Steve Spurrier: Oversigning is a "Helpful" and "Ticklish Situation"

The Wall Street Journal discussed the practice of oversigning with three SEC coaches—Steve Spurrier, Houston Nutt, and Bobby Petrino—and the general consensus among them was that it's not a big deal. Quite frankly, all felt the it was something that was both necessary and helpful during the recruiting process.

For those that aren't aware,"oversigning" occurs when a coach knowingly brings in more players than  allowed in order to account for the unforeseen consequences of attrition, transfers, or the inability of a player to academically qualify.

It's a practice that is largely frowned upon yet, for some reason, continues to go unchecked.

What I found interesting about the statements made by the above-mentioned coaches is how well they have managed to justify their actions.

Spurrier claims that he is forthright with all the guys who stand the chance of being let go, but somehow you get the feeling that's not always the case. Spurrier even went so far as to criticize conferences that don't utilize the option—specifically the Big Ten—said Spurrier, "I think that really hurts them a lot...they end up giving scholarships to a lot of walk-ons."

Bobby Petrino echoes the sentiment saying, "I don't see it as a bad thing unless you're being dishonest or waiting until the last minute, which eliminates their visit opportunities with other schools".

However, its hard to believe that coaches are being as clear and concise about this matter as Petrino or Spurrier would have us all believe and, after all, the victim in this process isn't the coach or the football program, it's the athlete who gets cut after being promised a scholarship.

Do any of these coaches really expect us to believe that a prospect would still offer their comittment if they knew their name could end up on the cutting-room floor? It just doesn't seem likely, particularly when many of them have the option of signing elsewhere—and, the guys who are entertaining that conversation and saying they are still willing to take that chance, lets be honest, probably aren't the ones most likely to see their walking papers.

You think Spurrier would cut Jadeveon Clowney? Not likely. The coaches can pick and choose and the player is left at a huge disadvantage. 

It's a process that needs to be cut out completely by the NCAA, but something tells me it isn't going anywhere anytime soon.

Read the full article here.

Related articles

• SEC Coaches Defend 'Oversigning' (online.wsj.com)