15.02.3.1 Initial Counter. [FBS/FCS] An “initial counter” is a counter who is receiving countable financial
aid in a sport for the first time. (See Bylaw 15.5.6.3 in football for instances in which the institution is permitted
to defer the counting of such financial aid until the following academic year.) - Hill won't be receiving financial aid for the first time so we can likely get around him being an initial counter, just an 85 max counter.
15.5.1.2 Counter Who Becomes Injured or Ill. A counter who becomes injured or ill to the point that
he or she apparently never again will be able to participate in intercollegiate athletics shall not be considered a
counter beginning with the academic year following the incapacitating injury or illness. - We should get back Tanner & McBride counters. This will allow us to potentially back count them if we need to use an initial counter with anyone on the team currently that came in for the 2018 or 2019 class.
15.5.6.3.3 Nonrecruited Student-Athlete Receiving Institutional Financial Aid During First Year. [FBS/FCS] A student-athlete not recruited (per Bylaw 15.02.9) by the institution who receives institutional financial aid (based in any degree on athletics ability) after beginning football practice during the first year of enrollment becomes a counter but need not be counted as an initial counter until the next academic year if the institution has reached its initial limit for the year in question. However, the studentathlete shall be considered in the total counter limit for the academic year in which the aid was first received. (Revised: 1/15/11 effective 8/1/11, 4/25/18 effective 8/1/18)
15.5.6.3.5 Aid First Awarded After First Year. [FBS/FCS] A student-athlete who has been in residence at the certifying institution for at least one academic year may receive athletically related financial aid for the first time without such aid counting as an initial award, provided the aid falls within the overall grant limitation. (Adopted: 1/11/89, Revised: 1/10/90 effective 8/1/90, 4/25/18 effective 8/1/18)
15.5.6.3.6 Recruited Student-Athlete, Varsity Competition. [FBS/FCS] In accordance with Bylaw 15.5.1.1, a recruited student-athlete (per Bylaw 15.02.9) receiving institutional financial aid having been granted without regard in any degree to athletics ability becomes an initial counter in the first academic year in which the student-athlete competes on the varsity level. (See Bylaw 15.5.1.1.1.) (Revised: 10/27/05 effective 8/1/06, 1/15/11 effective 8/1/11, 1/18/14 effective 8/1/14)
15.5.6.4.1 Preseason Voluntary Withdrawal. [FBS/FCS] An institution may replace a counter who voluntarily withdraws from the football team by providing the financial aid to another student who already has enrolled in the institution and is a member of the football squad. For this replacement to occur, the counter must withdraw prior to the first day of classes or the first game of the season, whichever is earlier, and provide the institution with a signed statement releasing the institution from its obligation to provide institutional financial aid and verifying the voluntary nature of the withdrawal. The institution may immediately (beginning with the fall term) award the financial aid to a student-athlete who has been a member of the team for at least one academic year and has not previously received athletically related financial aid. A student-athlete who has not been a member of the team for at least one academic year may not receive the financial aid during the fall term, but may receive it in an ensuing term (e.g., spring semester, winter quarter). (Revised: 4/28/05 effective 8/1/05) - Melvin McBride most likely went this route, which opens up another 2019 counter right now.
15.5.6.4.2 Voluntary Withdrawal From the Institution During the Academic Year. [FBS/ FCS] An institution may replace a counter who voluntarily withdraws (e.g., transfer, official religious mission) from the institution during the academic year by providing the financial aid to another student-athlete, including an incoming student-athlete, beginning with the ensuing term (e.g., spring semester, winter or spring quarter) without making the second student-athlete a counter for the remainder of that academic year. The departing student-athlete’s aid may be canceled upon the institution’s receipt of a signed statement from the student-athlete releasing the institution from its obligation to provide institutional financial aid and verifying the voluntary nature of the withdrawal. If such a statement is received, a hearing opportunity (per Bylaw 15.3.2.3) is not required. (Adopted: 4/25/18 effective 8/1/18) - We had how many transfers this season? Yeah those are all "counters" we can use now without them being initial counters (counting against a 25 class limit).