'11 NY OLB Ishaq Williams (Signed ND LOI-EE)

[Irish Insanity]

I hope he gets re admitted to ND. Anything after that would be a bonus.

 

[Irish YJ]

If I'm understanding correctly, there's a difference in being readmitted to ND and being eligible for football this season. Just taking a stab into the dark with this but, maybe he is ineligible until he completes the summer term? I don't know. All of it is too much for me. All I truly care about is that he gets readmitted to ND and is able to graduate. Nothing else matters.

 

[NDinL.A.]

It doesn't seem way off to me unless they gave him incompletes for classes he already passed. Nobody has came out and said definitivly that they took away credits. If someone has, then I hope they bring it up. Outside of that, he was never in bad academic standing until Frozen 5. If all that he got was failing the classes he was in and missing the next semester, then one summer semester should at worst put him on track.

But again, a lot of people (CoachD, Sampson, etc) have claimed he won't be eligible. I don't know if they have inside knowledge of his credit situation or some other unknown, but the school certainly wouldn't have provided them that info and Ishaq has said he wanted to return all along.

The thing is, these reporters (Frank, Sampson, Driskell) have excellent sources. We all know by now that Notre Dame is never going to come out and say where a student is academically or what EXACTLY what happened in these situations), but these reporters hear things from many different places...coaches, workers in the Gug, people on the academic side of things. But they can't put it on the record when it comes to academics (there are legal issues in these cases, as students have the right to privacy), or they'll lose these sources. So they speak in generalities, or in code so to speak, and you have to read between the lines.

Personally, I believe them 100%. Now that CoachD talked about it online, I can say that he told me all the way in early January that he was hearing Ishaq might not be eligible for the NCAA. And reading between the lines of that and what others have said, I've assumed that he had more classes deemed as incomplete (or whatever the term would be) than any other player. I understand that you don't want to believe that until someone makes it official, but that day will never come, because ND just doesn't disclose that stuff (if someone knows exactly what happened with Darren Walls, Julius Jones, etc etc, I'm all ears), so I'm just going on what the reporters I trust are saying.

And the proof will be in the pudding, pretty shortly. If Ishaq is admitted to ND and makes the 85 man squad, well, the reporters will be proven wrong. But if he is just a regular student or a practice squad player who can never suit up, we'll know that he had more units disqualified than anyone.

Maybe some legal nerds can clarify, but I asked around, and have found nothing to show that he was in poor academic standing before the Frozen 5. Which means, at the surface, he was academically in good standing until that point. In fact, his early enrollment put him a semester ahead of Russel in terms of earned credits.

Somebody post up something that disproves this. If you can, then I will happily eat crow. I want clarity as well, but I have yet to see any actual facts disproving these arguments. I honestly don't see how they admit Russell and then claim that their reasoning is based off of NCAA guidelines or his standing in regards to credits earned. All I have read is innuendo and hearsay.

I completely get that, but as I was saying above, that's all you're going to get (innuendo and hearsay). But in this case, you're getting it from really good reporters. Like, I get good info all the time at the barbershop, or from people in town who might hear things, but I understand that I can't really take that info to the bank. But guys like Mike Frank and Pete Sampson are legit, so I tend to go with what they say.

(Also, in case anyone doesn't know why he'd be NCAA ineligible...you have to have a certain amount of credits earned each year of eligibility. This prevents schools from allowing their athletes to take far less credits during the season, and ensures the athletes are on track to graduate. The feeling is, Ishaq lost so many credits that he is behind where a senior should be, making him ineligible.)

 

[BobbyMac]

If this is accurate, I don't understand the questioning of NCAA eligibility. That equates to only two semesters. If he takes 12 credits this summer he will have one semester left and be able to graduate in December. Unless the ruling is he needs all 27 this summer, I agree with Wooly.

If I'm understanding correctly, there's a difference in being readmitted to ND and being eligible for football this season. Just taking a stab into the dark with this but, maybe he is ineligible until he completes the summer term? I don't know. All of it is too much for me. All I truly care about is that he gets readmitted to ND and is able to graduate. Nothing else matters.

This may help a bit though these were the rules back in the early 90's.

To be eligible you must have completed 24 hours in the prior two semesters or in IW's case, the last two semesters you were enrolled full time. So if the following happened he wouldn't be eligible... Took 30 credit hours during the last two semesters and the university gave him a non passing grade in 3 of those classes due to academic dishonesty. He would only have 21 hours completed in that year. Also there is a newer formula (mid 90's) that requires you to make progress towards graduation so it may be possible that only two classes could have gotten him in trouble with the NCAA. This rule formula was installed so that you didn't have players taking every 'rocks for jocks' class to stay eligible without making progress on a degree.

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[BobbyMac]

...and while we are on academics:

How does someone take classes at well ANYWHERE and transfer them back into ND like KVR did? I can see if you took 12th century Christianity in the Levant at Harvard but was KVR even taking classes at U Dub?

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[Irish YJ]

This may help a bit though these were the rules back in the early 90's.

To be eligible you must have completed 24 hours in the prior two semesters or in IW's case, the last two semesters you were enrolled full time. So if the following happened he wouldn't be eligible... Took 30 credit hours during the last two semesters and the university gave him a non passing grade in 3 of those classes due to academic dishonesty. He would only have 21 hours completed in that year. Also there is a newer formula (mid 90's) that requires you to make progress towards graduation so it may be possible that only two classes could have gotten him in trouble with the NCAA. This rule formula was installed so that you didn't have players taking every 'rocks for jocks' class to stay eligible without making progress on a degree.

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Still scratching my head. I just find it hard to believe things aren't more black and white for him. I'd be very disappointed if there was not communication between IW's camp and ND academics to understand exactly what was needed to re-enroll. I mean, is this @#!+ really rocket science? Is there some mysterious thick veil over ND's academic advisor group. Did one side just not ask?

color me confused.... just not logical to me...;

 

[MNIrishman]

Still scratching my head. I just find it hard to believe things aren't more black and white for him. I'd be very disappointed if there was not communication between IW's camp and ND academics to understand exactly what was needed to re-enroll. I mean, is this @#!+ really rocket science? Is there some mysterious thick veil over ND's academic advisor group. Did one side just not ask?

color me confused.... just not logical to me...;

THAT'S A ROMULAN NOT A VULCAN!

 

[Irish YJ]

THAT'S A ROMULAN NOT A VULCAN!

NOT LOGICAL

 

[irishfan]

Curious if he could get eligible after a summer's worth of classes or not assuming he is re-admitted.

 

[Irish YJ]

from NBC

Making things even more interesting is news that Williams could potentially graduate from Notre Dame (something that’d likely take until the end of the fall semester) without playing for the Irish this fall. That scenario was thrown into the mix on Twitter, reportedly coming from a Brian Kelly talk to the ND Club of Miami.

So if he could possibly graduate in the fall, why not eligible....

 

[irishandy]

To me it is still up in question with Ishaq:
"need a lot more classes to get eligible than he would be able to take this summer"
"27 more credits"

First and foremost I commend the kid for wanting to go back to ND and get his degree.

If he has a much larger workload to play catch up with I say he gets redshirted this year to focus on his academics and use his last year of eligibility next year. Use Ishaq as a member of the scout team, mentor the underclassmen, and get used to Van Gorder's defense.

Either way this is good news for Ishaq if he gets readmitted!

 

[FightingIrishLover7]

...and while we are on academics:

How does someone take classes at well ANYWHERE and transfer them back into ND like KVR did? I can see if you took 12th century Christianity in the Levant at Harvard but was KVR even taking classes at U Dub?

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What do you mean? I thought it has been reported Keivarae was taking classes at udub. Why would you suspect otherwise?

 

[ThePiombino]

To me it is still up in question with Ishaq:
"need a lot more classes to get eligible than he would be able to take this summer"
"27 more credits"

First and foremost I commend the kid for wanting to go back to ND and get his degree.

If he has a much larger workload to play catch up with I say he gets redshirted this year to focus on his academics and use his last year of eligibility next year. Use Ishaq as a member of the scout team, mentor the underclassmen, and get used to Van Gorder's defense.

Either way this is good news for Ishaq if he gets readmitted!

Barring a medical redhshirt, you get 5 years to play 4 once the click starts ticking, which it did in 2011. That makes this his 5th and final year. There is no sitting out this year if he ever wants to play again.

 

[woolybug25]

This may help a bit though these were the rules back in the early 90's.

To be eligible you must have completed 24 hours in the prior two semesters or in IW's case, the last two semesters you were enrolled full time. So if the following happened he wouldn't be eligible... Took 30 credit hours during the last two semesters and the university gave him a non passing grade in 3 of those classes due to academic dishonesty. He would only have 21 hours completed in that year. Also there is a newer formula (mid 90's) that requires you to make progress towards graduation so it may be possible that only two classes could have gotten him in trouble with the NCAA. This rule formula was installed so that you didn't have players taking every 'rocks for jocks' class to stay eligible without making progress on a degree.

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Golson

 

[PANDFAN]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Ishaq Williams has been formally re-admitted to Notre Dame by the Committee on Readmission.</p>— Irish Illustrated (@PeteSampson_) <a href="https://twitter.com/PeteSampson_/status/605454318037180416">June 1, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[MNIrishman]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Ishaq Williams has been formally re-admitted to Notre Dame by the Committee on Readmission.</p>— Irish Illustrated (@PeteSampson_) <a href="https://twitter.com/PeteSampson_/status/605454318037180416">June 1, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Cool

 

[connor_in]

Good for him!

 

[GoIrish41]

I'm starting to feel like he'll be playing this year.

 

[zelezo vlk]

What are the scholarship numbers with Ishaq returning?

 

[BobbyMac]

I'm starting to feel like he'll be playing this year.

If he never plays a down of football again, this is great news for any young person. At this point when you add up past performance, setbacks and a realistic look at the future, that ND paper on the wall is the most lucrative thing he has the most control over. Anything else is gravy.

Congrats to the entire Williams family, I've read enough to know that the whole crew is heavily invested in his success. Lucky kid to be surrounded by adults who get it and are willing to make those sacrifices. I wish more families looked upon education in the same way

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[BobbyMac]

What are the scholarship numbers with Ishaq returning?

He's in school. He's not on the team yet.... right IE?

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[Luckylucci]

What are the scholarship numbers with Ishaq returning?

I don't know but for me its a no brainer to get him back with the team and working out. The scholarship situation doesn't need to be figured out until August.

 

[GoIrish41]

He's in school. He's not on the team yet.... right IE?

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That is my understanding, but this is a huge step in that direction.

 

[PANDFAN]

He's in school. He's not on the team yet.... right IE?

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CORRECT

 

[Luckylucci]

He's in school. He's not on the team yet.... right IE?

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Thats my understanding but it would make very little sense to me that if he's on campus going to class, why he wouldn't be working out with the team. He's essentially a PWO at that point. See whats there until August and go from there.

 

[IrishLax]

I'm starting to feel like he'll be playing this year.

Personally, I'd hedge my bet the other way. We'll see.

 

[OCIrish]

Regardless, I'm excited and happy for the young man to come back and earn his degree!!! Good luck to him, whether he's playing or not!!!

 

[Luckylucci]

Personally, I'd hedge my bet the other way. We'll see.

What would be the reason he wouldn't, if he's in school and taking classes? Want to, scholly numbers?

 

[BobbyMac]

There may be rules that state he counts as scholarship if he is enrolled being that he once was a full scholarship athlete. There have been times in the past 20 years when you couldn't bust someone down to a PWO to free up a scholarship. I don't know what this year's NCAA bylaws state. I guess it would be possible for the program to sever ties with him for rules violations if they don't want him on the team for whatever reason.

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[PANDFAN]

Ishaq Williams has been formally readmitted to Notre Dame, adding some clarity to an uncertain comeback.

Ishaq Williams drove back to Notre Dame last weekend.
On Monday, the defensive end received official notice from the University that he’d actually been re-admitted.
The school’s Committee on Readmission mailed Williams written notice, postmarked May 29, that the former five-star recruit was welcome back at the school following a two semester suspension. The letter was addressed to Williams’ home in Brooklyn, arriving after he’d already relocated to South Bend.
Williams was part of the academic misconduct investigation that ensnared Keivarae Russell, DaVaris Daniels, Kendall Moore and Eilar Hardy last August.
Russell also returned to Notre Dame last weekend, per his post on Instagram. Notre Dame’s upperclassmen football players are back on campus for a two-week bridge program, with the second session of summer school set to start on June 15.
The investigation ended the Irish careers of Daniels and Moore, with Hardy transferring to Bowling Green for his fifth-year of eligibility.
How Williams fits into Notre Dame’s scholarship math remains in question, including if the senior will be an eligible scholarship player on the football team. As the roster stands, Notre Dame is set to open fall camp with 88 players on scholarship, three over the NCAA limit.
However, that figure includes quarterback Montgomery VanGorder, who could return to walk-on status, and tight end Chase Hounshell, who was given a fifth-year tryout during spring practice.
Williams made the drive back to Notre Dame this weekend without the assurance of readmission or a scholarship. He’s 27 credits short of his degree, according to his father, Shaun Williams, who told Irish Illustrated last week that if his son’s senior season never occurs that the former five-star recruit is adamant about graduating.
“He is prepared to do what he can to help them place in and win a national championship, up to practicing and being on the scout team,” Shaun Williams said. “All those things, it’s whatever is made available to him.
“I don’t know (about the scholarship). I wish I could speak intelligently on it. But I think we’re all prepared to make sure that he gets his degree and if the scholarship falls into place, if a grant-in-aid package falls into place, if we’ve got to put money together and pay the tuition bill ourselves, we want to get him that degree.”
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