Oklahoma State has company when it comes to football programs facing serious allegations this week.
Yahoo Sports reported Wednesday that five-star players from the Southeastern Conference violated NCAA rules by accepting benefits during their college careers. The five players named in the report are former Alabama offensive tackle D.J. Fluker, former Tennessee quarterback Tyler Bray, current Tennessee defensive end Maurice Couch, former Mississippi State defensive tackle Fletcher Cox and former Mississippi State wide receiver Chad Bumphis.
Couch is a starter for the Volunteers this season. Fluker (a first-round pick of the San Diego Chargers this year), Bray (Kansas City Chiefs) and Cox (Philadelphia Eagles) are in the NFL, and Bumphis was released by the Miami Dolphins on Aug. 31.
A controversial statement published from Fluker's Twitter account in April led to questions about whether the star offensive lineman had accepted payments as a member of the Crimson Tide. The tweet was quickly deleted, though.
Fluker told reporters at a pre-draft event a day after the tweet was published that he never accepted money while at Alabama and said his Twitter account had been hacked.
Yahoo reported Fluker and his mother Annice declined comment through his representatives when contacted about the new allegations.
Per the report, the players' identities were revealed through financial and text message records belonging to former Alabama defensive end Luther Davis, who allegedly served as an intermediary between college football stars and NFL agents and financial advisers.
Three agents and three financial advisers were involved with Davis and racked up transactions totaling at least $45,550 between September 2011 and December 2012, Yahoo reported. Of the agents -- Andy Simms, Peter Schaffer and John Phillips -- and advisers -- Jason Jernigan, Mike Rowan and Hodge Brahmbhatt -- linked to Davis, four (Simms, Schaffer, Phillips and Rowan) confirmed giving money to Davis, according to the report, but each said they did not tell Davis to provide the players with benefits.
If the allegations are proven by the NCAA, it could be determined that a bylaw prohibiting student-athletes from receiving benefits from agents or marketing representatives was violated.
