We all remember what a travesty the Drew Ott situation was. The guy burned a red shirt playing a hand full of snaps his freshmen year, then plays a few games (injured) his senior year. He applied for an extra year of eligibility, then was forced to sweat it out all the way until the NFL draft before finding out whether or not he would gain an extra season of eligibility. All the while, guys with lesser hardships were being granted waivers right and left.
On June 11th, we get huge news that Oliver Martin, a stud recruit at Iowa's perpetual position of weakness, is transferring to Iowa. He said he would seek a waiver for immediate eligibility. Many speculated that he could likely come in and see significant minutes right away. He also has a compelling case for a waiver...Mich lost both its WR coach and OC in 2018 and brought in new coaches and a new offense.
After two months of wondering whether Oliver would get eligibility, and watching player after player have their waivers granted, Martin sits in limbo with just 11 days until the season starts. Still no decision has been made by the NCAA? Is it the NCAA's fault? NOPE. Not this time. They are the easy scapegoat, but this one is not on them.
It turns out, the U of I sat on Oliver's waiver request until...early August! For 2 months, kids across the country were having their waivers awarded while Iowa's administrators (the same ones that "reassigned" then "fired" a lesbian coach with a successful record and lost a lawsuit over it) took the summer off.
We have self-imposed uncertainty at one of the most important positions on the field. If Martin does get the waiver, and I believe he ultimately will, what does that do to someone like Smith-Marsette, who has topped the depth all spring and fall, to suddenly lose the role days before kickoff? If Martin doesn't get the waiver, what does it do to the kid who's been practicing as if he's going to be on the field in 12 days only to have that ripped from him at the last second?
Either way, it's a boneheaded move by Iowa's incompetent compliance office from both a morale and personnel perspective.
