Ala. judge delays trial in Auburn tree poisoning

(AP)—A judge has delayed the trial of the University of Alabama fan charged with poisoning the oak trees at Auburn University?s Toomer?s Corner. An order issued Thursday says the trial of 62-year-old Harvey Updyke Jr. is being postponed at the agreement of prosecutors and the defense.

Updyke?s trial had been set for this summer, but officials say he probably won?t go on trial now before November, or the middle of football season.

Updyke is accused of criminal mischief and other charges for allegedly putting poison around the bases of the Toomer?s oaks. Auburn fans traditionally roll them with toilet paper after a big victory.

Four housemates charged following death of former Vols and 'Bama signee Aaron Douglas

Arrest warrants have been issued for the four residents of a Fernandina Beach, Florida home where former Tennessee and Alabama lineman Aaron Douglas was found dead last month.

The residents, all over 21, allowed at least 16 underage kids to consume alcohol and drugs during the party that claimed Douglas’ life, Fernandina Beach Police stated in a release.

An autopsy of Douglas’ body found that the lineman had multiple drugs in his body, including methadone and Valium, although all details of the event are still surfacing.

Douglas transferred from Tennessee after the 2009 season and signed with Alabama after spending the 2010 season in the JUCO ranks.

by Ben Kercheval

Tide’s Sentimore one of two suspended indefinitely

Alabama announced today that Sentimore and redshirt freshman wide receiver Keiwone Malone ”have been suspended indefinitely for a violation of team rules and policy” according to a statement attributed to head coach Nick Saban.

As a redshirt freshman in 2010, Sentimore played in 11 games. Based on his performance this spring and the praise he garnered from Saban, Sentimore was expected to see an increased role in the Tide’s line rotation.

Additionally, the school confirmed that safety Robby Green will not be returning for to the football program. It had been reported late last week as well that Green was not expected to return.

The defensive back missed all of last year due to academic issues, and a violation of unspecified team rules caused him to miss the 2011 spring sessions. He also missed a majority of spring practice in 2010, seemingly due to the same academic issues that sidelined him for the entire year.

From Congress back to Rocky Top… as Vols AD?

A political website called Hotline On Call, a radio host in Knoxville, WLVZ’s Tony Basilio, wrote on his blog Monday that Shuler was approached by unnamed UT officials about becoming the school’s athletic director shortly after Mike Hamilton stepped down earlier this month. Shuler was sufficiently intrigued by the interest that, Basilio wrote, the former Vol is doing “some personal due diligence”.

Shuler’s reportedly reached out to former UT football coaches Phillip Fulmer, rumored initially to be a candidate for the AD job as well, and Johnny Majors, and received their “blessing” and support in pursuing the opening.

Shuler is currently a Democratic congressman, representing North Carolina in the U.S. House of Representatives. He could, however, have a difficult time when the next election rolls around due to redistricting.
“Congressman Shuler is focused on the very serious challenges facing our nation, including job creation and balancing our budget,” Shuler spokesperson Andrew Whalen told Hotline On Call when asked about the UT speculation.

So,as of now it is more of a possible, than that of a probable situation.

No restrictions placed on Benedict’s transfer from UGA

UGA athletic director Greg McGarity tells the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that Benedict will be free to transfer to any school in the country. That also includes other schools in the SEC.

“I bring the same philosophy as we had at Florida,” McGarity, the former longtime associate AD, told the paper. “UF If a kid’s not happy, we just want him to be happy. Ninety-nine percent of the time, I don’t care where he goes. These four or five years are the supposed to be the best and most important of these kids’ lives and they need to be happy. …

“It’s the theory of plenty. There’s plenty of good ones everywhere. I don’t worry if they go to Florida or Tech and may come back to beat us. You can’t think that way. Life’s too short. Student-athletes are our most valuable resource. If they’re not happy here, I want to see them happy somewhere.”

Auburn reportedly lands ex-Gator RB Blakely

Rivals.com‘s Auburn-specific website is reporting that the running back has enrolled at the university and will play for the defending national champions after sitting out this season. After satisfying NCAA transfer rules, Blakely will have four years of eligibility remaining beginning in 2012. Auburn has yet to confirm the addition of Blakely.

Blakely, a member of UF’s 2011 recruiting class, was an early enrollee and was slated to take part in spring practice this year, but was sidelined by a shoulder issue. Rivals.com had Blakely rated as the No. 6 RB in the country this year.

Athlon Sports picked three Preseason All-SEC Vandy players

Three Vanderbilt seniors - Brandon Barden, Chris Marve and Casey Hayward - have been named to the Athlon Sports Preseason All-Southeastern Conference second team within the organization's 2011 national college football preview magazine.
The college preview magazine by Athlon's, a Nashville-based firm, hit newsstands in early June.
Barden, a senior tight end, was named to the second-team offense after a junior season in which he started every game and led the Commodores in several receiving categories, including receptions and receiving yards. Barden's three touchdown catches in 2010 were second only to Jordan Matthews on the team.
Barden, from Lincolnton, Ga., enters his final season as Vanderbilt's active leader in catches, receiving yards and touchdown receptions.
Marve, a senior linebacker from Memphis, and Hayward, a senior cornerback from Perry, Ga., were selected to Athlon's second-team defense.
Marve, a fifth-year senior from Memphis, Tenn., will seek his third 100-plus-tackle season in his fourth year as a starter after battling a knee injury for most of last season. Hayward finished third in the nation and first in the SEC last season with 17 passes defended and fifth nationally in interceptions with six. Both Marve and Hayward were awarded postseason second team All-SEC honors last season.

Alabama leads the conference with seven first-team selections and shares the lead in most overall selections with Arkansas - both teams hold nine preseason spots on the list.

LSU is picked in the top 5 by Blue Ribbon

LSU has been selected as a pre-season top 5 pick by another national publication as Blue Ribbon Yearbook tabbed the Tigers as the nation's No. 3 team heading into the 2011 season. Oklahoma is ranked first in the Blue Ribbon Top 25. LSU is one of six Southeastern Conference teams in the poll with Alabama leading the way at No. 2. LSU is followed by South Carolina No. 10, Arkansas No. 14, Georgia No. 16, and Mississippi State No. 21. Oregon, LSU's season-opening opponent, is ranked No. 5, while West Virginia, the Tigers' opponent on Sept. 24, is ranked No. 23. In all, LSU will face five teams in the Blue Ribbon Yearbook Top 25.

Russell Wilson...‘I would have been in a great situation… blessed either way’

In a 20-minute conference call with Wisconsin writers, Wilson explained,in a way, why he opted for the Badgers over the defending BcS champs.

“Both great schools. Both great programs and all that. I would have been in a great situation either way and blessed either way,” Wilson was quoted as saying by the Wisconsin State Journal. “I think with the leadership that the Badgers have already and me adding onto that, me bringing something to the table every single day in practice and in the games, I’m excited to be in that stadium. …

“A lot of prayer more than anything [went into the decision]. A lot of critical thinking. … Pretty much on Saturday night I kept thinking about it and praying about, just trusting in the Lord that he will lead me in the right direction.”

Wilson is considering several business-related graduate programs, and told reporters he hopes to be in Madison “as soon as possible”. He signed a Big Ten financial aid tender this morning, shortly after informing the Ashville Tourists, a Colorado Rockies minor league club, that he was returning to football.

Georgia lineman calls it quits for ‘personal reasons’

Brent Benedict has left the Bulldogs citing personal reasons, coach Mark Richt said Sunday.

The university sent out a press release confirming the departure.

Benedict was a four-star lineman out of the Bolles School in Jacksonville and sat out last season as he recovered from major knee damage suffered during his senior year of high school. However, Benedict participated in this season’s spring practice and was listed as the backup to Cordy Glenn at right tackle.

Vanderbilt may be gaining on SEC

Vanderbilt, short on talent and long on dreams, is making serious waves under new coach James Franklin, who has changed the school's approach to recruiting. Vandy has gotten pretty good at targeting high-profile prospects and landing a few, a change in direction that could send a ripple effect through- out the rest of the league in years to come.
Still for now Alabama and LSU are expected to battle throughout the fall, not just for an SEC West title but a shot at the national crown.

Robby Green likely leaving ‘Bama

Chase Goodbread of TideSports.com reports that Green is not expected to return to the Tide this fall. The defensive back missed all of last year due to academic issues, and a violation of unspecified team rules caused him to miss the 2011 spring sessions. He also missed a majority of spring practice in 2010, seemingly due to the same academic issues that sidelined him for the entire year. Before running into those off-field hurdles, Green was expected to challenge for a starting job at safety both this year and last after playing in 26 games,six starts his true freshman and sophomore seasons.

Green was a four-star member of the Tide’s 2008 recruiting class. He was the No. 17 cornerback in the country according to Rivals.com.

Georgia Bulldogs are looking pretty good

The Bulldogs will return one of the best receiving tight ends in the country in Orson Charles. He will undoubtedly gain some attention from linebackers and relieve some of the pressure coming at Aaron Murray. He’ll be backed up, and sometimes accompanied by Aron White who has played in 36 games and started 16 at TE. And, yet another former TE, Bruce Figgins, will be blocking from the fullback position. Much of the concern about the line is centered upon a perceived lack of depth. Such a concern is understandable as the Dawgs have suffered injury after injury over the past few seasons. But maybe the Dawgs are due for a stint of good health. The new strength and conditioning regime has them focused on football-specific training and nutrition. That change could go a long way in preventing injuries and fatigue. If the offensive line does in fact represent Georgia’s weakest unit, then the Dawgs may actually be headed for a great season.

Spurrier gives Victor Hampton a lesson from Stephen Garcia school of suspensions

Steve Spurrier held a meeting with Hampton and his parents where a “conduct contract” was reportedly signed. As it turns out, the contract doesn’t signify Hampton’s return to the Gamecocks just yet. Instead, it appears Spurrier is giving Hampton the Stephen Garcia treatment by handing the defensive back a check-list of things to do before he can return to the team. The announcement was given by South Carolina AD for media relations Steve Fink in a statement earlier today.

“Coach Steve Spurrier just informed me that he has not officially reinstated Victor Hampton to the football squad. Coach Spurrier indicated that Victor’s situation is still under review and Victor needs to ‘do some things’ between now and the start of the second session of summer school to be reinstated to the team,” said Fink. by Ben Kercheval

Vol's Derek Dooley eager for next step

The NCAA required the second-year University of Tennessee football coach to attend last weekend’s 11-hour Committee on Infractions hearing, though Dooley was not implicated in either of the two major charges against the Volunteers’ football program. Though he would have preferred spending the weekend of his 43rd birthday with his family in Knoxville, Dooley made sure he used the COI hearing as a learning experience. “I made the comment that it wasn’t something I wanted to do, but when I sat through it, there were a lot of lessons that I took from it,” Dooley said late last week at the Bradley Sunrise Rotary Sunset Gala in Cleveland. “I do think when you see how one bad choice or one bad decision can impact so many different lives, it resonates with you. I think it was also sort of a good reminder of how the landscape is changing. It really is, moving away and putting more and more responsibility on the head coach to really have command of the whole shop. It’s challenging to be able to do that, but that’s the landscape right now.”

Another Tide player ‘exploring transfer options’

According to Chase Goodbread of TideSports.com, defensive lineman Darrington Sentimore is currently exploring his football options, up to and including a transfer. It’s unclear at this point in time why Sentimore is considering a move from the program.

Sentimore, a four-star member of the Tide’s 2009 recruiting class out of Destrehan, La., is reportedly considering a transfer to Miami (Fla.) if he decides to move on. As a redshirt freshman in 2010, Sentimore played in 11 games. Based on his performance this spring and the praise he garnered from Saban, Sentimore was expected to see an increased role in the Tide’s line rotation. by John Taylor

Injuries force former five-star Vol out of football

According to the Chattanooga Times Free Press, Donald has chosen to retire from football due to what the paper describes as recurring wrist problems. After dealing with the wrist issues throughout most of the 2010 season, Donald underwent surgery on both joints this offseason. Donald’s rehab from the procedures has been a slow go as he hasn’t even been able to lift weights during that time, which likely prompted the decision.

“Chris gave four years to football and he’s so banged up — he still can’t do anything — and he’s just too banged up to play,” UTC head coach Russ Huesman told the paper.

After playing sparingly with the Volunteers during his three years in Knoxville, Donald transferred to the Mocs in 2010. A 7.5-sack performance earned Donald second-team All-Southern Conference honors.

Donald was a five-star player according to Rivals.com in ’07, with the recruiting service rating him as the top player in the state of Tennessee and the No. 1 outside linebacker in that class.

Gamecocks reinstate Victor Hampton

Dismissed South Carolina defensive back Victor Hampton has been reinstated. Athletic spokesman Steve Fink says Hampton was brought back to the team Tuesday. Hampton had been dismissed by coach Steve Spurrier last week for violating team rules. But Fink says Hampton and Spurrier met and the coach decide to let him return to the team. Hampton is a redshirt freshman from Darlington who did not play last season. He is expected to backup cornerback Stephon Gilmore.

Gator's Rainey, Debose and Patton named to 2011 special teams awards

Florida senior Chris Rainey (Lakeland, Fla.) and sophomores Andre Debose (Sanford, Fla.) and Solomon Patton (Mobile, Ala.) were named to the 2011 College Football Performance Special Teams Awards list on Monday.

Recipients of the awards are exclusively selected upon scientific rankings that measure the extent to which individual players increase the overall effectiveness of their teams. Debose was on the 2011 CFPA Kickoff Returner Trophy list after being an elite recipient as a freshman. In 2010, Debose returned two kickoff returns for touchdowns and averaged 28.0 yards per return. Rainey and Patton were named to the Punt Returner Trophy list. Rainey appeared in eight games in 2010, recording 14 punt returns for 129 yards (9.2 average) and one touchdown.

Patton appeared in 10 games in his freshman campaign and recorded seven kickoff returns for 196 yards, an average of 28 yards per return.

Vols’ defensive line depth takes another hit

UT officials confirmed to Andrew Gribble of the Knoxville News Sentinel that Sykes is not a member of the Volunteers at this time. Academics is the reason being given for Sykes’ absence from the program. Sykes spent two seasons at the JUCO level before transferring to the Knoxville school in 2009. He had originally signed with the Vols in 2007 but failed to qualify academically.The senior played in eight games last season. With Sykes’ temporary departure, it means the Vols are down two defensive lineman since the end of spring practice.

Alabama's top-rated running back recruit commits to Tigers

Daphne’s T.J. Yeldon, the state of Alabama’s top running back recruit, said he’ll sign with Auburn in 2012. The 6-foot-2, 205-pound Yeldon, a four-star recruit, is among the top-ranked running backs for 2012. Rivals ranks him as the No. 5 overall back, 247Sports has him as the No. 2 all-purpose back and Scout lists him as the No. 16 running back. Rivals lists him as the No. 58 player nationally, 247Sports has him at No. 94 and Scout at No. 98. Yeldon, who visited Auburn on Big Cat Weekend late last month and during last weekend’s mini-camp, picked the Tigers over a number of big-time schools, including Alabama, Arkansas, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Penn State and Tennessee.

He ran for 1,150 yards and 18 touchdowns while leading Daphne High to the 6A state title last year as a junior.

Kentucky loses two players

Two defensive players who were both highly regarded as recruits are no longer with the Kentucky football program, UK spokesman Tony Neely confirmed Thursday night. Nermin Delic, a 6-foot-5 defensive end who played in eight games as a freshman, has opted to give up football. Delic had five tackles and a quarterback sack for a fumble. Brice Laughlin, a 6-foot-3 redshirt defensive tackle from Summerville, S.C., will not be eligible this season and has not enrolled for school in the fall.

Gator players victimized in burglary

The Gainesville Sun is reporting that the home of running back Chris Rainey and cornerback Moses Jenkins was broken into at some point Sunday morning after the players had left the Gainesville residence. The break-in, which occurred at some point between 6 a.m. and 11 a.m., was discovered by one of the players’ girlfriends. The back door of the home had been kicked in, and the house had been ransacked. In addition to Rainey’s title ring, 10 pairs of Jenkins’ shoes, a Gucci duffel bag, a television and a Sony PlayStation were taken from the home during the robbery.

Gamecock's safety busted on drunk-driving charge

South Carolina football player Devonte Holloman was arrested on Friday night and charged with DUI, reported WLTX-TV on Saturday night. The report said that Holloman was arrested at a safety checkpoint on George Rogers Boulevard and taken into custody. USC football team policy is that anyone arrested is suspended immediately.

Holloman, a junior strong safety, was slated to be a starter this fall. He has played in 27 games his first two seasons, starting 12 times. He was third on the team with 69 tackles last season and was the Harris Pastides Scholar-Athlete Award winner at the 2010 spring game.

Former Vols coach Phillip Fulmer appears all but out of Tennessee AD running

Former Vols coach Phillip Fulmer appears to be out of contention as the next AD for his alma mater.“I don’t think I’ll be one of the guys they’ll even consider,’’ Fulmer said during a celebrity golf tournament, “because they’re probably looking for a sitting athletic director, more than likely. “Well that’s good. That’s no problem. I’m just interested to see who it’s going to be.’’

Whoever it will be,they’ll have to right a great program, that has gone so terribly wrong. Tennessee is on its third football coach in four years, as well as recently fired basketball coach Bruce Pearl after he lied to the NCAA over recruiting violations and baseball coach Todd Raleigh.

Representatives from the university, including former coach Lane Kiffin, appeared at a hearing in front of the NCAA’s Committee on Infractions last Saturday to discuss a Notice of Allegations against its football and basketball programs.

These are indeed hard times for a very proud program.

South Carolina cornerback gets booted from team

Victor Hampton was dismissed from the Gamecocks football team today for unspecified reasons, South Carolina Sports Information Director Steve Fink said.

Hampton has since taken to Twitter to voice his disbelief.

“smh im gone….damn

“didnt even get a chance to play thts wat hurts the most.. now i gotta leave mi brothers again mi lifes shoes have walked so far already.”

Although it’s unclear at this present moment what Hampton did to warrant his dismissal, SCNow.com indicates that the Darlington, SC native and former high school U.S. Army All-American traveled a rocky road to Columbia.

Hampton has tweeted that he is possibly interested in transferring to Grambling and that his dismissal from the team was unexpected.

“this (expletive) crazy shawty 1030 this morning they hit me wit this (expletive) no call no nuthn showed they tru colors,” Hampton said.

Translation: The circumstances surrounding my dismissal from the South Carolina Gamecocks are bewildering. At 10:30 a.m. this morning the university unexpectedly informed me of their decision without any prior notice. Such a choice has left me to believe that team officials were not the close friends who cared about my well-being as I previously thought.

by Ben Kercheval

Kentucky’s top RB goes under the knife

According to LEX-TV in Lexington, Raymond Sanders underwent arthroscopic surgery recently to repair damaged cartilage in his left knee. UK officials told the television station that the surgical procedure went well and Sanders should be back in time for the start of summer camp in a month and a half.

Sanders exited spring practice this year as the No. 1 RB on the Wildcats’ depth chart, but that spot is far from written in stone as the battle to replace Locke will resume during camp.

As a true freshman in 2010, Sanders rushed for 254 yards and three touchdowns. He was a three-star recruit and the No. 15 all-purpose back in the country according to Rivals.com.

Thanks to John Clay

Up- date...Statement on Ex-Gator Danny Wuerffel released

Here’s the statement from Wuerffel’s executive assistant, Sara Pace:

Atlanta , GA — June 15, 2011 Desire Street Ministries announced today that Executive Director Danny Wuerffel has been diagnosed with Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS), which he recently contracted as a result of a stomach virus.

Board chair, Luder Whitlock, reported that, “Fortunately, an early diagnosis identified the disease, permitting swift medical treatment. Consequently, his GBS specialist expects a full recovery. Meanwhile, Danny has asked me to express his appreciation for the prayers, love and support he has received during this time.”

Periodic progress reports will be posted on his message page at www.desirestreet.org and on Facebook (www.facebook.com/desirestreet). Danny requests that any cards or gifts of encouragement be made to Desire Street Ministries rather than to him personally.

Linebacker depth big issue for Vols again

Lathers is out at least through the start of the season, so there's really no choice for UT other than to move on, or back to where they've already been.

"I wouldn't say the freshmen have pressure on them, they're coming in here and they're going to have to step up and play," Propst said. "We're young, and from the linebackers' standpoint, they've done a great job so far. The future looks bright and they're really doing a good job, but we'll see this fall. I think we'll learn a little bit more once we put the pads on and everything, but I don't think they really have much pressure on them. They just need to get out there and have fun and compete and play.

"It's another hole we've got to fill. It happens, and somebody has to step up."

Former UF Gator QB Danny Wuerffel hospitalized

Danny Wuerffel was one of three Heisman winners produced by the University of Florida to be honored with the unveiling of statues during UF’s spring game. Unfortunately, it appears that the former Gator quarterback’s health has taken an unexpected turn for the worse. The Gainesville Sun is confirming message board rumors that surfaced earlier Wednesday, that Wuerffel has been hospitalized and is currently undergoing treatment for Guillain-Barré syndrome.
The 37-year-old Wuerffel played for the Gators from 1993-1996, setting numerous school passing records under then-head coach Steve Spurrier. UF won SEC titles in each of his four years at the school, and Wuerffel was awarded the 1996 Heisman Trophy as a senior.

Stanford’s Luck tops latest updated Heisman odds

Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck, who finished a distant second to Auburn’s Cam Newton in last year’s voting, is the odds-on favorite to do one better in 2011, coming in at 9/2 according to the gambling website. Oklahoma quarterback Landry Jones is next at 13/2, followed South Carolina running back Marcus Lattimore at 7/1 and Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson and Oregon running back LaMichael James at 15/2 to round out the latest “Top Five”.

James finished third in the voting last year, while Boise State’s Kellen Moore rounded out the quartet invited to New York City with a fourth-place finish. Moore is currently at 15-1 to win the Heisman this year.

Bodog listed the odds for 38 players, with more than half (21) coming from the quarterback position. That’s not at all unexpected, after all, as QBs have taken home nine of the last 10 trophies. Mark Ingram of Alabama was the only non-QB in the last decade to win the award, and his position, running back, was next with 11 players listed, followed by wide receivers with seven. No defensive players were listed in the latest odds.

UGA's Mark Richt talks about oversigning issues

Georgia coach Mark Richt is one of the coaches who has been on the fence about over-signing.
Richt expanded on his concern of placing a hard cap on scholarships:

“I’ll just say this, you guys can figure it out. 85 on scholarship. If 15 guys leave, how many do you have room for? It’s not a trick question. How many do you have room for? . . . [A media member responds "15"]. . . Is 25 more than 15? So I don’t know if you’re catching my drift of what I’m trying to say, but . . . all I’m saying is you could still oversign with 25. If you only have room for 15 and you sign 25 you’re still signing more than you’ve got. The question is everybody’s integrity. That’s the question. Are we all going to do things in the right way? And I think everybody’s trying to do that.

”But it’s not an easy thing, it really is not. Because on Signing Day if you sign right to the 85 number by the time August rolls around you might have only 79 because of the attrition that happens from Signing Day to August, and that’s what everybody’s trying to figure out. How can we start the season at 85 and not oversign, you know what I mean? And it’s not as simple as everybody makes it out to be.”

The legislation drafted by SEC commish Mike Slive, is not as stiff as some have made it out to be; there is still a “soft” cap on the 85 scholarship limit. As Richt mentioned, coaches can continue to over-sign as long as they don’t exceed the 25-LOI limit. Grayshirting and back-counting, or not counting academically ineligible players who re-enroll later toward the following year’s signing class are also still allowed.

(Thanks to DawgSports.com for the quotes)

Auburn to pay over $7.5 million for coaches in 2011

The university announced last week that Chizik had received a raise from $2.2 million to $3.5 million. The news Monday was that Chizik has a $10 million buyout in his contract for the upcoming season. The buyout is on a sliding scale through the contract's completion after the 2015 season.

Auburn's assistant coaches will make a combined $4,085,000 in 2011.

The contracts also confirmed that offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn will be one of the nation's highest paid assistant coaches -- if not the highest paid assistant. He signed a $1.3 million contract last December when Vanderbilt and other schools expressed an interest in hiring him.

Here a look at the coaches' contract for next season:

Head coach Gene Chizik $3.5 million

Offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn $1.3 million

Defensive coordinator Ted Roof $500,000

Receivers coach/assistant head coach Trooper Taylor $425,000*

Offensive line coach Jeff Grimes $400,000

Running backs coach Curtis Luper $330,000

Defensive backs coach Tommy Thigpen $320,000

Defensive line coach Mike Pelton $300,000

Defensive backs coach Phillip Lolley $255,000

Special teams coach Jay Boulware $255,000

*Taylor will make an additional $50,000 if he is with the university the Monday after signing day.

Kentucky, Louisville ADs reject possibility of taking UT job

The athletic directors at the University of Kentucky and the University of Louisville say they have no interest in taking the same job at the University of Tennessee.

Kentucky’s Mitch Barnhart and Louisville’s Tom Jurich each told The Louisville Courier-Journal that they don’t plan on replacing Mike Hamilton in overseeing Volunteers sports. Barnhart, who took over at Kentucky in 2002, worked at Tennessee from 1986-98 before a four-year stint at Oregon State. Hamilton resigned on Tuesday amid growing criticism for multiple coaching turnovers and an NCAA investigation that resulted in the charge of 12 violations.

The university is merging the men’s and women’s athletics departments. Longtime women’s AD Joan Cronan was named the interim vice chancellor and director of athletics, overseeing all sports.

SEC's best duo Running Backs...Auburn's tough to beat

Auburn's Michael Dyer and Onterio McCalebb. It will be interesting to see how these guys handle the extra attention now that Cam Newton is gone. Dyer had the key play in the national title game and was a 1,000-yard rusher as a true freshman last season, while McCalebb is a threat to go the distance each time he touches the ball.

Old receiving friend may be returning to Ole Miss

According to Kyle Veazey of the Jackson Clarion-Ledger, Grandy is currently enrolled in classes at Ole Miss and has been working out with some of his former teammates. Veazey spoke to head coach Houston Nutt, who said a return was indeed a possibility.

“His status hasn’t changed yet,” Nutt said, “but there’s some development there that possibly could get him back in there with us.”

So far in his career, Grandy has 24 receptions for 267 yards, but it’s in the return game, and even the running game, where he really made his mark in Oxford. Grandy averaged almost 21 yards on kickoff returns in 2010, while also returning one punt for a touchdown for good measure. He’s carried the ball 29 times for 188 yards the past two seasons, and actually had more touchdowns on the ground (2) than he had through the air (1).

Grandy was a three-star member of the Rebels’ 2009 recruiting class.

Quayvon Hicks from chooses Georgia Bulldogs

UGA picked up their seventh commitment of the 2012 class when Hicks chose to play fullback at the University of Georgia. The commitment ends what was becoming a drought in some UGA fans eyes. Hicks becomes the fourth offensive player and the first running back prospect of the class. At 6'2" and 245 pounds Hicks will start at fullback but has the frame to grow into many different positions, and at his size he would already make a sturdy linebacker. Watching him on video gives you an idea of the kind of player he is. On defense Hicks excels at block shedding, hits very hard, and has great timing. On offense he will be a very able lead blocker and when he carries the ball he can be deceptively quick and agile.

The Bulldogs have a history of great fullbacks.

NCAA begins hearing on Tennessee infractions case

Former Tennessee coaches Bruce Pearl and Lane Kiffin finally got to explain themselves in front of the NCAA. All they can do now is wait to see if it did good. Kiffin spent more than four hours answering questions in front of the infractions committee Saturday, then was followed by Pearl, who spent nearly five hours in front of the committee. School officials are hoping the daylong closed-door hearing marks the beginning of the end of a 22-month investigation that rocked the Volunteers’ football and men’s basketball programs and tarnished Tennessee’s reputation.

“The hardest part is just being here,” Pearl said. “This was not something I was looking forward to.” The committee is expected to make a ruling within eight to 12 weeks. That’s when the Volunteers’ will learn their punishment. Tennessee faces a dozen major rules violations in the two high-profile sports including accusations that both coaches committed recruiting infractions and that both also failed to promote an atmosphere of compliance within those programs.

Pearl, the former Volunteers men’s basketball coach, also was charged with unethical conduct after misleading NCAA investigators during an interview last June when he was asked about hosting high school juniors at a cookout at his house on Sept. 20, 2008 and phoning John Craft, father of recruit Aaron Craft, in an effort to influence Craft’s statement to investigators about the cookout.

Sometime in August or September, the Volunteers should learn their fate. “It’s not over because we’ve got to wait 45 or 60 days,” Pearl said. As for Pearl, who wore an orange and white tie and orange suspenders to the hearing, there was no sense of relief.

“Not really because we paid a very heavy price, all of us here have—my staff and the University of Tennessee,” he said. “So there’s not much relief.”

Auburn hikes Chizik’s salary to $3.5 million

Gene Chizik has received a new contract nearly doubling his salary and making him one of college football’s highest paid coaches. Auburn announced the deal Friday and it’s worth $3.5 million a year through 2015, with incentives that could tack on another $1 million. Chizik was rewarded for leading the Tigers to their first national title since 1957 in just his second season. He made $2.1 million in salary last season, but received another $1.3 million in bonuses following the 14-0 season.
“We believe that we have the best coach in college football,” Auburn athletic director Jay Jacobs said in a statement. “More importantly, coach Chizik is a great mentor to our student-athletes, he represents Auburn with class and integrity in all that he does, and he is an outstanding ambassador for Auburn University.”

“I want to thank President (Jay) Gogue and Jay Jacobs for their leadership and vision and believing in the direction that we have established for the Auburn football program,” Chizik said in a statement. “I deeply appreciate their commitment to me and to the future of Auburn football.

“The success that we’ve accomplished in the past two seasons has been possible because of the collective efforts of the football coaches and staff, players, our administration and the entire Auburn Family. We will continue to work tirelessly to build the foundation of the Auburn football program so that we can compete for championships regularly.”

The hefty raise still doesn’t quite push Chizik up into Nick Saban territory, but does make him the SEC’s fourth-highest paid head coach.

Former Arkansas lineman officially lands at North Texas

Former Arkansas offensive lineman Cam Feldt has officially moved on from the Hogs and on to the campus of North Texas, Brett Vito of the Denton Record-Chronicle is reporting.

Feldt, a four-star lineman from Pilot Point, Texas, will sit out this season per NCAA regulations and will have three years of eligibility remaining.

Feldt redshirted his only year in Fayetteville.

Alabama running back Corey Grant plans to transfer

University of Alabama running back Corey Grant plans to transfer, according to his former high school coach.
Opelika High School coach Brian Blackmon said he does not know where Grant plans to play football next, but believes the redshirt freshman has the ability to contribute at a major college program.
"I don't know where he's going, but he told me he's not coming back to Alabama. He didn't give me any indication as to what he's going to do. There is talk that he wants to go to Auburn, but we don't know for sure," said Blackmon.
Grant signed with Alabama in the Crimson Tide's 2010 signing class and redshirted last season. At 5-foot-10 and 186 pounds, Grant was undersized for the position but possesses excellent speed and had no shortage of scholarship offers as a Rivals.com four-star recruit, including one from Auburn.

"I think it's a situation where he committed early, the summer before his senior year, and he just felt like he went to the wrong place," said Blackmon. "I only saw him for a few minutes, so he didn't get too much into the details, but he said he wasn't going to be back."

It is unclear whether Grant has been released from his scholarship, conditionally or unconditionally, by UA coach Nick Saban. If Grant received a conditional release that excludes a transfer to other Southeastern Conference institutions, and chose to attend an SEC school anyway, he would not be allowed on scholarship at the receiving SEC school initially. NCAA rules also require players transferring from one FBS program to another to sit out one season.

Montori Hughes no longer part of Vols football

A lightly recruited but physically impressive defensive tackle out of Murfreesboro, the 6-foot-4, 327-pound Hughes arrived in 2009 and looked like a potential stalwart in the middle of the line for the Vols in the future. But that flickering possibility was definitively extinguished on Thursday when UT confirmed he was no longer part of the program without an official reason provided by coach Derek Dooley.

Hughes has had issues related to his academics over his two seasons with the Vols, problems that led to a suspension for the regular-season finale last year against Kentucky and another "violation of team rules" that kept him out of the first two practices of spring camp in March. Off the field, Hughes was also present during the brawl at Bar Knoxville in July of last year and retained a lawyer, though charges were never brought against him.

But regardless of the circumstances, moving forward without one of its biggest tackles will be another challenge for a UT defense already short on depth in the middle.

"I do think it's big, because we're so thin and unproductive at defensive tackle," Dooley said after suspending Hughes before the Kentucky game last fall. "Anybody we lose there, it hurts the team - there's no question.

"But we have an academic accountability system that they understand and they know the consequences. I've told them, it's the same old line that everybody can do what they want. Everybody has freedom of choice, but nobody has freedom of consequence and at some point, you can't play."

Hughes reached that point again Thursday, but he won't be getting another chance to play at UT this time.

Austin Ward covers Tennessee football

Gamecock's Lattimore...the best RB in the SEC

The Adrian Peterson comparisons may have been a bit premature, but you can certainly understand why people got so excited about Marcus Lattimore so quickly.
Lattimore arrived in Columbia as a a heralded 5-star recruit out of South Carolina’s Byrnes High School, and he definitely made quite a first impression.
The 6'0", 230-pound powerhouse rumbled for nearly 1,200 rushing yards and scored 19 TDs last season.
Lattimore will again have the benefit of one of the best receivers in the country, Alshon Jeffery, to help keep defenses honest.
It should prove interesting to see how much the extra 15 pounds of muscle that the sophomore put on in the offseason will help.

Former four-star RB leaves the Football program of Alabama

According to the Birmingham News, running back Corey Grant has left the Tide program and will transfer to an unknown destination.

“I don’t know where he’s going, but he’s not going back to Alabama,” Brian Blackmon, Grant’s high school coach, told the paper. “I don’t think he’s made up his mind.”

The presence of starter and Heisman candidate Trent Richardson, Eddie Lacy, Jalston Fowler and 2011 five-star signee Dee Hart, the No. 1 RB in the nation according to Rivals.com —had to play at least a minor role in Grant’s decision.

As a member of Saban’s 2010 recruiting class, Grant was given a four-star rating by Rivals.com and was the No. 5 all-purpose back in the country according to the recruiting service. After redshirting last season, Grant played in UA’s spring game, totaling 12 yards on three carries.

The Opelika, Al., native had received offers from, among others, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Stanford and Oklahoma before verbally committing to the Tide in July of 2009.

Update: UT athletic director Mike Hamilton resigns

Tennessee athletics director Mike Hamilton announced Tuesday he decided to resign so the Volunteers would have a “clean slate” when they go before the NCAA’s Committee on Infractions later in the week.

Hamilton, who has been at the helm of Tennessee athletics for eight seasons, said it was both a personal decision and one that he hoped would help reunite the Vols fanbase. During a three-year period, Hamilton fired a popular coach, hired a controversial one and now the athletic department faces 12 NCAA infractions against the football and basketball programs.

“The last several years at UT have been marked by turmoil, fractures and the development of camps. This is not healthy, nor is it productive for our university,” Hamilton said. “During the last three months in particular, I myself have become a lightning rod for negative attention, and that’s a major distraction for the many positive things that are going on in athletics and on our campus.”

Hamilton will join UT-Knoxville Chancellor Jimmy Cheek, former Vols and current Southern California football coach Lane Kiffin and former basketball coach Bruce Pearl and other Tennessee representatives to respond to the NCAA’s charges on Saturday in Indianapolis. He will take administrative leave from Tennessee beginning Monday and remain on staff until June 30 unless he finds new employment.

Mike Hamilton out as Vols AD

The Knoxville News Sentinel this morning that Hamilton has decided to “resign” as the school’s director of athletics. An email, the paper reports, was sent by UT president Joe DiPietro Tuesday morning to the entire board informing them of Hamilton’s decision.

“He’s an outstanding guy who’s done a lot of good things for the university, so obviously we’re going to work hard to find somebody to replace him,”

The move comes as UT is set to appear before the NCAA’s Committee on Infractions this week to answer questions regarding violations alleged in both the football program under Lane Kiffin and the basketball program under Bruce Pearl. Neither coach is still with their respective programs, with Kiffin bolting for the USC job after one year in Knoxville and Pearl fired for his significant role in the hoops scandal.

Vols Herman Lathers won't be ready for start of season

Vols coach Derek Dooley confirmed through UT spokesman Jimmy Stanton on Saturday night that returning starter Herman Lathers won’t be ready for the beginning of the season after fracturing an ankle last week, an injury that will require surgery to repair and has no definite timetable for return. Backup Greg King also required arthroscopic surgery on his right knee, but the procedure performed Friday is expected to have him ready in time for camp in August.

The potential loss of Lathers could be particularly damaging for the Vols, who were counting on the only returning starter at linebacker to bounce back from the shoulder surgery that kept him out of spring practice to anchor a group that doesn’t boast much experience.

The junior started each of the 12 games he played in last season, missing just one contest with an ankle injury unrelated to the one suffered some time in the middle of last week. His 75 tackles were the second-highest total on the team behind only Nick Reveiz, one of the two departed seniors who filled the starting roles alongside Lathers at linebacker.

The post-spring depth chart released by the Vols listed King as the backup behind Lathers at the weak-side position, and both have had their share of physical concerns lately. King missed almost all of last season after undergoing surgery on his knee, which has been a recurring problem for him throughout a promising career that has struggled to gain traction because of the run of bad health.

LB Petey Smith leaving ‘Bama

The latest player to leave Alabama's program is Petey Smith, who the Birmingham News has confirmed is transferring from the Tide to Holmes (Miss.) Community College.

The linebacker participated in spring practice, but shortly thereafter spoke to head coach Nick Saban about his future with the program. After apparently seeing the writing on the depth chart, Smith chose the transfer option as the next step in his football career.

“Basically, I just felt that I wasn’t giving it my all,” Smith told the News. “I’m not going to say I wasn’t happy. I didn’t feel like I had an opportunity to show what I could do with reps and everything. Instead of waiting, I thought I’d just go somewhere else. …

“I just thought it wasn’t the place for me. I didn’t want to wait until my junior or senior year. …I’m just gonna go to Holmes, play the football season and then I can really choose what school I want to go to through the recruiting process over again.”

Smith went on to tell the paper that he’s talked to schools from schools in the SEC, Big Ten and ACC, although he declined to name any specific schools that have expressed interest.

A member of Alabama’s 2010 recruiting class, Smith was the No. 32 inside linebacker in the country and given a three-star ranking by Rivals.com. He was a redshirt his true freshman season last year.

Vols starting LB fractures ankle

According to both the Chattanooga Times Free-Press and Knoxville News Sentinel, starting linebacker Herman Lathers suffered a fractured ankle during a seven-on-seven session this past Wednesday. It’s unclear exactly how the injury occurred. What’s also unclear is how long Lathers will be sidelined, although head coach Derek Dooley, through a UT spokesperson, told the News Sentinel that he won’t be ready for the beginning of the season. Whether that’s just a game or two is uncertain. Lathers, who started all 12 games in 2010, had already missed all of spring practice due to a shoulder issue.

He is the Vols only returning starter at the position.

Vandy's Hayward leads a list of 6 on Phil Steele's College Preview

Cornerback Casey Hayward leads a list of six Vanderbilt players named to preseason All-Southeastern Conference teams by Phil Steele’s 2011 College Football Preview, which hits newsstands on June 7.

Hayward, a senior from Perry, Ga., was also selected as a preseason All-America by Phil Steele’s, named to the publication’s fourth team defense. As a junior last season, he led the conference with 17 pass breakups and brought down a team-high six interceptions on the way to receiving second team All-SEC postseason honors as a defensive back from both league coaches and the Associated Press following the season. Hayward is the only Commodore and one of 26 players from the SEC named to one of Steele’s four preseason All-American teams.

Five other Commodore returning starters were named to All-SEC squads by the publication. A pair of fellow seniors, linebacker Chris Marve and tight end Brandon Barden, join Hayward as second-team All-SEC selections. Sophomore Wesley Johnson was named to the third team as an offensive tackle, while junior Warren Norman and senior Sean Richardson were named to the fourth team at kick returner and safety, respectively.

Kickoff for Vols-Gators', UT-Cincinnati at 3:30 p.m.

Tennessee may not be opening the season in prime time, but it will still have plenty of the national attention it’s used to.

The Vols have a pair of September games set for afternoon kickoffs at 3:30 as the television schedule started to take shape on Thursday, with a non-conference meeting with Cincinnati on the Sept. 10 picked up by ESPN2 and the annual rivalry game with Florida again picked up by CBS on Sept. 17.

The series with the Gators has another new look, but it was still the pick for CBS to begin its 11th season of national coverage of the SEC. Another new face will be on the sidelines when Tennessee travels to Florida for its first meeting with Will Muschamp, but that might only add to the intrigue of the early season, divisional showdown in The Swamp.

This will be an exciting conference’s Game of the Week broadcast, setting the stage for what could be a marquee win for either Muschamp in his first season or Derek Dooley in his second with UT.

The Vols open the campaign with home dates against Montana and the Bearcats before hitting the road to take on the Gators, one of just four contests away from Neyland Stadium this fall.

Arrest apparently led to dismissal of Miss. St.’s Dennis Thames

It has been reported that Mississippi State dismissed defensive back Dennis Thames from the football program for violating unspecified team rules. A report has subsequently surfaced which reveals that one of those team rules is apparently “don’t let alcohol and/or weed ride shotgun in your ride.” Allegedly. According to The Dispatch, Thames was arrested May 31 and charged with possession of marijuana and alcohol in a vehicle. Thames was booked into the Winston County jail shortly after noon local time Tuesday and was released a short time later.

This was Thames’ second brush with the law since signing with the Bulldogs as a four-star player out of Louisville (Miss.) High School; he was arrested for “public intoxication-other substances” shortly before the start of his freshman season in 2009. He also served a one-game suspension last year for violating unspecified team rules.

Ex-UGA RB Ealey to drop down a level to play in 2011

Washaun Ealey has found himself a new collegiate home. The running back’s high school coach confirmed to Marc Weiszer of the Athens Banner-Herald that his former player has transferred to Jacksonville State. The coach, Milan Turner, added that Ealey started classes Thursday. As the Alabama school competes at the Div. 1-AA level in football, Ealey will be eligible to play immediately. “It came down to where he wanted to go and play and it was a place where it was a good fit for him,” said Turner, who added that there was initial interest from SEC schools that subsequently waned. Ealey led the Bulldogs in rushing in each of the past two seasons, totaling 717 yards in 2009 and 811 last year.

SEC coaches favor 28-LOI limit for recruiting classes

Last week, details from Slive’s oversigning legislation were leaked, with one amendment asking the SEC to begin “Limiting the size of a football signing class in each academic year to 25, down from the current level of 28… The 25 limit would cover those who sign from Dec. 1 to August 1.”

The coaches felt a change in the status quo would limit opportunities for recruits.

“When you sit in our seat every day for 26 years, you see all the different things that could happen,” said Auburn coach Gene Chizik. “Are there some risk/reward chances you have to take on guys? Absolutely. Everybody across the country does it every year. Unfortunately, every school doesn’t recruit every single kid who is 300 points above the SAT and has a 3.0 GPA. That’s not realistic. We also want to give kids opportunities to be student-athletes as well.”

“You all are creating a bad problem for everybody,” added Nick Saban, who blamed the bad publicity surrounding oversigning on the media. “You’re going to mess up kids’ opportunities by doing what you’re doing. You think you’re helping ‘em but you’re really hurting ‘em. It took one case where somebody didn’t get the right opportunity. You need to take the other 100 cases where somebody got an opportunity.”

Top ‘Cocks recruit Clowney on path to qualify academically

Gamecock Central recruiting analyst Chris Clark reported Wednesday morning that “while Clowney’s academics meet the criteria to qualify under NCAA standards, he still has not been certified by the NCAA Clearinghouse.” Clark, however, goes on to write that navigating the Clearinghouse and USC admission hurdles should not be an issue for the defensive end.

“Not that it’s a problem, I’m told it’s simply too early in the process for that to happen,” Clark wrote. “His Clearinghouse certification and admission to USC are essentially the two remaining steps in his path to USC, and both of those are expected to be fine according to what I hear.”

Oversigning, cost-of-living expenses for scholarships topics at SEC spring meetings

The meetings will continue through Friday. On that day, the SEC is expected to announce it will distribute another record in revenue among the membership. Last spring, the league shared $209 million, the highest total in the conference's history and a 57.7 percent increase from the previous year. It was the first year that contracts signed with ESPN and CBS were included in the league revenues. This year's expected revenue-sharing record will mark the 21st straight year the league has had an increase.

Oversigning has been discussed and addressed at past SEC spring meetings. The Athens Banner-Herald reported recently that the league is expected to limit schools to signing no more than 25 football prospects to grants-in-aid in a single signing class. That would be three fewer than the current number allowed by the league.

Last month, commissioner Mike Slive said the SEC would take "a very comprehensive look" at oversigning during the spring meetings and that he expected the league to adopt legislation that would represent a change in the current policy. The 2009 rule adopted by the league limiting the number of signees to 28 per class applies only to recruits signed between signing day in early February and May 31, but does not include those who enroll at a school in January and wait until June to sign.

That loophole has allowed schools to go beyond the limit of 28 without penalty. It allowed South Carolina to sign 32 players in its 2011 signing class, with Arkansas signing 30.