Ben Cotton

[helenahusker]

At some point early in the season in one of the Cotton recruit threads I suggested that Ben Cotton's numbers didn't necessarily justify his scholarship.  Or something like that.

Regardless of whether that was a fair assessment at the beginning of the season, it certainly is not fair now. He isn't all Big 10, but he certainly could be, especially if our QB could find him more. He fought through a very tough injury, is a great blocker and a reliable pass catcher.

He also seems like one of the leaders of the team, even if unspoken, and is part of the glue on that offense.

Hopefully he and Jake recover and they continue to be leaders on the offensive line.

[MadRat]

I suggest that at Barney's pay scale he pay for his sons to go to NU.  That frees up two scholarships.  I never cared for the appearance of Nepotism even if they do play well.

[FreightTrain]

I don't care if he signs his daughter to a scholarship as long as she can block like her daddy did.

[Solly]

I suggest that at Barney's pay scale he pay for his sons to go to NU.  That frees up two scholarships.  I never cared for the appearance of Nepotism even if they do play well.

They'd still count against the 85-man scholarship limit.

[discoverer27]

I suggest that at Barney's pay scale he pay for his sons to go to NU.  That frees up two scholarships.  I never cared for the appearance of Nepotism even if they do play well.

I know our colors are Red but I didn't realize we are communist.

[Red Ghost]

Ben is a very good player.

Jake was looking good until he got injured.

Let's hope Sam has similar ability.

I am not a fan of Barney Cotton as O-line coach, but I wish he and his wife would have had more kids!

[MadRat]

I suggest that at Barney's pay scale he pay for his sons to go to NU.  That frees up two scholarships.  I never cared for the appearance of Nepotism even if they do play well.

They'd still count against the 85-man scholarship limit.

I'll have to verify that later.  I don't remember anything in the rules other than if you hire the parent in the same year they are recruited.  You cannot use it to entice a player to come.

[jd]

I suggest that at Barney's pay scale he pay for his sons to go to NU.  That frees up two scholarships.  I never cared for the appearance of Nepotism even if they do play well.

They'd still count against the 85-man scholarship limit.

I'll have to verify that later.  I don't remember anything in the rules other than if you hire the parent in the same year they are recruited.  You cannot use it to entice a player to come.

Is there not something about how they are recruited also?  Such as the number of visits?  I imagine that could be part of it now.  Perhaps if they were recruited differently, it could have worked.

[schneidsNU]

I suggest that at Barney's pay scale he pay for his sons to go to NU.  That frees up two scholarships.  I never cared for the appearance of Nepotism even if they do play well.

They'd still count against the 85-man scholarship limit.

Isn't that part of what the SEC does since the conference allowed it? That they would drop upper classmen from their scholarships so that they were under the limit when they signed up extra scholarship freshmen?   I'm thinking that was recently changed, or at least some aspect of it was.

But the B1G and the Big 12 had rules that once you schollied a player, they counted against 85 for 4 years, right?

[HCHusker]

I suggest that at Barney's pay scale he pay for his sons to go to NU.  That frees up two scholarships.  I never cared for the appearance of Nepotism even if they do play well.

They'd still count against the 85-man scholarship limit.

I'll have to verify that later.  I don't remember anything in the rules other than if you hire the parent in the same year they are recruited.  You cannot use it to entice a player to come.

Solly is right.

[Capn Krunch]

Well, if it is time to admit you were wrong, I guess I should fess up to saying Rex would never be an all-conference back. This was a stupid move for two reasons: first for thinking Rex wouldn't  improve to the necessary extent and second for doubting him for anything. My only possible excuse is that we were in a different conference at the time, but RB has proven to be spectacular. I never thought he would break tackles so consistently nor develop the shake that he has.

So far the Cottons look to be earning their schollies.

[MadRat]

Solly is right.

I dug and found no rules on existing coaches paying the way for their children.  The NCAA let's a parent pay their child's expenses as far as the rules seem to go.

[schneidsNU]

Solly is right.

I dug and found no rules on existing coaches paying the way for their children.  The NCAA let's a parent pay their child's expenses as far as the rules seem to go.

I'm not sure that is what he was saying.  I think it is more of the fact that since he is already on scholarship you cant just pull it and get it back to use while he is still playing.  Isn't that what the SEC was doing to oversell the scholarships and get huge recruiting classes by pulling nonperforming upper class scholarships each year?

of course i can be wrong, it's happened once before. 

[bighuskerfan214]

Ben is a good blocker and makes the catches he should make. I don't view him as an explosive pass catching weapon, but he doesn't need to be. As long as he continues his solid work on the line and moves the chains every once in a while, I'm happy. I bet the coaches are too.

[HuskervilleJoe]

Pat Summit's son walked on at Tennessee and he had to count against their scholarship limit even though UT was paying for his schooling as the child of a faculty member, so that should answer the question.