This is factually incorrect. They were given significant penalties for getting caught paying thousands of dollars to a street agent that was funneling players to their program. They got caught because they put $25,000 on their books to someone for "scouting information" that was worth $0... they got caught with their hands in the cookie jar with no viable explanation for the payment to someone who spent years steering players to Oregon. Woups. This resulted in a show cause to two coaches -- the most serious penalty you can get as a coach -- and the subtext was that if they were dumb enough to get caught for this payment there was no telling what else kind of money was being exchanged or promised behind the scenes. Former Oregon star Colt Lyerla was open about this after he flamed out.
Then they (presumably) cleaned up their act moving forward under Helfrich and into the Taggart regime after the NCAA started investigating and concluded that there were "major violations." Their recruiting classes were not once in the top 15 after Kelly left despite an abundance of on field success immediately after Kelly's tenure.... from 2010-2012 (all classes where the association with Lyles, et. al. was still in play) they were a regular fixture in the top 15. Coincidence?
Fast forward to now... after not one top 15 class since 2013, they then with a new HC having an extremely mediocre year... and they've got their best class in a long time, have the top QB returning when he was a lock to be a top NFL draft pick, and are on track for their best class ever next year. Just saying...
I don't really understand how this relates to what may be happening a year later under a different HC. I'm not saying they were paying people under Helfrich or Taggart, quite the opposite.
Details of the findings:
Oregon committed these major violations:
-Oregon paid booster Willie Lyles for $35,000 for multiple recruiting services between 2008-11 that the NCAA found to be improper.
-Between 2007-11, the NCAA has found that Oregon is guilty of making 730 impermissible phone calls to recruits and their high school coaches.
-Between 2009-11, the NCAA found Oregon to be guilty of having one too many coaches involved in recruiting.
-The impermissible calls led to the NCAA finding that Oregon football suffered from a “lacked an atmosphere of compliance.”
-Oregon handed out impermissible levels of apparel to recruits and calling high school players and coaches.
I don't think that rises to the level of Ole Miss's fifteen Level 1 charges.
Among the various findings by the NCAA are the following:
-Oregon's use of scouting services was permissible in 2008 and 2009, but not the 2010 season.
-"The facts demonstrate that the recruiting service provider was directly involved in assisting Oregon in the recruitment of (players)."
-"...Recruiting service provider delivered valuable information to the institution that afforded a recruiting advantage"
"Recruiting service provider gave prospect A cash, cost free lodging and meals during the period from 2008 through 2010." Ed note: Best guess is that "Prospect A" is Lache Seastrunk.
The details of the penalties:
NCAA places Oregon football on three years of probation (June 26, 2013)
You are implying a lot citing good recruiting classes, a first year coach with an "exxtremely mediocre record" last year, a top QB prospect choosing to stay and the history of violations in 2010. As far as their record, they should not have lost to Stanford, just giving it away. Otherwise, they would be 9-3, tied with Washington, and 6-3 in conference.
Some of the top 2019 recruits are from Oaks Christian and Mater Dei.
Commits
Mario Cristobal's bio with his tenure at FIU and Alabama and quotes from coaches and players.
I think Oregon has some very good recruiters with very positive feedback to recruits by current players to the program and the coaching staff. Their D Line coach, Joe Salave'a, was probably a major reason why #1 recruit Thibideaux as well as Polynesian players like Funa, Tuaanu'u, Poti, Ma'ae, and Aumavae-Laulu signed. Herbert may well have also wanted another year under
Marcus Arroyo, and his offense, too.