“No Comment” on Auburn Quarterback’s Status

By Jesse Rousseau

“We’re not commenting.”

This is what Auburn athletic director Jay Jacobs had to say when asked Friday afternoon about Cam Newton’s status for Saturday’s game against Georgia.

This is a sharp turn from the confident comments from the Auburn staff only days earlier. Auburn has contended for the last week that Newton is an "eligible student-athlete" in light of all the recent reports that money was solicited for the quarterback’s commitment out of junior college.

On Wednesday, Auburn head coach Gene Chizik was adamant about his star player’s status:
"I want to get this off the table up front: Cameron Newton will be playing Saturday against the Georgia Bulldogs.”

But with every passing day, the plot has continued to thicken. Kenny Rogers, who allegedly represented Newton and solicited a six-figure payment to secure the quarterback's commitment, spoke with the ESPN radio station in Dallas on Thursday to provide his side of the story. Rogers claims to have contacted Mississippi State booster Bill Bell in November 2009. He says he told Bell he was with Cecil Newton, who wanted to know if Mississippi State was going to pay him in exchange for Cam’s signing. ESPN contacted Bell Thursday night, at which point he verified Rogers’ statement. Bell also said he has already spoke with an NCAA investigator about the matter.

Meanwhile, Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports reported today that the “NCAA has made Auburn aware of a potential eligibility issue.” If this in fact true, it is now up to Auburn to decide whether playing him is worth the risk.

If Auburn decides to sit Newton, sophomore Barrett Trotter would play quarterback for the Tigers. However, Newton did participate with the first-string team on Thursday night, in what was the final workout for the team before Saturday’s game.

(Sources: ESPN, Yahoo Sports)