Nov 12, 2016; College Station, TX, USA; Mississippi Rebels defensive back Deontay Anderson (2) intercepts a pass during the fourth quarter against the Texas A&M Aggies at Kyle Field. Photo Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Safety Deontay Anderson of Houston, wide receiver Tre Nixon of Central Florida, running back Jarrion Street of Alabama-Birmingham, linebacker Breon Dixon of Nebraska and tackle Jack DeFoor of Georgia Tech received the waivers.
Wide receiver Van Jefferson of Florida still is awaiting word on whether he will be allowed to play in 2018, but the Gators have yet to submit Jefferson’s request to the NCAA.
“There’s a good reason for that,” said attorney Thomas Mars, who represents most of the players. “I feel good about Van being declared eligible.”
The six players, along with Michigan quarterback Shea Patterson, left Ole Miss in recent months after the NCAA cited the school for a lack of institutional control and added to the sanctions the school imposed on itself in 2016.
The NCAA banned Mississippi from two years of postseason competition and reduced the number of scholarships it could use.
Mars and the players involved argued that they were misled by former Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze, and because of that should not be penalized by having to sit out this season.
–A judge in Ohio ruled that defensive end Ma’lik Richmond of Youngstown State, who as a teenager was convicted of raping a 16-year-old girl, should be taken off the state’s sex offender registry for juveniles, as allowed by law.
Judge Thomas Lipps made the ruling in favor of the former Steubenville (Ohio) High School football player, who was convicted in 2013 of raping a West Virginia girl during a party after a football scrimmage.
“He has demonstrated that he can live amongst society and no longer needs the supervision and restrictions necessary for Juvenile Sex Offender Registrants,” Lipps said.
Richmond, now 21, served a one-year sentence and later rejoined the Steubenville High football team. He initially was required to register his address as a sex offender every six months for 20 years.
In 2014, Lipps decreased Richmond’s reporting requirement to once a year for 10 years. Ohio law allows juveniles to request removal altogether.
Richmond’s attorneys argued that he had served his punishment, had completed sex offender programming and is a successful college student.
Lipps said Richmond did everything required of him, including registering with the sheriff’s office.
Prosecutors, who opposed removing Richmond from the registry, declined comment.
Richmond’s father, Nathaniel Richmond, was killed in August 2017 in a confrontation unrelated to the son’s case, when he shot a judge in a courthouse parking lot and a probation officer returned fire.
–Defensive tackle Jabril Robinson of Clemson announced that he is transferring to West Virginia.
The 6-2, 270-pound Robinson will be eligible to play immediately because he is a graduate transfer. He played in 11 games and had 19 tackles last season while rotating on Clemson’s formidable defensive line.
Robinson is the second grad transfer West Virginia has added to its defensive front since last season, joining defensive tackle Kenny Bigelow, who came from USC.
Bigelow and Robinson will help replace 2017 freshman All-America defensive tackle Lamonte McDougle, who quit the team and announced he will transfer.
