Kouandjio flips from Auburn to Alabama

In a tweet posted to the account of Kouandjio’s brother Arie, the highly-rated offensive tackle has decided to renege on his previous nationally-televised commitment to Auburn and join his sibling as a member of the Alabama Crimson Tide.

"After much consideration, my brother has decided to take his talent to the University of Alabama Looks like my lil bro is going to roll …," Tide lineman Arie Kouandjio wrote in the tweet. Subsequent to the tweet, Kristen Kenney of FOX Sports.com confirmed that the younger brother is headed to Tuscaloosa while the Tuscaloosa News reports that the recruit’s paperwork was faxed to ‘Bama earlier today.

UGA lands a huge addition to their defensive line

Georgia announced via a press release Saturday afternoon that they’ve added a 26th member to their 2011 recruiting class, signing massive JUCO defensive tackle Jonathan Jenkins. The 6-4, 340-pound Jenkins played last season at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. Rivals.com had the lineman rated as the No. 7 JUCO prospect in the country. Jenkins is expected to immediately become be the starter at nose tackle and anchor the Bulldogs’ defensive line. In addition to Georgia, Jenkins had drawn significant interest from, among others, Florida and Miami.

Croom no longer in the running to fill Tide coaching vacancy

While Croom confirmed to the Tuscaloosa News that he had indeed spoken to Saban over the weekend, he also confirmed that he would not be coming home to Tuscaloosa and would instead remain with the St. Louis Rams as running backs coach. "It was a very intriguing opportunity that Coach Saban and I discussed," Croom said. "My visit was more of a get-to-know-you with Coach Saban and the staff. It was a great visit. I really enjoyed it. … "Just looking at the possibility when I was down there, he was not positive which way to go with the position that was open."

With Croom apparently out of the picture, the attention on a replacement for Curt Cignetti may now shift to Mike Groh.

Seven Gators to participate in NFL combine

Seniors Ahmad Black (Lakeland, Fla.), Marcus Gilbert (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.), Chas Henry (Dallas, Ga.), Maurice Hurt (Midgeville, Ga.), Carl Johnson (Shelbyville, N.C.) and Mike Pouncey (Lakeland, Fla.) and junior Will Hill (West Orange, N.J.) will all compete in the 2011 NFL Combine from Feb. 24-March 1.

Florida and Georgia lead the SEC with seven player invitations, followed by LSU with six and South Carolina with five. No other school in the country received four invitations for offensive linemen.

UF has a nation's best seven first-round picks since 2007 and the Gators have had a first round pick in each of the last four NFL Drafts. Florida tied a school record with three first-round draft picks last year and led the nation with nine selections a year ago.

The Southeastern Conference leads the nation with 40 total players invited to participate in the Combine. In 2010, the SEC had 49 players selected in the NFL Draft, the most SEC players ever taken in the NFL Draft.

University of Georgia Bulldogs mascot UGA dies

UGA VIII, Georgia’s white English bulldog mascot, died Friday from lymphoma, ending his reign as mascot after only half of a season. Georgia senior associate athletic director Claude Felton said no formal funeral service had been scheduled.

Uga VIII died before serving a full season on the Sanford Stadium sideline. He took over as the team’s mascot for Georgia’s Oct. 16 game against Vanderbilt and was mascot for the final six games of the regular season. The white English bulldog was diagnosed with lymphoma in early January, but the school said he had been responding well to treatment. He missed Georgia’s Liberty Bowl loss to Central Florida with what was believed to be a gastrointestinal condition. Further tests revealed the more serious condition. Uga VIII took over last season for Russ, Uga VII’s half brother who filled in as mascot in 2009 and early in 2010. Felton said Russ again will step in as the school’s mascot.

Uga VIII, who was 17 months old, lived with the Frank W. "Sonny" Seiler family of Savannah, Ga. The family has owned the Uga line of mascots for 50 years.

D-Day for Kouandjio coming Monday

Kouandjio’s high school coach told the Tuscaloosa News Friday that the offensive lineman will declare his collegiate intentions on Monday, apparently after mulling over the decision, and maybe a vote, with his family this weekend. "I spoke with Cyrus and Cyrus said that he would say something on Monday," DeMatha High School coach Bill McGregor told the paper. "Hopefully everything will come to a conclusion and ending on Monday." Kouandjio, of course, created quite the controversy on signing day Wednesday by announcing on national television that he was attending Auburn, only to have second thoughts shortly thereafter that were substantial enough that he held out on signing his Letter of Intent. Subsequently, Kouandjio’s father said those two schools plus Iowa were in the mix, while Kouandjio himself said that Auburn, Alabama and New Mexico are under consideration.

Kouandjio’s father believes his son should sign with Alabama, where his older brother will be a sophomore lineman in 2011.

NCAA to hit Kiffin, Vols with ‘failure to monitor’ violation

Tennessee still can’t escape the lingering effects of Lane Kiffin‘s one-year tenure on Rocky Top. In an excellent piece appearing on the AOL Fanhouse website Wednesday evening, writer Clay Travis writes that the “NCAA will cite the University of Tennessee's football program with a failure to monitor a violation stemming” from Kiffin’s time at the school. Additionally, the NCAA will cite Kiffin, as well as former UT assistant David Reaves, personally with a 'failure to monitor' violation. The alleged violations stems from the now-disbanded Orange Pride program, including hostesses who allegedly made improper contact with potential recruits, as well as Reaves himself allegedly making improper contact with recruits. Travis writes that "the NCAA has determined that Reaves… provided written and oral instruction to the Vol hostesses about which top recruits to contact, how to contact them, and asked for updates on those conversations, which occurred either via Facebook, text message or phone call."

LSU Turns Attention To Spring Practice

Now that National Signing Day has come and gone, LSU coaches will now turn their attention to spring football practice, which starts in just over a month on March 11. The Tigers will practice a total of 15 times (the number that’s allowed by the NCAA) in a 5-week span, culminating with the annual National L-Club Spring Game at 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 9. The spring game will give fans their first peek at quarterback Zach Mettenberger along with early enrollees in running back Kenny Hilliard and defensive tackle Anthony “Freak” Johnson.

Tide reigns supreme, claims Rivals’ top recruiting class

For the second time in three years, and barring any last-minute tweaking by the recruiting service, the Crimson Tide have claimed Rivals, title of the country's top recruiting class. Bama came into the day in the same position, and held off a late charge from USC that wasn't stemmed until the Trojans lost five-star athlete De'Anthony Thomas to Oregon. USC tentatively finished with the No. 4 class.
Florida State (No. 1 in ESPN’s rankings) and Texas flipped positions from where they started today, with the Seminoles finishing No. 2 and the Longhorns No. 3. Georgia rounded out the top five with their highest finish since coming in at No. 4 in 2006.

LSU, Auburn (No. 1 in Scout.com rankings), Clemson, which had arguably the best day of any school in the country, all things considered, Oregon, and Notre Dame (No. 1 in MaxPreps rankings) were Nos. 6-10. Clemson and Oregon earned their first top 10 rankings in Rivals history.

All told, the SEC, as expected, dominated the upper echelon of the rankings, putting a staggering nine of their 12 schools inside the Top 25. Eight of those were Top 20 schools.

LSU Football Commitment List

Name	Pos	Location	Ht	Wt	40	Stars	Rivals Rating
	Jonah Austin 3 stars	OL	New Orleans, LASt. Augustine	6'7"	305	0.00	3 stars
	Odell Beckham Jr. 4 stars	WR	New Orleans, LAIsidore Newman School	5'10"	165	0.00	4 stars	5.9	01/08/2011
	Jalen Collins 4 stars	DB	Olive Branch, MSOlive Branch	6'2"	180	4.46	4 stars	5.8	07/27/2010
	La'El Collins 5 stars	OL	Baton Rouge, LARedemptorist	6'5"	285	5.50	5 stars	6.1	09/28/2009
	Micah Eugene 3 stars	DB	Lafayette, LAAcadiana	5'11"	190	4.50	3 stars	5.6	12/18/2010
	James Hairston 2 stars	K	Dallas, TXJesuit	6'1"	200	0.00	2 stars	5.4	12/29/2010
	Kenny Hilliard 4 stars	RB	Patterson, LAPatterson	6'0"	218	0.00	4 stars	5.9	12/19/2009
	David Jenkins 4 stars	DB	Carrollton, TXHebron	6'1"	185	4.50	4 stars	5.8	07/30/2010
	Anthony Johnson 5 stars	DT	New Orleans, LAO. Perry Walker	6'4"	298	5.27	5 stars	6.1	12/18/2009
	Mickey Johnson 4 stars	DT	Covington, LASt. Paul's	6'1"	310	5.00	4 stars	5.8	01/28/2011
	Jarvis Landry 5 stars	WR	Lutcher, LALutcher	5'11"	178	0.00	5 stars	6.1	01/09/2010
	Alonzo Lewis 3 stars	WR	St. James, LASt. James	6'3"	192	4.92	3 stars	5.6	02/20/2010
	Terrance Magee 3 stars	ATH	Franklinton, LAFranklinton	5'9"	190	0.00	3 stars	5.7	01/13/2010
	Ronald Martin 3 stars	DB	White Castle, LAWhite Castle	6'2"	190	4.58	3 stars	5.6	07/19/2010
	Zach Mettenberger 4 stars	QB	El Dorado, KSButler County C.C.	6'5"	245	0.00	4 stars	5.8	12/06/2010
	Trevon Randle 3 stars	LB	League City, TXClear Springs	6'1"	205	4.46	3 stars	5.7	02/20/2010
	Jermauria Rasco 4 stars	DE	Shreveport, LAEvangel Christian	6'3"	227	0.00	4 stars	5.8	02/02/2011
	Stephen Rivers 3 stars	QB	Athens, ALAthens	6'6"	200	0.00	3 stars	5.7	08/06/2010
	Quentin Thomas 3 stars	DE	Breaux Bridge, LABreaux Bridge	6'3"	265	0.00	3 stars	5.7	04/05/2010
	Paul Turner 3 stars	ATH	West Monroe, LAWest Monroe	5'11"	190	0.00	3 stars	5.7	07/31/2010
	Trai Turner 4 stars	OL	New Orleans, LASt. Augustine	6'5"	340	5.10	4 stars	5.8	05/14/2010
	Corey White 4 stars	OL	Baton Rouge, LACapitol	6'5"	280	0.00	4 stars	5.8	12/18/2009

UGA can breathe easier after landing RB Crowell

In a press conference that will be most remembered for a live prop utilized by the recruit, Crowell announced that, as expected, he will stay in-state and become a member of the Georgia Bulldogs. And, in a twist, he brought out a live bulldog puppy as part of his announcement. Crowell had also been considering Alabama, which would’ve made the whole "live baby animal" theme very interesting if he’d have chosen the Crimson Tide. The Columbus, Ga., product was rated as the No. 4 RB in the country according to Rivals, No. 1 according to Scout.com and ESPN.

He’s the only running back in UGA’s 2011 recruiting class, making his signature on a Letter of Intent all the more important.

Recruiting Iron Bowl goes to Auburn too as Tigers land top lineman

Cyrus Kouandjio instead stunned some observers by selecting Auburn during a live announcement on ESPNU.

Aries Kouandjio sent out a good-natured tweet to his brother after the decision was made public. "My brother before I even played football so congrats bro. Make you pay for it later though lil bro . Much love!"

The Hyattsville, Md., offensive tackle was rated as the No. 4 player in the country overall and the top player at his position by Rivals.com.

The Tigers are absolutely loading up with offensive line talent today as Kouandjio represents the fourth four- or five-star lineman Chizik and company have landed on signing day. They’ve also received a Letter of Intent from a three-star guard as well.

Brent Calloway switches commit back to ‘Bama

Brent Calloway, who created an in-state stir by flipping his commitment from Alabama to Auburn, is back to where he was when this whole recruiting process first started, a member of the Tide’s 2011 recruiting class. According to multiple reports, the Russellville (Ala.) running back/linebacker has faxed his Letter of Intent to Alabama and will be a member of the Crimson Tide this season. Calloway had been a verbal commitment to Alabama for well over a year before switching his allegiance to Auburn last month. The move will certainly make one person close to Calloway very pleased as the athlete’s adoptive father publicly criticized his son for reneging on his original commitment.

Tech's loss is Vandy's gain

Tech has lost its only quarterback commitment and most coveted offensive player in the 2011 class. Lafonte Thourogood, a 6-3, 225-pound prospect from Ocean Lakes High in Virginia Beach, has de-committed from Tech and will sign with Vanderbilt. He committed in early December to Tech, but apparently was wooed to Vanderbilt by new Commodores assistant coach Chris Beatty, the former coach at Salem High and Landstown High in Virginia Beach who later held assistant coach positions at Hampton University, Northern Illinois and West Virginia.

This development is sure to rankle Tech coach Frank Beamer, who has often talked about the need for coaches to keep their mitts off recruits that have made solid commitments to programs.

Florida's president gives anti-oversigning movement official bite

Today, they welcome the first member to the club of outspoken oversigning critics who can actually do something about it, Florida president Bernie Machen, who opened up with both barrels for Sports Illustrated on teams that renege on their promise when the scholarship numbers don't add up. In Division I college football this practice is known as "grayshirting" and, unfortunately, there are universities that sanction this activity. The universities, with full knowledge of what they are doing, extend more athletic scholarships than they have. These schools play roulette with the lives of talented young people. If they run out of scholarships, too bad. The letter-of-intent signed by the university the previous February is voided. Technically, it's legal to do this. Morally, it is reprehensible. No university would allow this for the general student body. Imagine the uproar it would cause! What needs to happen in intercollegiate athletics is that universities must accept the moral responsibility to stop and prevent "grayshirting" and its associated actions. The football programs must be accountable and should honor institutional commitments to students. It is, after all, a moral contract.

Logan Gray decides to transfer from UGA

University of Georgia rising senior wide receiver Logan Gray has decided to transfer for his final year of eligibility following graduation from UGA in May. Gray, a native of Columbia, Mo., indicated to head coach Mark Richt his desire to play his senior year closer to home while pursuing a Master’s degree. "I will graduate in May from UGA with my degree in Speech Communication," said Gray. "I plan on playing my last year of football while pursuing my Master's degree at another school, most likely close to home, where my family can attend all of my games. I would like to thank Coach Richt for giving me the opportunity to be a Bulldog the last four years, and sticking beside me throughout the whole experience. I would also like to thank my teammates for everything. They are like another family to me and I know I will be close with several of them for the rest of my life."

"I want to express sincere appreciation to Logan for his many contributions to our program the last four years," said Richt. "He’s been an asset to our team and program as both a player and student and we wish him nothing but the very best."

LSU's Jordan Jefferson is on notice for his job

No, LSU fans, it wasn't a bad dream: Against all odds, Steve Kragthorpe really is the new offensive coordinator for the Tigers' run at the SEC and BCS championships this fall. And as such, he's laid down the ceremonial gauntlet for his new charges: "All jobs are open." If returning starters "want seniority," he told the Associated Press, they should "join the army."

All coaches, of course, especially new ones, show up to the first spring practice preaching competition and "wide open" battles at every position that doesn't feature a returning All-American. In Jefferson's case, though, he's doubly vulnerable to the bench. On one hand, he hasn't consistently played well for more than a game or two at a time at any point in his two-year stint as the starter, and was ineffective enough last year to find himself splitting time with the guy he replaced back in 2008, ostracized pick-six king Jarrett Lee, in about half of the Tigers' games. On the other hand, there's plenty of competition: Between Lee and incoming Georgia transfer Zach Mettenberger, Jefferson has to contend with two once-coveted passers who are his equal in terms of size, arm and athleticism.

Kentucky's Mossakowski to transfer

University of Kentucky redshirt freshman Ryan Mossakowski said on Monday that he has left the Wildcat football team and will transfer to another school. "It’s official," said Mossakowski, who met with Coach Joker Phillips and the UK coaching staff this week. "We want to thank Ryan for his contributions to the program and wish him the best," Phillips said in a statement. The 6-foot-4, 224-pound Mossakowski arrived at UK as a highly-touted four-star quarterback after passing for 7,433 yards and 51 touchdowns during his career at Centennial High School in Frisco Texas. But Mossakowski had surgery to repair a torn labrum on his right throwing shoulder following his senior year, and he redshirted as a freshman last fall. Mossakowski was in a three-man battle for the job with Mike Hartline and Morgan Newton in the preseason, but ended up the No. 3 QB. He saw mop-up duty in three games and didn’t attempt a pass. Newton was named the starter for the BBVA Compass Bowl after Hartline was suspended for disciplinary reasons, and he played every offensive snap in UK’s 27-10 loss to Pittsburgh. Mossakowski said not playing in the bowl game had no influence on his decision to leave. "This is something I’ve been thinking about for awhile, even before the bowl game," he said. "I talked with the coaches and they said the job would be open in the spring and I’d have a chance to compete. I just had to make the decision that I thought was best for me."