Defensive End/ Linebacker Glen Stanley To FSU Done Deal?

[Note by Bud Elliott, 07/29/10 6:05 PM EDT ]  Bumped to the top.  This will be the official Glen Stanley-story stream.

We spoke to a source with knowledge of the situation and while this is not a done deal, the source does feel good about Glen Stanley becoming a Seminole.  This is the same source who fed us the information to originally break the story.  He is down to FSU and USF, but our source feels that Stanley's plan the entire time was to attend FSU, provided FSU wants him, which it does.  I am sure that FSU wowed Stanley on his recent visit.  And the chance to show his versatility as a pass-rusher both with his hand down and from a two-point stance could be difficult to pass up.  I would expect an announcement very soon as the team reports for Fall camp on the 5th.

If you are unfamiliar with the Stanley situation, please click "continue reading" to familiarize yourself with the recruit and his situation.  There are many inaccurate reports out there right now, which are disappointing.  Stick with us and we'll keep you apprised.  

UPDATE:  Was able to get in touch with Stanley briefly just a while ago via text (couldn't call him, was at school).  He indicated that he is simply waiting for his release.  

UPDATE 2:  Andrew Carter of the Sentinel also talked to Stanley, who confirmed that he is waiting on his release (process described below).  Stanley told Carter he is interested in "all the Florida schools."  Some other details there as well.  Check it out.  Our take?  Stanley can't officially talk to coaches of other schools until he gets his release, but I think there's a reason only FSU outlets are reporting this.  Miami does not have room for him.  USF is also unlikely to have room.  FSU does have room and does need an edge rusher to go along with Brandon Jenkins.  Florida could be a possibility if the Gators have room.  UCF runs a 3-4 defense and could very much be a player as he originally committed there before committing to Tennessee before he committed to USC.  

Original Story:  While everyone in Los Angeles was so preoccupied with the NCAA sanctions and the potential loss of recruit Sentreal Henderson, it seems the Trojan fans and media had forgotten about Glen Stanley.  Who?  

Let's start with some background on Glen Stanley.  Stanley was a top-15 JUCO recruit this cycle.  He would likely play defensive end for the 'Noles and essentially give Brandon Jenkins a running mate at WDE.  He is either 6'2" or 6'3" and somewhere between 235 and 245 lbs.  He is rumored to run a 4.42 40-yard dash, and while that number is certainly inaccurate, he is a tremendously fast edge rusher.

So why the connection to Florida State?  Stanley is from Ocala, where he played for Trinity in '05 when they won the state title.  The following year he played at Vanguard HS.  Originally a two-star safety, he signed with Bowling Green and played well.  The following year he left the Ohio school, citing family reasons.  He then enrolled at Eastern Arizona JUCO and was excellent.  Rivals rated him a top-15 JUCO recruit, and a four-star player.  He committed to Tennessee, and when Lane Kiffin left, he switched his commitment to USC, following Kiffin.    

Stanley's coach at Eastern Arizona, John O'Mera, knows that Stanley has what it takes to be successful on the next step of this journey.  "He's got a great motor," O'Mera said. "The thing that made him a dominant player is that he played super hard."  "Kids with those tools don't go 100 miles per hour every down, but he does."

But then the NCAA crushed USC with the sanctions and by NCAA rule, any Junior or Senior could transfer and play immediately at another school without penalty because they would not be able to play in a bowl for the duration of their eligibility.  That ruling applies to players currently at USC.  What about a player who signed to play for USC before the sanctions were announced, who will be a Junior, but who is not currently enrolled at USC?  Can that player also transfer without penalty just as a current player could?  To find out, we contacted BylawBlog.com, an excellent resource for interpreting NCAA rules.  The following comes from our June 21st conversation.

TomahawkNation:  I know the NCAA said their JRs and SRs could transfer and play immediately (correct me if I am mistaken). But what about the case of a JUCO recruit who will be a redshirt JR ? He has not yet enrolled at USC. Would USC have to approve his release in a different way?  He's obviously the same year as the guys who can leave immediately, but there is this additional complicating factor of the letter of intent (LOI). To me, fairness would dictate that he be treated like any current USC JR/SR, but I know the NCAA has many rules that don't promote fairness.  Would he have to sit out a year?

BylawBlog: There are two NCAA bylaws that apply in situations where the Committee on Infractions imposes a postseason ban. One (Bylaw 13.1.1.3.3) allows other schools to recruit student-athletes at the institution without getting permission to contact those student-athletes, provided they notify the school they are contacting those student-athletes. The second (14.8.2) allows the Committee on Infractions to grant a waiver to the transfer residency requirement.

Both bylaws though only apply if the institution has been banned from the postseason for the rest of your eligibility. That means that if you played continuously, you would not have another opportunity to go to the postseason. Basically, the NCAA is not going to force student-athletes to take a redshirt year.

There is a interpretation of Bylaw 14.8.2 that allows an institution to initiate a request for a waiver of the residency requirement under that bylaw even if the student-athlete was not enrolled at the institution banned from the postseason.

So you are correct that anyone who has used two seasons of football eligibility can transfer out of USC without obtaining USC's permission and likely without sitting out a year. But you are also correct about the National Letter of Intent. Because the NLI is only administered by the NCAA, and not actually controlled by the NCAA, they cannot grant waivers to the terms of the NLI.

So to answer your final question, as far as I know, an incoming JUCO transfer to USC who has signed an NLI would not be able to play immediately on the basis of those bylaws because of the terms of the NLI. The JC transfer would be need to ask for their release from the NLI, then wait for USC to grant or deny that release. If USC denies the release, the student-athlete can file an appeal with the NLI Committee.

The student-athlete in this case would have a compelling argument. They signed with USC, then USC was banned from the postseason for the rest of their eligibility, unless they redshirt. After the NLI Committee ruled on the case, the loser can appeal to the NLI Appeals Committee, whose decision is final. I have no idea who makes up either committee.

So to make a long story short, you are correct that a JUCO transfer is not automatically released to attend another school if they signed an NLI. But they do have options and one of the best arguments for a release from the NLI that you could possibly have.

Translation:  it's not automatic, but he would have a compelling case to play right away.  

The issue now seems to be time.  Let's assume that Stanley is in Florida, that he has been for the past 10 days, and that he has already submitted his paperwork to Florida State and has asked for his release from his letter of intent.  And let's also assume, for the sake of argument, that USC has denied his request for release.  How long will it take the NLI committee to rule on Stanley's case?  Classes started Monday for the most recent Summer session, and he would need to get in quickly or wait until late July.  Also, Florida State does have an open scholarship, so there is not an issue of making the numbers work.  

BylawBlog.com has information on the timeline:

There's no timeframe for a decision  But the biggest stumbling block is that USC could delay the granting of the release for 30 days, according to the NLI Penalty and Appeal Provisions (pdf). The prospect has 30 days to appeal to the NLI Committee (and 30 days to appeal to the NLI Appeals Committee after that decision) but you would expect him to do it fairly quickly.

Being a JUCO transfer, there are naturally questions about Stanley's grades.  But at this point we simply lack the information to even speculate on his academic resume.  If Stanley expects to make an impact this season, the sooner he gets enrolled, the better.  We know he wants to be back in Florida to be with his young daughter and fiancé. 

If this all works out, and there are a lot of "ifs" here, then Stanley would make an excellent backup to right defensive end Brandon Jenkins, providing an immediate impact pass rusher and needed depth.  

We will continue to monitor the situation as closely as possible.  In the meantime, you can enjoy his film by clicking "continue reading this post..."