There has been lot of chatter recently about what exactly Lane Kiffin and his staff have been telling their recruits about the dark NCAA cloud hanging over the Southern Cal program. People have been wondering whether Kiffin and his staff are being honest with the kids who are considering the Trojans about the serious nature of the allegations concerning Reggie Bush and OJ Mayo against Southern Cal (not even including the latest allegations that popped against Joe McKnight).
Well thanks to Trojan's latest re-commit Dillon Baxter we now have an idea of what exactly Kiffin and his staff has been telling the recruits. Here is Baxter's announcement to KUSI in San Diego:
Here were his comments when asked about his take on what might take place at Southern Cal in relations to the NCAA cloud hanging over their program:
I talked to him (Lane Kiffin) yesterday. He said all the right things. I mean, all about the Reggie Bush thing and what not I am not sure what is going to go on ...
All I was told that worst that could have happen is stuff that I mean ... what happened with Reggie Bush is ... take some losses away ...but other than nothing could affect me or any of my team-mates in future.
This quote also shows up behind the subscription firewall of Biggin's report on ESPN.
I wonder if someone from the NCAA are paying attention to this. Are Trojan coaches making the same representations to other recruits? If so are they telling their recruits with a straight face that they feel confident enough that NCAA is not going to come down hard on them except to take away some losses? Are they disclosing the possibility that the NCAA might install bowl and TV ban on Southern Cal?
Then to take it one step forward are these athletes going to ask Southern Cal whether they could sign just a scholarship agreement instead of a LOI, which would give them the option to commit themselves to going to SC, if Kiffin and his staff turn out to be bold faced liars (at least in the case of Baxter) about NCAA not coming down too hard on their program so that his "future" would not be effected at Southern Cal?
Something seems really off in Baxter's comment. It's an angle both the NCAA and the traditional media should be looking into closely considering the sleazy track record of Kiffin and his coaching staff.
GO BRUINS.