Ellington

OXFORD, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi running back Jordan Wilkins has been ruled ineligible for the upcoming regular season because he has not met NCAA standards for progress toward a degree.

The school released a statement on Thursday, saying it appealed the NCAA's decision based on a school "administrative error," but the request was denied this week.

Wilkins, a 6-foot-1, 215-pound junior, was fourth on the team with 379 yards rushing last season. He was expected to be an important part of the backfield this fall.

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