Option Reads: When official visits go wrong
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| I bet Mike London had this same look over the weekend. (US Presswire) |
Taquan Mizzell is one of the top running back recruits in the country, and last weekend he took an official visit to Virginia, which he committed to in August. Now, official visits are generally used to try to convince a recruit to come to that school by giving him a feel for the place. And while fun can certainly be had on an official visit, too much fun can be had as well, and while Mizzell was on his official visit over the weekend he had a bit too much fun.
A Charlottesville police spokesman confirmed Monday that Virginia Beach running back Taquan Mizzell was arrested on charges of underage possession of alcohol on Sunday morning around 2:30 a.m., on the 100 block of 14th Street near campus. An officer spotted Mizzell, 19, standing in the middle of the street trying to kick a moving vehicle, Lt. Ronnie Roberts said, before determining Mizzell had been drinking.
This is an embarrassing situation for Mizzell -- and for Virginia, I'm sure -- but he's a 19-year-old kid. I don't blame him, because 19-year-old kids do stupid things all the time. However, if I'm Virginia coach Mike London, I might have a talk with any Virginia player(s) responsible for hosting Taquan for the weekend. They should know better by now.
Daily Progressions
-- Of course, while getting arrested on your official visit is one end of the spectrum, there's also making up official visits that you never took. There's something strange in the water at Notre Dame these days. Or maybe I'm just imagining it.
-- Dave Joyner was named athletic director at Penn State in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky scandal, and after just over a year in office the school announced he'd remain athletic director through the end of school president Rodney Erickson's term in June 2014. I'm guessing the next 16 months will be easier than the last 14.
-- The NCAA added eight new members to its Committee on Infractions, including former Michigan coach Lloyd Carr. So it's probably a good thing Ohio State had its run-in with the NCAA last year. Otherwise, Lloyd might have been itching for another win against the Buckeyes.
-- Some notes from Senior Bowl practice Monday. First from Dane Brugler covering the North team and then from Rob Rang on the South team.
-- Former LSU defensive back Tyrann Mathieu was also at the Senior Bowl practices, and he told reporters that he'd "have given everything" to be on the field when
-- Even hockey teams are taking shots at Manti Te'o now.
Photo of the day: terrifying image of a shaved bear
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