The SEC's new rules capping a class at 25 offers have taken effect. You know this because Houston Nutt decided to deliberately burn down his own house at Ole Miss rather than live under the tyranny of math, for one. (Nutt, having run running backs into ten man fronts for years, is a dedicated enemy of numbers.) The other, more significant sign? Nick Saban telling recruits he has to postpone their offer for a year because--gasp!--they have no more scholarships to offer.
The AJC has the whole story of Justin Taylor's, um, "Thenshirting," the process by which Saban told him they were out of spots, but would be happy to sign him in the 2013 class instead. Shockingly, Taylor's fine with waiting a year, meaning Saban is now selling the British concept of a gap year in the interest of preserving future signees. Taylor did miss his whole senior season with a knee injry, so some extra rehab time would be nice, but this part is probably a slip of the tongue the Alabama compliance department will refute in nanoseconds.
What will do you do this fall? "He said I’m going to stay in Georgia. They are going to find me a job. I’m going to work.
As you all know, schools cannot get kids jobs, and certainly not as part of a recruiting deal for a high school prospect, but we know Alabama is not cheating here because he said "job." Now, if he said "clean-titled car from a Texas corporate motor pool," well, then we'd be talking something interesting AND COMPLETELY FICTIONAL YES COMPLETELY AND ENTIRELY FICTIONAL.
CORRECTION: SCHOOLS MAY ARRANGE FOR EMPLOYMENT. So we learn something new every day.
13.2.3.3 After Completion of Senior Year. An institution may arrange for employment or employ any prospective
student-athlete (regardless of athletics award winner status), provided the employment does not begin
prior to the completion of the prospective student-athlete’s senior year in high school. (See Bylaw 13.12.1.5.1.)
This seems...exploitable? (HT: Andy)