It's been nearly a month since the Dillon Baxter recruiting kerfluffle broke, when the incoming blue-chip freshman reported to compliance officers that he had been illegally contacted by Alabama, Florida, Fresno State, Oregon, and Washington in the wake of the USC sanctions announcement, about the possibility of a transfer. The four major programs issued near-immediate denials of any malfeasance, and the story slowly ebbed to nothing -- and today, Alabama and Florida received letters of apology from Mike Garrett:
"I have spoken with Mr. Baxter and he has now confirmed that he did not receive a call from your institution," Garrett wrote to Tide athletic director Mal Moore. "Therefore, USC has no intention of pursuing this matter further.
"I apologize for any inconvenience or embarrassment this matter has caused to you and your institution."
It's a bit early in the west-coast workday to know whether any of the other three schools will receive similar treatment, but one notable component of this story is the continued absence of a denial of improprieties from Fresno State, at least not one that's been publicized. You almost have to admire their pluck -- they're like the chicken hawk in the old Warner Bros. cartoons! (Or like Minnesota committing secondary violations in their hilarious hope of landing Seantrel Henderson.) Stay street, y'all.