Louisville pulls offer from first verbal

[Irish Envy]

The first high school prospect to commit to the University of Louisville's class of '07 appears to no longer be headed for a future with the Cardinals.

6-foot-5, 300-pound Brad Durham of Rockcastle County (Ky.) High School, a Scout.com three-star prospect who pledged to Louisville on August 10, told InsideTheVille.com on Sunday night that his recruiting process is open once again.

"I'm going to re-open my recruitment process," said Durham. "(Louisville) called me this weekend and said that they didn't want me."

Durham, who was informed of the decision by U of L assistant Greg Nord, explained that the Cardinal coaching staff didn't feel that he was what they were searching for after watching recent game film.

"They said that they watched some game film on me and didn't like it, so they wanted to take away my scholarship," explained Durham.

 

[tommy]

well thats not very nice

 

[punishment]

Damn, that is flat out wrong. We are so quick to criticize 17 year olds for backing out of commitments, the same needs to be done to this grown set of men. Why should recruits honor their commitments, when the same cannot be said about the university?

 

[tommy]

the same reason players cant get paid but the ncaa is stock pileing us currancy

 

[BGIF]

well thats not very nice

Louisville's a power now. The Terror of the Big East. They're just acting the part. They saw the polls this week and said, "We don't need no stinkin' 3 star local kid, we're #3!"

 

[Aerosmith777]

I always think it is so low-class to pull a kid's scholarship after he's already verballed. Spurrier did this last year and I thought it was shitty then too.

If you're not sure you want him, don't offer him yet. Be honest from the beginning the way Charlie is, tell him you might offer him in the future depending on the way things work out w/ some other prospects. Now the kid's been out of the recruiting process since early August, and who know what his other options are?

 

[tommy]

kind of like arkansas benching the frosh because all of a sudden they are right in the thick of it

 

[ShivaIrish]

Unlike Bielema's call, pulling a scholarship (unless for extenuating circumstances like grades, behavior, etc.) is bush league.

 

[UNTITLEDPROJECT]

Can he play DE? )

 

[tommy]

i hope where ever he goes they play the cards and win

 

[Aerosmith777]

Can he play DE? )

I was thinking DT.

 

[UNTITLEDPROJECT]

'Can he play D !?' is the operative phrase.

 

[Clotho]

Damn, that is flat out wrong. We are so quick to criticize 17 year olds for backing out of commitments, the same needs to be done to this grown set of men. Why should recruits honor their commitments, when the same cannot be said about the university?

Are we? I think we'd only be quick to criticize 17 year olds for backing out of their ND commitments- because ND, under Weis, does not, under any circumstance, fail to honor its scholarships with players who've been offered and have given a verbal.

Just more evidence that Louisville is still bush league, and will probably always be.

 

[BGIF]

Are we? I think we'd only be quick to criticize 17 year olds for backing out of their ND commitments- because ND, under Weis, does not, under any circumstance, fail to honor its scholarships with players who've been offered and have given a verbal. ...

ND honors their commitments regardless of who is head coach. No need to put a Weis qualifier in that sentence.

 

[luckofirish8]

I do think that one of the things being over looked is that Louisville has givin' the kid time to re-open his recruiting. I'm not saying (or attempting to justify) what they did is in anyway shape or form right. But at least they didn't wait until the day before signing day, and then say, "sorry about luck." the kid now has time to look elsewhere...hopefully he finds a place that will enjoy his services.

 

[Clotho]

Yes, but they didn't do that for his benefit, they did it because now they have one more spot to advertise as available, and use on a better recruit. It also gives them a better chance with other targets at his position, who now know that there's one less player at that position already in the class.

 

[luckofirish8]

Yes, but they didn't do that for his benefit, they did it because now they have one more spot to advertise as available, and use on a better recruit.

O.K., fair enough (I see your point), but by doing it now it is to his benefit. Whether or not they did it for him, he is still now able to look elsewhere...and has plenty of time to do so. Again, I'm not trying to defend them (their action). I'm just saying at least he still has some time to get something done.

 

[rontdtarchala]

shitty deal no matter how you look at it..

 

[Clotho]

O.K., fair enough (I see your point), but by doing it now it is to his benefit. Whether or not they did it for him, he is still now able to look elsewhere...and has plenty of time to do so. Again, I'm not trying to defend them (their action). I'm just saying at least he still has some time to get something done.

Well, yea, you pretty much are trying to defend them. That coaching staff did a really horrible thing to this kid. Telling him now, when they're suddenly #3 in the country and seeming legitimate to people they didn't seem legitimate to before, just makes it more blatant how horrible a thing it is. If there was some way the staff could have not told the kid until signing day and still gotten the benefits they got by telling him now, they'd have not told him till signing day. When you do this to a kid you do not care about how things turn out for him. As it was the only way they could get the full benefit of ditching him was to tell him now.

When a similar situation occurred here last season, and ND suddenly rose to national prominence again, Coach Weis did not bail on a single early recruit, even though once he proved himself at ND he could easily have used a few schollies on higher rated players than the ones who'd given a verbal early. He also kept his promises made during recruiting, even when it meant turning down Mitch Mustain. Petrino would have taken Mustain and said "to hell with you, fend for yourselves" to the other two QBs. But that's why Coach Weis is Coach Weis, and Petrino is Petrino.

The sad part is that this will probably never come back to bite him in the ass. A lot of bad people get away with a lot of bad things, in college football and elsewhere. Me, I just hope Rutgers beats the shit out of these guys on Thursday.