History shows Ole Miss' penalties will cripple program for years
There won't be mass free agency at Ole Miss, but history shows programs slapped with similar penalties have a hard time bouncing back quickly.
A multi-year investigation came to an end Friday, and the NCAA announced stiff penalties for Ole Miss. The Rebels, which had already self-imposed a one-year bowl ban, were given a litany of penalties for numerous football-related allegations that included a lack of institutional control, which is the heaviest accusation the NCAA can make.
Ole Miss was not hit with the death penalty, but the sanctions are considerable. The Rebels' bowl ban will be extended another year, its already reduced scholarship numbers took another hit and the school was slapped with a hefty fine.
In essence, Ole Miss has been handcuffed for at least the next three years of its program's lifespan.
Forget competing in the SEC. Thanks to the two-year bowl ban, which triggers an NCAA rule that allows seniors to transfer without sitting out a season, Ole Miss’ roster is likely to become a free agency buffet. This second bowl ban is the potential hammer to the Rebels’ chances the next few years. Ole Miss’ talented roster, stocked from Freeze’s recruiting efforts, is about to go from healthy to lean in short order.
And best believe it’ll happen.
Some seniors will remain “loyal” to a program that misled them completely during the recruiting process – and some players likely do have a love for new head coach Matt Luke, who pulled a lot out of a floundering program during his interim season – but others will leave. And it won't just be seniors. Former five-star safety Deontay Anderson claimed that Ole Miss lied to him in the recruiting process about upcoming sanctions, and he planned legal action against the school to force the program to grant his release. The Rebels likely avoided that by releasing Anderson earlier this week, but it's unlikely Anderson will be the only player seeking his freedom.
The most recent example of penalties of this level occurred in 2012, when the NCAA crippled Penn State with sanctions following the Jerry Sandusky scandal. In that case, 15 players decided to transfer from Happy Valley – more than just seniors were allowed to leave in that instance. Among those 15 included the team’s starting quarterback, running back, wide receiver, tight end, linebacker and kicker/punter. Most made little impact at their eventual destination. But make no mistake; it was free agency at State College for a short window during the 2012 offseason.
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https://247sports.com/Article/Ole-M...ill-cripple-Rebel-program-for-years-111498609
