Ole Miss' Jordan Wilkins ruled academically ineligible

Ole Miss running back Jordan Wilkins has been ruled academically ineligible for the upcoming season, but the school claims it has little - if anything - to do with his performance in the classroom.

Instead, the Rebels said Thursday it was their own administrative error that inadvertently cost Wilkins a season. Ole Miss added it already appealed the decision to the NCAA, but to no avail.

"The athletics department takes full responsibility and holds itself accountable when situations like this occur with our student-athletes," the school said in a statement. "We will support Jordan to the fullest during this time and look forward to seeing him return to the field."

Wilkins' loss is a big one for Ole Miss, which planned to allow the redshirt junior to compete for the starting running back position with Akeem Judd. Last year, Wilkins posted 379 yards and four touchdowns on the ground.

Wilkins will have one year of eligibility remaining after this season.