Oregon Ducks senior offensive lineman Nick Cody has been ruled academically ineligible and will not join the team in its upcoming Fiesta Bowl appearance, according to a press release sent out Friday by the university.
Cody, the Brush Prairie native who played high school football at Hockinson High, and junior defensive lineman Axel McQuaw did not meet “the minimum NCAA academic requirements” to participate in the Jan. 3 BCS bowl game in Scottsdale, Ariz.
On Friday night, Cody did not return messages from The Columbian seeking comment.
A force on the right side of Oregon’s offensive line, the 6-foot-5, 310-pound Cody started 18 games through his five-year career. In the past two seasons when Cody played as a regular starter, the Ducks’ rushing offense ranked first and third in Division-I football, respectively.
This past fall, Cody started six games but told The Columbian in late November that he had suffered an unspecified injury. Cody stated that he could not comment on the specifics of the injury due to team policy — “I’m just saving my own (tail) from getting chewed out,” Cody said.
