Kent State transfer, now at UNC. Eligibility denied with appeal ongoing due to multiple prior transfers. Was first team All-MAC last year with 921 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns.
He claims he transferred because he wants his grandmother to watch him play - grandmother has scoliosis of the spine, as well as knee and hip surgeries making long distance travel difficult.
He originally signed with ETSU but deferred enrollment due to a knee injury. He then transferred to NC Central, but didn't play a down for them as 2020 covid season was canceled. He then transferred to Kent State. Now he is at UNC. The argument is that he never enrolled at ETSU and never played a down for NC Central, therefore his first real destination was Kent State, and that his transfer to UNC is really his first transfer. The first time transfer argument is ludicrous. I mean it's not even close to being arguable.
I feel for him because he is just a kid, but you can't sign with 4 schools and argue this is the first transfer. Also tough to argue this is about having his grandmother watch him play when he was at NC Central and left for Ohio. Seems to me he had a great year, got a nice opportunity at UNC, and is now creating the argument. It doesn't appear that his grandmothers scoliosis and multiple knee and hip surgeries are recent developments.
I will say however, it is sort of BS, because they ruled him ineligible based on a rule created two days after enrolling at UNC. The NCAA changed their policy on two time transfers and they retroactively ruled him ineligible. This in my opinion is the argument they should be focusing on, not a one time transfer argument. You had a kid move across the country based on current NCAA rules and then pulled the rug. However I don't see the NCAA budging because that would open Pandora's box for other two time transfers that were ruled ineligible following enrollment. The decision would have to be a procedural one from the NCAA, that anyone enrolled prior to the creation of this new rule should be grandfathered in.
It did get me wondering, does the NCAA review medical records to determine if the medical hardship of a family member qualifies for a waiver?
He claims he transferred because he wants his grandmother to watch him play - grandmother has scoliosis of the spine, as well as knee and hip surgeries making long distance travel difficult.
He originally signed with ETSU but deferred enrollment due to a knee injury. He then transferred to NC Central, but didn't play a down for them as 2020 covid season was canceled. He then transferred to Kent State. Now he is at UNC. The argument is that he never enrolled at ETSU and never played a down for NC Central, therefore his first real destination was Kent State, and that his transfer to UNC is really his first transfer. The first time transfer argument is ludicrous. I mean it's not even close to being arguable.
I feel for him because he is just a kid, but you can't sign with 4 schools and argue this is the first transfer. Also tough to argue this is about having his grandmother watch him play when he was at NC Central and left for Ohio. Seems to me he had a great year, got a nice opportunity at UNC, and is now creating the argument. It doesn't appear that his grandmothers scoliosis and multiple knee and hip surgeries are recent developments.
I will say however, it is sort of BS, because they ruled him ineligible based on a rule created two days after enrolling at UNC. The NCAA changed their policy on two time transfers and they retroactively ruled him ineligible. This in my opinion is the argument they should be focusing on, not a one time transfer argument. You had a kid move across the country based on current NCAA rules and then pulled the rug. However I don't see the NCAA budging because that would open Pandora's box for other two time transfers that were ruled ineligible following enrollment. The decision would have to be a procedural one from the NCAA, that anyone enrolled prior to the creation of this new rule should be grandfathered in.
It did get me wondering, does the NCAA review medical records to determine if the medical hardship of a family member qualifies for a waiver?
Last edited:
