Smu's Mcneal Eligible

[H-towngreen]

Former Miami RB Shaundry McNeal transferred to SMU and has been ruled eligible to play this year. This along with Troy player makes you scratch your head and ask why not Tyler Stradford???

http://collegesportsblog.dallasnews.com/

[Keith7]

I think the real question is: what is with diabetes always bringing new players to SMU??

[gangrene]

I am absolutely livid with this news!!

[drex]

More fuel for the conspiracy theory.

[ADLER]

I am absolutely livid with this news!!

I'm not. This eligibility request was a long shot from the onset. The NCAA often gives exemptions if there are extenuating circumstances, usually health related reasons for the player or his family. The NCAA does not make exceptions when a player just wants to play closer to home, wants more playing time, or has issues with a coaching staff.

I too would love to see him play this season, and I look forward to watching him in coming seasons, but Tyler has no personal medical or family medical reasons to have transferred. The speedy recruit from New Orleans found himself buried on the OU depth chart during last season and quit the team prior to their Baylor game.

Last year Colin Peek at Alabama and Ryan Mallet at Arkansas lost high profile NCAA appeals. It happens everywhere, and without extenuating circumstances a player has basically very little chance. Tyler's family was severely affected by Hurricane Katrina, which is very unfortunate, and he has an aunt that lives in Lewisville. Those may be contributing factors for why he wants to transfer and where he wanted to transfer, but hardly can be viewed by the NCAA as why he needed to leave one school because he needed to be at this other place.

Tyler will sit out this year per transfer rules and then show us what he can do next year.