Tennessee starting DE, Fluker, Bray, Bumphis, 2 others named as receiving benefits

Tennessee defensive end Maurice Couch and four former SEC players have been named in a report as receiving illegal benefits during their time at schools.

Alabama star DJ Fluker, Tennessee quarterback Tyler Bray, Mississippi State wide receiver Chad Bumphis and defensive end Fletcher Cox, were named by a Yahoo! Sports report.

The payments are said to come from former Tide star Luther Davis, the report said.

“Yahoo Sports also found that three NFL agents and three financial advisers engaged Davis in transactions totaling $45,550. The three agents were Andy Simms, Peter Schaffer and John Phillips. The financial advisers were Jason Jernigan, Mike Rowan and Hodge Brahmbhatt“.

Yahoo said that Simms, Schaffer, Rowan and Phillips confirmed the payments to Davis, but did not say that the money should go to the players elsewhere.

The report added: “A defensive end for the Crimson Tide from 2007-10, Davis acted as a “concierge” between budding NFL draft picks, agents and financial advisers following his college career, five sources told Yahoo Sports. Davis signed with the Buffalo Bills as an undrafted free agent in 2011, but has not been on an NFL roster since being released in training camp prior to that season.”

The report added that if the investigation proves to be true by the NCAA, it could violate NCAA Bylaw 12.3.1.2, which prohibits athletes from receiving benefits from agents or marketing representatives.

Yahoo! added: “Like the highly publicized NCAA case against the University of Southern California and Reggie Bush, a violation of that bylaw could retroactively nullify a portion of each player’s eligibility, including Fluker, who was an All-American at offensive tackle during Alabama’s 2012 national championship season. It could also raise additional issues for Tennessee and Mississippi State, which are both currently on probation until the summer of 2015 for previous rules violations in their respective football programs. ”

BOTTOM LINE: In other words, Fluker was a key part of Alabama’s 2012 season. The NCAA could take away Alabama’s championship, because he was not eligible on the team. As for Tennessee and Mississippi State, this could cost them scholarships and wins for Bray, Bumphis and Cox, who were all key players for the Vols as the time. Right now – and this is the bad bit – Tennessee could be really affected like this. Their already weak defense could lose another starter, who has had four tackles in a pretty restful 2-0 start for Tennessee.