Ole Miss' Lane Kiffin Says Managing NCAA Athlete Compensation 'Scares Me a Lot'
Apr 30, 2020
BOCA RATON, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 30: Head Coach Lane Kiffin of the Florida Atlantic Owls in action against the Southern Miss Golden Eagles in the second half at FAU Stadium on November 30, 2019 in Boca Raton, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images)
The NCAA Board of Governors announced its support of a rule change that will allow student-athletes to be compensated for their name, image and likeness on Wednesday.
The rule change, which is scheduled to kick in at the beginning of the 2021-22 academic year, concerns Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin.
"I just don't know how it's going to be managed," Kiffin told Colin Cowherd on The Herd (h/t USA Today's Nick Suss). "You're opening up a can of worms. How can you manage donors [who say], 'Hey, you come to this school, the day you get here I'm going to buy 1,000 of your jerseys for 100 bucks.' I don't understand how all that's going to get managed and that part scares me a lot."
The NCAA's announcement outlined the parameters for payment "for third-party endorsements both related to and separate from athletics":
"It also supports compensation for other student-athlete opportunities, such as social media, businesses they have started and personal appearances within the guiding principles originally outlined by the board in October.
While student-athletes would be permitted to identify themselves by sport and school, the use of conference and school logos, trademarks or other involvement would not be allowed. The board emphasized that at no point should a university or college pay student-athletes for name, image and likeness activities."
The NCAA makes a historic announcement that will pave the way for college athletes to earn income for their names, images & likenesses, but restrictions that accompany rule changes could spark a wide range of challenges. Details in new @SInow legal story: https://t.co/9dyv1Y03BTpic.twitter.com/34Sd9tOqCk
The NCAA also made headlines this month for reconsidering the one-time transfer rule exemption, with a formal voteexpectedon May 20.
Jadeveon Clowney's Cousin, Demon, Commits to Ole Miss as 4-Star DE
Jan 21, 2020
Seattle Seahawks defensive end Jadeveon Clowney's younger cousin, Demon Clowney, committed to play his college football at Ole Miss on Tuesday, according to Bleacher Report's Adam Kramer.
Clowney's high school, St. Frances Academy in Baltimore, congratulated the talented pass-rusher on his decision:
— St Frances Academy Football MD (@SFAfootball_MD) January 21, 2020
According to 247Sports, Clowney is a 4-star recruit who ranks as the No. 135 overall player, No. 8 weak-side defensive end and No. 7 player from the state of Maryland in the 2020 class.
Clowney receivedscholarship offersfrom many of the top programs in the nation, including LSU, Clemson, Georgia, Miami, Michigan and Penn State.
The247Sportsscouting report notes that Clowney has "excellent" hand speed, is "disruptive in the backfield" and "athletic, long and quick."
Brian Dohn, national recruiting analyst for 247Sports, projects Clowney as an eventual second- or third-round pick in the NFL draft and believes he compares favorably to Green Bay Packers edge-rusher Preston Smith.
If Clowney develops into a player even somewhat resembling his older cousin, he is in line for a long and productive football career collegiately and in the NFL.
The 26-year-old Jadeveon just completed his sixth NFL season and first with the Seahawks. His first five NFL campaigns were spent as a member of the Houston Texans after they selected him No. 1 overall in the 2014 NFL draft out of South Carolina.
Clowney made the Pro Bowl in three straight seasons from 2016-18, totaling 24.5 sacks during that time. He didn't make it this year, as injuries limited him to just 3.0 sacks in 13 games, but he still managed to force four fumbles and was always a major factor when on the field.
He stands to cash in big time as a free agent this offseason whether it is with the Seahawks or another team.
The first significant step in Demon's journey to reach a similar level of success as Jadeveon will be taken in Oxford, Mississippi, under new Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin.
While Kiffin is an offensive-minded coach,Ben Garrettof 247Sports reported that Ole Miss is "enamored" with Clowney's pass-rushing ability, and it is believed he will fit in well under co-defensive coordinators D.J. Durkin and Chris Partridge.
Ole Miss has finished .500 or worse in each of the past four seasons, but with Kiffin at the helm and a top-flight recruit like Clowney in the fold, there is finally some buzz and excitement surrounding the program again.
Lane Kiffin Says Journey to Ole Miss Head Coach Job Was 'Almost Like Punishment'
Jan 13, 2020
Lane Kiffin responds to reporters questions at a news conference, after being introduced to Mississippi fans as their new NCAA college football coach, at The Pavilion, a multipurpose arena on the campus in Oxford, Miss., Monday, Dec. 9, 2019. Kiffin was previously, the football coach for three years at Florida Atlantic. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
After being hired as head coach of Ole Miss, Lane Kiffin explained that his recent journey was "almost like punishment when somebody goes to prison."
The 44-year-old broke down his thoughts to ESPN's Jeremy Schaap in an interview that aired Monday on SportsCenter:
"People like a comeback story..."@Lane_Kiffin has a message for the doubters and reveals why he believes he's more prepared than ever to be head coach at @OleMissFB. pic.twitter.com/PEZcamLzq0
Kiffin clarified that he didn't think of his past jobs as a prison, but there is an outside feeling of a comeback story.
"He served his time as an assistant, he served his time at a Group of Five school. Alright, now he's deserving," Kiffin said of the perspective of his critics.
The coach entered the national spotlight at an early age, becoming head coach of the Oakland Raiders in 2007. He was fired after an unsuccessful run, but he landed on his feet with Tennessee and then USC.
After losing his job with the Trojans, he began to "serve his time" and pay his dues at lower levels.
Kiffin was an offensive coordinator for Alabama for three seasons, helping lead the team to a national title in 2015. In 2017, he became head coach of Florida Atlantic before leading the squad to two conference titles in a span of three seasons.
This was despite taking over a squad that went 3-9 in three straight years before Kiffin arrived.
The success at these two stops arguably made him a more qualified candidate for his current role than anything that occurred beforehand. Ole Miss hasn't had a winning season in the last four years and could use a coach that has learned how to build a program from the ground up.
Kiffin acknowledged his redemption story and said he believes people will be behind him as he tries again to compete in the SEC.
Former Maryland Head Coach DJ Durkin Hired as Ole Miss Assistant
Jan 2, 2020
FILE - In this Saturday, Sept. 9, 2017, file photo, Maryland head coach DJ Durkin stands on the sideline during an NCAA college football game against Towson in College Park, Md. The University System of Maryland's board of regents announced Tuesday their recommendation that Durkin retain his job. Durkin has been on paid administrative leave since August, following the death of a player who collapsed during practice and an investigation of bullying by the Maryland coaching staff. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)
New Ole Miss head football coach Lane Kiffin has hired former Maryland head coach DJ Durkin as an assistant, the school announced Thursday.
According to Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports, the hiring was cleared "well beyond" Kiffin, as Ole Miss athletic administration and campus officials signed off on it after the program conducted an "extensive" background check.
Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter released the following statement regarding Durkin's hiring, per Emily Giambalvo of the Washington Post:
Durkin was placed on administrative leave at Maryland in August 2018 following the death of offensive lineman Jordan McNair from heatstroke after a May 2018 workout. He was also alleged to have instilled a "toxic culture" within the Maryland football program.
McNair's father, Marty, gave a statement on the hire to ESPN's Heather Dinich: "I just wish the best for Durkin and his family. We wish the best for him and his family and hope he'll take what happened at Maryland as a serious life lesson in dealing with other people's kids."
Jordan McNair's father, Marty, to ESPN on D.J. Durkin's hire: "We wish the best for him and his family and hope he'll take what happened at Maryland as a serious life lesson in dealing with other people's kids." https://t.co/RYZ4h9jLNI
While Durkin was reinstated in October 2018, he was fired one day later amid backlash from players and the media.
He was hired as the Terrapins' head coach prior to the 2016 season. Maryland went 6-7 with a bowl berth in his first season but fell to 4-8 in 2017.
Prior to his Maryland tenure, Durkin was a graduate assistant and later a defensive position coach and special teams coach at his alma mater of Bowling Green, a graduate assistant at Notre Dame, a defensive position coach and special teams coach at Stanford and a defensive coordinator at both Florida and Michigan.
It isn't yet clear what the 41-year-old Durkin's role will be on Kiffin's staff, but it seems likely he will be the defensive coordinator or perhaps a defensive line or linebackers coach.
He served in a consultant role for the NFL's Atlanta Falcons in 2019.
Kiffin is taking over an Ole Miss program that has fallen on hard times. The Rebels have gone 6-6 or worse in four straight seasons, including a 4-8 mark in 2019. They also have not played in a bowl game since the 2015 season.
After winning 11 games in two of his three seasons as Florida Atlantic's head coach, Kiffin will look to return Ole Miss to prominence, which he was unable to do at Tennessee and USC previously.
Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss Agree to Reported 5-Year, $21M Contract to Be Head Coach
Dec 7, 2019
BOCA RATON, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 09: Head Coach Lane Kiffin of the Florida Atlantic Owls coaching against the FIU Golden Panthers in the second half at FAU Stadium on November 09, 2019 in Boca Raton, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images)
The University of Mississippi announced Saturday that Lane Kiffin was named the new head coach of its football program.
Lane Kiffin will receive a 5-year, $21 million contract at Ole Miss, sources told @Stadium. Kiffin will be officially introduced at Ole Miss press conference Monday at 1 p.m. CT
Kiffin arrives to Ole Miss after spending the past three years as head coach of Florida Atlantic. He compiled a 26-13 record.
The 44-year-old Nebraska native has vast experience at both the collegiate and professional levels from a coaching career that spans more than two decades.
He's also served as head coach of Tennessee and USC. He led the Volunteers to a 7-6 mark during his only season in charge before leaving to accept the Trojans job in 2010. He never posted a losing record across three-plus seasons at USC but was still let go in the middle of the 2013 campaign with a 28-15 record overall.
In all, he owns a 60-34 record during eight years as a college head coach.
As Kiffin once again became a hot name on the coaching carousel, he said there was no reason to discuss the rumors with his Owls players.
"I've never addressed that," he told reporters Tuesday. "Maybe I'm wrong, but no matter where I've been, whatever's been going on, I've never addressed that with the team. It shouldn't really matter, I wouldn't think."
Kiffin didn't enjoy as much success in the NFL as he has in college. He lasted just 20 games with the Oakland Raiders across the 2007 and 2008 seasons before getting fired with a 5-15 record.
The former Fresno State quarterback replaced Matt Luke, who oversaw a steady decline of wins from six in his debut season of 2017 to five in 2018 and four in 2019 en route to a 15-21 record.
Kiffin got a taste of SEC football with the Vols in 2009 and as Alabama's offensive coordinator from 2014 through 2016. Now he returns with the goal of making Ole Miss consistently competitive with some of the nation's best programs.
Report: Lane Kiffin 'On the Verge' of Agreeing to Contract as Ole Miss HC
Dec 6, 2019
Lane Kiffin, who was formerly the offensive coordinator for the Alabama Crimson Tide, is reportedly nearing a return to the SEC.
According to Dan Wolken of USA Today, Ole Miss is "on the verge" of agreeing to a contract with the Florida Atlantic head coach.
This comes after Kiffin was seen as a candidate for multiple SEC spots. Spencer Elliott of The Tennessean noted he was "connected" to Arkansas after the Razorbacks fired Chad Morris following a 4-18 tenure, as well as to Ole Miss. The Rebels fired coach Matt Luke after he went 15-21 over two-plus seasons.
Kiffin signed a 10-year contract extension with Florida Atlantic in 2017 that lasts through the 2027 season, but Ole Miss represents an opportunity to compete against some of the best teams in college football.
The 44-year-old has become one of the biggest names in the sport after an unusual coaching career.
His first head-coaching position came with the Oakland Raiders when he was just 31 years old, but he was fired after less than two seasons and a 5-15 record. From there, he took the Tennessee job but bolted after just one year and a 7-6 record.
Kiffin's willingness to leave the Volunteers for USC so quickly drew the ire of proud Tennessee fans, and there were public demonstrations against him on campus.
He lasted less than four seasons with the Trojans before he was famously fired on an airport tarmac. It wasn't his last strange exit. His time as Alabama's offensive coordinator under Nick Saban—he joined the Tide after USC—ended when the head coach replaced him with Steve Sarkisian heading into the title game to decide the 2016 champion.
The lightning-rod coach has been with Florida Atlantic since and led the Owls to an 11-3 record and Boca Raton Bowl win in 2017 and a 9-3 record and Conference USA championship game appearance in 2019.
Ole Miss is always facing an uphill battle in a loaded SEC West that includes Alabama, LSU, Auburn, Texas A&M and archrival Mississippi State, but Kiffin is accustomed to competing in the division and has been under the spotlight much of his career.
The program hasn't been to a bowl game since the 2015 campaign and is starving for the turnaround Kiffin could bring.
Matt Luke Fired by Ole Miss After 3 Seasons as Head Coach
Dec 1, 2019
OXFORD, MISSISSIPPI - NOVEMBER 16: Head coach Matt Luke of the Mississippi Rebels reacts during the second half of a game against the LSU Tigers at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on November 16, 2019 in Oxford, Mississippi. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
Athletics director Keith Carter explained why the decision was made:
"After evaluating the overall trajectory of our football program, we did not see enough momentum on the field and determined a change is necessary in order for our student-athletes to compete at the highest level. While improvements were evident in certain aspects of the program, we are judged ultimately by our record, and, unfortunately, we did not meet the standard of success that we expect from our program. We will always be grateful to Coach Luke for his leadership, particularly from a recruiting, academic and overall culture standpoint. At the same time, winning is important, and we know that we can compete for championships at Ole Miss. "A search is underway to find a new head coach who can build a complete program that attracts top talent, develops them as young men and sustains a winning mentality. We will be looking for the leadership, energy and commitment to excellence necessary to compete in the Southeastern Conference and galvanize our passionate fan base."
Luke and his staff were reportedly on the recruiting trail when the decision was made.
Ole Miss assistants have been called in off the road. In one case, school plane sent to SEC recruiting hotbed to pick up coaches
The Rebels finished 2019 with a 4-8 overall record and a 2-6 mark in the SEC. They concluded the season with a 21-20 defeat to Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl.
Luke Logan missed the game-tying point-after attempt. Elijah Moore had made Logan's job more difficult after drawing an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for pretending to urinate in the end zone after his two-yard touchdown catch.
I did not think Matt Luke was getting fired but stuff changes. In retrospect, losing your biggest rivalry game due to a dog pee penalty isn’t great for job security https://t.co/QmflRGnzyY
The Rebels bolstered their coaching staff by hiring Mike MacIntyre as the defensive coordinator and Rich Rodriguez as the offensive coordinator. College Football Talk's Bryan Fischer estimated the school might be facing a $16 million bill in coaching buyouts alone.
Luke leaves Ole Miss with a 15-21 record.
Only giving him three years is a somewhat tough break given the situation he inherited. Hugh Freeze resigned in July 2017 after he was discovered to have used his university-issued phone to call a female escort service.
The specter of an NCAA investigation also loomed. The program ultimately avoided any significant sanctions with the exception of a 2018 bowl ban.
Luke started as the interim coach in 2017 after replacing Freeze, and the school removed the interim tag in November 2017.
Especially since MacIntyre and Rodriguez—both former head coaches—would need some time to settle into their roles in Oxford, Ole Miss' decision not to give Luke one more year is somewhat surprising. And for as bad as the Rebels' record looked, five of their losses came by eight points or fewer.
However, attendance was becoming an issue as the defeats piled up. Suss noted in November that Ole Miss had five games with fewer than 50,000 fans, something that hadn't happened once since the 2011 season.
A losing season, low attendance and a new AD often add up to a coaching change.
Ole Miss' Elijah Moore, Matt Luke Apologize for Peeing Celebration in Egg Bowl
Nov 29, 2019
Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter, head football coach Matt Luke and wide receiver Elijah Moore apologized for Moore's celebration that mimicked a dog peeing during the Rebels' 21-20 loss Thursday to rival Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl.
Moore scored a touchdown with four seconds left to give the Rebels a chance to tie, but his penalty for excessive celebration led to a missed extra point by Luke Logan to give the Bulldogs the rivalry win.
This Egg Bowl ending was INSANE 🤯
Ole Miss scored with 4 seconds left and had a chance to tie the game with the PAT.
After a flag for the excessive celebration moved the PAT back, the kicker missed wide right and Mississippi State held on to win the Egg Bowl 21-20. pic.twitter.com/z4U7c8JukQ
Luke said Ole Miss discussed the need to avoid crucial self-inflicted mistakes before the game.
"That's not who we are. We've been a disciplined team all year, and so just disappointed that happened," hetold reporters. "That's not who he is. Elijah is a good kid, and he just got caught up in the moment."
Moore finished the game with three catches for 35 yards and the touchdown. The ill-fated score marked his sixth trip to the end zone this season.
The loss was Ole Miss' fifth of its final six games and dropped the Rebels, who started the season 3-3, to 4-8. Ole Miss also lost its second straight Egg Bowl after a 35-3 blowout at the hands of Mississippi State last year.
Meanwhile, the win was especially important for the Bulldogs, who achieved bowl eligibility with their sixth win of the 2019 campaign.
Ole Miss AD Wants 'Full Explanation' from Refs After Controversial Loss to Cal
Sep 22, 2019
OXFORD, MISSISSIPPI - SEPTEMBER 21: Myles Hartsfield #15 of the Mississippi Rebels reacts after loosing a game against the California Golden Bears at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on September 21, 2019 in Oxford, Mississippi. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
Ole Miss interim athletic director Keith Carter wants answers after his Rebels suffered a controversial 28-20 loss to the California Golden Bears on Saturday.
Trailing by eight with 17 seconds remaining and facing a 3rd-and-goal from the 3-yard line, Rebels quarterback John Rhys Plumlee completed a pass to an open Elijah Moore at the goal line. Though he caught the ball with two feet in the end zone, the officiating crew ruled the ball did not break the plane and placed the ball at the 1-yard line.
Ole Miss did not have any timeouts remaining, meaning it had to hope the replay center triggered a review before time expired. The play was not reviewed, though, forcing the Rebels to run a hurried quarterback sneak—and the Bears defense came up with a game-saving stop.
A review would have worked in Ole Miss' favor regardless of the outcome. Overturning the call on the field to a touchdown would have given the Rebels an opportunity to tie the game with a two-point conversion. Even if the call on the field was upheld, they would have had an opportunity to run one final play in a more organized fashion.
The loss dropped the Rebels to 2-2 on the season.
In August, the Pac-12 announced it would be transparent by providing statements for, among other scenarios, "game-ending call or no-call impacting the result of the game." The new rules call for a statement to be "issued no later than the end of the day following the game in which the call occurred."
According to ESPN's Kyle Bonagura, a Pac-12 spokesperson said no statement on the controversial ending would be given on Saturday.
Jerrion Ealy's Big Choice
May 22, 2019
Everyone wants to know whether Jerrion Ealy prefers baseball or football. The quick answer is no.
"If God would have blessed me with seven more inches, we wouldn't be having this conversation," Ealy said by phone one evening this spring. "I'd probably be committed to Duke University to play basketball."
Alas, Ealy stands 5'10" tall, not 6'5". He was gifted with speed, strength, athleticism and instinct. But not height.
The NBA was never going to be in his future.
The NFL? That's another story. As a record-setting running back who patterned his game after Saquon Barkley's, Ealy was very much in demand to play big-time college football.
Major League Baseball? That too, because as a five-tool outfielder who has been compared to Mookie Betts and Andrew McCutchen, Ealy is a prospect any team would love to work with. He's fast enough to steal bases, powerful enough to hit home runs and possesses such a strong arm his throws from the outfield have been clocked at 98 mph.
He plays both sports with enthusiasm that matches his ability. He has a competitive nature and sense of team that his coaches in both sports rave about.
In the fall, he's not a baseball player moonlighting on the football field. In the spring, he's not a football star biding his time on the diamond.
He's one of just four players to make the Under Armour All-America team in both sports. One of the other three was Kyler Murray, who was a first-round draft pick by baseball's Oakland A's before he chose football and went first overall to the Arizona Cardinals in the NFL draft this April.
Scouts who saw both players say they see similarities between the two. But they also say they always knew Murray would choose football.
"He was clearly a football-first guy," said David Rawnsley, vice president of player personnel for Perfect Game USA, which hosts prospect tournaments and events and calls itself the world's largest baseball scouting service.
The difference with the 18-year-old Ealy is it's never been clear whether he's football-first or baseball-first. Once basketball was no longer an option, even his coaches couldn't tell you which one he prefers.
"I'd have to ask what time of year it is," said Ricky Black, his football coach at Jackson Prep in Mississippi. "What season?"
So far, Ealy hasn't had to choose. He has been able to do both. Black never complained when Ealy spent his summers playing baseball, missing some early training sessions. Jackson Prep baseball coach Brent Heavener was happy to see Ealy when football ended and was even happy for him to miss some baseball practices to run sprints and relays for the track team.
But when the MLB draft begins June 3, Ealy could be picked as high as the first or second round. A team that drafts him that highly likely would do so with the idea of giving him a big enough signing bonus that he'd give up football.
Ealy has told teams he would consider doing that, even though he has also signed a football letter of intent to attend Ole Miss. But he has also said he would consider playing both football and baseball in college, or playing pro baseball in the summer while playing football for the Rebels in the fall. (The NCAA has long allowed players—Murray and John Elway to name two—to turn pro in one sport while maintaining their amateur status in another.)
"Anything and everything is an option," he said.
And how will he decide what to do? He said he'll follow his heart.
"That's exactly, 100 percent, what I'm going to do," he said. "It doesn't matter how much money you're making if you're not having fun. At the end of the day, it's where I'm going to have the most fun."
He just needs to figure out where that will be.
The tools are all there, as baseball scouts like to say. He's a good enough outfielder to handle center field, but the arm is strong enough to make him a fit in right field too. He's a legit base stealer, but his bat speed and power make him a home run threat as well.
Still, he isn't major league ready. Not yet. And there are concerns about how long it will take his batting skills to develop against better pitching, and whether Ealy can remain patient if progress doesn't come quickly.
After all, he'll always have football as an option.
On the football field, Ealy has emerged as a game-changing running back who's so highly regarded that both Clemson and Alabama heavily recruited him. Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban created something of a stir when he showed up on campus at Jackson Prep to see the 5-star talent in January.
At the Jan. 3 Under Armour All-America Game in Orlando, Florida, Ealy ran for 119 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries. He broke the game's rushing record by the end of the third quarter, getting there on a 38-yard touchdown run.
"He has unusual balance," said Black, who has coached football for 48 years. "He has a great combination, with speed and the ability to catch anything. He would have been our best receiver or best defensive back.
"He dropped a pass in the state championship game because his visor fogged up. The following Monday, his teammates wanted to run the film back three times, because they'd never seen him drop anything before."
Ealy was heavily recruited by out-of-state powerhouses, but in a February signing-day ceremony, he announced he would stay closer to home. Black tossed him a football covered in gold sequins, and after Ealy caught it and opened it up, he reached in and pulled out an Ole Miss cap.
But will he actually get to Oxford this fall? As excited as Ole Miss and its fans were to land one of the nation's top recruits, they also knew a big baseball contract could keep Ealy from ever wearing a Rebels uniform.
"If Ealy decides football is his passion and decides to put pro baseball on hold for a few years, that could be one of the biggest wins for Ole Miss in recent recruiting history," Nick Suss wrote in the Clarion Ledger in mid-April.
Six days after he officially signed with Ole Miss, Ealy began his senior baseball season at Jackson Prep. He would go on to bat .373 with six home runs and 22 stolen bases, but scouts said the competition in Mississippi was weak this year, and they expected more.
"His stock has dropped a little," said one National League scout who has followed Ealy's career closely. "He's a tremendous athlete, but my assessment is football comes easier to him than baseball. In the first game this year, he struck out to start an inning and then when his team batted around, he struck out again. That stuck with me."
While one published mock draft (Draftsite.com) had Ealy going sixth overall to the San Diego Padres, draft analysts at MLB.com and Baseball America have dropped him out of the first round. Baseball America has him as the 45th-best prospect available, down from 32nd earlier in the year. MLB.com has him 77th.
The issue, one scout said, is that many teams view Ealy as more of a long-term project as he develops his hitting skills. A team that might otherwise risk first-round money on his potential may fear that if things don't go well in the first year or two he could quit baseball and go play college football.
If he's struggling in Clinton or Delmarva, will he decide he'd rather be running around in front of 100,000 fans in Tuscaloosa or Baton Rouge?
"It's a longer journey [for him in baseball]," the scout said. "If he said he's not playing football and is devoting 100 percent of his time to baseball, you could get a dynamic player."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=104o8lynEEU
While Ealy has indicated to scouts he's open to signing with them and dropping football, the risk may be too great for some teams.
Even if he doesn't go in the first few rounds, though, Ealy will almost certainly get drafted and be given a chance to sign. A team could take him in the middle or lower rounds and then offer him the chance to play pro baseball in the summer and college football in the fall.
Or maybe one scout and one team will believe so much in the talent that they'll take the chance and give Ealy enough money to commit full time to baseball now. Even with his less-than-dominant senior season, it's not that hard to convince yourself he's worth it.
"I've been scouting 30-plus years, and one thing I've learned is you don't find these special athletes very often," said Perfect Game's Rawnsley. "He's one of the very few who qualifies as a special athlete.
"Mike Trout in high school was not this kind of athlete. [Ealy's] athleticism is absurd."
There's more to Ealy than just absurd athleticism, more reason for anyone who loves baseball to hope he eventually finds his future on the diamond.
"His character and work ethic are just off the charts," said Chris McRaney, who coached Ealy the last three summers at Team Georgia Baseball Academy. "It's a LeBron James-type personality.
"Everybody loves him. Everybody wants to be around him. I talked to a scouting director who said he has the best charisma in the draft. He's just different. Truly a special young man."
Ealy lived with McRaney's family while playing for Team Georgia, and coach and player grew close enough that McRaney considers Ealy to be almost like a son. But others who have spent time around Ealy tell similar stories.
"I've never met a guy as humble with all the national attention he has received," said Brent Heavener, Ealy's high school baseball coach at Jackson Prep. "It's always, 'How can I help my team? What can I do to help win a state championship?'"
He has helped. Jackson Prep won the Mississippi state championship in football in each of his four seasons. The school won its third straight baseball state championship this month.
But there are individual goals, too.
"He won't be happy just being a first-round draft pick," McRaney said. "His goal is to be an All-Star, one of the best players in the game. I've said this to scouting directors, and I've said it to others. If he signs and decides to play baseball, I would say in five years he's going to be in the All-Star Game.
"This is not a normal young man. I would almost be surprised if he doesn't do it."
As humble as he can be, Ealy didn't back down when told what McRaney said.
"No doubt," he said. "I'm not out there to be an average Joe. I don't like being average in anything I do. I'm a competitor."
Ealy remembers being seven years old and running down the hallway toward his parents' bedroom. His father would toss him a football.
"And I had to catch it," he said.
Football came from his father. Baseball came from the other side of the family, from his uncle, Arthur Gardner. For years, Gardner worked for the Major League Scouting Bureau, covering Mississippi and Louisiana.
"Growing up, he taught me pretty much everything I know about the game," Ealy said. "He's the one who introduced me to baseball."
Ealy enjoyed it, but he never committed to the game. He would only pick up a bat when baseball season was coming around. McRaney said when Ealy first came to Team Georgia at age 15, baseball was little more than a hobby.
"He had played since he was nine or 10, but it was still a hobby to him," McRaney said.
It's much more than that now. As he spent more time on the game, Ealy felt himself getting better and getting more comfortable.
"I would definitely love to be in a major league locker room," he said.
He's well aware that baseball players have longer careers than football players, and his high school teammates made sure he knew about all the big-money contracts signed this spring. While Trout, Bryce Harper and Manny Machado all inked deals that guaranteed them $300 million or more, no NFL player has ever received more guaranteed money than the $107 million in Russell Wilson's contract with the Seattle Seahawks.
But baseball players almost always spend time in the minor leagues, riding buses and playing before small crowds in small towns. Football players serve their apprenticeship while playing in front of huge crowds on Saturday afternoons.
There was a time when an athlete like Ealy could consider having it all. Bo Jackson, Deion Sanders and Brian Jordan all played in the major leagues and in the NFL.
That's the one possibility Ealy seems to rule out—not because he wouldn't enjoy it but simply because he believes that path won't be open to him.
"Teams want your undivided attention," he said.
He'll have to choose, either this summer after the draft or in a few years when college is done. But as his teammates like to remind him, it's better to have two good options rather than none.
"The joke around the locker room is you've got good problems to have," Heavener said.
One way or the other, he'll have a chance to do something he loves, and he won't let the tough decision get him down.
"I hate bad energy," he said.
With his talent, either way, it's all going to be good.
Danny Knobler covers Major League Baseball as a national columnist for Bleacher Report.
