NCAA Grants Unprecedented Waiver To ASU Punter

As the Boston College football program awaits the waiver request of transfer quarterback Phil Jurkovec, and wide receiver Jaelen Gill, the NCAA opened new grounds on Wednesday. According to reports, the NCAA granted a waiver for Arizona punter Michael Turk who went undrafted in the NFL to return to the Sun Devils.

Covid-19 is the reason Turk was granted this waiver. He wasn’t able to participate in any pro day or visit teams to workout, which has never happened before.

Former Florida State punter Logan Tyler is still currently expected to transfer to ASU this season.

So, ASU is loaded.
— SunDevilSource.com (@SunDevilSource) June 3, 2020

Turk, who entered the draft, and signed with an agent will be eligible the upcoming season for Herm Edwards. This ruling completely bucks the precedent that once you sign with an agent you are no longer considered a student athlete. The reason the NCAA granted this waiver was because of COVID-19, which prevented the punter from holding an official pro day for scouts and NFL coaches.

But this new ruling could open the pandora's box for college football players. Many times these young players get bad advice and leave school early, and unfortunately they are stuck with that decision and not allowed to return. Recently at Boston College cornerbacks Hamp Cheevers and Al Louis-Jean both left BC early and neither were drafted.

If this ruling starts to open the door for players to test the waters and return, this could impact Boston College. Maybe a player like David Bailey or Isaiah McDuffie may want to enter the draft, and possibly they have a great reason to file a waiver if they aren't drafted. Of course you want to think that a circumstance like COVID-19 would be a one time exemption, but this is the NCAA we are taking about.

In terms of transfer waivers the NCAA has been processing them lately. Johnny Juzang a former Kentucky basketball who transferred to UCLA, received his waiver in almost a week. According to reports his transfer was approved due to a family situation. Hopefully Boston College will get a resolution on the Jurkovec/Gill waivers soon.

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