Former Coastal Carolina offensive lineman Brock Hoffman is scheduled to transfer from the Chanticleers to Virginia Tech after spring semester to be closer to his mother, who recently had a brain tumor removed. It turns out that he may have to wait until 2020 to play for the Hokies, though.
Hoffman announced on his Twitter page that the NCAA denied his waiver for immediate eligibility and will force him to sit out the 2019 season before the clock starts on his final two years.
#HokieNation I NEED YOUR SUPPORT!! pic.twitter.com/LDOXy4vRMV
— Brock (@BrockHoffman76) April 23, 2019
He states in the Twitter post that the reasons which contributed to the waiver being denied were the fact that Virginia Tech's Blacksburg campus is five miles outside the 100-mile radius from his native Statesville, North Carolina, and that his mother's condition has improved since his days at Coastal Carolina -- this despite what he says is partial facial paralysis, hearing loss and eye sight loss. Hoffman is appealing the NCAA's decision.
The final two sentences of his statement seem more like a closing argument to a slam dunk legal case than a file in the Notes app.
"The appeal process will be quick, and I need all the support I can get," Hoffman wrote. "Don't let the NCAA take football away from me this season when others get a free pass for playing time issues."
This is likely in reference to immediate eligibility waivers granted to high-profile players who likely will start at new institutions despite being blocked by other players with their former teams. Most notably, former No. 2 overall prospect Justin Fields left Georgia to play quarterback at Ohio State after sitting behind Jake Fromm last year. Once that move was announced, former four-star dual-threat quarterback Tate Martell left the Buckeyes for Miami.
CBS Sports has reached out to the NCAA for comment on the denial of Hoffman's waiver request.
