Back in 2004, Jerrell Powe was a heavily recruited planetoid defensive tackle from Mississippi. A five-star recruit, Powe was a much ballyhooed addition to Ole Miss' 2005 recruiting class... and 2006 class. And 2007. And 2008. You see, Powe is one of those unfortunate souls who, while blessed with enough size to survive a head-on collision with a Honda Civic with only a thigh bruise and a vague desire for almond boneless chicken, simply can't get right in the NCAA's eyes.
As his Scout profile laconically noted back when Powe was a baby-faced highschooler:
Powe has not yet qualified academically for freshman eligibility.Understatement of the year, that. Four years on, Powe is still struggling towards eligibility. Powe spent 2005 at a prep school and 2006 wandering in the desert before finally getting some sort of wavier and attending classes at Ole Miss last year. Hypothetically, he should be eligible this fall.
Buried in an article that tries to spin an SEC rule change that would allow more kids like Powe to try their hand at college -- irrelevant for him since he already got in -- as a positive for his chances is a brief summary of his current status:
Not sure why this rule change means the SEC won't deny a hypothetically-eligible Powe his hard-earned playing time, which would seem purely cruel, but there you go. Maybe we'll finally get to see the Loch Ness monster of football recruiting."We think this paves the way that should Jerrell meet the NCAA's academic requirements, he would also be allowed to play by the SEC at the commissioner's discretion," [Ole Miss AD Pete] Boone said.
(Via EDSBS.)
