The ongoing NCAA investigation into Ole Miss just gained some clarity.
According to Steven Godfrey of SB Nation, Mississippi State linebacker Leo Lewis told NCAA investigators that he had received an estimated $21,000 in benefits during his recruiting process from Ole Miss and Mississippi State. The benefits included a $10,000 payment from an Ole Miss booster.
From SB Nation:
Lewis claimed to have received a $10,000 cash payment from an Ole Miss booster named "Allen" (Lewis wasn't sure if it was his first or last name) in the parking lot of a Hampton Inn in Brookhaven on Feb. 3, 2015, one day before National Signing Day.
"We arranged it ... because I needed it. Well, I didn't need it, I take that back. I asked for it. It was getting — it was getting close to Signing Day and so I just — I just asked for the 10 grand," Lewis told the NCAA.
Lewis, a former four-star recruit, also said that he received $11,000 from Mississippi State after he signed with the school back in 2015.
Lewis was granted immunity in the situation, meaning that he will remain eligible throughout the NCAA's investigation. However, that immunity would not apply to Ole Miss or Mississippi State, and Lewis would still be at risk of losing his eligibility if any future allegations arise.
Godfrey's full in-depth report on the situations at Ole Miss and Mississippi State can be seen here.
