College Weekly Report
by Brent Beaird
December 17, 2010
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FLORIDA: Will Muschamp won a national title as a defensive coordinator (LSU in 2003) under Nick Saban. Muschamp eventually followed Saban to the Dolphins. Later, he was Auburn's defensive coordinator. You'll recall his teams beat up the Gators offense in both 2006 and '07. The former Florida squad won the national title; the latter was quarterbacked by Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow. After the 2007 season, he bolted for Texas.
Muschamp has been the coach-in-waiting at Texas since November of 2008, tabbed to take over for Mack Brown much in the same way Jimbo Fisher was named coach-in-waiting as FSU in Bobby Bowden's final years. Muschamp was hired as defensive coordinator at Texas in January that same year after defensive coordinator stints at LSU and Auburn. As a player, he walked on as a safety at Georgia from 1991-94.Over the past three seasons at Texas, Muschamp's defenses rank in the top in sacks, yards per rushing attempt, rushing yards per game and yards per game.
Muschamp spent five seasons as a defensive coordinator in the ultra-competitive SEC. Each time, his unit finished ranked in the country's top 10. The Longhorns made him the country's highest-paid assistant. Texas ranked No. 7 in total defense last season. At 39, Muschamp is one of the sport's most energetic coaches. One of the things that adds even more intrigue to this hire is the fact Muschamp spent 10 years of his childhood in Gainesville.
SUCCESS AGAINST FLORIDA: As a defensive coordinator at LSU (2002-04) and Auburn (2006-07), Muschamp not only went 4-1 against the Gators, but his defenses shut down Florida almost every time. (gatorbait.net and gainesvillesun.com)
COACH- IN- WAITING BACKFIRES: At least one source told me Brown had decided in the offseason to step down at the end of the 2010 season, but he changed his mind after his first losing season at Texas, worried that his legacy had been tarnished. Muschamp was annoyed by the decision, sources close to the football program have said, and chose to leave what he thought was promised him: arguably the best coaching position in the country because of Texas' enormous resources, facilities and budget and the recruiting edge that is the Lone Star State. No one can blame Brown for sticking around. At 59 and in good health, Brown has built one of the best programs in college football, but now faces the biggest crisis of his tenure, even bigger than that damning, five-year losing streak to Oklahoma. (statesman.com)
STAFF: The Gatorbait.net OC board lists Steve Addazio, Kerwin Bell, Al Borges of San Diego State, Norm Chow UCLA, Garrick McGee Arkansas, Paul Petrino Illinois among others. A person who covers the Longhorns told us that it wouldn't be surprising if Duane Akina followed Muschamp from Texas to Florida. He currently is the Longhorns defensive backs coach. He held the title of co-Defensive Coordinator before Muschamp was hired by UT. He is incredibly close to Muschamp and serves as a sounding board and mentor for the young coach to lean on. Whether or not he would be up for the Defensive Coordinator position remains unknown.
GBN has been told that one name to keep an eye on is current Nebraska defensive line coach John Papuchis. He also serves as the Cornhuskers Special Teams coach. Muschamp might also be considering LSU running backs coach / recruiting coordinator Frank Wilson, Buffalo Bills linebackers coach Giff Smith, FIU defensive coordinator Geoff Collins, Oklahoma State wide receivers coach Gunter Brewer, former Memphis head coach Tommy West, and Texas running backs coach Major Applewhite. (footballscoop.com and gatorbait.net)
MEYERS HEALTH: Meyer has a recurring burning sensation in his chest that doctors told him last week would raise cardiovascular risk factors if he continued to coach, the person told The Associated Press Sunday on condition of anonymity because Meyer's health issues are confidential. The Gainesville Sun first reported the story. Meyer announced his resignation Wednesday and said health was not the reason he was walking away. He said he wanted to spend more time with his family. The person with knowledge of Meyer's health said the coach can resolve his chest pain with "constant monitoring," which he already has started doing.
Meyer first resigned Dec. 27, 2009, three weeks after he was rushed to a hospital because of chest pain. He changed his mind the following day and instead decided to take a leave of absence. He scaled back some, but changed little about his work habits once the season began.
The person with knowledge of Meyer's health said the spasms have been under control, but other symptoms have lingered. Those prompted Meyer to talk with doctors and family members, and then he decided that continuing to coach at his current pace would be too risky. (gainesvillesun.com)
RECRUITING: At this time, 12 of the Gators' 17 commitments come from Florida. Muschamp has already hit the road to see in-state Gator commitments such as Bradenton Manatee running back Mike Blakely, Jacksonville University Christian tight end A.C. Leonard, Groveland South Lake cornerback Nick Waisome, and DeLand athlete De'Ante Saunders. The general consensus from those prospects is that they will stay true to the Gators. Others such as Waisome, who is visiting Florida this weekend, have checked out others (Florida State) since the Meyer resignation.
Other in-state commitments such as Venice linebacker Clay Burton, Ocala Trinity Catholic safety Chris Johnson, Tampa Catholic fullback Hunter Joyer and Oviedo Hagerty quarterback Jeff Driskel have indicated they are firm in their commitments.
The only commitments leaving the door open for change are Brooksville (Fla.) Nature Coast wide receiver Ja'Juan Story, Pensacola (Fla.) Pine Forest athlete Louchiez Purifoy and Plantation (Fla.) linebacker Ryan Shazier. Story has had numerous schools show major interest in recent weeks, but he has been lukewarm toward them. Purifoy plans to visit Auburn and Alabama in addition to Florida, but those visits were already planned prior to the coaching change. Alabama stands the best chance of changing his commitment. Shazier has been on a whirlwind week of visits checking out LSU and Ohio State, with a final decision expected this weekend. It is likely he remains a Gator.
Gator commitments aren't the only ones getting an opportunity to meet the 39-year old coach as he has also made his way to see Tampa (Fla.) Alonso defensive end Anthony Chickillo and did a tour of South Florida, seeing a few prospects during his first days on the job.
Muschamp has spoken to Belle Glade (Fla.) Glades Central wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin. Early in the week Benjamin announced his intentions to announce his college decision on Thursday, when he was likely going to opt for Florida State. After a conversation with Muschamp, the Rivals100 wide receiver has now delayed his decision and intends to visit the Gators and sit down with their new head coach.
Another prospect who now is heavily considering Florida after a phone conversation is Orlando (Fla.) Dr. Phillips running back Demetrius Hart. Muschamp followed the call with a visit Thursday to Hart's high school. The soft Michigan commitment now has Florida among his options, as he tries to sort out the future of Rich Rodriguez in Ann Arbor.
A. C. LEONARD: After visiting Nebraska, Louisville and Alabama during the season, UF Rivals100 commit A.C. Leonard took an official visit to UF last weekend and he will take his fifth and final visit this weekend to Arkansas. The 6'2, 232- pound Leonard is ranked as the 48th best prospect in the nation by Rivals.com. Leonard is reaffirming his verbal Friday at his school.
ALABAMA: With Mark Barron (torn pectoral muscle) out for Alabama's Capital One Bowl date with Michigan State, how will the safety positions be affected? With Barron out, Robert Lester has gone from new guy on the block in August to leader of the secondary in December. During individual drills Thursday, Will Lowery paired up with Lester to form the Crimson Tide's top two safeties.
How healthy is the running back position? Three weeks off the practice field can do wonders for the legs of running backs, something Mark Ingram, Trent Richardson, and Eddie Lacy would certainly attest to. For the first time since Auburn week, two (Ingram and Lacy) of the three worked without the aid of a knee brace. Richardson is still wearing a brace but was moving well through bag drills.
What's the status of offensive guard Barrett Jones (ankle) as bowl prep gets underway? While redshirt freshman Anthony Steen has a bright future, Jones' absence was felt during the loss to Auburn. During Thursday's practice, Jones, wearing a brace on his left ankle, was back at his spot next to right tackle D.J. Fluker.
COACHING SITUATION: Offensive coordinator Jim McElwain recently interviewed and was a finalist for the Colorado head coaching job, and wide receiver coach Curt Cignetti is believed to still be candidate for the opening at Saban's alma mater, Kent State. Coach Nick Saban said, "I've talked to Will (Muschamp) on several occasions. Kirby has done nothing but indicate to me that he wants to stay at the University of Alabama and be here. I trust that's what he'll do." Sources tell BamaOnline that Smart has not received an offer.
SIGNING: Alabama landed a big-time commitment and signing on Thursday evening all in one big swoop as Arizona Western C.C. offensive tackle Aaron Douglas (6-6, 280) inked his letter of intent to play for the Crimson Tide. Douglas, a former freshman All-American at the University of Tennessee, made the decision in lieu of a weekend trip planned to Oregon. (bol.com and aol.com)
ARKANSAS: The Razorback athletic department made a big investment into the future with the announcement that head football coach Bobby Petrino has signed a new seven-year contract that runs through the 2017 season. Petrino had four years left on his old contract, and with the coaching carousel starting with an opening at Florida, this was a major priority.
Petrino's annual compensation goes up from approximately $2.7 mil in 2010 to an average of $3.56 mil. each year through 2017. The new agreement also adds a non-compete clause that includes all 11 other Southeastern Conference Schools rather than only SEC-Western Division schools as outlined in his previous contract. After only three seasons, Petrino took a divided team and fan base and brought them together on the way to a 10-2 record. Toss in a $25-$34 million football facility being built at Petrino's request and a mutual buyout that will stand at a whopping $18 million the next two seasons and it's clear that the coach and the school are committed to building Arkansas long-term. (Petrino's SEC West non-compete clause has also been extended to the entire SEC.) (mrsec.com and hawgsports.com)
VANDERBILT: The Commodore new coach is James Franklin, a 38-year old native of Langhorne, Pennsylvania, who just completed his third regular season as the Terrapins offensive coordinator, helping the Terps finish tied for second in the Atlantic Coast Conference's Atlantic Division with a 5-3 mark in conference play.
The Terps won eight games overall, improving on a disappointing 2-10 campaign in 2009. Maryland went 8-5 during Franklin's first year in 2008. Franklin has been acting as Maryland's coach-in-waiting under current head coach Ralph Friedgen since February 2009. Franklin had spent five years at Maryland as a receivers coach at the start of the decade. (vandysports.com)
AUBURN: Amidst rumors of interest in the head coaching position at Vanderbilt, Auburn offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn has been rewarded with a raise and contract extension. Malzahn, who had a $500,000 contract, has agreed to a $1.3 million annual contract that is longer than the three-year deal he had been working under. Malzahn was recently named the 2010 Broyles Award as the nation's top coordinator. The Tigers led the Southeastern Conference in total offense, scoring and rushing under Malzahn's direction this year. (auburnsports.com)
NEWTON DETRACTORS: Cam Newton received a first-place vote on 93-perecent of ballots turned in with his name on them. Newton's name did not appear on 105 of the 926 ballots. Newton polled 2,263 points to capture the award. Luck finished in second place with 1,079 points followed by James (916 points) and Moore (635 points).
Seven SEC players were selected to the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) All-America team, but the big news was who wasn't selected. Auburn's Cam Newton was left off the team. Boise State's Kellen Moore was selected as the quarterback.
FLORIDA'S TIMING: As millions sat down to watch former Gator Cam Newton win the Heisman Trophy, Foley and crew put out a press release naming Muschamp as their coach. They didn't do it at 7 p.m. They didn't wait and do it at 9 p.m. They did it right as the Heisman presentation was getting under way. Now maybe that was a coincidence… but I wouldn't bet on it. (ajc.com)
KENTUCKY: Randall Cobb was named to the Associated Press First Team All-America team on Tuesday, making him just the third Kentucky player to earn that honor since 1977. The junior was voted to the team as the all-purpose player after ranking second in the nation in all-purpose yards (182.67 per game). Cobb broke Kentucky's single-season record for most all-purpose yardage (2,192 yards) and is just 118 yards shy of breaking Darren McFadden's single-season Southeastern Conference record of 2,310 set in 2007.The only other UK players to be voted to the Associated Press First Team All-America since 1977 were James Whalen in 1999 as the tight end and Derek Abney in 2002 as a kick returner.
Mike Hartline's career at Kentucky has come to an end. The senior quarterback has been suspended for Kentucky's Jan. 8 Compass Bowl meeting with Pittsburgh, thus bringing to a close an embattled five-year tenure in the program. Hartline was arrested early Friday morning and charged with second-degree disorderly conduct, alcohol intoxication in a public place and failure to notify the department of transportation of an address change after an altercation that also involved two females.
The disappointing end to Hartline's career comes after his best season, one in which he passed for 3,178 yards and 23 touchdowns against just nine interceptions. He was the first quarterback in school history to win three games over archrival Louisville as the starter and also engineered a second half comeback that ended a 10-year losing streak to South Carolina and defeat Steve Spurrier for the first time. sophomore Morgan Newton would be Kentucky's starting quarterback in the bowl game, and that redshirt freshman Ryan Mossakowski would likely play, too.
Rick Minter has been hired as defensive coordinator at Kentucky, Rivals.com has confirmed. Minter coached linebackers at Indiana State this past season. He has an extensive resume that includes a 10-year run (1994-2003) as coach at Cincinnati. Minter also has been defensive coordinator at Ball State, Notre Dame (twice), South Carolina and Marshall. (catspause.com)
GEORGIA: With Trinton Sturdivant and Cordy Glenn pondering the NFL, after submitting their names to the league's advisory board, Georgia's offensive line could certainly have a different look next fall if the two juniors decide to turn pro. The Bulldogs already graduate seniors Clint Boling and Josh Davis, meaning Georgia could potentially return just one starter - center Ben Jones - when the team opens the 2011 season in the Georgia Dome against Boise State. That's not necessarily a comforting thought for offensive line coach Stacy Searels, who would then be forced to turn to some of the Bulldogs' younger, unproven players. That list includes freshman Brent Benedict, who is back practicing after tearing the ACL, MCL and PCL in his right knee during October of his senior year at Bolles High in Jacksonville. (ugasports.com)
AWARDS: Junior wide receiver A.J. Green of Summerville, S.C.; redshirt freshman quarterback Aaron Murray of Tampa, Fla.; junior linebacker Justin Houston of Statesboro; junior placekicker Blair Walsh of Boca Raton and junior punter Drew Butler of Duluth took home the top awards at the University of Georgia football annual team Gala Saturday night.
Green was named the recipient of the Vince Dooley Most Valuable Player of the Year Award, Murray was named the team's Most Valuable Offensive Player and Houston received the Most Valuable Defensive Player honors. Walsh and Butler were named Most Valuable Special Teams players. Senior fullback Shaun Chapas of St. Augustine, Fla., was named winner of the David Jacobs Award as the player who by example portrays courage, spirit, character, and determination. (ugasports.com)
LSU: LSU has self-imposed recruiting restrictions upon its own football program as a result of recruiting violations tied to the 2009 signing of juco defensive tackle Akiem Hicks. LSU will forfeit two scholarships in 2011-12 and restrict recruiting visits for the 2010-11 academic year. According to The Baton Rouge Advocate, LSU will be allowed to sign no more than 26 when the national signing period begins on February 2nd, 2011. The Tigers will then carry no more than 83 scholarship players during the 2011-12 school year. The school did not identify people involved in the violations, but sources have told The Advocate that the punishments do stem from an investigation into the recruitment of Hicks by former assistant coach DJ McCarthy. McCarthy and Hicks both departed LSU soon after news of the violations broke last year. (advocate.com)
METTENBERGER SIGNS: As expected, ex-Georgia quarterback Zach Mettenberger signed a letter of intent to play at LSU in 2011. What's unknown is whether he'll be permitted to get a 2010 jumpstart on the practice field at his new collegiate football home. Head coach Les Miles said Wednesday that Mettenberger could be allowed to participate in LSU's on-campus bowl practices, but that some paperwork needs to be completed before that would be allowed. Specifically, the Shreveport Times writes, his application for enrollment for the next semester beginning in January still must be approved by an LSU faculty committee because of his arrest record, and his academic work must be approved by the NCAA Clearinghouse. (shreveporttimes.com)
PETERSON HONORED: Cornerback Patrick Peterson was named the recipient of the Charles McClendon Award as the most outstanding player on the LSU football team on Sunday as the Tigers held their annual awards banquet. Peterson, a consensus All-America, has claimed the Thorpe Award as the nation's top defensive back and the Bednarik Award as the top defender in college football this year. Peterson helped lead an LSU defense that ranked in the top 10 in the nation in three categories with 36 tackles, four interceptions, and six pass breakups.
OTHER AWARDS: The Percy E. Roberts Award for offense was given to running back Stevan Ridley, who led the Tigers and ranked third in the SEC with 1,042 yards and 14 touchdowns. Ridley, a first-team All-SEC pick, was also named as one of four permanent team captains for the Tigers.
The Percy E. Roberts Award for defense was shared by defensive tackle Drake Nevis and safety Brandon Taylor. Nevis, a first-team All-SEC pick, led the Tigers with 13.5 tackles for loss and six sacks. Taylor recorded 44 tackles and 4.0 tackles for loss before suffering a season-ending injury against Alabama in early November. (tigerbait.com)
MISSISSIPPI STATE: Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald contacted a number of former Miami figures (Jimmy Johnson, Sam Jankovich) and some current trustees to ask how the Canes found their way to Golden. "We were not going to get a star, and it wasn't a money thing," said one trustee. "Why would (marquee coaches) leave any of their programs" to take another college job, he asked. "Florida didn't get one either. We hired the best person that wasn't in the top 20."
Okay, so what about the other candidates? "The trustee said UM inquired about Stanford's Jim Harbaugh, who wasn't interested, and said Jon Gruden never seemed serious about taking the job. Chris Peterson gave UM no indication he wanted to leave Boise State. UM thought Nebraska's Bo Pelini had some interest, but he changed his mind. And UM was turned off by Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen's big ego, with one trustee saying he acts like he invented the game."(miamherald.com)
HUDSPETH LEAVES: Mississippi State receiver and passing game coordinator Mark Hudspeth has reportedly accepted the head coaching job at Louisiana-Lafayette. In late November, Hudspeth said he was not interested in the job. Hudspeth said in the last 24 hours that he changed his mind when contacted by ULL officials. Now, if FootballScoop.com is correct, he's completed his flip-flop and accepted the ULL job. Hudspeth had been the head coach at North Alabama from 2002 to 2008 before joining Dan Mullen's first staff in Starkville.
FAVRE SHINES: During this first week of bowl practice Mississippi State has let its younger players have their chances to showcase their talents. On Tuesday future signal caller Dylan Favre, the nephew of NFL Brett Favre, did just that. The true freshman rallied the offense from a 5-1 deficit during red zone drills with five straight touchdowns to win the day. Favre scored three of the touchdowns on the ground and ran over freshman defensive back Jay Hughes on another run. The 5-foot-11, 190-pounder made the game-winning touchdown on a 3-yard scamper high-stepping his way into the end zone on a naked bootleg and diving across the goal line before he could be hit by Dennis Thames. (bulldogblitz.com)
SOUTH CAROLINA: It's likely no position group welcomed the prospect of getting back onto the practice field more than the secondary, which has struggled all season long. The Gamecocks allowed 351 passing yards and two long touchdown passes to Auburn in the conference championship game, the sixth time an opponent has surpassed 300 yards passing this season. After 13 games, Ward emphasized no radical changes in personnel or schemes were planned. It's just a matter of the players better executing their assignments without the major breakdowns we've seen throughout the season. Poor performances by South Carolina in their last two bowl games have convinced head coach Steve Spurrier a new approach was needed.
So, when the Gamecocks started bowl practice on Dec. 16 for the Chick-fil-A Bowl clash with Florida State on New Year's Eve, the players expected preparations to go in a different direction than last year prior to the disappointing 20-7 loss to UConn in the Papajohns.com Bowl in Birmingham. And based on the fact USC has been outscored 51-17 in their last two bowl games, a tune-up is required. Spurrier confirmed redshirt sophomore WR Tori Gurley and redshirt junior OL Rokevious Watkins, a JUCO transfer, have both submitted their paperwork for evaluations on their draft prospects from the NFL's Undergraduate Advisory Committee. Gurley has 42 receptions for 416 yards and four touchdowns in 2010, while Watkins has started all 13 games this season, 12 at right guard. (gamecockcentral.com)
ACC NEWS
NORTH CAROLINA: North Carolina will be without a pair of long-time starters when they take the field Dec. 30 against Tennessee in the Music City Bowl. Senior linebacker Bruce Carter underwent ACL reconstruction surgery on his left knee Tuesday morning and will, obviously, miss the bowl game. Carter, who originally injured his knee against NC State on Nov. 20, 2010, is expected to return to full participation in the fall of 2011, but the injury could obviously have a very significant impact on where he falls in April's NFL draft. Additionally, senior guard Alan Pelc underwent surgery Monday afternoon to repair damage to his left shoulder. He too will miss the postseason game against the Vols. (espn.com)
MIAMI: New head coach Al Golden has added three assistant coaches to the existing staff in a limited capacity for the remainder of the calendar year. Former Temple defensive coordinator Mark D'Onofrio, defensive line coach Jethro Franklin and defensive backs coach Paul Williams will join the Miami staff and be allowed to recruit this week thanks to an NCAA waiver.
RECRUITING: Ole Miss defensive back commitment Gerrod Holliman had an in-home visit with Miami assistants this week and is seeing a high level of interest. The Miami (Fla.) Southridge defensive back is a soft commitment to the Rebels.
Florida State offensive line commitment Bobby Hart said he heard from Golden earlier in the week. The Ft. Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas lineman, who was very high on Miami early in the process, is unlikely to think twice about his current commitment status.
Current Miami commitments such as Tampa (Fla.) Alonso defensive end Anthony Chickillo and Ft. Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas wide receiver Phillip Dorsett were very impressed with their first interaction with Golden.
Former Miami commitments such as offensive lineman Marcus Jackson, who is very high on Tennessee, and quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, who has recently officially visited Louisville and USF, are both seeing renewed interest from Miami since the hiring of Golden.
Other prospects such as Coral Gables (Fla.) linebacker Denzel Perryman, who long has been a Miami lean, have enjoyed their first interaction with Golden. Perryman plans to visit a bowl practice and learn more about the new head man in Miami.
FIRST PRESSER: Golden clearly had done his homework on all that had gone wrong for Randy Shannon, his predecessor who was dismissed before he could see his first recruiting class through because he couldn't get things right on the field. Golden had addressed pretty much every one of those subjects in a 30-minute speech at his opening press conference. He was talking of how he was tearing that wall down between the head coach and the former players, making sure his players didn't have a sense of entitlement because of the program's tradition, targeting ACC and national titles, reaching out to fans and supporters, and recruiting with a relentless mindset while speaking with a swagger that will endear him to the fan base.
CaneSport first reported Sunday morning that Golden had been offered the job and that negotiations were entering their final stage. But the University of Pittsburgh entered the picture Sunday afternoon and tried to get Golden to hold off on a deal and consider coming to the Panthers instead. Golden decided to become a Hurricane and called an 8:30 p.m. team meeting in Philadelphia to say goodbye to his team.
EXPRERIENCE: Golden has a wealth of experience that he brings to the table for UM. He's a former NFL player who has plenty of ACC years on his resume - he's coached at Virginia and Boston College, including a five-year stint as the Cavaliers' defensive coordinator.
He's also considered one of the nation's top young coaches. He's most recently taken Temple from doormat status to winner. The Owls were 1-11 in his first year taking over a talent cupboard that was bare and he since improved to 4-8, 5-7, and most recently 9-4 and 8-4.
That improvement of what many thought was a hopeless program is what ultimately appears to be netting him the Cane job. A down side to Golden that fans can point to: He has a 27-34 career record as a head coach. But he's made a name for himself as a hard worker who is a tenacious recruiter and great at coaching fundamentals.
Golden had previously been a candidate for coaching vacancies at UCLA, Cincinnati and Tennessee. He wasn't offered those jobs. Golden is a New Jersey native who played tight end at Penn State from 1987-1991 and played for the New England Patriots for a year.
Golden has 13 postseason bowl games on his resume - his team was snubbed from the postseason this year. (canesport.com)
FLORIDA STATE: Coming into the season, not many people knew about Navarre (Fla.) High School or even its star offensive lineman Sterling Lovelady. However, behind the leadership of the 6-foot-2, 283-pound center, the Raiders put themselves on the map with a strong 10-2 season with their only losses coming from Pine Forest in the regular season and Lincoln in the playoffs. Ever since he was a little boy, Trey Pettis wanted to become a Seminole. On Tuesday afternoon, Deland (Fla.) High's 6-foot-5, 290 pounder realized that dream when he committed to play at Florida State. He will enroll at FSU in January for the spring semester
PONDER SITUATION: Florida State's first practice since the ACC title game 10 days ago began and ended just as suspected: Without its starting quarterback. Afterward, head coach Jimbo Fisher said the plan is to hold out Christian Ponder until practices begin in Atlanta on Dec. 26th. For the second time this year, Ponder underwent a surgical procedure. On Friday, the injured arm that forced him to miss two games this year, underwent a surgical procedure to remove scar tissue. On Tuesday, Fisher said Ponder's status for the bowl game remained uncertain. While neither he nor Ponder were able to say for sure whether the senior will be able to play against South Carolina in the Chick-fil-A Bowl against South Carolina both are optimistic. Two other starters, left tackle Andrew Datko (shoulder) and running back Jermaine Thomas (knee) were also held out to rest injuries, but Fisher says both are expected to play against the Gamecocks. Fisher added that Thomas, who has missed the last three games with a knee sprain, will begin practicing on Thursday. (warchant.com)
FSU: RECRUITING NEEDS:
- QUARTERBACK
- GONE: Christian Ponder
- RETURNING: E.J. Manuel (RJR), Will Secord (RSO), Clint Trickett (RFR)
- COMMITTED: Jacob Coker
- STILL ON THE BOARD: Jacoby Brissett
- NEEDS: Moderate
- PROJECTED GRADE: B to A (depending on Brissett)
OVERVIEW: Florida State will replace three-year starter Christian Ponder with E.J. Manuel in 2011. The former Rivals100 QB will have a half dozen starts under his belt and it's extremely unlikely he'll face any serious competition for the starting job. There's always an outside chance that Manuel could leave for the NFL after his junior season, but in all likelihood he'll be Jimbo Fisher's leader under center for the next two years. The real question is who will be next in line to follow Manuel (whether that's in 2012 or 2013). Based on reports from the practice field, it appears as though Clint Trickett has moved into the No. 3 spot. But with Manuel likely under center for two more years, the battle for the starting job in 2013 should be wide open to the current quarterbacks and those who sign in 2011.
RANDOM SPECULATION: If Brissett joins Coker as a commitment, and both sign, FSU could have five scholarship quarterbacks in 2011. If in fact Trickett has passed Will Secord on the depth chart, it wouldn't be a surprise if Secord transferred to another school before the start of the 2011 season.
RUNNING BACK
- GONE: Tavares Pressley (Medical DQ)
- RETURNING: Jermaine Thomas (SR), Chris Thompson (JR), Ty Jones (SR), FB Lonnie Pryor (JR), FB Debrale Smiley (RJR)
- COMMITTED: Eric Beverly, Devonta Freeman, James Wilder Jr.
- STILL ON THE BOARD: NONE
- NEEDS: High
- PROJECTED GRADE: A
OVERVIEW: Over the past two signing classes, Florida State signed only one player that is currently listed as a tailback (Chris Thompson) making this a huge position of need. What also makes it necessary for FSU to load up at this position is that two players from FSU's three-man rotation at running back - Ty Jones and Jermaine Thomas - will be seniors in 2011, with Thompson entering his junior season. All three of FSU's current co-starters saw significant action as freshmen so there's a good chance that one or two of the incoming freshmen could see playing time in 2011.
RANDOM SPECULATION: As FSU found out in 2010, you can never have too much depth at running back. Nevertheless, there could potentially be six tailbacks on the depth chart in 2011 if all three commitments sign as expected. That's a high number (even though two will be in their final years of eligibility) so you have to wonder if there will be a shake-up at some point with a player or recruit deciding to go elsewhere.
WIDE RECEIVER
- GONE: AJ Alexander (transfer), Jarmon Fortson (released before season)
- RETURNING: Willie Haulstead (JR), Bert Reed (RSR), Josh Gehres (RSO), Greg Dent (SO), Taiwan Easterling (SR), Rodney Smith (JR), Kenny Shaw (SO), Jared Haggins (SO), Christian Green (RFR), Cameron Wade (RSR)
- COMMITTED: Rashad Greene
- STILL ON THE BOARD: Kelvin Benjamin
- NEEDS: Low
- PROJECTED GRADE: B to A
OVERVIEW: With a lot of players projected to be on scholarship in 2011, this isn't a huge position of need but Jimbo Fisher is still looking for receivers with big play abilities. Other than Jarmon Fortson, who was released from the team before the season, there has been a lack of NFL type receivers on the field for Florida State the past couple years. Both Rodney Smith and Willie Haulstead showed signs of possibly filling this role late in the season but there is still a need for another elite wide receiver to help Fisher's offense reach its full potential.
RANDOM SPECULATION: While there are currently a whopping 10 non-senior wide receivers on scholarship, it seems pretty certain that one or two won't be on the roster come next fall. Cameron Wade has been at FSU for four years and has yet to see the field so it wouldn't be surprising to see him go elsewhere. Taiwan Easterling has been one of FSU's most consistent performance the past couple years at receiver but you get the feeling that his pro future may be in baseball (he played for the baseball team last season and was drafted by the Florida Marlins this past summer). With that in mind, there's probably a decent chance he'll pass on his senior season depending on where he gets drafted next summer.
OFFENSIVE LINE
- GONE: C Ryan McMahon, G Rodney Hudson
- RETURNING: Andrew Datko (SR), Garrett Faircloth (RSO), Dan Foose (RFR), A.J. Ganguzza (RSR), Antwane Greenlee (RSR), Henry Orelus (RSO), Zebrie Sanders (SR), Rhonne Sanderson (RJR), Blake Snider (RSO), David Spurlock (SR), Bryan Stork (RSO)
- COMMITTED: Ruben Carter, Bobby Hart, Sterling Lovelady, Trey Pettis, Jordan Prestwood
- STILL ON THE BOARD: Josue Matias, Jacob Fahrenkrug, Errin Joe, Matt Williams
- NEEDS: Great
- PROJECTED GRADE: A to A+
OVERVIEW: With the graduation of McMahon and Hudson, there will only be 11 offensive linemen on scholarship in January (unless a JUCO OL enrolls) and three of those 11 have fairly significant health issues that could impact their ability to suit up in 2011. As a result, Jimbo Fisher and Rick Trickett have made stocking up on linemen a major priority for this recruiting class. And with signing day less than two months away, they are very close to reaching that goal with five commitments and a few quality prospects still on the board.
RANDOM SPECULATION: With A.J. Ganguzza, Antwane Greenlee and David Spurlock all battling injury/health issues you have to wonder if some or all will be a part of the team in the fall of 2011. With the graduation of starters Rodney Hudson and Ryan Mahon and the possible loss of more linemen to injury, this is a position of need so it's no surprise that the coaches are building this up this position for the future. (warchant.com)
OTHER NEWS
Billionaire Mark Cuban is seriously considering trying to use his money to create a playoff alternative to college football's Bowl Championship Series. Cuban, the outspoken owner of the NBA's Dallas Mavericks, told ESPNDallas.com on Wednesday that he is "actively interested but in the exploratory stage" of creating and funding a playoff system to crown a champion for major college football.
Cuban said he has talked to two athletic directors from BCS conferences who were extremely enthusiastic about the idea. He intends to contact several school presidents and state senators in the coming weeks to determine whether the idea is worth pursuing. Cuban said he envisions either a 12- or 16-team playoff field with the higher seeds getting homefield advantage. The homefield advantage, Cuban said, would ensure the college football regular-season games would not lose any importance.
The bowl games could still exist under Cuban's plan, but he said he would make it more profitable for programs to make the playoffs than a bowl.
"Put $500 million in the bank and go to all the schools and pay them money as an option," Cuban said. "Say, 'Look, I'm going to give you X amount every five years. In exchange, you say if you're picked for the playoff system, you'll go.' "
One way to push school presidents toward approving the idea would be to lobby major donors of college athletic programs, Cuban said. He suggested convincing the donors to cut off their donations until their presidents approved a playoff system.
Cuban, who is reading the book "Death to the BCS," said he thinks it would take about three or four years of planning before enacting the playoff system. He believes it's a better business opportunity than owning a baseball team, and he admits he's intrigued by the idea of revolutionizing a major sport.
MRSEC.COM: There are simply too many obstacles to overcome for someone to set-up and fund a 12- to 16-team playoff right out of the gate. If a playoff comes, it will eventually come in the form of a "plus-one" game that will create a pair of semifinals and one finals.
Two years ago, we spoke with one of the nation's top sports marketing gurus - Bill Schmidt, former VP of Worldwide Marketing for Gatorade - about what it would take to create a playoff. In fact, we came up with our own serious, detailed plan for a playoff. (Not one of those "just use 15 bowl games" cocktail napkin-type plans, either.) But no matter how we played with the variables, there was always one too many negatives to overcome.
For those who haven't seen our plan - and want to know exactly why a playoff won't work - (And remember this was written two years ago, before conference expansion and the forced dismantling of the Big 12 Championship Game. ) The biggest hurdle to a playoff is this - BCS conferences control the bulk of bowl money in the current system. That insures that they'll also continue to be the biggest powers in the college football world.
If a playoff is created - like the NCAA basketball tournament, for example - the NCAA would have to sanction the event. And the revenue from such an event would be spread evenly among the NCAA's schools. Utah State's cut (even if it doesn't reach the playoff) would be close to that of Alabama. Now why would Alabama, for example, go along with that?
Under Cuban's plan, would he pay every FBS program an "if you're picked you'll join us" fee… or just the big boy schools? If just the big boy schools, expect lawsuits and harrumphing politicians. If everyone, then we're right back to the haves allowing the have-nots to catch up. Result? Won't happen. (mrsec.com)
BRENT BEAIRD IS A SPORTS WRITER FOR MYCLAYSUN IN ORANGE PARK, FLA. HE ALSO WRITES FOR RIVALS.COM, SAMSPORTSLINE.COM AND GATOR BAIT MAGAZINE. HE CAN BE HEARD ON SPORTS RADIO 1010 XL.
E-MAIL BRENT AT brentbeaird@aol.com
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