Spoon

Submitted by GeoTracker on September 14th, 2008 at 4:47 AM

Witherspoon goes to Rutgers. He got cleared on Friday. WTF? Nick Perry is playing at USC but we let Witherspoon go? Why?

From the Detroit News.

Recruiting news

Michigan did edge Notre Dame in recruiting on Friday. Defensive end Anthony LaLota , a 6-foot-6, 260-pounder from Princeton, N.J., committed to the Wolverines Friday night, according to Rivals.com. LaLota chose Michigan over Penn State and Notre Dame.

Former Michigan commitment Marcus Witherspoon (Atlantic City, N.J.), who did not qualify academically for Michigan, where he would have been a freshman this fall, is headed to Rutgers, according to the Press of Atlantic City.

Witherspoon, a linebacker, told the paper he will be at practice on Monday. The NCAA on Friday cleared him academically, so he can play. Witherspoon was in Ann Arbor in June and July working out. He told the paper he was sent home because he needed a class to become eligible.

He took an online sociology course through Brigham Young University and received an 'A'.

Rodriguez said last week that Witherspoon did not meet qualifying standards and would never play for Michigan. The NCAA, however, declared him eligible on Friday.

"It was hard," Witherspoon said of the Michigan situation. "But I have no hard feelings toward Michigan. We just decided to move on."

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080913/SPORTS0201/809130429/1131

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Jay

September 14th, 2008 at 11:43 AM ^

What happened? A collective fuck-up on UM's end. That's about all a couple of Scout premium subscribers are saying. Truthfully, its embarrassing and shameful. This kid has big time talent too and the ability to play both out side linebacker and defensive end. He has very good speed.

Joined: 06/30/2008

MGoPoints: 578

Thrillhouse

September 14th, 2008 at 12:24 PM ^

I think this pissed me off more than yesterday's loss. I can't get angry with Rodriguez about the team's onfield performance just yet, but this is something that he handled really poorly. I don't know how much the coach has to do with this stuff, but it seems to me he jumped the gun a bit with his statements. I look at this situation and think RichRod just didn't care enough to follow through and make sure every door really wasn't shut.

Making things worse, this wasn't just some scrub recruit. 6-2/230 lb OLB/edge rushing defensive ends don't just fall off trees. Fuck.

Oh yeah, one thing I'm curious about, at the moment Michigan delcared him ineligible, was his LOI voided? How was it so easy for him to just join another team? Does he lose a year of eligbilty going to Rutgers (as Perry would have if he left USC and signed elsewhere)?

Joined: 07/01/2008

MGoPoints: 1121

skegemogpoint

September 14th, 2008 at 12:41 PM ^

Would love it if someone in the local sports media really pressed RR or BMartin on this issue. This issue is odd and it'd be nice to the truth. Agreed that talent like Spoon is hard to come by which makes it even harder to lose.

Joined: 07/08/2008

MGoPoints: 503

Michael

September 15th, 2008 at 10:36 PM ^

He didn't academically qualify for Michigan. What that means is that he may have qualified for the NCAA after some work, but Michigan would still not accept him. Sam Webb has even said this on Michigan insider.

Believe it or not, Michigan is still tougher to qualify for academically than a lot of other DI schools.

Joined: 06/30/2008

MGoPoints: 1623

hat

September 15th, 2008 at 11:02 PM ^

Know what? If this guy couldn't meet the already reduced standards we have for student-athletes, odds are he's wasn't going to be able to hack it academically at Michigan. A lot of these guys that take forever to qualify end up flunking out before they make an impact on the field. (Case in point: Mr. Fuck Lion.)

Joined: 06/30/2008

MGoPoints: 15