CC: Mullen pulls 2015 QB's scholly

Submitted by Inuyesta on

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.

Danwillhor

November 21st, 2014 at 10:52 AM ^

because of the inherent advantages he has being at a trash university in the SEC. People seem to forget he can sign a juco for every recruit he wiffed on, he can oversign and take on kids that qualify but would never get into Michigan. Forget that I don't think he'd take the job, I don't want the guy. This makes it more so but never wanted him anyway. We need a guy that runs a multi-pro offense, knows the Midwest to some degree, wins f'n games and does it the right way (as much as any modern CFB coach can). If they fit that criteria, put 'em on the list. Mullen is not in that list.

cigol

November 24th, 2014 at 8:57 AM ^

We let kids in at the clearinghouse minimum. This "we're at a disadvantage because we have higher standards" crap is flat out false. We are at a disadvantage because of a massive blue collar population shift south and have an alumni base that demands things other than hiring the best coach possible (has to run a certain scheme, has to be like a coach from 30-40 years ago, has to give blowjobs to the memories of guys who played 100 years ago, has to inflate kids' egos with " this is Michigan," causing them to be a bunch of entitled pussies who have 1/4 of the hunger of our rivals).

Hail-Storm

November 21st, 2014 at 2:44 PM ^

Haven't been a huge fan of his during the last search based on these mishandlings. Specifically sending the kid home who had moved into the dorms. Same thing goes for the coaching search this time around.

I hope it's Jim 

maizenbluenc

November 21st, 2014 at 10:19 AM ^

Wasn't the bag man article supposedly about Mississippi State recruiting (or was it Ole' Miss), and haven't some of their recruits posted the cash flash pictures? Les Miles is just as guity of oversigning and last minute greyshirting.

The thing is, the SEC operates on a different lens - oversigning is ok and above board - an accepted practice. These kids know if they sign with an SEC school, that is the risk they take (or they should). They still sign with SEC schools knowing the risk because they think it is their best change to get to the NFL. As a 3 star QB, you probably should have a backup plan - even if the bag man pays you not to.

As for the bag man part of it - not sure how connected it is to the coaching staff, or if it happens organically.

Anwway, any coach or assistant you pull from the SEC will have been a part of this different lens - they had to, to compete.

So I guess the question I would have, is can that coach accept the Big Ten / Michigan lens, and operate competitively within in?

Danwillhor

November 21st, 2014 at 11:10 AM ^

I don't think Mullen is the kind if guy that can "adapt" to not using the advantages being in the SEC has. Some can and while I have my dislike for Miles, I think he could. In fact, like him or not, I think he'd do very well at Michigan. His problem would be pushing the envelope toward SEC tactics on the down low, IMO. He's just that guy. Mullen is a southern lifer, IMO. He needs to be able to miss on a recruit and replace him with a juco or a kid that did qualify by oversigning. I don't think he's a dynamic recruiter so he needs that southern talent bump (southern 3* is a northern 4*). As for the bagmen article, it was Ol Miss but he basically called out the entire SEC and a few other schools across the country. Believe he said something to the effect that Northern schools don't do it as much by nature. We just don't care enough as fans, etc. I think Les could adapt. I don't think Mullen could. There is also the reverse in that some guys are not built for the south. Muschamp need to be in Texas or the Midwest, IMO. Al Golden? Not a Miami guy, in my eyes. Jimbo Fish could "out SEC" most of the actual SEC coaches, lol. He's a Southern HC. Saban could win anywhere that gives him academic/Juco rights. Any direction in America, give him a school that is average academically and he'll win big. Put him at Stanford and he'd be a very good coach but not "NICK SABAN". I'm blabbing, gotta run.

Chiwolve

November 21st, 2014 at 11:25 AM ^

I know this has been mentioned many times by many others on this board, but it bares repeating again -- the idea that Mullen is a "southern lifer" is absurd. He was raised in New England, wen to college in Pennsylvania and has spent the majority of his coaching career outside of the south (primarily in the midwest and northeast). 

It would be more accurate to say that he's a guy who found a niche with Urban Meyer and then followed him around until he was offered a job by a Southern school. He is not a personal favorite of mine and I'm not pining to see him as the next coach at Michigan, but it has nothing to do with him being a "southern lifer"

Danwillhor

November 21st, 2014 at 11:35 AM ^

In the sense of the discussion. Once he'd found the South, he's never leaving it. I mean it in that way that someone from NE takes a job in San Diego and thinks "I'm never f'n leaving this city/going back home". If you get your start (by all purposes, UF was his first big gig) in the South I think it would be hard to give up the advantages it has. I don't think or see Mullen as this great HC. I don't. I don't think he'd succeed anywhere else. So, but beating a dead horse. I may be pointing it out (ha) but not beating it.

Danwillhor

November 21st, 2014 at 12:43 PM ^

but he'd be a risk to try to go down that road. I stated as much. I'm not a Miles guy, btw. I decided I won't share them again (for legal reasons) but I have a few first hand accounts of the kind of coach Miles is and it's nothing to do with wives. Don't like or want him. Yet, he's been here and I think he'd do well. I also think the Michigan mystique (he loves Michigan, half his lsu office is UM gear) would possibly keep him in check. I just wouldn't bet a dollar on it ha.

Tater

November 21st, 2014 at 1:52 PM ^

Ole Miss has a very nice record of flipping recruits on one visit.  I don't know if it's money, hostesses or both, but someone there is very persuasive.  Dan Mullen is more of a guy who develops "lesser" talent.  I think he would have no problem staying within regulations at Michigan.  

As for this situation, he is letting the kid know more than two months before NSD.  It's not like the kid is showing up at, for example, Alabama in August and finding out he doesn't have a scholly.

oriental andrew

November 21st, 2014 at 9:35 AM ^

Saying a kid needs a backup plan sounds all well and good in theory, but he just had the rug pulled out from under him a couple weeks to HS graduation and 7 weeks until classes start at miss st. I would've been feeling pretty comfortable about my future college plans at that point, also. 

LSA Aught One

November 21st, 2014 at 9:50 AM ^

Imagine for a second:

16 days prior to my college graduation I had been 'committed' to Michigan for nearly 8 months.  I wasn't going to apply elsewhere until I heard back from them.  When I got accepted, I stopped looking around completely and enjoyed the rest of my senior year. 

If my admission had been pulled just prior to graduation, I would have either had to feverishly search for a backup school or do the CC route for a semester/year and hope to get in somewhere else.  The day both parties agreed, it became real and there shouldn't have been any reason for me to feel otherwise. 

I can only hope this kid ends up somewhere else and gets a chance to torch Miss. St. for 500 combined yards and 6 TDs.  

pescadero

November 21st, 2014 at 10:15 AM ^

The difference is - you had a legal contracrt with the university.



This kid (especially being in SEC country) has to KNOW that until a “scholarship/financial aid agreement” is signed by the university - they have in now way legally committed to him.



It's more like this -

16 days prior to my college graduation I had been 'committed' to Michigan for nearly 8 months.  I wasn't going to apply elsewhere until I heard back from them.  When I got waitlisted , I stopped looking around completely and enjoyed the rest of my senior year.

 

A letter of intent ONLY commits the player to the school - it puts no committment on the part of school at all.

JHendo

November 21st, 2014 at 9:55 AM ^

Oh hey kid, go ahead and plan your entire life around the fact that you'll be coming here to play football.  Graduate early so that you can get a headstart here even though that means you will be missing out on what is truly the only fun semester of your high school years with so many milestones and events that you could've been a part of.  Go ahead and have your school and local media make a big deal about this, also tell your family and friends where you're going as they'll celebrate this andspend tons of money on Miss state gear and brag to all their friends about it.  Heck, it my even cause your closest friends to possibly make plans to join you at Miss. St for their college education.  Do all these things and more planning around you coming here to play football.

Oh, and by the way, after you do all these things, make sure you and everyone around you still has a back up option because at the very end, we might just change our mind and tell you to fuck off.

Danwillhor

November 21st, 2014 at 11:46 AM ^

it wasn't even got football but I basically missed out on ALL that the second half of your Senior year of HS has in store and it sucks. I literally didn't even get to go to graduation with my friends since childhood, let alone prom, dicking off, etc. It's over a decade ago and it still kind of hurts. (no trouble or anything, very long & boring story why I couldn't)

clarkiefromcanada

November 21st, 2014 at 10:24 AM ^

Srsly?

Did you even look at the kid's offer sheet? "In the bst interests of Miss St."

I suppose they wouldn't want a quarterback with offers from Arizona State, Auburn, Boise State, Clemson, Colorado, Florida, Missouri, Nebraska, SMU and Texas?

/smh

Mullen is a tool.

jblaze

November 21st, 2014 at 10:43 AM ^

Clearly Mullen and the QB coach and/or OC of Miss St. doesn't think the kid is good enough or that now Miss. St. has some natuonal recognition, they have better options. 

Who cares what other schools offered the kid, what matters is what other prospects does Miss. St. think they can get.

clarkiefromcanada

November 21st, 2014 at 10:53 AM ^

"what matters is what other prospects does Miss St. think they can get"

This is a sort of zero sum approach to recruiting and you're not wrong in that sense in terms of how Miss St. is approaching it. I point out the other offers of this student because he is clearly elite (except in the eyes of the 3 star mafia) so his not being "good enough" is certainly debateable.

What matters, perhaps, is the ethics of oversigning. If you're comfortable with seeing it as a one way street, where 16 days before graduation a coach can pull a kid's scholarship then we might as well move on to a system of early signing and binding agreements. 

I'd say this thing is broken; the SEC and Mullen's approach...more than unethical, borders on cruel.

BradP

November 21st, 2014 at 3:40 PM ^

I guess you weren't able to make the jump from "kid is committed" to "Dan Mullen offered this kid", but just so you know, Mullen did scout him and ask him to play football at MSU.

You will be hard pressed to make any sort of "he isn't good enough for MSU" argument when MSU offered him a scholarship and didn't think to rescind their offer for 6 months.

Drew_Silver

November 21st, 2014 at 9:31 AM ^

Mullen thinks he can get better players

its not the cleanest or classiest move, but thats the name of the game

he gave the kid the option of still going the university, just didn't give him the scholly right away

and if he did take it and enroll who knows what could have happened.  Didn't one of our greyshirts wind up getting his scholly right away?  Jarod Wilson?

Drew_Silver

November 21st, 2014 at 10:04 AM ^

brady cares about the program

but he would never screw a kid for the sake of the program (caring more about the kids) -

dan mullen just screwed a kid and is 9-1

pick one of the schollys who are btw 75-85 on the depth chart at random.  Ask a random fan if screwing that kid would give us 9-1 record would they do it?

SEC is in a totally different place than the B1G right now and we are comparing ourselves to that Standard

JHendo

November 21st, 2014 at 10:35 AM ^

And grayshirting, or at least the general willingness to screw over a kid or two a year is the reason why the Big Ten and everyone else can't compete?  Do you understand how absolutely ludicrous that sounds?  How about the reason the SEC is at the top of the NCAA football world is because there is a lot more talent in those states, which also happens to attract the top talent in the coaching world as well?  When you have 25 guys you can bring in a year, suddenly deciding one or two may be better than a couple of the  kids who you've already offered (and who are still top tier talents) isn't suddenly going to make you a perenially top 10 team.  

Grayshirting and general player disregard is not the cause of the SEC's rise to power.  It is merely an appalling symptom of it.