DePaul offers a scholly to an eighth grader, gets rejected

Not even a week after USC got a commitment from 13 year old quarterback prospect David Sills, DePaul's interim head coach Tracy Webster extended a scholarship offer to 6'7" Rosemont, IL, native 14 year old Jahlil Okafor.

Now, we have already written some long-winded columns on the dangers of recruiting players at such a young age and our opinion hasn't changed.

Jahlil Okafor probably won't end up playing for DePaul.
(photo credit: 901PrepScoop)

But this story is a bit different.

For starters, Webster in an interim head coach for DePaul. If you believe the rumors, the Blue Demons are interested in everyone from Craig Robinson to Tyrone Corbin to Isiah Thomas to Mark Aguirre.

The name you didn't see there?

Tracy Webster.

Now, Okafor seems like he is going to be a helluva prospect once he fully develops. As we mentioned, he's already 6'7" as an eighth-grader, may reach as tall as 7'3", and has some pretty impressive blood lines (Emeka is a cousin). But this kid is the class of 2014. He hasn't even chosen a high school yet, and Webster thinks he is going to land a commitment from Jahlil when there is a good chance he will not be coaching the Blue Demons next season, let alone the 2014-15 season.

And do I need to mention that this is DePaul? You don't commit to DePaul when you're 14 years old. You commit to DePaul if you want to be in Chicago and play in the Big East. Not when you are 14 and still have some growing left to do.

The most interesting part in all of this is that DePaul may actually face some punishment from this. It has nothing to do with the (informal) scholarship offer, which, while seedy and disturbing on a few different levels, is perfectly legal. What is illegal is for anyone associated with the University to comment on a recruit before that recruit enrolls at the school.

Apparently, someone forgot to tell Jean Lenti Ponsetto, DePaul's athletic director:

"This is a young guy we've been talking with for a long time, and who has been to games and we have a relationship with because his uncle works for the Rosemont Police Department," Ponsetto said. "I think it's a prospect who has grown up around DePaul basketball. I think he's probably a fan and someone who has been a fan for some time, since we have played in Rosemont for the last 30 years."

Let's cut DePaul some slack.

This may be the first time the media has ever actually cared about a DePaul recruit.