Remember when a redshirt year was inevitable for almost every college football player? When it was the exception and NOT the norm for freshman to play? No mystery, no conspiracy, it was just his freshman year so he was expected to hit the weight room and bulk up so he could play big boy ball.
Now it's more common than ever for freshman to see the field. Especially in skill positions. They're doing a lot better job of training in the high schools than they used to.
I also remember Urban Meyer one time saying, in this day in age, if they can play you might as well play them because if they're good enough, they are most likely not going to be there for 5 years. I
also seem to remember Will Muschamp talking in a presser not too long ago about how it's ideal for offensive linemen to get a redshirt year because even though they may be big, they're usually not strong enough to take on SEC defensive linemen unless they had really, really good technique.
Remember when Will Grier and his father publicly stated during his senior year of HS that he expected Grier to redshirt so he would have a chance to bulk up, study the game and otherwise be physically and mentally prepared for SEC football? No mention of faking an injury. And why was that?
Oh yeah, because
it's standard operating procedures for all freshman to get a redshirt if the team doesn't "need" them to AND they're not ready to play.
What is not standard operation procedures you ask? Good, I'm glad you asked.
This:
JESUS CHRIST EVERY COACH AT EVERY SCHOOL DOES IT.......It is done to increase the likelihood of a player qualifying for a hardship......Hardship is not guaranteed........The more "injury history a player has the MORE LIKELY HE IS TO QUALIFY........
It was always the preferred plan to redshirt either Grier or Harris to create a year of separation and they didn't need to create some conspiracy to do it. If a kid needs a medical redshirt later, he'll get it. As long as it's within the parameters of what was listed multiple times above. JD got his for breaking a leg in the first 3 games of the season. He didn't have to have medical documentation of "broken leg symptoms" from years prior...just in the event that he might one day in fact, break his leg.