Walled Lake Western’s Yaseen, a Northwestern commit, ruled ineligible

Walled Lake — Northwestern wide receiver commit Abdur-Rahmaan Yaseen, one of the state’s top players, will miss action this season after being ruled ineligible by the Michigan High School Athletic Association.

The Walled Lake Western star could miss the season, although coach Alex Grignon said the school has appealed the decision on behalf of Yaseen, ranked the No. 16 player in the state for 2019 by The Detroit News.

“He just turned 17, he’s been at Walled Lake Western for all four years of high school, he’s never transferred, and they say he’s ineligible,” Grignon said.

Grignon said Yaseen, a 6-foot-1, 180-pound three-star recruit in the 247Sports Composite rankings, has been classified by the state association as having used all of his eligibility.

Grignon said Yaseen was home-schooled until arriving at Walled Lake Western for his freshman year in 2016. However, Grignon said prior to that, he took too many credits above grade level, and his classification level was changed by the MHSAA.

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“So when he came in as a freshman, they counted him as a sophomore, and then they changed it, but never said anything,” Grignon said. “Well they treated it as him getting held back and not fixing his grade, so his high school clock started the year before high school.”

Grignon said an initial appeal has been turned down, but the school is going through a second appeals process. The coach does not expect Yaseen to be eligible for the team’s opener against White Lake Lakeland on Aug. 29.

MHSAA spokesman Geoff Kimmerly said it's the association's policy to let schools discuss these matters publicly first before providing details, adding the school district has been cooperative in the matter. Brian Swinehart, Walled Lake Consolidated Schools athletic director, had no comment on Friday night.

Grignon said Yaseen is planning on being an early enrollee at Northwestern in January.

“I talked to Northwestern (Thursday), they said, ‘Hey, we’ve got his back, 100 percent. It’s fine with us, it’s just unfortunate he doesn’t get to play this fall, doesn’t get to experience his senior year,’” Grignon said.

Yaseen reportedly had 22 scholarship offers and thanked Iowa State, Iowa, Purdue, Boston College and Indiana in announcing his college decision last December on Twitter.

Walled Lake Western went 8-4 last season in Grignon’s first season.

Matt Schoch is a freelance writer.