Bama's QB duel for the heir to the Throne

A.J. McCarron looks exactly like every Crimson Tide quarterback ever: Sturdy, unassuming and unspectacular, expected mainly to keep a stiff upper lip in the huddle, the 'Bama Bangs out of his eyes and the defense and running game out of trouble. The best comparison, given his 6-foot-4 frame, four-star hype and instate roots, is probably to pre-Sabanite starter Brodie Croyle, but his profile is interchangeable with predecessors Tyler Watts, John Parker Wilson and, most recently, Greg McElroy.

Sims, on the other hand, arrived last year from Virginia with considerably more hype as the No. 2 "pro style" slinger in the 2010 recruiting class, according to Rivals, and offers a bigger body and bigger arm – as well as much better odds, as a third or fourth-year starter down the line, to be more than another within-the-offense "manager." SEC Football Online's pick, A.J., for you have to far back in 'Bama's past for a QB to jump the gun in the ranking order.

Kentucky’s Mark Crawford arrested on traffic charges

According to the Lexington Herald-Leader, Wildcats defensive tackle Mark Crawford was arrested Sunday evening and charged with driving on a suspended license. Additionally, the junior was hit with charges of careless driving and failure to maintain required insurance. Crawford was cited after he collided with another vehicle and was pulled over by Lexington police. The school is aware of the arrest, and said head coach Joker Phillips will handle any punishment internally.

In 2010, Crawford played in 10 games with five starts. He was suspended for the final two games for violating unspecified team rules.

LSU's three- way at QB

Jordan Jefferson vs. Jarrett Lee vs. Zach Mettenberger.

All incoming coaches are going to tell the media "Every position is up for grabs," to instill a sense of competition, combat complacency, etc. Although, new offensive coordinator Steve Kragthorpe's insistence that Jordan Jefferson, starter for 27 of the Tigers' last 28 games since the end of his freshman season in 2008, isn't a shoo-in for the job, but carries a little added credibility, because Jefferson struggled to stay on the field as a seemingly entrenched starter in 2010, regularly yielding to former pick-six king Jarrett Lee and finishing near the bottom of the SEC in pass efficiency. Lee clearly outshone Jefferson in the wins over Tennessee and Florida in early October, the depths of Jefferson's two-month, 32-quarter drought without a touchdown pass.

If LSU knows it can win with modest efforts from Jefferson and Lee, Mettenberger, a Georgia transfer by way of junior college, offers the big-play potential that's been so sorely lacking: At 6-foot-5, 240 pounds, he looks every bit the part of an NFL-bound fireballer in the pocket, and he only needs to reproduce a fraction of the Cam Newton Effect to ensure the Tigers are in the thick of the SEC and BCS championship races.

Alabama’s McElroy scores 48 on Wonderlic test

McElroy, a Rhodes Scholarship finalist, scored a 48 out of 50 on the Wonderlic Test, which assesses problem-solving and learning capabilities. Athletes have 12 minutes to complete the exam. To put that into perspective, the average score for a quarterback ranges around 21-24.

Wonderlic scores aren’t necessarily indicative of a quarterback’s success in the NFL. Dan Marino scored a 16 and Michael Vick scored a 20.

Patrick McInally, who played for the Cincinnati Bengals, is the only player to ever receive a perfect 50.

UGA reinstates Ealey

In a statement issued by the school, head coach Mark Richt announced that Ealey has been reinstated and will resume activities with his teammates on Monday. The reinstatement means that Ealey will be available for spring practice, which is scheduled to kick off March 10.

"Over the past few weeks, Washaun has done the things we expect him to do the things we expect all our players to do," Richt said in the statement. "He’s been doing things the Georgia way, and will rejoin team activities Monday."

Last year, Ealey led the Bulldogs with 811 yards and 11 rushing touchdowns. Ealey will likely be relegated to a backup role this year, however, as 2011 signee Isaiah Crowell is expected to be the starter when the regular season rolls around.

Toomer’s Corner oaks given a fighting chance

Much of the top layer of the soil has been removed and replaced with a charcoal mix to try and absorb remaining traces of the herbicide in the week following the initial report. "The good news is the concentrations are much lower than we initially detected in the beds around the trees. The bad news is we still detected herbicide," said AU professor of horticulture Gary Keever. Keever has been on the task force assigned to try and save the trees.

"Is your glass half full or half empty? You can look at it either way. I choose to be an optimist because we’re doing the right thing."

Auburn officials believe a four-pound box of Spike 80DF was used to poison the trees, enough to cover an acre, but aren’t sure how much of the herbicide was absorbed. Tests Monday will be conducted to see if ground water has been contaminated.

Harvey Updyke, the man suspected of poisoning the trees, was arrested shortly after supposedly calling a radio show to announce the act. He was released on $50,000 bail on Feb. 18, and according to the Birmingham News, has been living in his car by a creek somewhere in Alabama.

Weis rolling in the dough at Florida

Weis is set to receive $765,000 this year, and the raise of $100k for the next two seasons will make Weis the highest paid assistant under Will Muschamp. Weis also received a $100,000 signing bonus and receives a $10,000 supplement for wearing Nike apparel.

Amazingly, Weis’ salary as an assistant is more than his annual base salary at Notre Dame, which according to a report from the Chicago Tribune, topped out at $649,000. Of course, that didn’t include the $850,000 from Adidas and $1,303,000 from media appearances.

Muschamp’s staff as a whole is on par to receive nearly $5 million through their contract negotiations.

Tar Heels make hiring of LSU assistant official

In the release sent out by the school, the Tar Heels confirmed that head coach Butch Davis has hired Joe Robinson as his new defensive line coach. Robinson had spent the past three seasons as line coach and special teams coordinator at LSU. "Joe is a tremendous defensive line coach who has a well-rounded résumé with experience at several different positions," Davis said in a statement. "We had several outstanding candidates for the position and Joe was the best fit for our staff and players." "Joe is a great person and an even better coach," UNC defensive coordinator Everett Withers, who worked with Robinson at Southern Miss in the early nineties, said. "He does a great job with the kids, teaching them the fundamentals and helping them grow through the college experience. He is a great fit for this staff and will help our defensive linemen become better players." In addition to LSU and Southern Miss, Robinson has also been an assistant at Arizona and Louisiana Tech. Robinson will replace Brian Baker, who left the Tar Heels last month for a job with the Dallas Cowboys.

Twelve-member committee will decide punishment for Vols

The 12-member panel of the NCAA Committee on Infractions features a lawyer from Malibu, Calif., a former George W. Bush-appointed U.S. attorney, two conference commissioners, one of Oklahoma City bomber Terry Nichols' court-appointed attorneys, two former standout women's basketball players, four law professors and only one person with direct SEC ties.

Hundreds of years of experience in law and athletic administration will be on the other side of the table when UT administrators, men's basketball coach Bruce Pearl, the school's team of lawyers and others will present their case on June 10 and 11. Though UT desires it, a summary disposition was all but ruled out by NCAA Vice President of Enforcement Julie Roe Lach in a letter to UT chancellor Jimmy Cheek.

The people who will peruse those documents with scrupulous, diverse and experienced eyes:

Britton Banowsky Commissioner, Conference USA

John S. Black: Senior Partner at Polsinelli and Shughart

Missy Conboy: Senior Deputy Director of Athletics, Notre Dame

Roscoe C. Howard Jr.: Partner, Andrews Kurth LLP

Eleanor Myers: Professor of Law, Temple University School of Law

James O'Fallon: Professor Emeritus, University of Oregon School of Law

Gregory Sankey: Associate Commissioner, SEC

Dennis Thomas: Commissioner, Mid-Eastern Conference

Rodney Uphoff: Professor of Law, University of Missouri

Julie Roe Lach: Vice President of Enforcement, NCAA

Shep Cooper: Director of the Committee on Infractions, NCAA

Brian P Halloran: Halloran Law Office

SEC title game to stay at Georgia Dome through 2017

The conference announced Friday afternoon that they have reached an agreement to keep the title game at the Georgia Dome for an additional two years. With five years remaining on a deal consummated in July of 2009, it means the title game will remain at the Dome through the 2017 season. "The SEC Football Championship Game continues to be one of the premiere college sports events,” commissioner Mike Slive said in a statement. “The Georgia Dome and the Georgia World Congress Center has shown year-in and year-out that it is an outstanding host for our event."

"We are both excited and honored that the SEC wants to keep their football championship in the Georgia Dome and the City of Atlanta," Dome General Manager Carl Adkins said. "This event is the most prestigious football championship in all of college football and we are thrilled to keep the game in the Georgia Dome for many years to come."

While the first two SEC title games were held at Legion Field in Birmingham, Ala., the title game has been held at the Atlanta facility every year since 1994. 16 of those 17 games have sold out.

Mullen: Cam Newton situation ‘kind of stained almost everybody’

Speaking to the Jackson Clarion-Ledger's Brandon Marcello, Mullen said he carries no regrets as to how his school handled the Newton situation, although he did allow that almost nobody touched by the scandal came away unscathed. "I don’t regret how we handled his recruiting situation at all," Mullen said. "How the situation kind of stained almost everybody, I don’t like that, because I care about Cam a lot. I’m proud of him and I’m happy for all of the things he’s accomplished." Mullen had a fairly close relationship with Newton dating back to their time together at Florida. It was that relationship that had many convinced he would transfer to Mississippi State after completing a season at the JUCO level in 2009. Instead, Newton somewhat surprisingly, and at the behest of his father, reportedly, opted to take his talents to Auburn, where of course he won the Heisman and a BcS title during his one season on The Plains. Despite all that’s gone on, and may continue to go on, regarding Newton, Mullen maintains that he’s got the quarterback’s back if he ever needs it. "I’m sure our paths will cross," Mullen said. "Like I said, if Cam called me today and said, ‘Coach, I need a favor,’ in a heartbeat I’d do whatever I could to help him as a former player. I’ve always thought we were very, very close. In my opinion, nothing has changed in my feelings toward him. I don’t feel any different today."

If the latest round of rumors involving Kenny Rogers are proven correct, Mullen may indeed feel a little different regarding the situation. Rogers, a former MSU player and alleged middleman in Cecil Newton’s pay-for-play scheme, is rumored to be in possession of an audio tape that supposedly doesn’t exactly cast his alma mater in the most favorable of light when it comes to the Newton situation.

The fact that the NCAA’s investigation into Newton’s recruitment is still ongoing, and the newest Rogers rumors, HBO is reportedly engaged in conversations with Rogers and his people about appearing on the network’s "Real Sports" show.

No compensation for student-athletes

The topic of whether student-athletes should be paid is not a debate in the eyes of the NCAA’s new president. Mark Emmert has made it clear that under his watch, college athletes will not be compensated as though they were professionals.

"They are student-athletes. They are not our employees, they don’t work for us," he said. "They are our students, so we don’t pay them." Speaking at a Town Hall Los Angeles luncheon on Wednesday, Emmert touched on a variety of topics, including NCAA funding, enforcing rules infractions, conference realignment and the Bowl Championship Series. Emmert officially assumed his duties late last year and already believes the NCAA is doing as well now as at any time in its history. Emmert’s stance is that high-profile athletes should not be rewarded financially for their contributions, with the opportunities presented while participating in college athletics serving as a reward in itself.

"They get to have experiences that very few students get a chance to enjoy," Emmert said. "If they take full advantage of it, they will have spectacular opportunities in life."

Auburn gets burned...Hurtt staying at Louisville

Not to often does a coach turn down an offer to coach in a SEC position, try never, until now! Word first surfaced Wednesday that the Cardinals defensive line coach had interviewed for the same position at Auburn. A day later, Hurtt’s boss reported via Twitter that his assistant is staying put. "Big news! The big hurtt is staying with the cardinals," head coach Charlie Strong tweeted late this morning. It’s unclear whether Hurtt was offered the position and turned it down, or whether he simply decided to stay at his current job. Or, if Auburn decided to go in another direction after the interview.

Former Minnesota assistant Tim Cross is also reportedly a candidate, and is expected to interview for the defensive line job in short order, if he hasn’t interviewed already.

LSU Proposes Football Assistant Coach Contracts

BATON ROUGE - The contract for new LSU offensive coordinator Steve Kragthorpe will be presented for approval to the LSU Board of Supervisors at its next meeting on March 4, vice chancellor and director of athletics Joe Alleva announced on Thursday.

In addition, the athletic department is proposing contract adjustments for three assistant football coaches, two of whom were recruited by other schools after LSU's Cotton Bowl victory in January, and the head strength coach who was also pursued by other athletics programs.

"When a football program is as successful as LSU has been under Les Miles, other schools will come calling on your staff members," said Alleva. "Consistency in a staff is a key ingredient to sustained success and Coach Miles has done a wonderful job of keeping a consistent coaching staff. These salary adjustments will help us maintain that success."

No state tax dollars and no student fees are used to fund LSU Athletics. All revenues are generated through ticket sales, donations associated with tickets, radio and television rights, concessions and merchandise sales and Southeastern Conference revenue distribution. USA Today recently reported that LSU and Nebraska were the only two athletics programs in the nation that used no state tax dollars to operate their athletics programs in each of the last four years.

The contract adjustments come on the heels of LSU's 11th straight bowl appearance. The Tigers posted a record of 11-2 and finished No. 8 in the country in 2010 after a resounding 41-24 win over Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl. It was the fourth time LSU has won at least 11 games in a season since Miles arrived at LSU in 2005.

Kragthorpe's proposed contract is for three years with an annual salary of $700,000, equal to that of defensive coordinator John Chavis.

The athletic department is proposing salary increases for defensive line coach Brick Haley from $340,000 to $380,000; for offensive line coach Greg Studrawa from $230,000 to $275,000; and for tight ends coach Steve Ensminger from $170,000 to $190,000.

In addition, a promotion has been proposed for head strength and conditioning coach Tommy Moffittto assistant athletic director which would increase his annual compensation from $215,000 to $300,000.

"These proposed salaries are consistent with similar positions at other schools with which we must compete to remain successful," Alleva said.

By http://www.lsusports.net

Two Bulldogs To Be Inducted Into Georgia Sports Hall of Fame

ATHENS, Ga.- Two former University of Georgia Bulldogs will be inducted into the State of Georgia Sports Hall of Fame Saturday, Feb. 26, at the annual banquet in Macon.

Former football player and head football coach Ray Goff, and former national champion tennis player Lisa Spain Short, both natives of Moultrie, Ga., are among seven individuals who were elected to the State Hall by the GSHF Honors Court.

Goff played quarterback for the Bulldogs and in 1976 led the team to a Southeastern Conference title and earned SEC Player of the Year honors. Later, he became UGA's head football coach from 1989-95. He amassed a record of 46-34-1 in seven seasons. The 1992 squad was his finest, going 10-2 with a share of the SEC's Eastern Division and a final national ranking of eighth.

Spain was the first All-American in the history of Georgia women's tennis and led the Bulldogs to their first SEC regular season and tournament titles in 1983. In 1984, Spain captured the NCAA singles title and the Honda Broderick Award for tennis. As a professional, she climbed as high as 63rd in the world rankings and played in each of tennis' four grand slam tournaments.

Others chosen to the 2011 class include former longtime high school football coach Robert Davis, former football player and SEC official Joe DeLany, former college and professional basketball standout Dale Ellis, former golfer Bill Ploeger and former college and professional football standout from Macon James "J.T." Thomas.

The seven members of the 2011 class were selected from a starting pool of 251 eligible nominees that have distinguished themselves in a myriad of sports at every level of competition.

"I'm amazed each year at the seemingly limitless number of world-class athletes that our state produces", said GSHF Interim Director Ben Sapp. "At the Honors Court level, the committee members are always faced with very difficult decisions; this year was no different."

Gamecocks' Spurrier hires special teams coordinator

Today, the school announced that Steve Spurrier had filled that void with a very familiar face. In a press release, South Carolina announced that Steve Spurrier Jr. has been named as the football program’s recruiting coordinator. Spurrier will continue on as wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator. Additionally, former Minnesota assistant John Butler has been named as the Gamecocks’ special teams coordinator.

"We think John Butler is an excellent special teams coach," said Coach Spurrier. "He had good success at the University of Minnesota. Our coaching staff was impressed with his knowledge and with his eagerness to do the job here at South Carolina. We look forward to having him join our staff."

Patrick Peterson listed as top prospect at NFL Combine by USA Today

LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson, Auburn defensive tackle Nick Fairley and Clemson defensive end Da'Quan Bowers, and perhaps controversial quarterback Cam Newton, Fairley's teammate, will spend a good portion of their time at this week's scouting combine starting Thursday in Indianapolis answering (or dodging) questions about why they deserve to go No. 1.

Peterson has lockdown cover potential but isn't flashy; Fairley has displayed the ability, albeit for one breakout season, to be a game-changing force; and sack-machine Bowers' best strength actually might be in defending the run.

Auburn lining up candidates to fill staff vacancy

According to the Birmingham News, Clint Hurtt was on campus interviewing for the job Wednesday, with Tim Cross reportedly on Chizik’s to-do list in the not-too-distant future. Hurtt is currently the defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator at Louisville. Prior to following Charlie Strong to the Cardinals last year, Hurtt was the recruiting coordinator at Miami of Florida. Those recruiting ties to South Florida would certainly make him an attractive candidate to Chizik and the Tigers. Cross spent the past four years at Minnesota, the last three as both associate head coach and defensive line coach. Prior to that, he was line coach at Syracuse for two years (2005-06) as well as spending three years as Texas’ assistant strength & conditioning coach.

Drug rumors surrounding Arkansas' Ryan Mallett

Former St. Louis Rams and Carolina Panthers personnel department executive Tony Softli became the latest person to express concerns about the character of Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett. Mallett has a previous arrest for public intoxication. However, the 6-foot-6, 238-pound strong-armed quarterback has been linked to several drug rumors.

Softli weighed in on Mallett on www.101espn.com

"His inconsistency in leading his team to victory or making poor decisions at the most vital time of the game really sends up a red flag," Softli wrote. "Character and drug use issues are starting to rear their ugly head. Heavy rumors of drug use and possible addiction kept him from coming out for the 2010 draft. A lot of people are comparing Mallett to Ryan Leaf. I think Ryan was a better football player, with a cannon for an arm but the immaturity was just too much to overcome. A hair facial test might tell all 32 teams who this person really is." Softli isn't alone in his skepticism about Mallett as a person.

NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock spoke at length about Mallett during a recent conference call, saying he would have serious reservations about drafting him in the first round.

"I didn't say I have a first round grade on him," Mayock said. "I said that I've got four guys with first round ability. To me there is a distinction there, and people just assume when I say that I think he's a first round guy. Here's what Ryan Mallet is. Ryan Mallett has unbelievable, God-given ability to throw a football. And when he has clear pocket and clear vision, there is nobody in the game better. Comes from an offense where you can see him drop back under center, you can see him play action. And there are two plays in the Georgia game that to me summarize this kid, back to back throws. The first play he throws a 35-yard post against Georgia that was on the line the whole way. Thirty-five yards, on a line, he hit his receiver right in the helmet. It was an unbelievably difficult throw, and he made it look easy."

"Literally the next play on a seven-yard hitch, he made a throw where three Georgia players touched it. An under guy, a linebacker coming under, and a corner from behind. It was one of the worst decisions in throws I've seen on back to back throws. That is the problem with this kid."

Tennessee Football Recruiting: Dooley Looks To Address Specific Needs For 2012

Year number two always seems to be one of the more critical seasons for college football coaches in the SEC. Richt, Saban, Miles, Meyer, Chizik, and even Spurrier (at Florida) all took their teams to a BCS bowl in their second season with their current schools (except Spurrier as mentioned.)

So for Vols second year man Derek Dooley, the expectations are going to be high. And while it may not be reasonable to expect a BCS berth in 2011, Vol fans will be expecting marked improvement as many fans have set their eyes on 2012 as the year that the Vols will have an opportunity to re-establish itself atop the SEC East standings.

One key component to success in 2012, will be another successful recruiting haul for the Vols, specifically in a few key areas.

These are the Vols Top 5 recruiting needs for the Class of 2012:

No. 1 Defensive Tackle:

It's no secret that the Vols have been thin on the defensive interior for the past couple of seasons, and Dooley and company made late pushes in the Class of 2011 to sign another talented DT but came up empty handed. In 2012 it will be even more of a priority with the impending departure of standout DT Malik Jackson. The Vols have already extended double digit offers to DT's from across the nation, and that number will continue to climb as I estimate that the Vols will look to sign four to six big bodied defensive lineman.

No. 2 Linebacker:

LB was another major priority for the Vols in 2011 that they simply fell short on. They bypassed an opportunity to get into the picture for five-star C.J. Johnson who wound up committing to Mississippi State because they felt comfortable with their position with Lamar Dawson. When Dawson spurned the Vols in favor of Lane Kiffin and USC the Vols were left swaying in the wind and with the graduations of Daryl Vereen and Austin Johnson next season the Vols will need to add three or four linebackers in the Class of 2012.

No. 3 Running Back:

The Vols got lucky at the end of this past recruiting season when Marlin Lane essentially fell into their laps. They also added a quality back in Tom Smith, as well as a speedy all-purpose back in Devrin Young but with feature back Tauren Poole entering his senior season and the transfer of David Oku the Vols are going to need to add another back or two in this class.

No. 4 Tight End:

Even if you operate under the assumption that Cam Clear will be a tight end for the next four years, the Vols only have three scholarship tight ends for 2011. So at least one tight end in the Class of 2012 is a must, and if the staff thinks that Clear will grow into an OL then it may warrant taking two or three.

No. 5 Defensive End:

This is one area where a team can simply never have enough able bodies, because simply put, the ability to get pressure from the front four makes every defense exponentially better. Couple that with the fact that the Vols will lose Ben Martin following the 2011 season, and that Corey Miller will split time between DE and DT and you certainly could stand to add three or four more DE's in 2012.

(Honorable Mention) Quarterback:

I think that Derek Dooley and Jim Chaney would love to get into a rhythm where they would sign one quarterback during each signing class, but with the departure of Matt Simms after next season and the strength of the quarterbacks in the Class of 2012, I think it's possible that the Vols will take two if they can get the right guys.

by http://bleacherreport.com/

Third lawyer begging off Updyke case

Tuesday morning, it was reported that Jerry Hauser, the second attorney for suspected Toomer’s Corner tree poisoner Harvey Updyke, filed a motion to be removed from the case due to a conflict of interest. That motion was approved, and Jerry Blevins was named as Updyke’s new attorney. Tuesday afternoon, however, Blevins filed a motion to be… you guessed it… removed from the case. Unlike the other two, though, Blevins did not cite a conflict of interest. Instead, the attorney wrote in the motion that an ”irreconcilable conflict arose” between he and Updyke. That "irreconcilable conflict" apparently arose during the few hours Blevins was technically Updyke’s attorney.

Blevins also asked the court to delay Updyke’s preliminary hearing to allow the "defendant to secure new counsel of his choosing."

Hold up on Sanders Jr.-Tide violation

Sunday the fact was made known, that Alabama had committed what appeared to be a secondary violation in their recruitment of Barry Sanders Jr. According to the Daily Oklahoman, Sanders Jr. was in Tuscaloosa over the weekend for Junior Day and his face was shown on the video board of a Tide men’s basketball game, which the paper wrote was a violation of NCAA rules.

When contacted by the Tuscaloosa News shortly after the reports surfaced, a Tide spokesperson denied that a violation had taken place based on their interpretation of the the relevant portions of the rule book. "Our compliance office is aware of this claim and has looked into it. Based on that inquiry, it was determined that no violation was committed," Doug Walker told the paper. From the News:

At issue is whether the video board displayed an image of UA coach Nick Saban and high school recruit Barry Sanders Jr. together. Still images posted online showing the two seated together at the game, according to UA, were derived from the Fox Sports television broadcast, for which UA is not liable. But while the Fox Sports image has been widely attributed to UA, the school’s findings were that the video board displayed a tighter shot that included Saban only.

Regardless of the interpretation, even if the video board flash is ultimately deemed to be a violation, it will merely be secondary in nature.

Which conference has the recruiting edge?

The facts point to an SEC advantage on the field, and this advantage might start in the classroom. Compared to schools the Big Ten, most SEC institutions fall short academically. U.S. News & World Report ranks every university in the country each year based on average acceptance rate, retention rate, graduation rate and SAT and ACT scores, among other criteria. In these rankings, SEC universities fall short of those in the Big Ten.

The average ranking for an SEC school is 99th. Big Ten schools come in at an average of 53rd. Michigan State, the lowest ranked school in the Big Ten, is tied for 79th nationally with the fourth-best SEC school, Alabama. The Big Ten consists of 11 universities and the SEC has 12 institutions. These lower academic standards might be an asset in recruiting high school players as they lengthen the list of available recruits and therefore directly affect on-field performance.

"What the SEC will do is several teams will sign more borderline kids. They take more chances on kids that may or may not qualify," said Scott Kennedy, director of scouting for Scout.com. "A Big Ten team doesn’t want to have three or four borderline kids on their list."

Steve Helwagen, staff writer for recruiting website Bucknuts.com, agreed. "I think that that is pretty obvious that some of those SEC schools can get the at-risk kids," Helwagen said. "It doesn’t take a math wizard to realize that gives them an incredible competitive advantage if they are able to pull from a larger pool of players to build their roster."

SEC schools hauled in 73 of Rivals’ top 250 high school prospects in the 2011 class, compared to only 27 for Big Ten schools.

No break, merely a sprain for UGA QB Murray

Georgia fans can breathe a little bit easier this evening as rumors of a fairly significant lower-limb injury to starting quarterback Aaron Murray, up to an including two broken bones in his ankle, have proven to be very much false. In a release issued by the school, UGA officials have confirmed that Murray suffered a sprained ankle while playing in a pick-up soccer game Saturday. According to UGA Director of Sports Medicine Ron Courson, Murray was evaluated by team physicians after the on-campus incident took place. X-rays taken were negative and an MRI performed Monday confirmed a right ankle sprain.

The release stated that Murray will perform rehabilitation under the supervision of the UGA sports medicine staff and is expected to be available for spring practice. This year’s first spring practice session will take place on March 10.

Recruits’ coach says ‘nothing illegal’ took place in Auburn’s recruitment

"I can’t say what Auburn did because I don’t know and I wasn’t involved very much," Dennis Lorio said last week. "I really don’t know truthfully."

"My answer is what went on with Greg’s recruitment, you’re going to have ask Trooper Taylor, Greg, his parents and, I believe, Sean Nelson. I don’t have any more answers because I don’t know."

Fast-forward a couple of days, and Lorio, head coach of Tiger recruits Trovon Reed (2010) and Greg Robinson (2011), suddenly found greater clarity when asked about the recruitment of his players when speaking to a member of the Auburn media.

"No," Lorio succinctly told the Birmingham News when asked if he knew of any violations committed in Auburn’s recruitment of his players. When asked specifically about Robinson, of whom the NCAA investigators asked the most questions, Lorio said that "to my knowledge, there was nothing illegal in his recruitment."

So, from an "I can’t say what Auburn did because I don’t know and I wasn’t involved very much" to a definitive and emphatic "no". Funny how that works.

Georgia confirms hiring linebackers coach from Redskins

Mark Richt and Olivadotti had this to say in an official statement:

“In hiring an assistant, we look for someone who first is at the top level in football knowledge and competency,” said Richt. “Then we want someone who is a teacher of the game, be an example for young men, and can serve as a mentor for our student-athletes. We found all those qualities in Kirk.”

“It’s exciting to have this opportunity to work with Coach Richt, his coaching staff and players,” said Olivadotti. “I want to thank him for his confidence in what I can hopefully bring to the program. I also want to thank Mr. Snyder and the Redskins for the last 11 years in Washington and the NFL.”

Olivadotti was the longest tenured assistant with the Redskins and Richt is the longest tenured head coach in the SEC.

Former Webb star Michael Carillon to walk on for Vols

When the former Webb School football standout got going into his first semester of college at Tennessee this past fall, he said he felt not playing football left a large void in his life. His second chance is on the way. Carillon, a 6-foot-1, 180-pound freshman, has accepted an opportunity to walk on at Tennessee. He will play defensive back. Carillon made the News Sentinel's All PrepXtra First Team as a senior and was also tabbed an all-state player by the Tennessee Sports Writers Association. He made 47 tackles and three interceptions in the 2009 season, which ended with a Division II-A state title for Webb. "Right out of high school I decided not to go play somewhere else, like a smaller school," said Carillon. "I wanted to come to UT and get my academics started. The first semester, I couldn't help to still have that inside me, knowing that I should be playing somewhere. It dawned on me to go and walk on. "That's what I did. I started working out first semester when I realized I needed to do this." Carillon approached the Tennessee coaching staff late in the fall and initially thought he'd have to try out. That wasn't the case. Carillon said he was told coach Derek Dooley and his staff don't conduct tryouts, that they'd rather analyze the players' high school films.

Carillon submitted his. He was informed Wednesday that he was one of three chosen to walk on.

Boise State coaches taking a trip to Tuscaloosa

Coaches from one school will visit coaches from another, participating in an "information exchange" of strategies and coaching methods they can take back to their respective teams and implement. According to the Idaho Statesman, five members of Chris Petersen‘s Boise State coaching staff will be visiting Tuscaloosa next week to interact with Nick Saban and his Tide staff. Offensive coordinator Brent Pease, defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski and three other offensive coaches will make the trip. "It’s not like everything we bring back we try to implement before spring ball," Kwiatkowski said. "You take your notes, put it away and if you’re going to use it you gradually introduce different stuff." Pease was a member of the Houston Oilers when Saban was an assistant, and is friends with Tide offensive coordinator Jim McElwain, most likely this fueled the decision for the trip to 'Bama.

Auburn's Toomer Corner tree poisoner gives media the single-digit salute

Harvey Almorn Updyke, the man arrested on suspicion of poisoning the live oak trees at Toomer’s Corner, was released from jail after posting $50,000 bail. As Updyke was being whisked away from the Lee County Detention Center, the whack job, with his green ball cap pulled low over his eyes, decided to give his single-finger opinion of either where the media ranks or where he feels his beloved Alabama Crimson Tide will finish in the polls following the 2011 season. One of the two. We can’t post the video here, but it can be viewed by clicking HERE. In more positive news involving the destruction of the historic landmarks, “Tide for Toomer’s“, the Facebook page created by Alabama fans with the goal of raising money to help offset the cost of replacing the oaks at Toomer’s Corner, has nearly 48,000 fans and has raised nearly $32,000 as of 3 ET this afternoon.

Toomer's Corner rally draws thousands

A steady stream of people gathered to mourn the apparent imminent demise of the poisoned oak trees at Toomer's Corner, where Auburn fans traditionally celebrate wins. The crowd of old and young alike, many clad in orange and blue, began arriving early Saturday morning for the rally dubbed "Toomer's Tree Hug" and carried on well into the afternoon. A fan of rival Alabama, Harvey Updyke Jr., 62 , has been charged with first-degree criminal mischief for allegedly using a tree-destroying herbicide to poison the two 130-year-old oaks after Auburn beat the Crimson Tide in November. He was released from the Lee County Detention Facility on bond Friday night. The heinous act even has devout Alabama fans saying this is taking it too far. One group of 'Bama fans has started raising money for replacements for the oaks. Alabama student Sean Phillips, wearing a crimson-and-white Mark Ingram jersey, says it is "a really sad day for Alabama as a whole." He made the two-hour drive from home in Birmingham "to support a tradition that will soon be lost here." "The guy that did this was crazy," Phillips said. "There might be animosity between the schools, but there's always that connection because we're all from Alabama. We're all in this together."

The Toomer's traditions, including the famously sweet lemonade at Toomer's Drugs across the street, are ingrained in the state's culture, like Alabama with Bear Bryant and Denny Chimes. It's where hundreds of fans celebrated the recent football national championship on Jan. 10.

Tide fans rally to raise money; Saban ‘truly saddened’ by poisoned oaks

In the immediate aftermath of one Alabama’s fan inexplicably asinine decision to allegedly poison the historic 130-year-old oak trees in Auburn’s Toomer’s Corner, it was thought by some that the heated Iron Bowl rivalry was spiraling out of control and into total anarchy. Instead, a group of Tide fans have banded together in an attempt to help their bitter in-state rivals. From the Tuscaloosa News:

Thursday night a group of University of Alabama alumni and students, started an initiative called Tide for Toomer’s with the goal of raising money to offset the cost of replacing the famous oaks at Toomer’s Corner. The trees were poisoned by 62-year-old Harvey Almorn Updyke, a disgruntled Alabama fan. …

Jennifer Hanson, one of the group’s founders and a UA undergraduate and law school alumna, said Tide for Toomer’s is comprised of a Facebook page and a Twitter page that launched Thursday around 8 p.m.

As of this posting, the Facebook page, which you can get to directly by clicking on the link HERE had nearly 17,000 fans and raised more than $6,000 in less than 24 hours. Hanson told the News that the rivalry’s gotten out of hand of late, and the social media initiative is a way for people from both sides to come together for the greater good.

“I feel like recently it’s gotten a little nasty with the pranks and various things being said on Twitter and Facebook and (Birmingham sports radio station) WJOX,” Hanson said. “Just from what I’ve seen on the Facebook page this is something that’s helping everyone come together for a greater cause and that’s the tradition and respect we have for each other.” Another founder of the movement said they didn’t want one fan’s actions to speak for the whole of Tide Nation.

“So I said well why don’t we all do it and start up a fund?” Taylor Nichols told the paper. “I kind of got tired of the crazies speaking for Alabama fans so I just wanted to do something to show that we aren’t all like that and we don’t think it’s okay to do what [Harvey] Updyke did.

“If there’s no response from us then it’s like we’re letting this guy speak for us and we couldn’t stand for that. Alabama fans don’t feel responsible but they still feel bad.”

Vols DE Martin undergoes successful surgery

According to the Knoxville News Sentinel, the defensive end underwent successful surgery Wednesday to repair his right Achilles tendon. Martin missed the entire 2010 season with an Achilles tear in the other leg. The News Sentinel writes that Martin is expected to be available to participate as early as the opening game of the 2011 regular season. As noted by Lil’ Big Ben earlier this week, however, Derek Dooley is not holding his breath regarding the senior’s availability. "I'm approaching it as if they don’t exist in recruiting, because I haven’t seen them do anything," the head coach said. "That doesn’t mean they won’t or can’t, but I’ve never seen Ben Martin practice one down since he’s been here. To sit there and say we’ve got an all-conference end coming back is a little bit absurd to me." "If they come back, do we need them to come back and be good players? Absolutely we do. We’ll see."

Auburn fans to rally for historic oaks

Auburn fans have scheduled a rally for the poisoned oak trees at Toomer's Corner, where fans traditionally rally to celebrate big wins. The "Toomer's Tree Hug" was approaching 8,000 confirmed guests on Facebook by Friday morning. It's scheduled from noon to 3 p.m. on Saturday at the site where celebrations include rolling the trees with toilet paper. Police charged 62-year-old Harvey Almorn Updyke Jr. with first-degree criminal mischief on Thursday for allegedly using a tree-killing herbicide to poison the oaks. The Facebook page for the rally says there won't be any actual tree-hugging but "the hugs should be reserved for other members of the Auburn Family who need a shoulder in this painful time."

Season ticket prices rising for Vols football

The cost of an entire season of games at Neyland Stadium is going up. With eight of them to attend this year though, in the short term the average price of a ticket to see Tennessee will actually be coming down in 2011. But rising costs to run the athletic department among many other financial considerations have forced the athletic department to look for additional revenue, and the Vols are poised to raise prices for football after two years without any adjustments. After adding an extra home game by buying out of a series with North Carolina last fall, the hike from $360 to $390 for a season-ticket package actually lowers the cost per outing in Derek Dooley’s second season. But the bonus date at Neyland Stadium wasn’t the motivating factor for UT to increase its prices as it plans for the future, and senior associate athletic director for external operations Chris Fuller made clear fans won’t be paying more just because there is an eighth home game in 2011.

"I don’t think we looked at it and said we’ve got an eight game, we’ve got additional operational costs associated with putting on an eighth game and in order to be where we need to be, we need to increase $30," Fuller said on Wednesday. "And we’re also not saying that’s the value of the eighth game. It’s more in the context of a $100 million budget and where we need we had escalation and fixed costs. How are we going to get to the right revenue base to fund our program?"

"I think in terms of what our thinking was, it’s not a surprise to anybody that our costs continue to escalate at a pretty significant rate in college athletics. Every time we sit down to discuss a situation like this, you’re really trying to balance a couple really interesting dynamics -- the accessibility of your product for your fans with what you need to generate from a revenue perspective to make sure we’re in a position to be as competitive as we can be on the field, off the field, all those kinds of things."

There’s also a balance needed in some respect to help make UT competitive on courts or fields as well, and with football generating the vast majority of revenue for the athletic department, the ticket increase could bring in an addition $2 million or more for the university. Single-game tickets will undergo a similar change this season as well, collectively going up $30 to mirror the increases for season-tickets.

Lawyer of Auburn tree poisoner wants out of case

The court appointed lawyer of Harvey Almorn Updyke, the man charged with poisoning the 130-year-old live oak trees at Toomer’s Corner, has asked to be removed from representing Updyke. Attorney Philip O. Tyler cited a conflict of interest in the case. By the way, it’s because Tyler is associated with Auburn University. In a motion to withdraw, Tyler explains that "numerous personal and family ties to Auburn University", as well as his job as a part-time professor at the university, create the conflict. Tyler is a resident of Auburn and the law firm for which he works also represents Auburn.

Trees at Auburn's Toomer's Corner poisoned

Auburn University says someone deliberately poisoned trees at Toomer's Corner, where fans have long celebrated big wins and hundreds gathered after the Tigers won the football national championship on Jan. 10. The university said in a statement Wednesday that a herbicide commonly used to kill trees was applied "in lethal amounts" to the soil around the two trees, and that they likely can't be saved. Auburn discovered the poisoning after taking soil samples on Jan. 28, a day after a man called a syndicated radio show based in Birmingham saying he had used the herbicide on the trees. "The weekend after the Iron Bowl, I went to Auburn, Ala., because I live 30 miles away, and I poisoned the Toomer's trees," the caller told The Paul Finebaum Radio Show, saying he was at the Iron Bowl. Calling himself "Al from Dadeville," he said he used Spike 80DF, also known as tebuthiuron, and the trees "definitely will die." The caller signed off with, "Roll Damn Tide."

Titans officially swipe Rocker from Auburn

Now the Auburn head coach will be forced to do something he hasn’t had to do during his two-plus years with the Tigers, replace a member of his coaching staff. The Titans announced Wednesday afternoon that they have hired Tracy Rocker to be new head coach Mike Munchak‘s defensive line coach.

"This is something that I dreamed about, reaching the top of the line in the football world," said Rocker in a statement. "Growing up you dream about playing in the NFL and once I made the transition to the coaching world, this was the ultimate goal. Now it is up to me to prove myself at this level. I realize I have big shoes to fill and have a lot of respect for Coach Washburn and what he got from his players. There is nothing that says you can’t follow up a great coach with another great coach and that is what I will work to achieve."

Rocker spent two seasons at his alma mater coaching the line, and was widely hailed as the most influential force in turning Nick Fairley into both a consensus All-American and potential overall No. 1 pick in the April NFL draft.

Vascular condition sends Gator LB Ball to hospital

A UF spokesman confirmed Tuesday night that freshman Neiron Ball "has been diagnosed with a congenital vascular condition and is currently being treated at Shands Hospital." No additional information, such as when he will be released or what impact the illness will have on his participation in spring practice, was available, although a tweet from teammate Matt Elam by way of Jason Lieser of the Palm Beach Post that doesn’t exactly make the situation sound optimal.

Earlier today, Florida safety Matt Elam sent out a Tweet asking for prayer for Ball and later described Ball’s ailment as, “He bust a blood vessel in his head. I’m here at the hospital with him now.”

Ball played in all 13 games as a freshman in 2010, and is expected to compete for a starting this year.

Head coach Steve Spurrier met with the media Monday to talk about the signing of Jadeveon Clowney

Obviously we got wonderful news this morning when Jadeveon Clowney ... (announced) he's coming with the Gamecocks. We've been recruiting him for a while. Ellis Johnson did a super job recruiting him the last three years. He was on the team with Stephon Gilmore that won the state championship years ago. We've known about him and got him around as often as we could. Brad Lawing was heavily involved and Lorenzo Ward was heavily involved. I want to thank our fans at the basketball game when they started chanting "We want Clowney." That seems to work. Last year when we had Marcus Lattimore they chanted, (and he signed with us). We're excited about him and our fans will love this young man. He's been "yes sir, no sir" with me. The way he loves to play the game with a passion, our fans will enjoy watching him play. This is a big day for us.

Tennessee senior injures other Achilles, future unknown

Tennessee senior defensive end Ben Martin already missed all of last season recovering from an Achilles injury he suffered in fall camp. Unfortunately for Martin, another Achilles injury to his other leg has sidelined him indefinitely once again. Martin suffered the injury while working out early yesterday morning. He is slated to have surgery this week and will try to return this fall. "Thanks for the support, people," Martin posted on Twitter. "I needed it but I know God has a plan for me and I’m not hanging my head. I’m ready for this long road." Even if Martin can get back in time to practice for fall camp, it might already be too late. Tennessee managed an entire season without him and signed four defensive linemen on National Signing Day to address depth issues. "I’m approaching it as if they don’t exist in recruiting, because I haven’t seen them do anything," said Vols coach Derek Dooley. "That doesn’t mean they won’t or can’t, but I’ve never seen Ben Martin practice one down since he’s been here. To sit there and say we’ve got an all-conference end coming back is a little bit absurd to me."

"If they come back, do we need them to come back and be good players? Absolutely we do. We’ll see."

Sixth ex-Gator added to Addazio’s Temple staff

Around this time last week, rumors first began to surface that Scot Loeffler was in line for a job on Steve Addazio‘s Temple coaching staff. Today, those rumors officially came true. In a press release, the school announced that Loeffler has been hired as the Owls’ offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. "We’re excited to have Scot Loeffler, his wife Amie, and their son Luke join the Temple football family," Addazio said. "Scot brings a wealth of quarterback experience, ranging from the University of Michigan to the Detroit Lions to the Florida Gators. He has coached outstanding athletes, including Tom Brady, Brian Griese, and Tim Tebow. Scot is one of the best fundamental teachers I’ve been around. He is an extremely knowledgeable football coach and will bring energy and excitement to the Temple football program."

Loeffler spent the past two seasons at Florida as QB coach. He becomes the sixth Addazio assistant with UF coaching roots, joining Chuck Heater (defensive coordinator/defensive backs), Sean Cronin (defensive line), Justin Frye (offensive line), Zach Smith (wide receivers/special teams) and Frank Piraino (head strength & conditioning).

In addition to Loeffler’s hiring, the school also announced that Ed Foley, Tyree Foreman, and Matt Rhule, who have been a part of the Temple football coaching staff for the last few seasons, have accepted new roles and will remain with the Owls in 2011. Foley will move into the role of director of football operations. Foreman will continue to coach the running backs, while Rhule will serve as the assistant offensive coordinator and tight ends coach.

Top recruit Clowney picks Gamecocks

Jadeveon Clowney’s new coordinator at South Carolina was most impressed by what he didn’t hear from his signee as the two spoke Monday. When Clowney called Ellis Johnson after picking South Carolina there was no self-important, look-at-me style comments like, "Did you watch?" or "I told you," the Gamecocks defensive leader said. "It was, 'Coach, I’m going to be ready,'" Johnson said.

Clowney ended an extra 12 days of signing suspense when he picked the Gamecocks’ hat off a table that also had caps from finalists Alabama and Clemson. South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier had known for a while Clowney would take additional time before deciding. But it became even a bit more nerve-racking as the 6-foot-6, 250-pound senior waited for the go-ahead from ESPN, which carried his announcement live to a national audience. When given the signal, Clowney spoke: "I’m going to the University of …" he said, then reached for the Gamecocks’ cap to the cheers of friends, family, South Pointe High students and teammates. Clowney’s choice capped a wild signing period. On Feb. 2, the first day players could sign a letter of intent, and when most did, a Georgia recruit announced his decision with the help of a bulldog puppy and another prospect’s mother faxed in a letter to the school she wanted her son to attend instead of his selection.

But it was hard to match the scene at South Pointe’s auditorium.

NCAA president ‘frustrated’ by Cam Newton case

last night, when NCAA president Mark Emmert met with Associated Press sports editors on the campus of IUPUI to discuss topics related to NCAA rulings.

The topic which was brought up, that's right...Cam Newton.

"We try hard to get it right every time," Emmert said regarding the ongoing investigation of the eligibility of Auburn quarterback Cam Newton. "Getting it right is often in the eye of the beholder. The cases we saw this fall were highly controversial and highly debatable. I understand that, and some of them were even enormously frustrating to me."

"I said very loud and clear that I think it’s absolutely a fundamentally wrong for a father to try to sell the services of his son or daughter to the highest bidder, to a university. We ought never to allow that to happen, but yet, having not anticipated that, we didn’t have any rule or structure that said it was a violation of any of our rules. I found that grossly inappropriate that didn’t have a structure in which we could say, 'No, you can’t do that.'

NCAA Bylaw 12.3.3 indicates that "Any individual, agency or organization that represents a prospective student-athlete for compensation in placing the prospective student-athlete in a collegiate institution as a recipient of institutional financial aid shall be considered an agent or organization marketing the individual’s athletics ability or reputation."

"Right now, we're kind of stuck in the middle here, and we need to provide you all, the media, with a lot more information and be as forthright as we can about it. We’re working on it. It’s going to take us a while."

Clowney’s signing will bring end to a crazy saga

A mother forges her son’s signature on a letter of intent. A newly committed Georgia player hoists a live bulldog to celebrate his college choice. A top-rated quarterback tries to avoid an argument by telling his mother, by text message, that he’s not picking her preferred school. Those were the highlights, or lowlights, of Signing Day, Act One.

Act Two comes Monday in Rock Hill, S.C., when defensive end Jadeveon Clowney celebrates his 18th birthday and gives his parents what he calls a Valentine’s Day present when he reveals his college choice live on ESPN. Clowney is widely ranked as the nation’s No. 1 recruit, reportedly once got over 800 cell phone calls in a single day, and has even been followed by a film crew in recent weeks. Fans at Alabama, Clemson, South Carolina and other schools will nervously await his pick.

Kentucky coach Joker Phillips has an answer. He blames LeBron James. "LeBron changed it," Phillips said. "I mean, let’s get real. He changed it, too." "Hat tricks, dog tricks, whatever people are doing, that’s changed it more than anything," Phillips said.

Then there was the story of Floyd Raven, who never told his mother his final choice was Texas A&M. She thought he was picking Mississippi. So she faxed the letter to Ole Miss on the morning of Feb. 2, unknown to her son. His real letter went out hours later, this time to the Aggies.

Starting Vols DB arrested on domestic assault charges

According to the Knoxville News Sentinel, Brent Brewer was arrested over the weekend on domestic assault charges. No details of what led to the arrest are available at this time. As a result of the arrest, Brewer has been indefinitely suspended by head coach Derek Dooley. "Without knowing all the facts, any domestic incident warrants a suspension from all team-related activities until a thorough investigation is concluded," Dooley said in a statement. "We respect everyone’s right to the legal process, but also acknowledge a greater standard of conduct associated with the privilege of being a member of the Tennessee football team."

Last week, starting safety Janzen Jackson left the Tennessee football program, and school entirely, to deal with personal issues.

Dooley minimized risk with signing class

His second class as Tennessee head coach, first in which he had complete control, certainly needed to provide a talent laden roster with quality across the board, but it also had to do so while maintaining its maximum quantity. "We couldn't afford to have a lot of high-risk guys in this class," Dooley said. "Everybody has got some deficiency somewhere, but it's no different than investing your money. When you build a class, we're investing in people. It's important that we minimize the amount of risk."
SEC regulations allow teams to sign 28 players per year, but NCAA rules permit that only 25 receive scholarships for a given season. Because UT had just 24 players sign and qualify in 2010, it was able to back-count one of its early enrollees from the 2011 class to 2010, a move that will allow the Vols to have 26 new players on scholarship for the upcoming season.
It would be a minor SEC miracle for the Vols to have 26 of the 27 players they signed to National Letters of Intent in uniform for two-a-days.

"I was very conscious early on what their academic makeup was and their character," he said. "I was constantly monitoring that. I think it's fair to say on more players than I normally do. As we get a commitment and another commitment and another commitment, it affects where the next guy is. "You're trying to shape together a class that has a good makeup and has diversity. It's got some risk. It's just a process."

Academics might be an issue for Clowney

The New York Times, citing two people with knowledge of his classroom performance, is reporting that questions are being raised as to whether Clowney will be able to qualify academically and play immediately in 2011. While no one associated with Clowney’s Rock Hill (SC) South Pointe High School went on the record regarding specifics, the head coach at Hargraves Military Academy — which takes in academically-challenged football players and preps them for college, inexplicably did, telling the Times that he’s reviewed Clowney’s high school transcripts and his academic performance, the paper writes, is consistent with those of other prospects who had failed to meet the NCAA’s standard. "A lot of D's on there," Hargraves coach Troy Davis told the paper, adding that Clowney’s transcripts are similar to others who have enrolled at his school. "There was never any question in my mind he will qualify," Bobby Carroll told the Spartanburg Herald-Journal. "I’ll bet a million dollars he qualifies because he works so hard in the classroom." One of Clowney’s teachers confirms hard work in the classroom in the here and now, but does admit that may not have been the case in prior years. This most certainly could cost Clowney being eligible to play immediately at the Div. 1-A level.