The only active player linked to the recent agent scandal in the SEC was Tennessee defensive lineman Maurice Couch, but that could be about to change. Tennessee head coach Butch Jones says Couch has been ruled ineligible as the Vols prepare for a big road test at Oregon this coming weekend. Jones announced the news on his radio show Thursday night, according to the Associated Press.
Jones said Tennessee’s compliance department is reviewing the situation. As it stands, Couch is still on the team and the school is taking precautions to ensure an informed decision is made on his future before making any irrational reactionary decisions for the program and for Couch. Whether or not Couch has played his last down for the Vols remains to be seen.
According to the information shared in a report by Yahoo Sports yesterday, Couch is allegedly accepted a total of $1,350 from Luther Davis, a former Alabama player who had reportedly been serving as a middleman between NFL agents and top players around the SEC. Couch was listed second on the Tennessee depth chart for this weekend’s game against the Oregon Ducks, so Tennessee is not losing a starting player as a result of this ruling. The Vols will take a hit in depth though, and against an offense in which having as many fresh defensive players as possible would be helpful, the timing could not have come at a more inconvenient time for the Vols.
Couch has played in each of Tennessee’s first two games. If the NCAA were to determine Couch would have been ineligible they could vacate Tennessee’s two victories to start the 2013 season, in addition to any games in 2012 that may have come while Couch may have been ineligible.