Gator offensive coordinator Dan Mullen said he was eager to see what players such as Riley Cooper, Jarred Fayson, Justin Williams, Mon Williams, Brandon James and Chevy Walker will do for spring practice. Florida had nine players drafted in 1992. They could have 13 this season with the addition of four juniors.

Tennessee returns four receivers from last season that caught a combined 26 passes for 252 yards and no scores. Junior Lucas Taylor led the group with 14 catches. Assistant coach Trooper Taylor is hoping Slick Shelly and Austin Rogers join Taylor to form a solid nucleus. Brent Vinson and junior college transfer Kenny O’Neal are expected to play immediately. Sophomore tailback LaMarcus Coker said he intends on staying out of trouble after spending most of his first two seasons in the doghouse. Coach Phil Fulmer affectionately called defensive back Marsalous Johnson and Antonio Gaines, both around 5-foot-9, the “smurf patrol”. Freshman defensive tackle Donald Langley also drew praise from Fulmer for his effort.

The Vols scrimmage on Saturday. They began week two of spring practice Tuesday. Fulmer said he wanted some of the players to trade their orange jerseys for pink ones since they weren’t tough enough. Junior defensive tackle Demonte’ Bolden said he is ready to play this season after not living up to his potential his first two seasons. The coaching staff has called him immature and inconsistent during as a freshman and sophomore. Fulmer, who was granted a two-year extension this week but no raise in pay, said tackle Chris Scott has to improve and take some load off his teammates. Arkansas State replaces Northern Illinois Sept. 22 on the Vols 2007 schedule. Instead Northern Illinois comes to Knoxville on Oct. 2, 2008 replacing San Jose State. The Vols will host Tennessee for the 2008 season opener instead of N C State. The Wolfpack and Vols will play a series in 2012 and 2013.

LSU coach Les Miles said last Friday that tailback Alley Broussard, who recently became a father, still has a ways to go before he can compete. He was a non-factor at the end of last season along with Charles Scott. Broussard was not at practice due to a violation of team policy. He has struggled since injuring his knee in preseason of 2005. Broussard almost quit last spring. However, players such as Keiland Williams (the starter at the end of last season), Scott, Richard Murphy and Jacob Hester are ready to play. Williams, who is up to 220 pounds, told the media that he is now a vegetarian. Matt Flynn is still the starter, but Ryan Perrilloux will be in the mix.

Early Doucet is the main receiver. Sophomore Brandon LaFell has looked good in the early going. R J Jackson will also experiment at both receiver and tailback. Defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey (shin) and offensive lineman Will Arnold (ankle and knee) will not participate. Only four offensive starters return along with several new coaches including offensive coordinator Gary Crowton. In other news, defensive end Tim Washington is transferring to another school and fullback Steven Korte is not participating due to academics. Rahim Alem, formerly Al Jones, has looked good at right defensive end. His brother, Chad, was a signee last month.

Mississippi State assistant coach Brick Haley left last week to join the Chicago Bears. David Turner, who was on the Alabama staff last season, replaced him. The Bulldogs started spring practice Monday. Rocky Felker, who coached the Bulldogs from 1986-90, is back on the field as the running backs coach and recruiting coordinator after serving as director of football operations. Four of eight assistants have left the team since the end of the season. Pat Washington will coach receivers and Charlie Harbison will coach the safeties.

State quarterback Michael Henig, who broken his collarbone twice last year, has gained 15 pounds. California junior college transfer Josh Riddell will challenge him. State has worked on the receivers getting off the line of scrimmage and plenty of special teams work.

Ole Miss began spring practice Friday. Coach Ed Orgeron declared the quarterback position to be wide open which means Brent Schaeffer will be challenged by Seth Adams, Michael Herrick and Cliff Davis. The Rebels passing game was ranked No. 12 in the SEC last season. Ten starters return on offense. Perhaps the biggest loss on offense was guard Andrew Wicker. Mark Jean-Louis and Daryl Harris will compete for the spot. Defensive coordinator John Thompson runs a “Voodoo” defense that features more movement and blitzing off the edge. The secondary has a lot of work to do to replace cornerback Trumaine McBride and safeties Charles Clark and Bryan Brown.

Arkansas athletic director Frank Broyles was going to retire next March, but some publications have reported that he was forced to make the decision this year. Many believe that coach Houston Nutt is the next target. Nutt has taken time to defend his decisions in the media on a talk show and in a lengthy newspaper interview. The fan base is certainly divided.

The Hogs received a verbal commitment from Jim Youngblood (6-3, 215), a quarterback from Camden (Ark.) Fairview. He is already on the Rivals250 watch list. Offensive coordinator David Lee said he has reworked the Arkansas playoff toward a more pro-style offense that will beef up the passing game.

Alabama coach Nick Saban has hired Geoff Collins as director of player personnel. He formerly had the same job at Georgia Tech. Quarterback depth is an issue for Alabama when they begin spring practice on March 24. Redshirt freshman Greg McElroy is the best possibility in the spring since sophomore Jimmy Barnes is recovering from a torn ACL he sustained in bowl practice. Saban and his coaching staff hosted a junior day this past Saturday. Justin Tuggle, a quarterback from Northview Duluth (Ga.) visited Alabama over the weekend. He is the son of NFL star linebacker Jessie Tuggle, who had 2,065 tackles in his career. Former Tide star Ken Stabler has a new afternoon radio show in Birmingham on WERC from 2-6 pm with Alabama basketball announcer Chris Stewart. Willie Carl Martin, a high school coach from Benjamin Russell, has joined Nick Saban’s staff for an unspecified position.

Auburn running backs coach Eddie Gran is looking for the next Tiger tailback. Junior Brad Lester, who was suspended for the Cotton Bowl, comes in as the starting tailback, but he will be challenged by sophomore Ben Tate, redshirt freshman Mario Fannin, and junior Tristan Davis, a former safety, who is back permanently on offense. The Tigers return some strong depth at tight end as they begin spring practice this week. Senior Cole Bennett returns after sustaining a broken ankle in the LSU game. Both Tommy Trott and Gabe McKenzie stepped up and played well last year as redshirt freshmen. True freshman Brent Slusher could also contribute. Receiver Anthony Campbell and linebacker Hendrick Leverette have left the program. Fullback Mike McLaughlin has retired due to a knee injury.

The Tigers must replace four of five offensive linemen. First team linebackers are sophomore Patrick Trahan, junior Merrill Johnson and junior Steve Gandy. Tiger linebacker coach James Willis is hoping Tray Blackmon will return by the middle of May. The Tigers will don the pads on Thursday. Redshirt freshman Neil Caudle is challenging junior Blake Field for the backup quarterback job. The Tigers scrimmage for the first time on Saturday. Coach Tommy Tuberville missed a day of practice due to the flu.

Georgia linebacker Akeem Hebron has been arrested for underage possession of alcohol. He is expected to challenge for one of the two outside linebacker positions. Hebron has been suspended for the first two games of the season. One of the big questions comes at defensive end. Several players have some experience—Marcus Howard, Jeremy Lomax, and Roderick Battle, but have not started. Michael Lemon and Demarcus Dobbs both redshirted. Tailback Thomas Brown is rehabbing well from a torn ACL. He is not guaranteed to return for the beginning of the season. This puts more emphasis on Knowshon Moreno being the No. 2 back. Receiver Sean Bailey will be 100% for spring practice. Coach Mark Richt said although the team lost seven veteran starters from last year’s defense, 10 players on the same unit redshirted. All three starters are gone at linebacker. Only Brandon Miller has experience as a starter. Rebuilding the offensive line is a priority with starters Chester Adams and Fernando Velasco anchoring the line at guard. Redshirt freshman Chris Davis could be the center. Redshirt freshman Josh Davis and juco transfer Vince Vance could be the two tackles.

South Carolina opens spring practice on March 20 with no less than 13 scholarship offensive linemen, including five freshmen. Offensive line coach John Hunt only had seven scholarship linemen in the spring of 2006. The biggest question is who replaces center Chris White, who had 41 career starts. The possibilities are sophomore Garrett Anderson, who started four games at right guard. Redshirt freshman Pierre Andrews could also be in the mix.

Coach Steve Spurrier will have 19 seniors, including 17 who have started, at his disposal when spring starts. Eleven of them are expected to be starters. Fifth-year quarterback Blake Mitchell is expected to have a big season. South Carolina officials are exploring a series with East Carolina, who is currently coached by former Gamecock assistant Skip Holtz.

Florida State tailback Antone Smith said he will skip track season in order to concentrate on football. He wants to keep his weight around 190 pounds. Smith said new running backs coach Dexter Carter has already made a difference. The defensive ends accounted for only seven of the Noles 27 quarterback sacks last season. Six of those sacks came from promising youngsters Kevin McNeil and Everette Brown. Alex Boston is finally healthy and Neefy Moffett also showed promise last season.

Ryan McMahon, a redshirt freshman, is moving from the defensive line to center, where he will compete with John Frady and junior Dumaka Atkins. He is the third major position switch of the preseason. Caz Piurowski moved from tight end to tackle and D J Norris moved from defensive end to tight end. The pre-spring depth chart comes out this week. Offensive lineman Shannon Boatman is down to 324 pounds after losing eight pounds. Rick Trickett wants him at 315. Jimbo Fisher, who has a base salary from the University of $215,000, will also be compensated by Seminole Boosters by $210,000. The extra money is for fund raising, speeches, and radio and television spots. Assistant Rick Trickett is getting a base salary of $210,000 and an additional $100,000 from the booster fund for similar duties. FSU has refused to grant Brandon Warren his release. His mother said the family would appeal. Defensive ends coach Jodi Allen will add the title of special teams coach when spring practice begins March 16. Taiwan Easterling (5-11, 192), an athlete from Hattiesburg, Ms., has signed with FSU. He is being recruited as a receiver.

Miami offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland said there will be a shift in his unit in the spring when practice begins March 6. Returning starters from last year are left tackle Reggie Youngblood, right tackle Jason Fox, and guards Derrick Morse and Andrew Bain. Only Bain is expected to be at his position when drills start. Morse, who has never snapped a football in a game, could start at center. His backup is Matt Pipho. A J Trump, another center, has a history of injuries. His role is unclear. Youngblood could start at right tackle and Fox at left. Receiver Rashaun Jones, who is from Lake City Columbia and defensive end Rhyan Anderson, who is from Wisconsin, are no longer on the team. The tailback position has a lot of talent this season with the arrival of Graig Cooper and last year’s starter Javarris James, last year’s starter. Charlie Jones, Kylan Robinson, and Derron Thomas will get their share of carries. Lee Chambers and Shawnbrey McNeal will be in this summer.

The Canes have seven scholarship receivers this spring. Lance Leggett, still needs to prove he can catch the ball consistently. Sam Shields had a solid freshman season. Ryan Hill could contribute if he stays on offense and doesn’t move back to the secondary. Darnell Jenkins is coming off a medical redshirt. Khalil Jones had too many drops last season. Georgia Robinson redshirted last year. Terrell Walden is undersized and struggling to recover from multiple ACL tears.

Clemson begins spring practice on March 10. The big question is who will play quarterback? Willy Korn is a true freshman, junior Cullen Harper threw only 20 passes last year and junior Tribble Reese threw only three. Freshman Michael Wade was redshirted last year. Korn could work his way up to the No. 2 position with his accuracy, mobility and talent. The coaching staff is considering moving sophomore safety Sadat Chambers to running back behind James Davis and C J Spiller. He is very strong in his lower body.

Georgia Tech began spring practice on Thursday. Who replaces receiver Calvin Johnson? James Johnson, who caught 39 passes, last year is the most proven receiver. Sophomore Greg Smith had seven catches. He will battle for playing time with redshirt Corey Earls, and Demaryius Thomas. Tech has to replace four offensive and three defensive starters. A. J. Smith, Cord Howard will compete to replace Mansfield Wrotto at right tackle.

Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delaney said the league is considering adding more league games to the eight they currently have and extending the season to Thanksgiving weekend or beyond. Nothing would be done for a couple of years due to contracts.

SEC HOOPS

Florida vs. Kentucky (Sunday): Al Horford scored 17 points in the loss to Tennessee. Corey Brewer and Chris Richard had 12 points each. Joakim Noah, who was in foul trouble early, had eight points and 11 rebounds. The Gators had 20 turnovers. Florida cut a Tennessee 27 point lead down to eight with a 21-4 run. The Gators, only 6- of- 21 from three point range, missed their final seven attempts

Florida’s opponents have shot nearly 56% in their three losses during the last two weeks. In those three losses, the Gator opponents have shot 42% from three-point range. Vandy, Tennessee and LSU are a combined 19-3 at home in SEC play. Also in the three losses, Florida has committed 57 turnovers and only 31 assists. In the three losses, Lee Humphrey is only 8 of 25 and Taurean Green is only 6 of 26. In the win at Rupp Arena, Florida held Kentucky to only 3 of 22 shooting from the arc. Noah’s stats have dropped. He’s played fewer than 30 minutes in the last seven games. He’s averaging eight points and seven rebounds in the last five games. His blocked shot average has dropped from five in last year’s tournament to only two per game this season. Noah admitted earlier to being sick in December and January.

The Gators hit on only 2 of 17 shots from the arc, missed 10 free throws and grabbed 13 fewer rebounds than LSU in Saturday’s loss. Al Horford had 13 points and nine rebounds. Humphrey hit his first three with 1:37 left in the game.

Kentucky, who had lost four of five previous games, got a much needed win against Georgia Wednesday night. The Wildcats, led by Bobby Perry’s 22 points, shot a sizzling 66% in the second half.

Georgia vs. Tennessee: The Bulldogs lost to Kentucky without Levi Stukes who was left home after being suspended. He has been reinstated for the Vol game. Georgia has lost only to Florida at home this season. Stukes had 21 points, four rebounds and four assists in the win over Mississippi State.

Tennessee at Georgia: Chris Lofton had 21 points in the win over Florida. Tennessee, who shot 66% in the first half mostly on close shots, had a 17-0 run in the first half of the Gator game. The Vols are 6-1 with Lofton back in the lineup. They are unbeaten at home for the first time since 1975-76 after defeating Florida Tuesday night. Lofton scored 31 in the win over Arkansas.

Auburn at Ole Miss: If Auburn and Alabama win this weekend, and then Auburn will be the top seed in the Western Division. Coach Jeff Lebo should return for the Ole Miss game after missing the LSU game with the flu. Korvotney Barber had 17 points and 10 rebounds in the win over Alabama.

Ole Miss vs. Auburn: The Rebels allowed 20 offensive boards in the loss to Alabama. The Rebels had more turnovers than their opponent for the first time since the South Alabama game. Clarence Sanders led the Rebels with 18 points. Center Dwayne Curtis has been limited with an injured big toe. Guard Bam Doyne has been struggling. He has only averaged nine points in the past six games. In the loss to South Carolina, Tre Kelly scored 28 points, Brandon Wallace had 12 points, seven rebounds and seven blocked shots, and Bryce Sheldon had 14 points for the Gamecocks. Clarence Sanders broke Aaron Harper’s single season three point mark. Ole Miss plays at Alabama Wednesday and at home against Auburn Saturday.

Vanderbilt vs. Arkansas: The Commodores rallied in overtime to beat South Carolina and grab the No. 2 spot in the Eastern division. Derrick Byars, who had 18 points, scored the team’s first ten points in overtime to secure the win. Shan Foster scored a career high 33 points.

Arkansas at Vanderbilt: The Hogs played much better defense in the second half to grab a home win against Mississippi State on Wednesday night. They harassed State’s Jamont Gordon. Still, Arkansas is allowing too many opponents to control the offensive rebounds. The Hogs had 17 of 24 turnovers after the second half in the loss to Tennessee. Junior college transfer Sonny Weems was one of the few bright spots with 18 points and seven rebounds.

Mississippi State vs. Alabama: the Bulldogs struggled in the loss to Arkansas. Only Jamont Gordon (23 points) and Charles Rhodes (22 points) provided any scoring. State’s remaining players added only 13 points. The Bulldogs were overwhelmed by Georgia’s three point shooting (12 of 19 for 63%). Georgia also shot 58% from the field. The loss to the Bulldogs snapped State’s four game winning streak. Dietric Slater scored 18 points, eight rebounds, six steals and also five stitches. Richard Delk scored a game high 22 points.

Alabama at Mississippi State: Because of tie-breaker procedures the Tide could win be a co-division champ with the winner of the Auburn at Ole Miss game, but be no higher than a No. 2 seed. Freshman guard Mikhail Torrance scored eight points in the final eight minutes to help the Tide beat Ole Miss at home. Torrance and Brandon Hollinger combined to score 14 points, five assists and only two turnovers. Ron Steele did not play in the game. Alonzo Gee scored 12 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. The Tide was swept by Auburn for the first time since the 1999 season. Auburn led by as many as 18 points while shooting 57%. The Tide has lost four of its last five games. Steele played two minute and took himself out of the game. Richard Hendrix had 17 points and 13 rebounds.

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.