Will Lyles Reveals Oregon Paid Him For His “Influence With Top Recruits.”
Yahoo! Sports’ Charles Robinson and Dan Wetzel, better known as college football’s angels of death, have struck again. The duo scored an exhaustive sit-down with suspected street agent Will Lyles where he confirms that Oregon paid him $25,000 for his “influence with top recruits” rather than any tangible scouting service he provided.
As was apparent the “national package” Oregon released to the public was a sham, a response to an urgent request from Oregon to provide material to justify the payment once they became aware of the initial Yahoo! investigation.
From Yahoo!:
Eleven months passed – from March 2010 until February 2011 – before the Ducks requested a single written recruiting profile, Lyles said. And when that moment came, Lyles said the demand for the reports was sudden and emphatic, leading him to believe Oregon was “scrambling” to establish that he’d provided legitimate traditional scouting services because they were aware of a Yahoo! Sports investigation. Previously, Lyles said he had provided scouting reports verbally in frequent calls with Oregon coaches.
“They said they just needed anything,” Lyles said of the embarrassingly thin recruiting profiles that Oregon made public earlier this month. “They asked for last-minute [stuff]. So I gave them last-minute [stuff] … I gave them, like, old stuff that I still had on my computer because I never thought that stuff would see the light of day.”
What did Lyles do for Oregon? According to Yahoo! he did the following, which could be considered NCAA violations.
*He chaperoned a visit of three recruits to the Oregon versus USC game in 2009.
*He helped Oregon running back LaMichael James transfer to a high-school in Arkansas where he would not need to pass a standardized test to graduate. (should really change the designation to athlete-students)
*He helped Oregon running back Lache Seastrunk obtain tutoring and change his legal guardian so he could circumvent his mother who did not want him to sign with Oregon.
*He worked as a go-between for defensive back Marcus Davis who transferred to Oregon from Texas in 2010.
Lyles provided phone records and handwritten notes from both Chip Kelly and Oregon assistants to corroborate his account. The investigation is ongoing. Third-party recruiting is an area where the NCAA wants to set a firm precedent. Things aren’t looking optimistic for Oregon.
[Photo via Getty]

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55 Responses to “Will Lyles Reveals Oregon Paid Him For His “Influence With Top Recruits.””
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July 1st, 2011 at 4:50 PM
This has the potential to be way worse than Ohio State, right?
July 1st, 2011 at 4:58 PM
I was reading this about an hour ago. I felt sorry for Seastrunk kid; his mom sounds like a piece of work.
July 1st, 2011 at 5:00 PM
/browses post
Needs more Oregon cheerleaders
/goes back to actually read post
July 1st, 2011 at 5:03 PM
I would think so, hell yes.
July 1st, 2011 at 5:06 PM
Is every good team in CFB dirty as shit? Good thing they can’t have lockouts though, right Mandel?
July 1st, 2011 at 5:19 PM
Apparently everyone outside the SEC has to cheat to be as good as the SEC, and they’re still not as good as the SEC.
/fact
//and yet, “the cheating SEC” isn’t in trouble
July 1st, 2011 at 5:21 PM
It’s going to take every dime of Phil Knight’s money and influence to keep this from blowing up the program. What’s funny is that they were caught because they tried to make it look legit (recruiting service) rather than burying it so deep with no paper trail.
July 1st, 2011 at 5:22 PM
I’m sure LSU and Cal, his other “clients” are going to be getting some sniffing around from the Yahoo folks, even though their payments were much smaller than Oregon’s.
July 1st, 2011 at 5:23 PM
/fact
//and yet, “the cheating SEC” isn’t in trouble
Don’t count your chickens before your Auburn-colored eggs hatch.
July 1st, 2011 at 5:23 PM
this blew me away.
July 1st, 2011 at 5:26 PM
Of course they’re not as good. $180k > $25k.
July 1st, 2011 at 5:28 PM
When will motherfuckers learn. No paper trail. Goddamnit.
July 1st, 2011 at 5:30 PM
Don’t count your chickens before your Auburn-colored eggs hatch.
Well, since LSU is linked to the same guy, that’s another place to look for SEC teams in trouble. Or Miss State since they’re a central part of the Cam Newton scandals (I keep pointing this out when I get the chance: all the stuff that got recorded comes from MSU’s recruiting efforts with the Icon. Just because they didn’t land him doesn’t exonerate them from offering him shit). And how much of a surprise will it be when master recruiter and reformed carpetbagger Little Nicky ends his career covered in shame from some scandal or another?
July 1st, 2011 at 5:32 PM
that’s not just a paper trail…lyles and kelly/oregon are siamese twins.
can’t even begin to think what kind of punishment will be levied…
July 1st, 2011 at 5:35 PM
Only if the same outrage is given by the media. From a sheer “cheating” perspective, it is MILES worse.
What can the NCAA prove is the main question and will ultimately determine how bad the Ducks get it.
/Wait for Auburn, folks
//It’s gonna get worse
July 1st, 2011 at 5:39 PM
Reduction of uniform choices on gamedays
July 1st, 2011 at 5:41 PM
they get the hue turned down from 88 to 20 for four seasons.
July 1st, 2011 at 5:43 PM
Nice, from neon to just really fucking bright. One more violation and it could go down to a matte finish.
July 1st, 2011 at 5:49 PM
I remember when the Ohio st story broke wetzel was saying how they were working on 2 major stories both more severe than the Ohio state one they just broke. One was a 10 in terms of severity. Wonder what that could be?
July 1st, 2011 at 5:52 PM
Looking forward to dancing on Chip Kellys grave in the future, and for that backwoods program to return to irrelevance.
July 1st, 2011 at 5:55 PM
OT:
Shhhhhhhh! Don’t tell Ballz!!
END OT.
July 1st, 2011 at 5:58 PM
Just talked to a friend of mine that said a school in the South is directly in the NCAA crosshairs right now and it is a doozy. He is unsure of the school, but I am very certain of the source. In comparison, this blows the Oregon stuff out of the water in terms of severity.
The Oregon thing is huge. This is a coach and his staff directly breaking rules themselves, then covering it up, with the assistance of their athletic department.
In comparison, OSU’s issues were players committing infractions, and the head coach turning a blind eye, then covering it up himself. The OSU Compliance Department, for all the abuse taken, self reports virtually everything it finds, including the e-mails that caused Tressel to resign.
July 1st, 2011 at 6:00 PM
That sounds fun
July 1st, 2011 at 6:03 PM
Auburn has got to be the leader in the clubhouse right?
July 1st, 2011 at 6:03 PM
My 8-year-old nephew was busted for HGH.
/headline I won’t be surprised to see at this rate
July 1st, 2011 at 6:05 PM
For some reason my brain just reacted to this with “I hope it’s Alabama,” which is weird because I don’t really hate Alabama or Saban that much.
July 1st, 2011 at 6:06 PM
I can’t express how dissapointed I am in missing the F1 convo that I started.
July 1st, 2011 at 6:11 PM
I wish I could take credit for this, but sadly I cannot:
July 1st, 2011 at 6:11 PM
You would have hated it, I was involved, haha.
July 1st, 2011 at 6:15 PM
If we keep it about racing, that’s ok. The Valencia circuit sucks. At least it was your first race. Next week at Silverstone will be better. Plus there are rule changes. And you’ll get to experience the greatness of Bob Varsha being back in the booth with Hobbs and Matchett. He was doing Barret Jackson last week. Too bad it’s on Fox again.
July 1st, 2011 at 6:25 PM
Yeah, that was one thing I noticed during the race too, these rule changes. It actually sounded like they were doing it on the fly simply bc the RB team has been doing so well, or is that wrong? These cars are fucking amazing though, so much technology and they fucking flyyyyyyy.
July 1st, 2011 at 6:25 PM
I’m so sick of the RBRs and Vettel dominating. Hopefully McLaren have a decent package of upgrades ready for their home track.
July 1st, 2011 at 6:28 PM
So am I, but I hate McLaren. There will be more rule changes next week. Teams wont be able to flow the exhaust over the diffusers under the car to generate downforce. But Red Bulls advantage lies in it’s magic front wing. I don’t think it’ll change much. I’d like to see it help Mercedes. I wanna see Schumy on the podium again.
July 1st, 2011 at 6:31 PM
That was that DRS system thing they were talking about right? So that they could go faster on the straights and hopefully increase passing and such?
July 1st, 2011 at 6:33 PM
Yep. Check this out. They’re at Spa going through Eau Rouge.
July 1st, 2011 at 6:34 PM
No. DRS is the drag reduction system. When it’s activated a flap on the rear wing opens to increase top speed in the straights. Cars have to be within one second of the car in front of them to use it. And only in designated areas.
July 1st, 2011 at 6:35 PM
Is it Ole Miss? Didn’t they take that kid away from MSU by giving him a new truck?
July 1st, 2011 at 6:36 PM
Holy shit, that just gave me more wood than some of the porn I’ve watched.
July 1st, 2011 at 6:37 PM
I thought they are banning the off throttle qualifying systems that blow extra exhaust not the blown diffuser itself.
July 1st, 2011 at 6:38 PM
HA! That’s my favorite turn at my favorite track. 5 vertical g’s, 4 lateral g’s. 190 mph.
July 1st, 2011 at 6:38 PM
This makes sense and answers the question I was asking myself as to why they weren’t always doing it, or why they were showing two cars in a line and only the back one was using it.
July 1st, 2011 at 6:40 PM
For the right turn at the end? God. Damn. I used to go down to Monterey and watch the Indy Cars run every year, and this shit makes those look and sound like freaking go-karts.
July 1st, 2011 at 6:41 PM
That’s right. Off throttle exhaust. I need a Steve Matchett app. And they won’t be able to change engine mapping after between qualifying and the race. I don’t know about during the race. They’d be able to save money on the $55,000 steering wheels.
July 1st, 2011 at 6:42 PM
Yea. The rules for using it are pretty byzantine.
July 1st, 2011 at 6:44 PM
It’s uphill, that’s where the 5 vertical g’s come from. It’s weird seeing the drivers head sink down. Here’s an entire lap at Spa, courtesy of Ferrari and Kimi Raikonnen.
July 1st, 2011 at 6:48 PM
Perhaps the most exciting race I’ve ever seen at Spa. Lewis v. Kimi at Spa in the rain. Hamilton got hit with a bullshit penalty after the race.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYuhXfpFkBU
July 1st, 2011 at 6:50 PM
I thought the same thing. For someone with no dog in the fight, the media frenzy and fall out would be very entertaining.
Although, as a bonus, maybe getting all worked up will be the only exercise most of that state will get all year.
July 1st, 2011 at 6:51 PM
Auburn is actually connected to this scandal. Seastrunk was initially set on Auburn, but then their coaches backed off. Not sure how that fits with everyone’s narrative.
July 1st, 2011 at 6:52 PM
Last season’s race was exciting as hell, too. I forgot whose car Vettle crashed into. I just remember Vettel’s nose piercing somebody’s radiator.
/Suzuka is my second favorite track
July 1st, 2011 at 6:55 PM
I remember that race. That was a crazy last couple of laps. I’m not a Hamilton fan.
July 1st, 2011 at 6:55 PM
That was great, that track is amazing. I can definitely see why you guys like it so much. I just love how these cars sound too, it’s like they’re begging for the drivers to give them more.
July 1st, 2011 at 6:59 PM
SPEED Channels coverage makes it better. No multi-person commentating team does their job as well as Varsha, Hobbs, and Matchett. Perfect chemistry and scary good knowledge. Matchett knows every technical detail about the cars, Varsha has a great voice and knows seemingly everyones name. And Hobbs is hilarious. They have to dumb it down a bit on Fox, though.
July 1st, 2011 at 7:04 PM
Sounds good, going to try and give it a better look and probably get a little more into it before this next race then.
July 1st, 2011 at 7:05 PM
Brand new pit lane at Silverstone. I’m still not sure about the new complex they added last year, though.
July 1st, 2011 at 8:44 PM
Wow.