Khalil Mack might be the best defender in football. Did you know he went to college at Buffalo?

Mack didn’t start playing football until late in his high school career in Florida, and he got hurt as a junior, and a bunch of teams missed on him. So he went to UB and became the school’s highest-picked player ever, fifth overall in 2014, after generating highlight tape more typical of an Alabama or USC star than one from Buffalo.

Since then, Mack’s career has been a rocket ship ride. He’s the most famous Buffalo alum in the sports world. He’s positioned to someday donate lots of money to his school, if he wants, and to be a model for the school’s recruiting. This won’t help:

Kept my lil brother a secret for UB...unfortunately they don't feel he's worth a scholarship just wait — Khalil Mack (@52Mack_) February 14, 2017

Mack’s little brother, LeDarius, is an uncommitted class of 2017 linebacker. I don’t know why Buffalo hasn’t offered him a scholarship, and I don’t know how good he is. I also don’t know Buffalo’s scholarship situation, as it relates to a sometimes complicated set of NCAA roster management rules. UB head coach Lance Leipold might be in the right to not offer LeDarius Mack. Even if he’s not, he gets to offer who he wants to offer. It’s hard to tell a coach that someone should get one because of who his brother is.

And yet, this feels really bold on Buffalo’s part. Mack should be a huge asset for a MAC program that went 2-10 last year and has a long road ahead of it to contend for conference titles regularly. Nothing that distances Mack from the team he used to lead is a good thing for the Bulls. Here’s our Buffalo blog, UB Bull Run:

It is absolutely insane to think that UB isn’t going to do everything they can to stay on Khalil’s good side. The name recognition that he carries throughout the sports world now is one of the best and he should be a huge asset to UB Athletics. This is how you lose donations. I’d understand not offering LeDarius Mack if he was a basketball player. Men’s hoops is pretty deep and they’re recruiting at the highest level in the MAC right now. But UB Football is coming off of an awful 2-10 season and you’re not willing to give ONE of eighty-five scholarships available? If the kid ends up not producing much, then fine, it’s not the end of the world because there’s still 84 other scholarships that should pan out—assuming you’re competent at recruiting. But more importantly, you make Khalil Mack — who is getting a mega-contract along with Derek Carr and Amari Cooper soon — one of the most loyal UB alums because of this.

It’s a rough situation. Buffalo isn’t clearly in the wrong, but open conflict with a legacy player of Mack’s stature is a bad place to be.