U of L football prospect facing grade questions

This week, the University of Louisville entertained one of the better prep offensive linemen in the country when Kamran Joyer visited campus. (Photo at right, courtesy of tbo.com – Tampa Bay Online).

Joyer, a 6-3, 295-pound lineman, had signed with South Florida, then couldn’t be admitted to the school because of questions over his academic qualifications and subsequently asked for and got his release.

Now, those academic questions have widened. Turns out, according to this report from Brett McMurphy and Lindsay Peterson of the Tampa Tribune, that Joyer had nine grades changed during his senior year on his Wesley Chapel High School transcript — accounting for more than 40 percent of his college preparatory coursework.

Though previously cleared by the NCAA, Joyer’s credentials now are being re-examined by the NCAA, according to South Florida admissions director Robert Spatig, in letters obtained by the Tribune through the state’s open records act. The NCAA wouldn’t confirm or deny to the paper.

Joyer’s father told the Tribune the grade changes came about because his son retook four courses, two online and two through adult education courses.

But USF is questioning the Pasco County school system because it appears that Joyer was not eligible to retake most of the courses. Rules permit students to retake courses if they receive a grade of F. Joyer had, for instance, a Biology grade changed from a D to a B.

In a Tribune report this past Tuesday, Joyer’s father, Jack, told the paper that his son was “99 percent” in favor of signing with Louisville if a scheduled Wednesday visit went well. Read that report here.

With a player having been cleared already by the NCAA, the question then becomes, does a school take his transcript at face value, or ask deeper questions? In this case, however, the deeper questions already are being asked — and now publicly. It’s not exactly like the Memphis basketball case, when it could legitimately claim no knowledge of irregularities in Derrick Rose’s SAT score.

If U of L takes Joyer, it will do so with eyes open. And an explanation and final determination should now be quick enough in coming that the school can make its own judgement on Joyer’s credentials well before he ever takes the field for an actual game.

Still, it raises questions.