Caleb King (#4) and two others did not travel to Memphis, declared academically ineligible.
The Georgia Bulldogs (6-6) arrived in Memphis yesterday in preparation for the Liberty Bowl against Central Florida. Unfortunately, it was not a full flight as running back Caleb King, CB Derek Owens, and OT A.J. Harmon will not be collecting frequent flier miles because they were all deemed academically ineligible to participate in post-season play.
Though King had a subpar junior campaign, being sidelined is still a significant loss for head coach Mark Richt as he is the team’s second leading rusher amassing 430 yards and 2 TDs this season while missing 4 games dues do injuries and suspensions. The NCAA has very forgiving academic rules, but the ineligible players apparently could not meet the simple requirement of passing six semester hours in one semester.
The suspensions do not bode well for a coach and team that underachieved this season. Richt needs a bowl win to temper the horrific season and to build from come 2011. Fortunately, all three should return to eligible status come spring football, but it’s probably safe to say, their helmets will not be decorated with a ton of black bones.
