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NCAA finds Ole Miss OL Laremy Tunsil accepted extra benefits
Ole Miss offensive lineman Laremy Tunsil is eligible to return to action for the Rebels’ Oct. 24 game against Texas A&M, the school announced Monday night.
Ole Miss said in a release that it was informed of the NCAA's decision concerning Tunsil’s eligibility on Monday afternoon. In total, Tunsil, who was found to have received impermissible benefits, will have served a seven-game suspension.
Ole Miss has held Tunsil, an All-American offensive tackle, for the first six games of the season as an NCAA investigation lingered. Tunsil was accused of accepting benefits from “agents” during the summer, and the NCAA determined that Tunsil “received impermissible extra benefits that included the use of three separate loaner vehicles over a six-month period without payment.”
Additionally, the NCAA found that Tunsil received a “four-month interest-free promissory note on a $3,000 down payment for purchasing a used vehicle, two nights of lodging at a local home, an airline ticket purchased by a friend of a teammate, and one day use of a rental vehicle.”
On top of that, the NCAA says Tunsil was not “completely forthcoming when initially question by investigators” about the loaner cars, but later “corrected his account” and “apologized.”
In addition to Tunsil’s seven-game suspension, he has been “ordered to pay the value of the extra benefits to a charity, perform community service” and “make the vehicle down payment.”
In a statement, Tunsil apologized and said he’s anxious to return to the field.
“I take full responsibility for the mistakes I made and want to thank everyone for their continued support. I want to apologize to my teammates, coaches and the entire Ole Miss family for how my choices affected our program. This was a learning experience, and I'm looking forward to being back on the field with my team and redeeming myself. The last 10 months have been a physical and mental battle for me, but I love playing this game more than anything else. I want to be here for my teammates who are depending on me to finish what we started together.”
Added Ole Miss head coach Hugh Freeze:
“We have been supportive of Laremy throughout this process, and we are thankful he can return to competition starting with the Texas A&M game. More important than his football ability is his character, and I am confident that Laremy will grow from this experience and continue to be a positive member of the University and our football team.”
Tunsil, a 6-foot-5, 305-pound junior, was a first-team All-SEC selection in 2014, when he started 11 games at left tackle. Tunsil also played in 12 games with nine starts at left tackle as a true freshman in 2013. He was a five-star recruit in Ole Miss’ 2013 recruiting class and is considered a top-tier NFL prospect.
Tunsil must sit out one final game this weekend when the Rebels take on Memphis on the road before he returns for a home game against the Aggies on Oct. 24.
For more Ole Miss news, visit RebelGrove.com.
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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!
