Former Alabama Crimson Tide backup quarterback Phillip Sims has been grated a waiver by the NCAA to play this fall for the University of Virginia
Phillip Sims Granted Waiver To Play For Virginia This Fall
Sims, a former Parade All-American and All-USA Today selection who hails from Chesapeake, Va., will not be required to sit out one season per the NCAA’s bylaws for undergraduate student-athletes, per a release from the school Wednesday evening.
This decision is a result of a family issue outlined in the official paperwork the school submitted to the NCAA back in May.
Sims will have three years of eligibility remaining, but his place on the Cavaliers' depth chart entering training camp in August is unknown. According to SB Nation's Streaking the Lawn writer Paul Guttman, Michael Rocco is expected to be the team's Week 1 starter, despite the raw talent that Sims possesses.
Rocco, a junior, has proven he can run an offense, and it appears he will only be replaced by Sims due to injury or consistently poor play.
While Sims seemingly escaped Tuscaloosa to increase his chances of being a long-term starting quarterback (instead of sitting behind A.J. McCarron), there could be a minor controversy brewing in Charlottesville as the season gets closer.
For more on Virginia football, head over to Streaking the Lawn.
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