Tide defensive end Bobby Greenwood is up to 265 pounds after playing at 245 last year. Defensive line coach Buddy Wyatt is happy with seniors Jeremy Clark, Dominic Lee and J. P. Adams, but redshirt freshmen Brandon Fanney, Lorenzo Washington and Bryon Walton need to provide depth.

AUBURN: Despite losing three of four starters, the defensive line has been impressive with ends Marquies Gunn and Quentin Groves wrecking havoc on the offensive line. Groves will be used this year as an end and as a linebacker. Andrew McCain is making the move from defensive tackle to offensive tackle. In Saturday’s scrimmage, the Tigers ran 74 times for 235 yards. Seventeen- year- old freshman Ben Tate ran 13 times for 61 yards. Tailback Kenny Irons ran nine times for 54 yards. Kicker John Vaughn made 6- of- 7 field goals. Freshman linebacker Trey Blackmon finished with seven tackles and made his presence known with some impressive hits. After the scrimmage on Saturday, Antwoin Daniels was working with the first team at right guard because junior Leon Hart struggled. Fullback Mike McLaughlin is out for the year with a torn ACL. For the present, his departure leaves the Tigers with no scholarship players at fullback. Linebacker Merrill Johnson sustained a high ankle sprain and he is out for the remainder of the spring. He had been competing for playing time with Tray Blackmon. Sophomores Blake Field and Calvin Booker are battling for the backup quarterback position.

GEORGIA: Bulldog officials announced Saturday that redshirt freshman center Ian Smith, who has been suspended for the first two games, has a cervical strain as the result of a concussion. He will not participate this spring. Senior Nick Jones will move to center. Linebacker Danny Verdun Wheeler is in a cast after having surgery for a wrist injury. He will also miss spring. Junior Mikey Henderson is moving from cornerback to receiver. Fifteen Bulldogs will miss spring practice--eight of them due to shoulder injuries.

Former Georgia Heisman Trophy winner Herschel Walker turned 44 last week. Clifton Geathers (6-7, 280), an offensive lineman from Carvers Bay, S.C., decides Friday afternoon from FSU, Georgia and possibly Clemson. Bulldog coach Mark Richt pointed out the play of cornerback Paul Oliver and linebacker Tony Taylor. He added that receiver Mohamed Massaquoi and Kenneth Harris have been the most consistent receivers. If the season started today, Thomas Brown would be the starting tailback. Backup tailbacks Kregg Lumpkin and Danny Ware would see playing time. Receiver Sean Bailey said he would sit out the 2006 season after he tore knee ligaments in a Sugar Bowl practice. Because the receivers are dropping so many passes, Richt is using a tennis ball machine that causes the players to catch the ball with their hands. Quarterback Matthew Stafford weighed 210 when he verbally committed. He currently weighs 238, but the staff doesn’t think he needs to lose weight.

SOUTH CAROLINA: Shawn Eichorst, a senior associate athletic director for South Carolina, is leaving to go to Wisconsin to accept a similar position. He is the eighth athletic department official to leave since the retirement of Mike McGee and the hiring of Eric Hyman. Hyman said there is no effort to overhaul the staff. Cory Boyd returns at running back after missing the entire season due to a suspension last May for a “nonacademic” violation of team rules. USC’s running game averaged only 95 ypg last year. In 2004, Boyd rushed for 309 yards and caught 35 passes. Sophomore Mike Davis comes into the spring as the No. 1 tailback. Sophomore Bobby Wallace will also see action. Taylor Rank saw action in some early games before being sidelined with a concussion. Rank might move to defense during the spring. Athlete Syvelle Newton, who tore his Achilles tendon against Vanderbilt and missed the final five games, is still recovering. How soon he returns is questionable. The Gamecocks start spring practice Tuesday. Former staff member Madre Hill has landed at Florida International. Clarence Bailey, a junior college offensive line signee, will not report until this May. He should have his academics in order by then.

MISSISSIPPI STATE: Tony Burks, a receiver from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, who enrolled in December, is expected to be an impact player. The Bulldogs hope to have more big play receivers who are taller and more athletic. Burks is 6-foot- 4, Ryan Mason is 6-foot-5 and Aubrey Bell is 6-foot-3. State’s offense was ranked No. 113 last season. Bulldog coach Sly Croom will also be looking for a running back to replace Jerious Norwood. During the third day of practice, Jamar Chaney had three picks for the defense. Former quarterback Omarr Conner has been moved to receiver. Mike Henig is the starter at quarterback.

LSU: Coach Les Miles said his top priority is to replace four of six offensive linemen. Junior guard Will Arnold and senior tackle Brian Johnson are the only two returning starters. So far the line consists of sophomore Ryan Miller at center, Arnold and Brett Helms at guards and Johnson and senior Peter Dyakowski at tackles. Miller and Helms were injured during 2005. Due to injuries to junior Alley Broussard, senior Justin Vincent and sophomore Steve Korte, there are only three running backs-junior fullback Jacob Hester and redshirt freshmen R J Jackson and Antonio Robinson-ready for spring. There are fewer worries at receiver with senior Dwayne Bowe and Craig Davis and junior Early Doucet returning. Junior Xavier Carter is running track. Bowe admitted in practice this week that he is going to have laser surgery to correct a vision problem. He dropped several passes last season.

The Tigers must find a kick returner to replace Skyler Green. Green caught 83- of- 91 kicks. Possibilities are Carter and freshman Trindon Holliday (5-5, 155), who came in at midterm. LSU coach have raved about Holliday’s speed.The secondary has two seniors safeties in LaRon Landry and Jessie Daniels. Quarterback JaMarcus Russell played the second half of the season with torn ligaments in his wrist that he suffered in the Florida game. Russell is continuing to recover. His wrist cast comes off this week. Backup quarterback Matt Flynn is getting most of the snaps with the first team. Ryan Perrilloux was redshirted last August because he was struggling to pick up the Tiger offense.

FLORIDA: Linebacker coach Charlie Strong said following projections are accurate for spring drills: weakside linebacker Earl Everett (senior) ahead of Kalvin Baker (freshman); middle linebacker Brandon Siler (junior) is ahead of Jon Demps (soph); strongside linebacker Brian Crum (senior) ahead Ryan Stamper (sophomore). Percy Harvin, a Gator receiver signee from Landstown, Va., has been has been banned by the Virginia High School League from any further participation in high school sports due to unsportsmanlike activities. He will not participate in a track meet this weekend. Harvin was suspended for two games during the football season for using foul language and putting his hands on an official. He was suspended from the basketball team for fighting during a game.

OLE MISS: The Rebels started last Saturday. Only one player—running back Jamal Pittman—of consequence transferred out after last season. Four starters on offensive and five on defense return. Former quarterback Robert Lane has transitioned well to tight end. Mico McSwain, last year’s leading rusher returns, and Indiana transfer BenJarvus Green-Ellis is eligible to play. The receiving corps will have to be rebuilt after losing four veterans. Coach Ed Orgeron is also looking for a backup quarterback. Offensive lineman Corey Actis, a junior college transfer from Bakersfield CC, was recently arrested for public drunkenness. He worked with the first team at center last Monday.

TENNESSEE: Quarterback Erik Ainge admitted that he was confused trying to run the offense last year. Ainge, who completed only 45% of his passes, threw seven picks last season. New offensive coordinator David Cutcliffe is trying to correct the mental and physical aspects of Ainge’s play. The offensive line is a question mark with only one returning full-time starter in senior Arron Sears. Fulmer wants some of the linemen to lose some weight to increase their athleticism. Sears and Ramon Foster have lost close to 20 pounds since the end of last year. Fulmer was also displeased with how the unit blocked on screen passes and moved downfield. Tennessee has its first contact work Saturday. Several times the offense was stopped and players forced to do up/downs for a miscue. Cutcliffe said he was surprised that the offense was not more competitive on each play. The Sept. 2 opener at home against Cal is likely to be a 5:30 p.m. central time kick on ESPN.

FLORIDA STATE: Defensive line coach Odell Haggins said redshirt freshman nose tackle Kendrick Stewart have moved to front of the depth chart because of his mat drill performance. Senior left tackle Mario Henderson also stood out during mat drills. Quarterback depth is at a premium this spring with Xavier Lee recovering from shoulder surgery. This means Drew Weatherford and freshman Christian Ponder are the only two scholarship quarterbacks this spring. Weatherford wants to reduce his 18 picks that he incurred last season.

MIAMI: Results are in from preseason workouts in the weight room. The average back squat was a school record 476 pounds up from last year’s 398. The average bench press was 313 up from last year’s 292. Offensive lineman Andrew Bain had a 600- pound squat. Linebacker Spencer Adkins was second with 560. Tight end Greg Olsen led with a 352 power clean. Mark Lisante, a senior DL walk-on who is 6-1, 227, had the biggest bench press at 390. Bain was 385.

NORTH CAROLINA: Connor Barth, who was 11- of- 21 in field goals last season, is working for more consistency this spring. Barth did hit 8- of- his- last- 10 field goal attempts. Punter David Wooldridge punted 66 times for 41- yard average with 13 punts inside the 20-yard line. Danny Pearman, who was recently with the Virginia Tech staff, has joined John Bunting’s staff as defensive ends coach.

CLEMSON: Eighteen starters return and 13 redshirt seniors from last year’s team. Clemson started spring drills Saturday. Will Proctor is the most experienced quarterback. Sophomores Cullen Harper and Tribble Reese are backing up Proctor. All five starters return on the offensive line. James Davis, Reggie Merriweather, Demerick Chancellor and CJ Spiller provide great depth at running back. Coach Tommy Bowden said the Tigers could use more two back formations due to the abundance of depth. Clemson had five kicks blocked last season so protecting the kicker is a priority. Clemson freshman receiver Jacoby Ford (5-9, 180), who is also a kick returner, was clocked last year by Tiger coaches and his coach at Fork Union at a 4.12 and a 4.15 in the 40. Former safety junior C J Gaddis is looking good at cornerback. He is trying to replace Tye Hill, who is preparing for the NFL Draft. Tommy Bowden said early enrollees safety Chris Russell, receiver Jeffrey Ogren and receiver Ford can help the team sooner than later.

GEORGIA TECH: Johnson “Jeep” Hunter, who is from Memphis, has been hired as the new tight ends coach. Defensive coordinator Jon Tenuta has been promoted to assistant head coach. Defensive line coach Giff Smith is the new recruiting coordinator.

VIRGINA: Coach Al Groh has named his son, Mike, as the Cav offensive coordinator replacing Ron Prince. Groh is a former Cav quarterback.

VIRGINIA TECH: Lorenzo Ward, a former Tech defensive back coach, has accepted job with the Oakland Raiders. He is the fourth Tech assistant to leave this year along with quarterbacks coach Kevin Rogers, receivers coach Tony Ball and tight ends coach Danny Pearman.

SOUTHERN CAL: The Trojans open the season Sept. 2 at Arkansas, then take a week off before hosting Nebraska on Sept. 16. The last four games are three home games against Oregon, Cal and Notre Dame before ending the season at UCLA on Dec. 2. The conference voted to a nine-game league schedule which means there are only three non-conference games.

BRENT BEAIRD IS A SPORTS WRITER FOR THE CLAY COUNTY LINE IN ORANGE PARK, FLA., HE ALSO WRITES FOR RIVALS.COM, SAMSPORTSLINE.COM AND GATOR BAIT MAGAZINE. HE CAN BE HEARD ON ESPN 1460 ON MONDAY AND THURSDAY AFTERNOONS ON THE RUMBLE WITH MIKE DEMPSEY AND TOM MCMANUS.