USC Football: NCAA Clarifies Transfer Rules for PSU Players, USC May Be Out Of Luck

September 3, 2011; State College, PA, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions running back Silas Redd (25) jumps over Indiana State Sycamores cornerback Calvin Burnett (5) in the first quarter at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Christy-US PRESSWIRE

Late Tuesday afternoon, the NCAA clarified its transfer rules regarding Penn State players, and this might throw a wrench in the Trojans’ plans to acquire Silas Redd.

There are the transfer rules, from the NCAA website:

"Financial Aid limitations If a student-athlete transfers for the fall of 2012 to a school that has reached its scholarship limits, the school may exceed these numbers for the 2012-13 academic year, provided it reduces such limits proportionately in the 2013-14 academic year. For example, if one student-athlete transfers to a Division I school already at the legislated limits of 25 initial counters and 85 overall counters for 2012-13, the school will be limited to 24 initial counters and 84 overall counters in 2013-14. If a student-athlete transfers after the fall 2012 term, the standard financial aid rules governing counter status still apply, including the midyear replacement exception. If extenuating circumstances arise that may warrant a waiver of the standard application of financial aid rules governing counters, waiver requests will be addressed on a case-by-case basis. ——————————————– A school subject to scholarship limits due to an infractions case is allowed to accept transfers from Penn State but cannot exceed the scholarship limits specified in its infractions report. Athletically-related financial aid may not be canceled during the period of the award and these schools are not permitted the same exception allowed to schools not under Committee on Infractions sanctions."

That last paragraph means that USC can accept transfers, but CANNOT go over the 75 scholarship limit.

Earlier Tuesday afternoon, Coach Kiffin said that the NCAA gave SC the green light to go after Penn State players, and it was at the time understood that any additional scholarships used would be deducted from next year’s total. However, in clarifying the rules, the NCAA is now saying that the USC can only give Silas Redd a scholarship if one is available from the class of 2012.

As it stands now, all of USC’s class of 2012 athletes have been cleared to play…except one.

WR Darreus Rodgers is still waiting to be deemed academically eligible to suit up for Troy this year. If he isn’t cleared, he could greyshirt and USC could use his scholarship for Redd.

USC could also cut a player or “demote” someone to a walk-on, but that would be awkward, to say the least.

So for now, it seems Redd’s future at USC hangs in the balance. Will Rodgers qualify academically? Will the Trojans cut or demote a player to free up o scholarship?

These questions will likely be answered in the coming days and weeks, and we will update as news breaks.