TOPs and recruiting

:lol:

Please delete!!!!

for fricks sake

SMDH

TOP’s and football recruiting is not allowed. A recruit is a recruit and all count towards the 25 limit no matter what

A non recruited athlete would just be a walk on and not count.

For a recruited athlete it depends on when he plays for the first time and his subsequent gpa:

o if he plays at all during his first year, he will count against the 25 initial counter limit and the 85, but will not count as a signee which has a separate 25 limit. Now usually this is a distinction without merit, because under most circumstances it will stop you from taking the 25 signees. See note below.

o if he doesn't play until his 2nd year or later, he would only count against the 85, however,

o if he maintains a 3.0+ gpa (on a 4 pt scale) after the first year, he wouldn't count at all.

Note that while the number of signees and initial counters available to give are almost always the same, it's possible for them to diverge a little bit. Consider Seth Stewart. He was for sure a signee, but it could be he never became an initial counter (I don't think this was the case, but it's certainly a possibility). If this were the case, a recruited athlete on academic aid could play the first year and not effect the number of signees since you would have an extra initial counter to give.

If an athlete receives any financial aid from the university they are considered a counter. While TOPS/HOPE scholarships don’t count as financial aid from the university (they are controlled by the state legislature), ANY additional aid beyond TOPS such as meal allowances, housing, etc. will turn the player into a counter.

Also, in equivalency sports (baseball) TOPS does count towards the overall scholarship “percentage” once a player is considered a counter. In other words, 75% TOPS + 25% baseball scholarship = 100% scholarship for NCAA purposes.

In football, the reality is that 4- and 5-star recruits today are not willing to pay out of pocket for room & board. It’s a non-factor in football, for all intents and purposes.

Paul Tyson at Alabama. He walked on football but his college was paid for because he’s Bear Bryant’s grandson.