COLLEGE NEWS AND NOTES
by Brent Beaird
February 03, 2012
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WHERE SEC TEAMS LINE UP IN RECRUITING
ALABAMA: Note: Alabama has very limited room in its recruiting class. Alabama currently has 27 commitments, meaning that some prospects might have to grayshirt or Alabama will have to count back to its 2011 or 2010 classes with early enrollees if there is room to.
Kwon Alexander, #3 OLB, Oxford, Ala. /Oxford: He's an extremely talented linebacker who currently has Alabama, Auburn and LSU at the top.
Eddie Goldman, #1 DT, Washington, D.C./Collegiate Academy: He's the No. 1 defensive tackle in the country and he just happens to be the best at a position of need.
Korren Kirven, #8 DT, Lynchburg, Va. /Brookville: Alabama's former linebackers coach Sal Sunseri recruited him hard when he was in Tuscaloosa, Ala., so he knows plenty about the Tide.
Jameis Winston, #1 QB, Hueytown, Ala. /Hueytown: He's committed to Florida State, but Alabama would love to have him make a last-minute switch to stay in state.
ARKANSAS
Dorial Green-Beckham, #1 WR, Springfield, Mo. /Hillcrest: It sounds like Arkansas is in really good shape with him, but watch out for Missouri.
Jordan Diamond, #10 OT, Chicago, Ill/Simeon: He visited Arkansas last weekend and the Hogs would love to add another lineman.
Davonte Neal, #1 ATH, Scottsdale, Ariz. /Chaparral: He could do a lot of damage in Arkansas' offense at wide receiver.
AUBURN
Kwon Alexander, #3 OLB, Oxford, Ala. /Oxford: Auburn is in the thick of it for one of the state's best players and needs help at linebacker.
Arik Armstead, #3 OT, (COMMITS TO OREGON) Elk Grove, Calif. /Pleasant Grove: It's getting pretty tight with he and his brother when it comes to schools, but Auburn got an official.
Stefon Diggs, #3 ATH, Olney, Md. /Our Lady of Good Counsel: He's a tremendous athlete and his future will likely be at wide receiver, where he might contribute early at Auburn.
Ricardo Louis, #5 ATH, Miami Beach, Fla. /Miami Beach: He was once committed to Auburn, then to Florida State. Now, he's back on the market.
Avery Young, #8 OT, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. /Palm Beach Gardens: He has gotten extremely close to Auburn's staff and has the Tigers as a finalist.
FLORIDA
Nelson Agholor, #6 WR, Tampa, Fla. /Berkeley: Agholor can make a lot of plays when he has the ball and Gainesville isn't far from home.
Stefon Diggs, #3 ATH, Olney, Md. /Our Lady of Good Counsel: He's the kind of playmaker Florida desperately needs in its offense at receiver.
Josh Harvey-Clemons, #1 OLB, Valdosta, Ga. /Lowndes: A big, athletic, fast outside linebacker would be a welcomed addition to Florida's class.
Tracy Howard, #1 CB, Miramar, Fla. /Miramar: He's that solid game-changing cover corner Florida wants to add to its defense.
Avery Young, #8 OT, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. /Palm Beach Gardens: Line depth is needed for the Gators and the staff has been on Young for a while.
GEORGIA
Josh Harvey-Clemons, #1 OLB, Valdosta, Ga. /Lowndes: He is a real playmaker on the outside and would do well in Todd Grantham's 3-4.
Cordarrelle Patterson, JC WR, Rock Hill, S.C./Hutchinson Community College: He's one of the top JUCO prospects and is a priority for the Bulldogs.
Avery Young, #8 OT, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. /Palm Beach Gardens: He's an extremely athletic lineman who should really excel at left tackle in college.
KENTUCKY
Note: Kentucky has 25 commitments, but could be in the same boat as Alabama when it comes to bringing in more signees.
Raphael Andrades, #152 WR, Tallahassee, Fla. /Lincoln: He's a bigger receiver and Kentucky sure needs receivers.
Imani Cross, #20 RB, Gainesville, Ga. /North Hall: Kentucky needs playmakers in this class and Cross might be able to contribute early.
LSU
Kwon Alexander, #3 OLB, Oxford, Ala. /Oxford: More Tigers interested in snagging this top linebacker prospect.
Landon Collins, #1 S, Geismar, La/Dutchtown: Collins is committed to Alabama, but his mother prefers LSU and he hasn't signed anything ...
Trae Elston, #10 S, Oxford, Ala. /Oxford: He's Alexander's teammate and LSU has come at him hard and will get his final official visit.
Cordarrelle Patterson, JC WR, Rock Hill, S.C./Hutchinson Community College: LSU needs another top-notch WR and Patterson fits that need.
MISSISSIPPI STATE
Note: Hey, look, another class that is at 25. Counting back is your friend.
Beniquez Brown, #16 ATH, Florence, Ala./Florence: He can play all over the field, including running back, but he'll likely end up on defense.
Jeremy Liggins #12 ATH, Oxford, Miss/Lafayette: He's a big body and prefers quarterback, but could play multiple positions on offense or even move to defense.
OLE MISS
Trae Elston, #10 S, Oxford, Ala/Oxford: Ole Miss needs help on defense and Elston could provide a boost to the secondary.
Khalid Henderson, #19 OLB, Austell, Ga. /Pebblebrook: He was a two-way star in high school, but he'll stick to defense in college.
Jeremy Liggins #12 ATH, Oxford, Miss/Lafayette: Ole Miss' staff would like to keep him at home, but would the Rebels take him as a QB?
SOUTH CAROLINA
Tyriq McCord, #13 DE, Tampa, Fla. /Jefferson: He is committed to Miami and his parents love the academics there, but South Carolina has recruited him hard.
Note: Some of our recruiting analysts feel that South Carolina is all but wrapped up here, but there's a chance that coaches could still go after a punter.
TENNESSEE
Quinshad Davis, #51 WR, Gaffney, S.C./Gaffney: Tennessee is search for some offensive playmakers and Davis has that kind of ability in him.
Korren Kirven, #8 DT, Lynchburg, Va. /Brookville: Sunseri has recruited him hard at two schools, and has a great relationship with Kirven.
Cordarrelle Patterson, JC WR, Rock Hill, S.C./Hutchinson Community College: He's a big-play WR that the Vols would love to snag this year.
VANDERBILT
Harding Harper, #97 OLB, Birmingham, Ala. /Carver: Vanderbilt wants to add to the linebacker position and the speedy Harper would do that.
Kevin McCoy, #51 OT, Seffner, Fla. /Armwood: Vandy needs depth on the offensive line and McCoy would certainly provide that.
SEC TEAM NOTES
ALABAMA: Defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson from Henry County High School in McDonough, Ga., will choose among Alabama, Georgia and Georgia Tech on Wednesday. And a few members of the media are predicting Tomlinson will choose Alabama. "I feel he'll be putting the Bama hat on Wednesday," ESPN recruiting analyst Jamie Newberg told 680 The Fan in Atlanta on Monday.
Michael Carvell of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution predicted the same decision when he was asked on Sunday. "The atmosphere makes you feel more comfortable down there," recently said of Alabama during an interview with ESPN.com. Tomlinson, who will announce his decision on Wednesday, is considered the nation's 42nd-best defensive tackle by ESPN. Other schools to offer Tomlinson include Auburn, Florida, South Carolina, Tennessee and Southern California. (espn.com)
TAYLOR UPDATE: Running back Justin Taylor of Atlanta visited Ole Miss over the weekend and will decide between Alabama and Ole Miss. The Crimson Tide have talked to Taylor about grayshirting and enrolling in January, but the Rebels have a spot for him right now. As Alex Scarborough of ESPN.com's TideNation points out, Alabama has 12 ESPNU 150 commitments heading into signing day, which is more than all of the other Western Division teams combined. The other five West teams from 2011 have a total of nine ESPNU 150 commitments. LSU has four, Auburn two, Ole Miss two and Mississippi State one. (espn.com)
ARKANSAS: Arkansas is still keeping its fingers crossed that receiver Dorial Green-Beckham will pick the Hogs on signing day. Green-Beckham is rated as the No. 3 prospect in the country by ESPN, and is expected to pick between Arkansas and Missouri on signing day. He will make his announcement on ESPNU. Over the weekend, the Hogs picked up a commitment from junior college receiver Demetrius Wilson of Glendale (Ariz.) Community College. (espn.com)
PETERS UPDATE: Covington (La.) linebacker Otha Peters has changed his commitment from Tennessee to Arkansas, according to coach Malter Scobel. Peters, 6-1, 221, 4.61, took an official visit to Arkansas this past weekend. He had been committed to the Volunteers since July and visited there two weeks ago. Rivals.com rates him the No. 4 overall prospect in Louisiana, the No. 6 inside linebacker recruit in the nation and the No. 126 overall prospect in the country. (hawgsports.com)
AUBURN: Tommy Tuberville did Gene Chizik no favors by leaving behind bare final recruiting classes. Twelve of Auburn's 28 signees in 2008 never even played a down for the Tigers, and only five of the 28 will likely exhaust their eligibility. Tuberville's last group truly was, as the Opelika-Auburn News recently dubbed it, "The Class That Time Forgot." So what's that make Chizik's first two classes? Because time is quickly forgetting many of those players, too. Remarkably, 43 percent of Auburn's 2009 and 2010 signees are no longer on the team, or never joined the program in the first place. That's a brutal percentage, especially as Auburn sits with the SEC's fewest 2012 commitments and two new coordinators who inevitably will weed out some veterans. (al.com)
Auburn lost out to Oregon over the weekend on offensive/defensive lineman Arik Armstead of Elk Grove, Calif. Armstead is an ESPNU 150 prospect and rated as the No. 3 offensive tackle nationally by ESPN. (espn.com)
FLORIDA: And those closest to five-star CB Tracy Howard say it is anyone's guess as to where he winds up. What is known: He will be sitting in his school's auditorium for a signing day ceremony that begins at 9 a.m. Wednesday. He's expected to announce at 9:35, with the decision broadcast on ESPNU. "This has the biggest (buzz of a signing day ceremony) I can remember," Howard's coach, Damon Cogdell, told CaneSport.com. Cogdell has been talking with Howard this week and says his star player enjoyed his time at UM last weekend. "Tracy is very confused right now," Cogdell said. "It's between Florida State, Florida and UM right now. It's a coin toss. You flip a coin and decide."
FLORIDA RECRUITING
Biggest areas of need: Receiver, offensive line, defensive line, secondary Rankings: Rivals (4), ESPN (4), Athlon (4)
Top commits: OT D.J. Humphries (6-5, 275); OG Jessamen Dunker (6-5, 315); DE Jonathan Bullard (6-4, 245), TE Kent Taylor (6-5, 210); DT Dante Phillips (6-6, 265); S Brian Poole (5-10, 192)
Top targets still on the board: WR Nelson Agholor (6-1, 185); WR Stefon Diggs (6-0, 185); DB Tracy Howard (5-11, 175)
The skinny: Florida struggled in 2011 on offense, which ranked 89th in the nation in passing, 73rd in rushing. The Gators were inconsistent and haven't done enough to address that side of the ball in recruiting. WR Latroy Pittman is an early enrollee but isn't projected to be a dynamic playmaker. UF's leading returning receiver (Andre Debose) had just 16 catches last season. On defense, the Gators ranked ninth in the country in yards allowed per game (299.6) but didn't apply enough pressure (28 sacks) or force nearly enough turnovers (13 fumble recoveries, eight interceptions) to help out the struggling offense. More help is on the way in this class. If UF can keep its current class of 20 intact, and somehow add two of its three remaining top targets, this class jumps into the top two nationally. (jacksonville.com)
The two commitments come as Florida is putting the finishing touches on the 2012 class. With 21 players in that class, the Gators rank fourth in ESPN and Rivals.com's most recent rankings, while Scout.com has them in fifth.
National Signing Day is Wednesday, and UF is in position to add some top talent in the class. The following prospects have Florida as one of their finalists and will choose on or after signing day: Olney (Md.) Our Lady of Good Counsel WR Stefon Diggs, Tampa Berkeley Prep WR Nelson Agholor, Palm Beach Gardens OL Avery Young, Valdosta (Ga.) Lowndes ATH Josh Harvey-Clemons and Miramar CB Tracy Howard. (orlandosentinel.com)
QB VERBAL: New offensive coordinator Brent Pease has made his first mark on Florida's football program. One of his priorities upon taking the job earlier this month was targeting a quarterback to sign in the 2012 recruiting class, which UF had not planned to do under Charlie Weis. Pease succeeded in his quest Friday with the commitment of three-star QB Skyler Mornhinweg, who decommitted from Penn State in favor of the Gators. Mornhinweg (Philadelphia, Pa. /St. Joseph's) is the son of Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg. He and Pease have a close relationship that dates back to their college years. The 6-foot-3, 215-pound signal-caller got the stamp of approval from UF tight end commit Colin Thompson, who took his official visit with Mornhinweg last weekend.
WILLIAMS UPDATE: Not only did Daytona Beach (Fla.) Mainland Rivals100 defensive end Leonard Williams not make his previously scheduled official visit to Miami this past weekend, on Sunday he decided to shake things up even further by publicly eliminating two programs who were thought to be at the very top of his list, leaving just two big time football programs, located on opposite sides of the country, on his list.
With just three days remaining until Signing Day 2012 Williams was unable to make his trip to Coral Gables due to an illness in his family and has decided that there are really only two programs still in the running for his services.
When asked who he was still considering, the 6-foot-5, 254-pound defensive lineman replied, "USC and UF." Auburn has been considered his long time leader and he had good things to say about Florida State after his official visit there. However, Williams said that at the end of the day, it came down to programs located on each coast, "After all my visits, I decided these two were what were really good for me." (insidethegators.com)
Targets visiting elsewhere: While Florida is hosted a junior day this weekend in lieu of official visitors, the Gators do have a few major targets taking official visits elsewhere.
Five-star wide receiver Nelson Agholor is currently in the middle of an official visit to Southern California. It is his third trip to Los Angeles to see what the Trojans have to offer.
Darius Hamilton and Leonard Williams - two top defensive ends on the Gators' board - were both scheduled to take official visits to Miami this weekend. It looks as if only one of the two actually made the trip.
Five-star Hamilton was on campus at Miami and has tweeted about how "beautiful" everything is in Miami. However, Rivals100 Williams apparently did not make the trip to Coral Gables. Hamilton committed to Rutgers Tuesday night.
Then, finally there's Stefon Diggs. The five-star wide out is scheduled to take a brief visit to Ohio State after finishing taking his standardized test, but then has to be back home early Sunday for a personal commitment. As has been the case several times with Diggs this year, having a scheduled or rumored visit doesn't necessarily mean that it will take place. (gatorbait.com)
2013 VERBALS: Florida has gained a 2013 commitment for the second weekend in a row. Defensive tackle Caleb Brantley (Crescent City, Fla. /Crescent City) committed to the Gators on Saturday following his visit to UF's first Junior Day. UF coach Will Muschamp offered Brantley last week, and it didn't take long for the 6-foot-3, 285-pounder to pull the trigger.
Brantley joins Winter Haven running back Adam Lane as the second commitment of Florida's 2013 recruiting class. When they arrive at UF, it won't be the first time the two prospects have been teammates.
GEORGIA: Athlete Sheldon Dawson from Memphis (Tenn.) Ridgeway High School has committed to Georgia. Dawson made the decision official on Monday night. Ole Miss was also considered by Dawson, who originally committed to Memphis in July before decommitting when coach Larry Porter was fired in November. Dawson is the 17th commitment for Georgia's class of 2012. (ajc.com)
Biggest areas of need: Offensive line, linebacker Rankings: Rivals (21), ESPN (5), Athlon (14)
Top commits: OL John Theus (6-5, 305); RB Keith Marshall (5-11, 195); QB Faton Bauta (6-2, 222); DL Jordan Jenkins (6-3, 242) Top targets still on the board: WR Cordarrelle Patterson (6-3, 205); OLB Josh Harvey-Clemons (6-3, 200); OL Avery Young (6-6, 281)
The skinny: The Bulldogs' most pressing need is the offensive line, which will feature three new starters trying to protect quarterback Aaron Murray. Georgia has Theus and Greg Pyke committed, and a junior college player (Mark Beard) already enrolled. Because so much of coordinator Todd Grantham's defense is built around linebackers, Georgia could stand to add a couple this year, although that hasn't happened yet. The Bulldogs have lost five commitments in this class for various reasons, so a strong finish is a must. There's an overwhelming feeling by recruiting services that Georgia will land two of its three top targets, Harvey-Clemons and Young, which would address the Bulldogs' most pressing needs. Overall, Georgia has a solid but small class in the works. (jacksonville.com)
THEUS READY TO PLAY: Theus is physically capable of playing immediately - just like Ben Jones was when he started as a true freshman at center. (dogbytes.com)
Rusty Mansell, who covers recruiting for 247Sports.com, says Georgia fans need to relax. While the Bulldogs still have some work to do, he said they've already done quite well and have a chance to close strong.
"Georgia has helped itself for 2012," said Mansell, whose service currently has the Bulldogs at 11. "But what everybody is trying to do is prepare for down the road and it's hard to tell how they're doing with that right now because they have so many spots open. They shored up some key spots for next season. But they need to close up these last few spots to make sure that 2013, 2014 and 2015 are what you desire."
Mansell said it's not of dire importance that Georgia reaches 25 signees, the maximum number the NCAA allows each year. With the SEC's new 25/28 rule, more emphasis is being placed on early enrollees. The Bulldogs already have three 2012 prospects enrolled in school now and have two more pledged to come in early in January of 2013. "You want to save some room for that next period some you can get some early enrollees in," Mansell said.
And whatever the general view of Georgia's class is at this particular moment, it's likely to change in the next week. This time last year the Bulldogs were awaiting the decisions of Isaiah Crowell, Ray Drew, John Jenkins Malcolm Mitchell, Jay Rome, Stephone Anthony and Antonio Richardson. They inked five of the seven and the class was dubbed "The Dream Team."
Here's where the situation stands now:
NEEDS: There figures to be a lot of action in the coming days. Among the uncommitted targets Georgia hopes to close with are offensive lineman Avery Young of Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.; linebacker Josh Harvey-Clemons of Valdosta; and wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson of Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College. They're also trying to "flip" some players that are currently committed elsewhere, including Tucker defensive end Josh Dawson (Vanderbilt), Memphis defensive back Sheldon Dawson (Memphis), Sandy Creek wide receiver Ja'Quay Williams (Auburn) and Cedar Grove offensive lineman Brandon Greene (Alabama).
"If you had to rank one player left on the board it would probably be Avery Young because of they really want offensive linemen," Mansell said. "Right now he'd be on the top of the line of the priority list. But you also have to look at Cordarrelle Patterson. He's the No. 1 junior college prospect and a guy that a lot of people think is going to be a one-and-done. He's that type of player."
WINS: Georgia has already addressed some major needs for next season. The Bulldogs have a firm commitment from 5-star tackle John Theus of Jacksonville and offensive lineman Mark Beard and Raleigh's Keith Marshall - who is rated the No. 1 running back prospect in the nation - are already enrolled in school. The Bulldogs pulled off a major coup in landing outside linebacker Jordan Jenkins of Harris County, who some rate as the state's top recruit, and long ago addressed defensive line needs by securing Jonathan Taylor and Leonard Floyd. They've also secured a placekicker in Marshall Morgan and a punter in Collin Barber.
LOSSES: Most recently UGA was in the news when it was learned it would not be able to admit offensive lineman Chester Brown because of a controversial Regents policy that bans the enrollment of undocumented students. Brown was raised in the U.S. by Samoan parents who allegedly are illegal immigrants. The Bulldogs suffered some traditional defeats on some other primary targets, including Stone Mountain linebacker Markuss Eligwe (FSU); Buford linebacker Dillon Lee (Alabama) and Creekside defensive back Josh Holsey (Auburn). Even Georgia's first commitment of the 2012 class, wide receiver C.J. Curry of Flowery Branch, had a change of heart and committed to Oklahoma State. (ajc.com)
No less than seven prospects could select Georgia on Wednesday. But previous national signing day battles indicate that if the Bulldogs sign more than two players who were previously uncommitted they will be doing well by their standards.
Since coach Mark Richt took over, Georgia has never signed more than two uncommitted prospects on any of the previous 11 signing days. The Bulldogs signed four uncommitted players on or after signing day in 2009, but only one of them - Marlon Brown - actually signed on signing day.
But signing more than three uncommitted prospects on Wednesday will be a challenge for the Bulldogs.
Georgia's best prospects include five-star outside linebacker Josh Harvey-Clemons, four-star defensive back Sheldon Dawson and four-star outside linebacker and Vanderbilt commitment Josh Dawson. Harvey-Clemons is set to announce in the morning as is Josh Dawson. Sheldon Dawson may make his final choice between Memphis and Georgia before Wednesday.
Two other five-star players, junior college wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson and five-star offensive lineman Avery Young, will make their decisions in the afternoon.
Georgia has a chance to sign both, but it is unclear how good its chances really are.
Alabama commitment Brandon Greene, a four-star prospect, and Auburn commitment Jaquay Williams, a four-star wide receiver, could both make dramatic switches to pick the Bulldogs, but committed players almost always stick with their school on signing day. N.C. State commitment and four-star outside linebacker Kenderius Whitehead could also switch and pick Georgia or Clemson. (dogbytes.com)
LSU: Quarterback Jeremy Liggins from Lafayette (Miss.) High School will play football at LSU. He is LSU's only quarterback commitment.
NEW ASSISTANT COACH: Les Miles said earlier this month that he planned to go to the NFL to find a replacement for departed receivers coach Billy Gonzales. Seems that's exactly what he's done. Multiple sources "close to the football program" claim that Oakland Raiders tight end coach Adam Henry will be joining the Tigers staff by the end of the week. LSU sports information director Michael Bonnette said the school is finishing up details on a contract. Henry has spent the past five years in the Raiders organization, the last three working with the team's tight ends. Prior to Oakland, he served as an assistant at McNeese State in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Gonzales left LSU to become the offensive coordinator at Illinois. (mrsec.com)
RECRUITING STRUGGLES: Perhaps no football program in the nation will be as glad to see February dawn this Wednesday as LSU. On Jan. 5, the Tigers lost Landon Collins, the No. 2 safety in the country from just down La. 30 in Geismar to Alabama mainly because his girlfriend is going there on an academic scholarship. On Jan. 9, they lost the BCS National Championship Game 21-0 to Alabama. On Jan. 12, the Tigers lost 20th-ranked offensive tackle Patrick Miller to Auburn.
On Jan. 13, Davante Bourque, the 14th-ranked athlete in the nation out of Crowley who was recruited as a tailback, committed to Tennessee over LSU. And on Jan. 17, LSU commitment Gunner Kiel - the No. 1 quarterback in the nation out of Columbus, Ind. - changed his mind about early enrollment at LSU and enrolled at Notre Dame instead partly because his mother did not want him so far away.
As a result, LSU fell from No. 4 in the Rivals.com recruiting rankings in December to its current ranking of 15th. The Tigers are not expected to improve their stock much between now and national signing day on Wednesday, so they are headed for their lowest national recruiting ranking since finishing No. 22 in 2005. A string of three straight top-six finishes in Rivals.com will be over.
The Tigers have also dipped to No. 16 in the ESPN recruiting rankings. Bourque, for example, decided on Tennessee partially because he learned that Jeremy Hill was LSU bound, Farrell said. Hill was the No. 21 tailback in the nation, according to Rivals.com' ratings, last year out of Redemptorist High in Baton Rouge. He signed with no one after an arrest in January of 2011 and took the year off from football. After his charges were lessened from a felony to a misdemeanor, he enrolled at LSU two weeks ago.
When Kiel surprised LSU's coaching staff by committing to the Tigers on Dec. 27, LSU had to make room for him as an early enrollee. The number of January enrollees allowed depends on how many scholarship players are returning from the previous season. A school cannot go into spring practice with more than the limit of 85 players on scholarship. So LSU asked Miller, the No. 20 offensive tackle out of West Palm Beach, Fla., to delay his enrollment until August. His family did not like that idea, and he opted for Auburn.
Five days later, Kiel changed his mind about LSU to stay closer to home and mom at Notre Dame. So LSU ended up losing both Kiel and Miller, whom they lost to make room for Kiel. (shreveportimes.com)
SOUTH CAROLINA: South Carolina has pried cornerback Chris Moody of McDonough, Ga., away from Vanderbilt. The 6-1, 190-pound Moody had been committed to the Commodores, but made an official visit over the weekend along with his father to South Carolina. Moody is rated as the No. 36 athlete in the country by ESPN. (espn.com)
HUNTER GONE: Three football assistant coaches left South Carolina after last season to take other jobs. Now, a fourth is leaving, but under different circumstances. Jeep Hunter, who coached safeties last season, was fired on Friday by coach Steve Spurrier, USC announced. The announcement read: "Coach Spurrier indicated that he felt the team needed a more experienced secondary coach and has decided to go in that direction."
Hunter, 44, came to USC in 2009 after coaching tight ends at Georgia Tech from 2006-07 and running backs at Memphis from 2003-05. He coached defensive backs at Eastern Kentucky (2001-02) and Tennessee-Chattanooga (2000). In his first two seasons in Columbia, Hunter coached tight ends and was an assistant special teams coordinator. He moved to defense in 2011 and coached safeties, while Lorenzo Ward worked with cornerbacks.
Recruiting is an important part of being a college football assistant coach. Hunter signed just three recruits, all from Florida, in the past two recruiting classes, according to Rivals.com.
In the class of 2010, he signed offensive guard Ronald Patrick. In the class of 2011, he signed defensive tackle Deon Green and offensive tackle Mike Matulis. Patrick was a backup in 2011, while Green redshirted and Matulis started five games. (Recruiting for the class of 2009 was already finished by the time USC hired Hunter. (postandcourier.com)
TENNESSEE: Tennessee lost ESPNU 150 linebacker Dalton Santos to Texas. Santos had started looking around again after Tennessee lost defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox and linebackers coach Peter Sirmon to Washington. Santos, who's from Van, Texas, is rated by ESPN as the No. 1 inside linebacker prospect in the country. The Longhorns didn't offer Santos until late, and he confirmed on Sunday that he would be signing with Texas.
The Vols are one of the favorites for Cordarrelle Patterson, who's rated as one of the top junior college receivers in the country. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound Patterson is originally from Rock Hill, S.C., but is currently at Huchinson (Kan.) Community College. Georgia and Ole Miss are also finalists for Patterson. (espn.com)
UT's 2008 and 2009 recruiting classes reflect what Dooley and his staff are up against. The player attrition - resulting, in part, from two head-coaching changes - has been stunning. The 2008 class was signed by former coach Phillip Fulmer. The 2009 class was signed by his successor, former Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin.
So far, the two classes have produced two second-team All-SEC players but no first-teamers. Tennessee fans can at least be grateful a handful of fifth-year seniors from the 2008 class are still available to bolster the 2012 depth chart.
Of the 22 signees in 2009, only eight remain on the team. Kiffin and his staff of relentless recruiters had two months to scramble and assemble a class, and they were praised for compiling a crop that was strengthened with the late additions of safety Janzen Jackson, all-purpose back David Oku and tailback Bryce Brown, the nation's No. 1 prospect. Rivals.com ranked Tennessee's 23 signees 10th in the country, but only eight from that class are still with the program following a string of arrests and academic shortcomings.
Last summer, Rivals.com ranked Tennessee's '09 class as the most disappointing nationally in the past decade. The Volunteers are 18-20 the past three years and went 5-7 this past season, losing seven league games for the first time in program history and finishing last in the SEC East for the first time as well.
Ed Orgeron, Lance Thompson and Eddie Gran were the heralded recruiters three years ago who helped Kiffin land five players in Rivals.com's top 100 - Brown, Jackson (No. 17), receiver Nu'Keese Richardson (No. 68), linebacker Jerod Askew (No. 79) and Oku (No. 97). None of those five lasted more than two years with the Vols, with Brown transferring to Kansas State before his sophomore season and Jackson to McNeese State before his junior season.
Brown left Kansas State's program last October after rushing three times for 16 yards and hasn't spoken to the media since August. He and Jackson are bypassing the rest of their collegiate eligibility and have declared for April's NFL draft.
There were 11 players remaining at UT from the '09 class at the start of this month, but Vols third-year coach Derek Dooley recently announced the dismissals of defensive tackle Arthur Jeffery and linebacker Robert Nelson. Dooley also said guard JerQuari Schofield is not on the team for academic reasons but is still in school. The only active member of Tennessee's '09 signing class with more than 10 career starts is cornerback Marsalis Teague, who has 16.
Bryce Brown - The crown jewel of Kiffin's class, the consensus high school All-American running back was rated as the No. 1 overall prospect in the country. The Vols got more publicity than yardage out of him. He rushed for 460 yards as a freshman, and then quit the team. He later transferred to Kansas State but quit that program as well. He has since declared for the 2012 NFL draft.
David Oku - Rated the No. 1 overall all-purpose back by Rivals.com, the Oklahoma running back rushed for 268 yards in two seasons. He quit the team after his sophomore year.
Nu'Keese Richardson - The high school quarterback from Pahokee, Fla., played as a freshman wide receiver before he was dismissed in November for his alleged involvement in an attempted armed robbery. (timesfreepress.com)
Tennessee coach Derek Dooley has had to deal with about as much turnover as any coaching staff in college football this offseason, losing six assistants from the end of the football year.With this latest reported hire, he'll be coming close to filling all the vacancies.
The Knoxville News-Sentinel reports that long-time NFL and college assistant Charlie Coiner has joined the Vols coaching staff as the special teams coordinator and tight ends coach. If the report comes to fruition, Coiner would replace Eric Russell, who left to go to Washington State. Coiner was previously the D-line coach at North Carolina from and his stops in the NFL include the Buffalo Bills and the Chicago Bears.
ACC FOOTBALL
FLORIDA STATE: With only 12 seniors on the roster last season and nobody declaring early for the NFL draft, the 2012 class will be unusually short on quantity, but high in quality.
Fisher estimates that the final number of signed players will fall somewhere between 18 and 21, which is a far cry from last year's class of 29. Having significantly fewer scholarships to sign players has been a challenge for Fisher and his staff. The theme of last year's recruiting class was the large number of South Florida prospects who signed with the Seminoles. From FSU's 29-member class, 11 (37.9 percent) resided in the southern part of the state. And that class was dominated by in-state recruits with 22 of the 29 (75.9 percent) being Sunshine State natives.
There will be a very different geographic breakdown this year.
Going into signing day, only six of FSU's 16 commitments (37.5 percent) reside in the state of Florida. And that percentage could get even smaller. Of the five uncommitted prospects most likely to sign with the Seminoles, only one of them - Jacksonville First Coast LB Reggie Northrup - is an in-state prospect.
If those numbers hold, the 2012 group of signees could go down as the class with the highest percentage of out-of-state recruits in school history. Only the 2000 class, which had just nine of 24 signed from Florida (37.5 percent), could rival this class
RECRUITING OVERALL FOR NOLES
Biggest areas of need: Running back, linebackers, secondary
Rankings: Rivals (6), ESPN (2), Athlon (6) Top commits: DE/DT Mario Edwards (6-4, 275); QB Jameis Winston (6-4, 190); RB Mario Pender (5-11, 194); DB P.J. Williams (6-1, 175)
Top targets still on the board: LB Reggie Northrup (6-2, 210); DB Ronald Darby (5-11, 174); WR Nelson Agholor (6-1, 185); WR Ricardo Louis (6-2, 210)
The skinny: The Seminoles will be able to run the ball better in 2012. Devonta Freeman and James Wilder Jr. were good players as freshmen and will get help from Pender to compensate for the loss of Jermaine Thomas and Ty Jones. FSU doesn't have a lot of pass-catching help for quarterback EJ Manuel in this class. It has a commitment from four-star prospect Melvin Bracy (5-10, 162), but he's not a No. 1 target. The 'Noles are signing two quarterbacks in this class and already have four scholarship QBs on their roster. The big get is Winston. He'll remain a question mark through the spring because he's also a potential high pick in the pro baseball draft. This class is strong, with Edwards and Williams two of the nation's top recruits. (jacksonville.com)
BRACY ON FIRE: Florida State football and track commitment Marvin Bracy sent out warning flare on Sunday morning at the Jimmy Carnes Youth Invitational track and field meet in Gainesville. The Orlando Boone speedster is determined to make the U.S. Olympic track and field team for London 2012 and his world's fastest time of 6.08 seconds in the 55 meters was the first indication that he is serious. He beat his closest competitor at the O'Connell Center by four-tenths of a second, and set a national record for the 19-and-under division. The runner-up was Kendal Williams of Jacksonville's 1st Coast Track Club, who had a 6.48 time.
"No. 1 in the world," was the first thing Bracy said when asked how his race went on Sunday. "My goal was 6.1, and 6.08, that's way better." The time even surprised Bracy and gives him more confidence as he aims for the Olympic dream. The U.S. Olympic trials for the 100 meters will be June 23-24 in Eugene, Ore. Preliminary rounds are June 23, with the finals the following day.
Bracy has already qualified for the Olympic Trials with a 10.05 clocking last summer. Bracy, who recently played in the Under Armour All-American football game, also agreed that with his season-best clocking that puts him atop this indoor season's world standings, he has placed a target on his back. Next up for the 18-year-old speedster is the Brooks Invitational in Seattle on Feb. 26. Also entered in that event will be his cousin Levonte "Kermit" Whitfield of Orlando Jones High.
Last June, Bracy, the defending Florida large-school state champion in both the 100 and 200 meters, clocked the second fastest 100-meter dash time in high school history, 10.05 seconds, at the USA Track and Field Junior (19-and-under) championships. Bracy's time was aided by a 2.2 meters-per-second win, just over the 2.0 allowed for records. The U.S. high school 100-meter record is 10.01, set by a former Central Florida football/track speedster, Jeff Demps of Groveland South Lake. (orlandosentinel.com)
MIAMI: BOURQUE DECISION: Crowley (La.) High School RB Davante Bourque will announce a final decision between Miami and Tennessee at 2 p.m. local time on Wednesday.
"Miami and Tennessee, those are his two," Bourque's father, Kirk Landry, said. "He canceled the Nebraska trip; we didn't go anywhere this weekend."
Biggest areas of need: Quarterback, defensive line, receivers Rankings: Rivals (7), ESPN (13), Athlon (12) Top commits: RB Duke Johnson (5-10, 175); WR Angelo Jean-Louis (6-0, 180); DE Jelani Hamilton (6-4, 265); ILB Raphael Kirby (6-2, 215); LB Reggie Northrup (6-2, 210) Top targets still on the board: DT Eddie Goldman (6-5, 305); DB Tracy Howard (5-11, 175); DE Darius Hamilton (6-4, 250)
The skinny: The Hurricanes graduated starting quarterback Jacory Harris and had virtually nothing behind him. Miami tried in 2011 to land Jacoby Brissett but lost out to Florida, so this year it is key to add quarterbacks. The Hurricanes are also making receiver a priority, with six commitments thus far. Much like Florida, Miami is virtually devoid of playmakers at that position. This class has the potential to be one of the biggest in the country, with 31 players in the fold. Eight of those have already enrolled in school. The Hurricanes are still in the mix for two star defenders - Howard and Hamilton - and could very well lose a couple of commits, too. (jacksonville.com)
Miami has 31 commitments, but in no way are they slowing down as the final week to Signing Day is underway. After getting a nice bump from the commitments of Miami (Fla.) Columbus defensive back Deon Bush and Tampa (Fla.) Jefferson defensive end Tyriq McCord, both four-star prospects, during the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, the Hurricanes have themselves set up to try and close with a couple more headliners. Amongst those expected on campus this weekend at Miami Is a pair of five-star prospects in Miramar (Fla.) cornerback Tracy Howard and Ramsey (N.J.) Don Bosco Prep five-star defensive end Darius Hamilton. Hamilton will be accompanied by teammate and Rutgers commitment Leonte Carroo who decided to take the trip after Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano took the Tampa Bay Buccaneers job Thursday. Also Rivals100 defensive end Leonard Williams from Daytona Beach (Fla.) Mainland will be on campus. While all three are believed to be favoring other schools entering the visit, the 'Canes will look to change their minds over this final visit weekend. Miami is also trying to retain the services of four-star linebacker commitment Reggie Northrup from Jacksonville (Fla.) First Coast. Northrup is being pursued heavily by the likes of Clemson and Florida State. (canesport.com)
OTHER NATIONAL TOPICS
NCAA ATTENDANCE: The NCAA announced Thursday that a record number of fans - 47.7 million - attended college football games this past season. But the view from the very top is a little less sunny. Regular-season attendance fell in eight of the nation's 11 major-college conferences, including the bell cow Southeastern and Big Ten. The bowls hit a 33-year low.
Altogether, the average crowd of 46,074 in the NCAA's top-tier bowl subdivision was the smallest since 2005.
The struggling economy may have taken some of that bite. But while major-college averages were dipping, two lower divisions registered modest increases in attendance in 2011. And even in the wake of a dampening player lockout, the NFL saw its regular-season average rise slightly (by 462 to 67,419).
In the bowl subdivision: -- The average regular-season crowd fell by 415 from a year earlier, to 45,498.
-- The bowls' average dropped a fourth consecutive year to 50,435, down more than 3,700 from the 2008 season and the lowest since 1978. -- The SEC's average (75,832) was down 887 and the league's lowest in four years. The Big Ten's (71,439) was down 667 and its lowest in three years. Only the Big 12 and lower-echelon Sun Belt and Mid-American showed increases. The record NCAA-wide total included 2% and 3% increases in average crowd size its championship subdivision and Division II, respectively. All told there were 23 more NCAA-affiliated teams and 146 more games than there five years earlier. (usatoday.com)
"If you had to choose, which ONE of these sports would you say is your favorite?"
Base: All adults who follow one or more sport (HARRIS POLL These are some of the results of The Harris Poll of 2,237 adults surveyed online between December 5 and 12, 2011 by Harris Interactive)
|
2003 |
2004 |
2005 |
2006 |
2007 |
2008 |
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
CHANGE
1985-2011 |
|
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
|
Pro football |
29 |
30 |
33 |
29 |
30 |
31 |
35 |
31 |
36 |
12 |
|
Baseball |
13 |
15 |
14 |
14 |
15 |
16 |
16 |
17 |
13 |
-10 |
|
College football |
9 |
11 |
13 |
13 |
12 |
12 |
12 |
12 |
13 |
3 |
|
Auto racing |
9 |
7 |
11 |
9 |
10 |
8 |
9 |
7 |
8 |
3 |
|
Men's pro basketball |
10 |
7 |
4 |
7 |
4 |
6 |
5 |
6 |
5 |
1 |
|
Men's college basketball |
6 |
6 |
5 |
5 |
4 |
5 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
-1 |
|
Hockey |
3 |
4 |
5 |
4 |
5 |
5 |
4 |
5 |
5 |
3 |
POTENTIAL NCAA SPLIT: NCAA president Mark Emmert has decided that he will appoint a working committee to examine if/how Division 1 athletics need to be restructured, according to an interview and report from the USA Today.
Emmert's committee, set to meet this summer, will look at "the way in which Division I is organized for the purposes of making decisions" in an effort to have non-football schools, as well as those in the Football Championship Subdivision, represented as well as possible within the NCAA's Board of Directors.
It is not, according to Emmert's comments, an evaluation of further splitting the competitive format of Division 1-A, such as the split between 1-A and 1-AA.
But there's no doubt that the gap between the richest and biggest programs in college athletics and the smaller ones is widening.
Proposed legislation, such as the $2,000 stipend added to the value of athletic scholarships, has faced difficulty passing in the wake of concerns from certain schools that it will further divide the "haves" and "have-nots."
"There's no doubt that these initiatives and these reforms have exacerbated some of those tensions," Emmert said, but added that it would be a "complete mischaracterization" to imply that those initiatives would be grounds for further separation in Division 1.
However, sources with direct knowledge of Emmert's thinking told the USA Today that Emmert has indicated behind closed doors that he wants to "examine the merits and mechanics of further subdivision if not explicitly push for it."
What effect that subdivision, if it came to fruition, would have on competitive format remains to be seen, despite what Emmert might say in public. Remember, Emmert is one of many powers that be to voice recent support for a change in postseason format in the wake of declining bowl attendance, viewership and general dissatisfaction with the BCS.
Of course, the NCAA has zero part of the BCS and has maintained for years a clean hands approach to the matter. As the BCS mulls the possibility of a plus-one format, however, that could change.
I mean, surely its mere coincidence that a NCAA-run playoff, which could fund such legislation as a $2,000 stipend (which Emmert supports), is being discussed at the same time that the NCAA could begin to restructure its governing body. (usatoday.com)
Brent Beaird writes for Lindy's Sports, Gator Bait magazine and Samsportsline.com. He can be heard on 1010XL sports radio in Jacksonville, Florida. Brent, who is a Heisman Trophy voter, can be contacted at brentbeaird@aol.com
E-MAIL BRENT AT brentbeaird@aol.com
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