Dwight Jones, the four star receiver from Burlington(NC) Cummings who committed to UNC in 2007 has apparently had academic eligibility judged by the wrong standards. ACC Now, quoting IC, says Jones, who was part of the stellar 2007 class, was declared ineligible and since then went to Hargrave to improve his scores hoping for entry this fall. After Hargrave he was still ineligible for DI but cleared for DII so he went to Valdosta State where he is practicing.
Turns out Jones got caught up in a change of required core classes from 14 to 16 that was supposed to only count for the class of 2008 not 2007 which is when Jones graduated high school. Because Jones was trying to enter UNC in 2008 the new standard has apparently been applied to him when he should have been judged under the old standard.
Clear? Probably not and UNC is not in dire need of receiving help right now but 1-2 seasons from now this kid could certainly help out. Plus he is a North Carolina product and you always like to see those kids wearing Tar Heel blue.
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I’m not so sure about this situation. Jones’ academic credentials are certainly a question and there are rumors about his “character”
Of course, I would love to have a young reciever of his ability but my thinking is that it might be better for him to play a year at Valdosta, grow up, then transfer to a D-I school.
Be prepared for an attack on UNC as an institution via the blogsosphere if Jones is admitted this year.
Yes and most certainly the weeping and gnashing of teeth that Butch Davis is mortgaging UNC’s integrity just to win football games.
The sad truth is that there are dozens of young men practicing football in Raleigh, Chapel Hill and some even in Durham who have the same academic abilities at Dwight Jones.
However, the perception that Jones is the next “Washburn” will not serve UNC well. “Not EVEN Clemson would take him”………….arrrggghghghgh
One can only hope there will never be another Chris Washburn.
A Chris Washburn at Dook wouldn’t be so bad…..
Nah, I don’t wish any young man that fate.
But I would wish Charles Shackleford on them every day of the week and twice on Sunday.
I heard Adam Lucas on the radio say that even if Jones enrolled at UNC this fall, he’d be the #4 receiver and probably wouldn’t contribute until 2009. Whatever his decision, I wish him well.
Yeah, me too. I don’t think any argument that would degrade UNC for taking in a kid like this would hold any water. We are without blemish as an institution, and any small controversy that our university would have to go through would be acute and gone. One kid is not going to taint the longstanding legacy of UNC academics/athletics. Hell, even a coach isn’t capable of that, and if it were the case, we wouldn’t have had the incredible talent that we have had to date.
What concerns me is whether or not UNC was clear about their academic expectations for Jones. If he was not told that he was expected to take 16 core classes, and he went to Hargrave thinking that 14 core classes were enough, then Jones is not entirely to blame for this whole scenario. But that’s just me. I usually err on the side of giving these kids the benefit of the doubt.
I wish Jones the best of luck, wherever he ends up.