Ole Miss releases Law from NLI | The Salt Lake Tribune

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

The saga of which school will get Florida running back Dacorius Law apparently is over. Ole Miss released a statement Thursday afternoon announcing it has released Law from his National Letter of Intent. Law signed letters to both Utah and Ole Miss on signing day, adding some unexpected confusion and drama to the day. Apparently his family wanted Law to go to Ole Miss while he wanted to go to Utah. He also signed with East Mississippi Community College, but athletes are allowed to sign with junior colleges as well as Division I schools if they aren't sure if they will qualify academically. Utah sent copies of the paperwork it received to both the Pac-12 office and NCAA along with a video in which Law explains why he wanted to go to Utah in an effort to prove Law wanted to attend Utah. Luckily for the Utes such steps were unnecessary with Ole Miss releasing the athlete. Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze said in his statement that his school's compliance department was cooperating with the NLI office. "We are completely certain no wrongdoing occurred by our coaching or compliance staff," the statement read. "Regardless of the outcome of the findings, we want the young man to attend the school he wants. After talking with D.J. and his family, we are releasing him from his NLI and wish him the best. We have put this matter behind us and plan to make best use of that scholarship." Law rushed for 1,275 yards on 109 carries and 13 touchdowns as a senior. He runs a 4.35 in the 40 and also plays basketball for Haines City H.S. Interestingly, the Law case isn't the first time the Utes have been in a bidding war for a player. In 1999, defensive end Van Brown from Alhambra, Calif., signed with both Oregon and Utah. The Collegiate Commissioners Association, which presides over such matters, eventually determined he was Oregon property because Oregon's letter was dated earlier than Utah's. Brown never played for the Ducks as he sat out the 1999 season then went to Glendale Community College before landing at USC in 2002. He played primarily as a backup at defensive end. - Lya Wodraska