One of the great Signing Day traditions across college football is the rampant- at times, comical- accusations of cheating. Ask just about any fan, from any school, and every team in the sport is cheating. Well, except theirs of course.
However, it’s not often that you get a player to talk about. It’s even rarer when they may have unintentionally implicated themselves.
That happened on Tuesday morning when Chad Bumphis, a receiver who just finished a four-year career at Mississippi State sent out a pretty… ahem, interesting tweet. Read below.
With NSD near, recruits listen. DON'T go with the money! After its gone ur stuck at a place you probably don't even like for 3-5 years!
— chad bumphis (@ImSo_BalisMade1) February 5, 2013
Again, that Tweet was certainly… interesting. To say the least.
Look, let me start by saying this: I am not, nor is anyone at Crystal Ball Run accusing Bumphis of cheating. Whether he took money or not to play at the school, only he knows. With his career at Mississippi now over, it ultimately doesn’t matter either.
At the time, cheating or not, it’s an interesting tweet to send, and you’d have to assume there is some kind of context behind it. After all, if he was totally happy with his four years at Mississippi State, why would he elect to send out this random PSA in the first place? If he enjoyed his time at State, what would even compel to think like this?
More importantly, this is just a bad look for Mississippi State, a program which has a history with this sort of stuff. Remember, they were at the center of the Cam Newton saga two years ago, and although State was never implicated in actually paying Cam (nor was Auburn for that matter), the last thing any school needs is a player making a statement like that. Even though Bumphis finished his career at Mississippi State on New Year’s Day, it’s safe to say compliance will be looking into this matter.
Also, we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention one last thing: Between Hugh Freeze recruiting up a storm at Ole Miss, another disappointing season where State started 7-0, only to proceed to lose six of their last seven and with Bumphis’ latest tweet, are the walls starting to close in on Dan Mullen?
It’s tough to say, but this latest incident certainly doesn’t help.
For all his insight, analysis and opinion, please follow Aaron on Twitter @Aaron_Torres.
Follow Crystal Ball Run on Twitter @CrystalBallRun.
