did anything wrong. A month is plenty of time to find a new team. This kid should have studied and/or been fortunate enough to have more talent. LSU has walk on players that were more highly rated out of high school than this kid.
