Regarding easy courses and majors. It's not uncommon for even the smartest students to take easier courses in season. Our athletic department gave us a list of easy courses, pro athlete professors and anti athlete professors to stay away from. I wasn't some dumb jock. I majored in Econ with a concentration in Quantitative Analytics. Every elective I took was the easiest course available that semester. We even had names for the courses. Geology 101 was Rocks for Jocks. Theology 101 was Praying for A's. Any Poly ScI course taught by a communist, anti war professor was a B for showing up and an A for competent work. We also had Coaching (pick your sport) 101.
However easy courses and majors is relative. Anything math was relatively easy for me. People think being a Phys Ed major is easy? Take a look at a keneisiology book. I'd never make it through the course.
In order to compete in the NCAA a prospective student must meet a minimum SAT score. I'm not sure what it is anymore. I believe it may be a sliding score based on GPA now. A dumb kid isn't going to pass. He's going to attend a JuCo. From there he will prove if he has the academic ability to make it in the classroom at an NCAA school.
What I'm explaining is the norm. Sure there are programs and players who try to beat the rules. But it's not the norm.
Dont assume just because a kid is from the ghetto and talks funny (to your ear) he can't cut it in the classroom. One of my best friends and college teammate's was from the ghetto in West Memphis. He was one of nine children. His mother was 14 when he was born. Do you think a ghetto kid from the South is going to sound normal to my ear?
He was the first in the history of his family to not drop out of high school. He was the school valedictorian. He joked it's like being the top skier from Florida. By the time he played four years of baseball he was one semester short of a M.A.. He went to school year round rather than go home.
I asked him what motivated him. He said he saw things on tv he wanted. He explained there are two ways to get them. Steal them or get an education, a job and buy them.