It's just like a red shirt except the player can't enroll in the college and take classes unless they pay for it on their own and they can't practice with the team. They don't get the scholarship until the following year. . . unless the school that he attends (if he paid for it) finds better recruits in the next class and then they cut him and if he wants to play football for someone else he has to go to a different school even if it's August of his second year.
It's called a gray shirt because the only schools that do it are from states that wore gray uniforms in the Civil War.
Here's an excellent clip that goes into oversigning and gray shirting
http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=5935634
Ur are sharp guy, but you are way off base on the gray shirt deal. All lsu gray shirts have received their schollie the following season. I am guessing the same happens at other schools, but cannot verify bc I do not follow recruiting except lsu.
Gray shirts are generally issued to guys that would be takes the following season. This year, Louisiana was stacked, while next season's class is not up to par, so 2-3 guys will likely be offered gray shirt deals.
The problem with porter was les apparently was not forthcoming. Porter acted as if gray shirting was never brought up, so I believe him. Sam Montgomery is an all- world de who will play Sundays. Montgomery was a late surprise, so I wonder if he did not take porter's spot?
Anyway, ur whining about the big bad sec will not change anything with nd's fall from grace. Gl, though.
