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For the second time this week, college football has been mentioned prominently in the federal corruption trial that's gripping the college basketball world.
A video wiretap from July 2017 of Clemson coach basketball coach Steve Smith who was primarily focused on training Duke's training star Zion Williamson took a turn and mentioned the Clemson football program. According to CBS Sports' Matt Norlander, Smith mentioned Clemson's recruiting methods to defend Christian Dawkins and an undercover FBI agent.
"That's why it's so successful," said Smith in the video.
"It's a small college town," he later said. "You can come to a game after the game, you see, you see, 'wait a minute now.'"
Marty Blazer, a financial advisor out of Pittsburgh, testified: "I understood that to mean boosters would give certain things."
Blazer's comment was sustained by the defense, and the objection was sustained.
This comes just three days after Blazer, a cooperating witness, made to claim that he paid several college football players from 2000-14, including players at North Carolina, Alabama, Penn State, Notre Dame, Michigan Pitt and Northwestern.
He provided more details on two instances of these payments. He asked for a Penn State player who was drafted 11th overall in the 2009 draft (Aaron Maybin). He also testified that he paid a first round pick of the New York Giants in the 2009 North Carolina draft (Hakeem Nicks).
As for what this means for all of the programs mentioned so far during the trial, that is up in the air. But less than one week in the proceedings, it's clear that the college football world should be prepared for more information about the remainder of the process.
Clemson released a statement on the subject shortly after.
"We are aware of the developments in federal court today involving one of our men's basketball assistant coaches." We take this matter seriously and will immediately conduct a review.
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