CC: Mullen pulls 2015 QB's scholly
Per 247Sports, Mississippi State has pulled the scholarship of 3* QB Chason Virgil, who had been committed to the Bulldogs since May and planned to early enroll.
"They called my coach today and (Mississippi State) is wanting me to grayshirt," said Virgil. "Just knowing that I am graduating early in a month, it is hard to just sit out a whole year without playing and being in a program. So I have to start over now. I haven't talked to any other schools in awhile so I just have to see what happens."
http://michigan.247sports.com/Bolt/2015-QB-Chason-Virgil-no-longer-committed-to-MSU-33120946
The kid's coach is hopping mad an not afraid to tell twitter about it:
Miss St. pulls scholarship from our QB Chason Virgil w/16 days til graduation. Classless move by "coach" Dan Mullen
— Jeff Neill (@neill_jeff) November 21, 2014
Chason Virgil -35 tds/6int passing -8td rushing. One of the best young people I've ever coached -only flaw was trusting "coach" Mullen.
— Jeff Neill (@neill_jeff) November 21, 2014
Obviously we've only seen one side of this story, and will only see one side of this story, but this situation makes Mullen look real scummy, imo. Mullen had been my #2 CC behind Jim Harbaugh, but this is making me really reevaluate that. It would kill me if Michigan ever did something like this to a kid.
November 21st, 2014 at 12:26 PM ^
In my research on Mullen they usually pull off classes in the 30s. So it would be similar to MSU of the north. That said since I think most 3 stars of the south are akin to 4 stars in te north its probably a better class than MSU even if its ranked the same but its decent but not great talent. Other similar teams would be say Stanford and Nebraska-ish.
November 21st, 2014 at 10:30 AM ^
Why do the players get sympathy? They get to decommit whenever they want.... they cannot have it both ways... imagine had Hoke pulled Conley's scholarship around now...
November 21st, 2014 at 12:29 PM ^
November 21st, 2014 at 2:16 PM ^
Unless you believe that Mississippi St starts classes for the Spring Semester on the 5th of December.
November 21st, 2014 at 10:38 AM ^
Why do we consider something like this shady but we don't slam kids that flip their committment on signing day?
Recruiting is a two way street. Kids take better offers when they become available regardless if it's 6 months or 6 days before signing day and we insist, don't attack the kids, they are making the best choice for themselves. But a team does it and they are just shady.
Teams need to have backup plans for when kids flip, but kids don't?
Ridiculous double standard.
November 21st, 2014 at 10:47 AM ^
Happened with our very own.. Dennis Norfleet. Flipped his commitment from Cincy to M on signing day.
November 21st, 2014 at 10:53 AM ^
It is shitty, both ways. But an entire D1 football program has a lot more hedge available than a teen-age kid does.
Recruiting drags out too long, so you get these games. They should have an early signing period.
November 21st, 2014 at 10:44 AM ^
The SEC! Finding loopholes since 1933.
November 21st, 2014 at 10:59 AM ^
I live in Dallas and this is really not a good area to be upsetting any coaching staffs. So I've got to think that there is a very good reason for doing this
November 21st, 2014 at 11:19 AM ^
November 21st, 2014 at 11:31 AM ^
November 21st, 2014 at 11:39 AM ^
Still cool with it. It's 3 weeks til he graduates. Not 3 hours until signing day. The kid still has 3 months to find another school.
November 21st, 2014 at 11:41 AM ^
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November 21st, 2014 at 2:18 PM ^
I don't understand why that matters. He can still sign with another school on signing day and start in the fall. Some of you are making it sound like he has no other options now.
November 21st, 2014 at 11:42 AM ^
November 21st, 2014 at 5:30 PM ^
Because my kids will understand that life isnt unicorns and rainbows. That adversity is out there and sometimes you have to deal with it.
Your kids will go on to believe they are entitled to everything. At least they will fit right in with the majority of this country these days.
Sorry is that is getting close to politiical.
November 21st, 2014 at 11:40 AM ^
Walk on kids in BIg10 country are promised scholarships, and that may not happen, or may be deferred a year. Three stars are pawns everywhere. This is college football.
November 21st, 2014 at 12:31 PM ^
November 21st, 2014 at 11:56 AM ^
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November 21st, 2014 at 11:56 AM ^
November 21st, 2014 at 12:00 PM ^
Recuriting has taken off. Maybe kid didn't fit aswell as others they might be in play for.
November 21st, 2014 at 12:26 PM ^
November 21st, 2014 at 3:29 PM ^
We don't have to guess. Did Harbaugh do this at Stanford or not? I don't ever recall hearing anything. And he had to compete with Pete Carroll.
November 21st, 2014 at 5:41 PM ^
November 21st, 2014 at 12:47 PM ^
November 21st, 2014 at 1:26 PM ^
147 replies, and not a single "You're a Baller" image (with "NOT" MS Painted in there)?
Disappointed in you guys.
November 21st, 2014 at 2:19 PM ^
Mullen ain't going anywhere.
He's in the Big Boys Club now, so he's gonna do whatever it takes to stay there.
November 21st, 2014 at 2:46 PM ^
I'm sure there are parts of the story we aren't hearing, but this doesn't really surprise me. Miss. St. has 30 kids listed for 2015 according to rivals, so this could just be a kid kinda, sorta getting crunched by numbers, which shouldn't occur and is definitely bad but isn't something terrible.
MSU isn't terrible with over-signing compared to some schools (the last 4 years they've had something like 90-ish commits, which isn't terrible given some early defections), but it's still a school in the SEC so I think that behavior may become ingrained in a guy like Mullen. Also, and this is the biggest issue, he's mostly run a good-but-not-great program with a solid recruiting hotbed nearby, but this year seemingly took him from good coach to first-ballot, top-program guy because he beat a couple of meh teams in a row. I know the SEC has been the top conference for over a decade and so his relative success should be taken in that context, but this was a guy who was a bit on the hotseat the past couple of years because his teams kept losing to the good teams on their schedule, and now people are calling him a savior.
November 21st, 2014 at 3:14 PM ^
I know this isn't a popular viewpoint, but how is this any different than a kid who decommits? As far as I know, no LOI was signed. I'm not saying it's the nicest thing in the world to do, but it's far from being an end to the kids plans. He's not being told he can't go to school there. just to wait a semester to enroll. Yea, it's probably not what the kid wants to do, but it's not the end of the world. HIs scholarship isn't being pulled, delayed. He can still attend class if he wants for that first semester and pay for it. And while we're being high and mighty, let's talk about the fact that Michigan as recently as last year was guilty of oversigning.
It stings to read these articles, but being realistic we realize this isn't the end of the world and if we want to be competitive gray shirting is a heck of a lot less painful on the student than oversigning.
November 21st, 2014 at 3:34 PM ^
I expect more out of a $2M D1 football coach than an 18 year old kid.
Make no mistake, it is shitty when kids do this when they've said they are a firm commit. But having D1 coaches act like teenagers because "recruits do it too" is not the answer.
November 21st, 2014 at 3:56 PM ^
You don't have high enough expectations for 18 year old men.
You keep refering to them as kids. They aren't kids. They are adults.
You are looking at it backwards. It's not ok for coaches to do it "because recurits do it to." It shouldn't be ok for either side to do it and everyone should stop defending these young men that do.
November 21st, 2014 at 5:05 PM ^
It's absolutely reasonable to expect more from a leader and an institution than a high school kid. And yes, a 17 or 18 year old is still a kid.
I admire Hoke's recruiting ethics. He won't back out of a commitment, and he expects the same from the recruit. He asks kids to finish looking around before they commit to Michigan - and eliminates the risk to the kid with a track record of honoring the school's commitment,.
Furthermore, he does his homework regarding eligibilty and admissions - I really like that there aren't any battles with admissions or last minute surprise non-qualifiers.
If only he were as good on the field...sigh.
November 21st, 2014 at 5:20 PM ^
So you admire that Hoke has oversigned, but not someone who grayshirts?
November 21st, 2014 at 10:53 PM ^
that if you do it as a program, you're A LOT more likely to experience it with your recruits.
November 21st, 2014 at 3:59 PM ^
Can we stop with the "UM is righteous" garbage already? UM admits the minimum just like OSU, MSU, and the SEC (although they don't oversign). Give me an asshole for a coach with just the right amount of sleaze and possibly a strong affinity for Jesus any day of the week.
November 21st, 2014 at 6:01 PM ^
November 21st, 2014 at 6:20 PM ^
November 22nd, 2014 at 2:42 AM ^