Wednesday was not kind to Hugh Freeze and the Ole Miss Rebels. The program was hit with a self-inflicted bowl ban for the 2017 season as a result of an NCAA investigation and, somehow, the news got more bizarre in the aftermath. Following the news, Bruce Feldman of FOX Sports shed a bit of additional light on what transpired in Oxford.
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NCAA alledges #OleMiss staffer connected a recruit to 2 boosters who paid the kid $13,000-$15,600 (AND that player didn't even sign with OM)
— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) February 22, 2017
News that the Rebels could be connected to paying recruits isn't overly shocking considering the investigation in general, but this is, at the very least, an amusing find. It isn't unprecedented that a program would be charged with this type of behavior, but seeing a five-figure payout for a recruit is always jarring and that isn't even the crazy part here.
Ole Miss shilling out at least $13,000 to a prospect and not actually securing a commitment is both crazy and laugh-out-loud funny. It should be noted that the Rebels have done just fine on the recruiting trail in recent years but this is the type of thing that can produce internet punchlines for years to come and we don't even have the full scope of what the NCAA has already uncovered or will uncover in the future.
Hugh Freeze has had better days and things might be just getting started.
