Bulldog quarterback coach Mike Bobo said quarterback Joe Tereshinski stood up to the challenge from Matthew Stafford, Joe Cox and Blake Barnes without flinching. Barnes is recovering from a broken thumb in his throwing hand that prevented him from playing in the spring game. Bobo said Cox has the “it” factor meaning he has confidence in himself. He added that Stafford, who is still only 17, carried himself well. Bobo said Stafford was on the list to talk to the media every day. Bobo also said running back Thomas Brown came out of spring as the most talented player on offense. Brown is holding off Kregg Lumpkin and Danny Ware. He also said true freshman receiver Kris Durham will probably be redshirted and he added that there is a possibly that the entire freshman class could qualify. Coach Mark Richt is stumping for an indoor practice facility. Besides Georgia, only Vanderbilt and Florida don’t have indoor practice facilities. Richt’s wife, Katharyn, is recovering from a hysterectomy last week for treatment of cervical cancer. The cancer was diagnosed early and is not expected to spread.

FLORIDA: Coach Urban Meyer told a booster group last Saturday night that he was most concerned about linebacker depth, lack of experience on the offensive line and at cornerback. While Chris Leak is clearly the starting quarterback, Meyer said freshman Tim Tebow will receive quality minutes in each game. He expressed disappointment in the defensive line during the spring primarily due to injuries, but he was pleased with the improvement of the offensive line. Meyer said cornerback Avery Atkins is set for summer school and might have a 3.5 grade point average. Last fall, 25% of the team had a 3.0 GPA or higher. He repeated that tight end Cornelius Ingram was the most improved player on the team. Defensive lineman Marcus Thomas had successful hernia surgery and should be ready for June workouts. Meyer said that defensive back Reggie Lewis had a tremendous spring. In the NFL draft, receiver Chad Jackson went in the second round to New England, defensive end Jeremy Mincey went in the sixth round to New England and defensive back Dee Webb went in the seventh round to Jacksonville. Center Mike Degory, safety Jarvis Herring, offensive lineman Randy Hand and cornerback Vernell Brown are hoping to get free-agent contracts. The last two drafts have been difficult for the Gators with only three players going after an 11-year span when at least four were picked.

Gator receiver Louis Murphy underwent surgery Tuesday for a torn labrum in his hip area. Recovery time is five weeks. Backup quarterback Gavin Dickey, who has a future in professional baseball, will not return to football. This means that Leak and Tebow are the only quarterbacks with any kind of experience. Meyer told a crowd in Daytona Beach, “The school up in Knoxville (Tenn.) folded when they went through some hard times.” Meyer also said signee Jarrod Fayson, a receiver, will start at the No. 3 quarterback. Ray McDonald, who is rehabbing his knees after double ACL surgery, should be full speed in June.

SOUTH CAROLINA: Defensive back Ko Simpson went to in the fourth round to Buffalo after being projected to go much higher. He ran a poor 40-yard dash time and had little college experience (two years) compared to some safeties. Yet, coach Steve Spurrier said Simpson was probably the team’s best defensive player. Simpson led the team in tackles last season with 103. He was surprised that cornerback Jonathan Joseph was a first round selection by Cincinnati. Running back Taylor Rank has decided to stay with the team, but redshirt freshman quarterback Tommy Beecher will likely transfer. Spurrier said if Syvelle Newton is healthy, the team needs him on offense in addition to safety. He also wants defensive tackle Stanley Doughty to lose 30 pounds to get closer to 300. Spurrier revealed that South Carolina has a three-year deal to open the college football season, which means they will also do so in 2007.

AUBURN: Receivers Ben Obomanu (Seattle) and Devin Aromashodu (Miami) and defensive end Stanley McClover (Carolina) fell to the seventh round of the draft. Offensive tackle Marcus McNeill went to San Diego in the second round.

MISSISSIPPI STATE: The six players—cornerback Derek Pegues, safety Keith Fitzhugh, offensive tackle Michael Gates, quarterback Tray Rutland, and defensive ends Charles Burns and Quinton Wesley-- that were suspended for assaulting a Starkville policeman will be eligible to play in the opener against South Carolina. Coach Sly Croom said the players have run their course with the law.

ALABAMA: Linebacker DeMeco Ryans was drafted by Houston in the second round, defensive back Roman Harper went to New Orleans in the second round, defensive back Charlie Peprah went to the New York Giants in the fifth round, defensive end Mark Anderson went to Chicago in the fifth round, and quarterback Brodie Croyle went to Kansas City in the third round. There are rumors that backup quarterback Marc Guillon has broken his throwing hand after an altercation over the weekend. Tide football coach Mike Shula has received a new six-year contract worth $1.55 million per year. His deal was extended two more years and runs through 2012. He was awarded a raise of $650,000 plus a signing bonus of $200,000. Shula, 20-17 at Alabama, trails only Auburn’s Tommy Tuberville, Georgia’s Mark Richt, Tennessee’s Phil Fulmer and Florida’s Urban Meyer in compensation for SEC coaches. Jermaine McKenzie (6-2, 170), a receiver from Brandenton (Fla.) Academy, committed to Alabama Wednesday. Auburn, Clemson, Kansas and West Virginia offered him.

TENNESSEE: Defensive back Jason Allen went to the Dolphins in the first round as pick No. 16. Allen has no lingering affects from a dislocated hip. Coach Nick Saban tried to recruit Allen for LSU when he was coming out of high school. Tennessee has struggled lately in the NFL draft. John Henderson, Donte’ Stallworth and Albert Haynesworth in 2002 were the last Vol players to be selected in the first round. In the last three drafts, the Vols have had only two offensive players drafted on the first day-receiver Kelly Washington and tight end Jason Witten--both in 2003. Tennessee hasn’t had a first round running back taken in the draft since Jamal Lewis in 2000. During the same time frame, the last receiver to be selected in the first two rounds was Donte’ Stallworth in 2002. Tennessee has had no quarterbacks in the top four rounds since Peyton Manning in 1998.Before this year’s draft, the only Vol offensive lineman to have been drafted in the last three years was Scott Wells (seventh round) in 2004. In 1996-2000, the Vols had 15 players drafted in the first or second rounds. From 2001-2005, only six players have been drafted in the first two rounds.

The past two Vol offensive line coaches differ in philosophy. Former offensive line coach Jimmy Ray Stephens wanted the linemen bigger, but current position coach Greg Adkins wants them leaner. Redshirt freshman lineman Raymond Henderson has been dismissed from the team after he made an inappropriate comment to a female minor and her mother in a restaurant. Fulmer said it wasn’t Henderson’s first problem at the school. The incident caused his second curfew violation. He was not arrested. Less than 24-hours earlier, Fulmer suspended senior linebacker Marvin Mitchell after an altercation with police early Monday morning. He ended the spring as the team’s starting middle linebacker. It was the first arrest of a Vol player since last spring. He could return depending on meeting certain conditions. Fulmer met with the team on Monday and strongly addressed them about their behavior.

LSU: The Tigers had seven players drafted—running back Joseph Addai to the Colts in the first round, tackle Andrew Whitworth to Cincinnati in the second round, defensive tackle Claude Wroten to St. Louis in the third round, kick return/receiver Skyler Green to Dallas in the fourth round, defensive tackle Kyle Williams to Buffalo in the fifth round, defensive end Melvin Oliver to San Francisco in the sixth round and receiver Bennie Brazell to Cincinnati in the seventh round. In the past three drafts, the Tigers have had 17 players drafted. This is the best stretch for LSU since 1988-90 when they had 20 players drafted. Only two starters-safety LaRon Landry and running back Justin Vincent—still remain from the 2003 national title team. Running back Alley Broussard is back to a full training regimen after having knee surgery last season.

NORTH CAROLINA: Mike Paulus (6-5, 225), a quarterback from Syracuse, N. Y. Christian Brothers, committed to UNC over Southern Cal. Paulus, who had offers from Michigan, Alabama, Miami, Tennessee, among others, said he was looking forward to working with new offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti.

FSU: Eight Noles were drafted including linebacker Ernie Sims (Detroit), defensive end Kamerion Wimbley (Cleveland), defensive tackle Broderick Bunkley (Philadelphia) and defensive back Antonio Cromartie (San Diego) in the first round.

Nole offensive lineman Cory Niblock, who blew out his knee at the end of the game against Clemson, has been cleared for a full workout routine. The St. Augustine, Fla., native expects to be 100% by August. In 2005, instead of returning to his old position of guard, he was asked to move to left tackle, where he played in 10 games. He is moving back to guard this season. Niblock will be competing with David Overmeyer for the starting position. Jacoby Monroe (6-2, 240), a defensive end from Sandalwood High, is listed among the top 12 recruit targets for FSU next season. Defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews will be inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame this month. He played college football and baseball in the state during the 1960s.

GEORGIA TECH: Defensive back Jahi Word-Daniels received good news at the end of spring practice that his knee injury wasn’t as severe as originally suspected. He will be ready for fall practice. Pat Clark has made the most of his move from receiver to cornerback.

MARYLAND: Coach Ralph Friedgen is still looking for an offensive coordinator after Charlie Taaffe left two months before spring practice. Friedgen has been doing double duty and has been coaching the quarterbacks. He has lost 30 pounds in the process. Illinois assistant Mike Locksley was a possibility for quarterbacks coach but negotiations fell through. Jordan Steffy is battling Sam Hollenbach for the starting quarterback position.

MIAMI: Cane defensive back Kelly Jennings being drafted meant the Canes have had 12 straight years where they have had a player selected in the first round. Florida had the previous streak from 1983-91. Since 1995, the Canes have had 29 players drafted in the first round. Running back signee Graig Cooper from Melrose High in Memphis and offensive lineman signee Orlando Franklin from Delray Beach both say they are close to qualifying.

CLEMSON: Running back signee C J Spiller may be a part of an ESPN reality show called “Summer House”. The show features several highly recruited prospects living together in a house in Chicago before going to the second session of summer school at their various colleges. Cornerback Tye Hill (St. Louis in the first round) and quarterback Charlie Whitehurst (San Diego in the third round) were selected in the NFL draft. Defensive end Charles Bennett went to Tampa Bay in the seventh round.

SUNDAY NIGHT COLLEGE FOOTBALL: ESPN is considering televising some college football games on Sunday night after baseball season because NFL football moves to NBC next season. ESPN senior vice president David Berson said the network could televise six games next season.

NFL DRAFT CONFERENCE SELECTIONS:
ACC—52 (The 12 ACC picks in the first round is believed to be a record)
BIG TEN-- 40
SEC—37 (lowest number since 1997)
PAC-10-- 32
BIG 12—29

SEC Team Selections
Georgia and LSU ---7
Alabama and Tennessee –5
Auburn—4
Florida-3
South Carolina-2
All else with 1

Top 100 draft choices by states

13-Florida and Texas
12-California
6-Alabama and Ohio
5-Louisiana, Virginia
4-Georgia, Indiana, and South Carolina

Of the top 32 picks, six came from the state of Florida; four came from the state of Ohio and three each from the states of California and Texas

Of the top 32 players drafted, 21 of those were fours stars or higher according to Rivals.com. Texas quarterback Vince Young and FSU linebacker Ernie Sims were the top players in the nation at the end of their senior years. Other five-star prospects in the draft were USC running back Reggie Bush, the top ranked running back, Oregon’s Haloti Ngata, the top ranked defensive tackle, and UCLA’s Marcedes Lewis, the top ranked tight end in 2002. Vanderbilt quarterback Jay Cutler was a two-star prospect. Eight- of- the top ten players selected were four- star players or higher.

First round picks since 2000: Miami 22, FSU 12, Ohio State 11, Texas 9 and Georgia and Southern Cal 8 each.

In this year’s draft, USC had the most selections with 11. Ohio State, Miami and Virginia Tech had nine, FSU eight and Georgia and LSU seven.

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.