OT: Jeremiah Masoli Will Walk on at Ole Miss

Submitted by MGoShoe on

Jeremiah Masoli will walk on at Ole Miss and will be eligible to play this year.

[Jeremiah] Masoli visited the Oxford, Miss., campus this weekend, and Rebels coach Houston Nutt offered Masoli a place on the team, which is down to two scholarship quarterbacks after backup Raymond Cotton decided earlier this month to transfer. Masoli, from Daly City, Calif., will be a walk-on because the Rebels already have reached the NCAA's 85-scholarship limit. He is eligible to play immediately because of an NCAA rule that allows players who have obtained bachelor's degrees to transfer to schools that offer graduate programs their current schools don't offer. Masoli graduated from Oregon this month with a degree in sociology. Pending approval of his transcript, Masoli will enroll in the Parks and Recreation master's program at Ole Miss, and he will compete with redshirt sophomore Nathan Stanley for the starting job when practice begins Aug. 8.

"I'm excited to get another chance," Masoli said on Sunday. "I'm so grateful and thankful."

@Andy_Staples Masoli on being a walk-on: "Scholarship or not, they're going to get some criticism for taking me."

@Andy_Staples Nutt on Masoli: "I felt like he needed us a whole lot more than we needed him. He'll be under the highest of scrutiny."

HartAttack20

August 1st, 2010 at 5:22 PM ^

Ole Miss will definitely take a hit on their public image. I don't necessarily think it's a bad idea to let Masoli walk on, though. Could help Ole Miss win some games, too.

goody

August 1st, 2010 at 5:48 PM ^

have the highest of standards so them taking a public hit probably won't bother them.  Masoli will immediately help their team and that is all they really care about.

Steve Lorenz

August 1st, 2010 at 8:27 PM ^

With all the run-ins with the law that he's had, he's on about his fourth or fifth chance by now. If he wasn't really fast and able to throw a football well, he'd probably be in jail right now with the people who aren't fortunate enough to be really fast and throw a football well. He belongs in the SEC. 

It was one thing for Chip Kelly to give him a chance after he was convicted of armed robbery in high school.....it's a whole new level of ridiculousness to see that this guy is getting yet another chance to play football. 

mi_vandal

August 1st, 2010 at 7:48 PM ^

He is such a study in contradiction - his repeated run-ins with the law are well documented, yet at the same time he received a bachelor's degree in just three years (one at community college and two in Eugene).  I don't recall seeing a player with that type of pedigree before.  Good luck to him, I say.

MGoJen

August 1st, 2010 at 8:07 PM ^

I know he made some serious mistakes and seemed to be developing a pattern of destructive behavior, but this is a great opportunity for him to redeem himself.  I hope that this new opportunity becomes his focus--and that he can continue to make progress and get his life back on track.  He's one hell of a quarterback and I can't wait to see him play.

bronxblue

August 1st, 2010 at 8:33 PM ^

Wish the kid luck, but he better not blow this chance.  He's had a couple of strikes against him, and at least some were self-inflicted.