NCAA rule change may allow Melancon to qualify

Defensive tackle Rolando Melancon from Lutcher (La.) High School was in danger of becoming an academic casualty, but is within at least a long shot of qualifying.

Melancon is expected to be one core class and a fraction of a point short of his required grade point average when grades are released later this month, according to a source close to his recruitment.

With some dramatic improvement from an upcoming summer class, the 6foot-1, 260-pounder could complete his lone remaining core class while improving his grade-point average enough to be academically eligible.

Melancon has posted what could be a satisfactory score on the ACT if his GPA can be elevated enough by retaking the core class in question. The NCAA utilizes a sliding scale for academic eligibility.

Safety/linebacker Deshaun Barnes from Lincoln High in Tallahassee, Fla., is also thought to be a close call academically. On Monday, Barnes said that he believes he can still qualify.

Alcoa defensive end Rae Sykes and Chattanooga Brainerd defensive lineman Cory Hall are still expected to attend a junior college. Melancon might be able to avoid such a detour, thanks to the recent rule change.

Under the legislation approved during April's NCAA Board of Directors meeting, prospects completing four years in high school can replace one course grade with a class taken within a year of their class' graduation.

Under the old system, prospects could improve their core class grades during a prep school stopover only if they failed to graduate or were learning disabled. Now, unless prospects are deemed learning disabled, prospects can only improve one core class grade regardless of whether or not they graduate.

If a prospect has more than one grade to improve, he would be forced to graduate from a junior college before enrolling in a four-year institution.

Prep schools are expected to still be effective for prospects looking to improve their entrance exam scores, but not for those looking to improve standing in more than one core classes.

The NCAA requires 14 core classes to be academically eligible. That requirement will increase to 16 next year.

Opponents of the rule say there is a significant downside: more prospects will be forced to attend a two-year junior college as opposed to a one or two semester-long stopover in prep school.

The rule was enacted to help eliminate "diploma mills", or institutions more focused on eligibility than education.

If Melancon can take advantage of the new rule and significantly improve one of his core classes and become eligible, then UT's scholarship numbers would become extremely tight -- as if they weren't already.

The Vols have 27 scholarship slots open for 2007 and signed 32 prospects. Two prospects were mid-term enrollees and were "back counted" to 2006. The NCAA only allows 25 new scholarships to be awarded for football each year.

If UT doesn't have at least five prospects unable to enroll this year, it will have to convince one or more to "gray shirt", meaning they won't enroll until January and count against the 2008 class.