Pac-10 Investigation, Recruiting and the Cornhuskers
Pac-10 Investigation: RB Reggie Bush's family was accused by reporters this weekend of receiving extra benefits from a "representative" of a professional sports agent. Reggie's stepfather LaMar, mother Denise and brother Jovan moved from their apartment to a new house in Spring Valley, CA about a year ago. The house was owned by businessman Michael Michaels. Michaels hoped to convince Reggie to sign with agent David Caravantes. Michaels and Lloyd Lake were planning to start a sports marketing agency with Reggie as their first star client. Reporters approached Denise at the house last Thursday but she declined to comment. The Griffins abruptly moved out of the house this weekend. The USC Athletic Department has asked Pac-10 Conference officials to investigate. If the Griffins were paying "fair market value" rent, this will become a none issue, but the Griffins certainly made themselves look guilty by moving out of the house right away. This is the kind of thing that drives coaches and fans nuts. It's a part of big time college football whether we like it or not. The craziest part of the story is that it appears Reggie never even considered doing business with Caravantes or Michaels. Hopefully the investigation will reveal that USC had no knowledge of this transaction and no NCAA sanctions will be necessary.
Recruiting: The Trojan coaching staff didn't waste anytime after Jimmy Clausen's commitment to Notre Dame - they immediately offered a 2007 scholarship to 4-star QB Mike Paulus (6'5", 210, 4.8) of Syracuse, NY. Paulus took an unofficial visit to USC recently. His older brother Greg, who opted to play basketball at Duke, was considered a quarterback prospect on par with Mark Sanchez and Ryan Perrilloux in 2005. As a junior Mike passed for 2,100 yards with 20 touchdowns and 9 interceptions with a 59% completion percentage. He lead Christian Brothers Academy to a record of 11-1.
Scouting Report on NEBRASKA (partially taken from The Sports Xchange)
INSIDE SLANT
Patience isn't exactly a virtue at Nebraska. Ever since Bill Callahan dared to come in and completely overhaul the Huskers' traditional offensive values, the pressure has been intense to generate results. At the end of last season, the third-year coach and his West Coast attack showed progress. The Huskers finished 8-4 with a thrilling win over Michigan in the Alamo Bowl. Although Nebraska ranked just 107th nationally in rushing and 96th in total offense, it did produce 497 yards in a blowout over Colorado to end the regular season before managing 318 yards against Michigan, including 151 on the ground. If the improvement continues, a title bid is altogether possible in the weak Big 12 North, where just two other teams - Iowa State and Kansas State - return starting quarterbacks. Nebraska's returnee, Zac Taylor, might be the best quarterback in the division. In one short season learning the system, the junior college quarterback exhibited incredible poise while taking a thorough beating in the pocket. Taylor has the heart, the guts and the talent to effectively quarterback the Huskers, but he deserves, and needs, more protection. If he gets it, Taylor returns enough experienced receivers to distribute the ball to a variety of weapons. The potential is there for Nebraska to run the diverse attack Callahan wants to establish, though the key rests with significant improvement within the offensive line.
BUILDING BLOCKS: There was a time when Nebraska carried a few receivers and developed them into terrific blockers on the edge whenever a running play went wide. Now, the depth NU possesses at the position is impressive. Sophomore Nate Swift and junior Terrence Nunn combined for 88 receptions last season, though the Huskers can also rely on Grant Mulkey, Frantz Hardy and Todd Peterson.
COACHING CAROUSEL: Scott Downing left the Nebraska staff to become head coach at Northern Colorado. His position as tight ends coach was filled by Shawn Watson, who spent the past seven seasons on the Colorado staff. Watson shared an office with NU coach Bill Callahan when both were at Illinois.
SCHEDULING SITUATION: Nebraska opens with home games against Louisiana Tech and Nicholls State before traveling to USC on September 16th. The Trojans will be a rugged test for the Huskers. A key Big 12 test comes in the conference opener against Kansas, which ended a 36-game losing streak in the series with a 40-15 romp over Nebraska in 2005. The Huskers face Texas at home on October 21st. Nebraska is the only team in the nation to face both of the teams from last year’s BCS National Championship Game.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "I have a feeling we'll be one of the best defenses in the nation, hands down. We have the experience. We have the players. We have the playmakers. Now, it's just pretty much a matter of getting together and knowing how to play with one another that we need to focus on." - Nebraska LB Corey McKeon.
STARS OF 2006: LB Corey McKeon led the Huskers with 86 tackles and also ranked second in the Big 12 with 16.5 tackles for loss. He is one of seven returning starters on defense. DE Adam Carriker led the Huskers with 9.5 sacks (second in the Big 12). WR Nate Swift emerged as the most frequent target for the Huskers as they attempted to distribute the ball to numerous receivers. Swift averaged 55.5 yards per game, with 42 receptions, mostly off short routes.
TOP NEWCOMERS: Of the Huskers' junior college transfers, the most promising could DB Andre Jones (6’0”, 195) who originally signed with Kentucky and played three games for the Wildcats in 2003. Four other JC transfers could make immediate impacts – RB Kenny Wilson (6’0”, 215), WR Maurice Purify (6’4”, 220), OL Carl Nicks (6’5”, 325) and LB Steve Allen (6’2”, 230). The incoming freshmen recruits with the best chance to see early action are OL D.J. Jones (6’5”, 300) and DB Ricky Thenarse (6’0”, 185).
ROSTER REPORT: TE Matt Herian missed all of last season recovering from a broken leg he suffered against Missouri in October 2004. He has returned to practice despite nursing a pulled hamstring. He is one of 10 tight ends in spring camp. LB Steve Octavien was cleared to practice this spring after recovering from a broken leg he suffered last fall, though he is also slowed by a hamstring pull. LB Bo Ruud (broken arm) and LB Stewart Bradley (knee) are participated in limited drills. Players who missed spring practice because of injuries include C Kurt Mann (shoulder), OL Newton Lingenfelter (shoulder), DE Tony Sullivan (shoulder) and PK Eric Lueshen (back). The Cornhuskers feature 21 players from California on their roster (including eight incoming freshman from the Golden State).
PROBABLE STARTING LINE-UP HAS 14 OF LAST YEAR’S 22 STARTERS:
WR-X # 87 Nate Swift (6’2”, 195, SO, 6 starts, 3-star recruit)
LT # 76 Lydon Murtha (6’7”, 315, SO, 3 starts, 4-star recruit)
LG # 65 Greg Austin (6’1”, 290, SR, 10 starts, 2-star recruit)
C # 50 Kurt Mann (6’4”, 290, SR, 12 starts, 3-star recruit)
RG # 61 Mike Huff (6’4”, 300, SO, 0 starts, 2-star recruit)
RT # 70 Matt Slauson (6’5”, 340, SO, 3 starts, 1-star recruit, originally committed to the AFA)
TE-Y # 11 Matt Herian (6’5”, 245, SR, missed 2005 due to injury, 4-star recruit) or # 85 J.B. Phillips (6’3”, 255, JR, 11 starts, 2.5-star recruit)
WR-Z # 83 Terrence Nunn (6’0”, 185, JR, 12 starts, 3-star recruit)
QB # 13 Zac Taylor (6’2”, 210, SR, 12 starts, 3.5-star JC transfer)
FB # 41 Dane Todd (5’10”, 235, SR, 3 starts, 3-star recruit)
IB # 20 Marlon Lucky (6’0”, 210, SO, 0 starts, 5-star recruit) or # 23 Leon Jackson (6’1”, 210, SO, 0 starts, 4-star recruit) or # 34 Cody Glenn (6’0”, 230, SO, 0 starts, 3-star recruit) or # 32 Brandon Jackson (5’11”, 205, JR, 2 starts, 2-star recruit)
DE # 44 Jay Moore (6’4”, 270, SR, 12 starts, 4-star recruit)
NT # 54 Ola Dagunduro (6’2”, 290, SR, 0 starts, 3-star JC transfer)
DT # 94 Barry Cryer (6’2”, 275, SR, 0 starts, 3-star JC transfer)
DE # 90 Adam Carriker (6’6”, 280, SR, 12 starts, 3-star recruit)
SLB # 34 Stewart Bradley (6’4”, 245, SR, 5 starts in 2005 before a season ending injury)
MLB # 13 Corey McKeon (6’1”, 225, JR, 12 starts, 3-star recruit)
WLB # 51 Bo Ruud (6’3”, 230, JR, 10 starts, 3.5-star recruit)
CB # 2 Cortney Grixby (5’9”, 165, JR, 12 starts, 4-star recruit)
SS # 30 Tierre Green (6’1”, 200, JR, 7 starts at CB, converted to SS this spring, 2-star
recruit)
FS # 8 Andrew Shanle (6’1”, 205, SR, 0 starts, 1-star recruit)
CB # 1 Zackary Bowman (6’2”, 190, SR, 5 starts, 4-star recruit)
NEBRASKA average stars per projected 2006 starter = 3.05 stars
NEBRASKA average 2005 starts per projected 2006 starter = 6.18 starts
USC average stars per projected 2006 starter = 3.89 stars
USC average 2005 starts per projected 2006 starter = 4.59 starts
posted by Scott @ 7:00 AM
5 comments
5 Comments:
I know you're first name is Scott but is your last name Wolf? First thing buddy, this wasn't like some sort of recruiting violation "that goes on all the time" as you say. This is a family of two working parents that have rented a house.
If they didn't pay rent (which no one has accused them of) then fine, there is a problem. If Reggie knew about them in a free house and was party to it fine. But there is no evidence or even allegation of this. There is just innuendo.
Part of the innuendo seems to go around the idea that a black athlete's family is in an actual, wait for this, "single family house", (even if it is a median priced suburban home with a dirt back yard). Unthinkable.
Reggie is from a two parent home with both parents working in law enforcement, one at a school and another at the sheriff's office. They rented from someone who LET'S BE CLEAR SCOTT, did not have a sports agency, was not registered as a sports agent, never worked as a sports agent before and never worked with Reggie Bush on ANYTHING. Michael Michaels seems to have a friend who WANTED to be a sports agent and who he possibly wanted to work with him.
If that is not the most bullshit attempt of character assasination of Bush, USC (and Bush's parents as well)I don't know what is. And the source for all this are SPURNED AGENTS. Gimme a break.
And tell me, Scott what would you do if you had reporters on your property asking about your personal finances with the obvious intention of screwing you and your son's entire future when you were coming home from work? (That's right, his parents are still working- so much for agent kickbacks.) You would realize, perhaps belatedly, that you should be on a compound with guard dogs, gates and a security system. (Give them til the end of the week to be in one.)
My brother-in-law works in the sheriff's office too, in Orange County. My sister works in a school. Their house is appraised at the same value. Something must be fishy. Maybe they have an agent giving them free rent.
Miamista, all of us in Trojan Nation feel your anger and disbelief at this news item. You can rest assured that nobody wants these allegations to be false more than Scott. He's the biggest USC and Bush fan there is.
I agree with you on most of your points. A $750K house is no big deal anywhere in CA. it is sad that it seems people are making judgements just because a black family can afford this middle class neighborhood.
However, there ARE some things that are disturbing to me. First of all, you are wrong about the sports agent connection. Michael Michaels was trying to become an agent, and he wanted Bush as his first client. Michaels is friends with a real agent, and that agent told him if he could deliver bush then they would form a partnership. The fact that this home is owned by this man is disturbing. The bushes could have leased any of the more than 30,000 homes available in that area...why would they choose one that would raise so much suspicion? Also, Reggie said all the right things and came off great in an ESPN interview today, but I was scared a little when he refused to answer the question of "who paid rent the last year?".
We will all wait to see what proof comes, and all of us here, including Scott, want Reggie's name to stay clear. He has a great reputation, and he deserves the benefit of the doubt.
Scott,
Great post!
sweet scouting report on Nebraska. That game is going to be AWESOME! The atmosphere I mean. I like how you compare the teams talent and experience at the end. I think that will be a story that holds true for the whole season...USC has more talent but the opponent has more experience. The question is, is the USC talent TALENTED ENOUGH to overcome all those experienced teams? It'll be fun to find out!
mb
If you go back posts I wrote about my own experiences including a football player that may have been illiterate whom I helped fill out a form as we took our athletic dep't physicals. (That happened dog years back cuz I'm gettin' old.) I also spoke about a kid who I personally knew who after failing to catch on to the team struggled academically and socially with totally no support.
I posted on a site recalling Bill Walsh's suspicions of dear old Coach Robinson of using underhanded tactics in recruiting during his second tenure. Walsh seems like a pretty believable guy...
And you're totally right about the hanger ons and the shady characters. If anything, that may be what Reggie's family got caught in. Some "supporter" hanging around, backslapping and trying to engage in a legitimate transaction with the family (as far as we know) to pave the way for more discussions and a relationship. Obviously it was aborted since Reggie seems to not even considered any dealings with either one, selecting his agent early on.
Agents have to register, be cleared with a number of entities in a lenghty process. So far we hear that Michael Michaels made a web site that is still under construction...
The assertion that Michaels would create a partnership with "super agent" Caravantes on "delivering Reggie" while perhaps true has never been supported by any evidence (outside of a little agent birdie whispering in a reporter's ear), unless I missed something. Did Caravantes or Michaels give a statement I missed?
I would be right there with you guys maintaining my impartiality, tinged with cynicism under different conditions, i.e, the sources, timing and lack of evidence (much less the relative hypocrisy when we look at other athletes and programs).
Obviously I appreciate what Scott does and I am often here co-signing what you have to say on most topics Matt.
'Nuff said. Fight On!
A job as a high school security guard and working at the county jail are not going to pay the rent for a $757k home, and this whole thing would have blown over pretty quickly had they just produced the bank statements and receipts to show that they had. You're drinking the Trojan koolaid if you think different.
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