Apparently, the Jeremiah Masoli situation has resolved itself, and in a way that will definitely bolster Ole Miss’ depth and Div. 1-A experience at the quarterback position.
Culminating a week’s worth of rumor and speculation, SI.com‘s Andy Staples is reporting that Masoli has consummated his flirtation with Ole Miss and will play football for the Rebels in 2010.
This report presumably means Masoli will not have a probation issue hindering his move, and that he will ultimately be accepted into a graduate program at the school.
“I’m excited to get another chance,” Masoli told the website. “I’m so grateful and thankful.”
Masoli will not be on scholarship when he plays for the Rebels this season. Instead, the former Oregon quarterback will enter the program as a walk-on. Masoli seems to think the fact that he won’t be burning a scholarship will help defuse the debate that will certainly come when head coach Houston Nutt officially adds him and his off-field baggage to the roster.
“Either way, scholarship or not, they’re going to get some criticism for taking me,” Masoli said. “Without the scholarship, I think it deflects some of that criticism.”
Masoli is likely kidding and/or deluding himself into thinking that critics will differentiate between him going to Ole Miss as a walk-on as opposed to being on scholarship.
The critics will criticize the move regardless; it’s going to be up to Masoli to not put himself in a position to be in (WARNING: LOS ANGELES PR SPIN AHEAD!) the wrong place, wrong time for at least the fourth time in the last few years and prove them wrong for five months.
As far as Nutt is concerned? He’s in a pressure cooker of a football conference where the fans and his bosses demand one thing and one thing only -- wins on Saturdays. How they get to that point in the other six days seems largely irrelevant anymore.