LSU's Russell Shepard talks compliance issue

Les Miles predicted that Shepard would be able to play against the Ducks and insisted the “issue”, which is rooted in what is currently being classified as a “living situation“, wasn’t really much of an issue at all.

“No, he won’t have to sit out. He’ll come to practice. We wouldn’t expect there to be any issues there,” Miles said in July.

Of course, the NCAA might see it differently.

But at least part of Miles’ inner Nostradamus has proven to be accurate as Shepard has been practicing with the Tigers. In a story from the Baton Rouge Advocate, Shepard says he has already spoken to numerous individuals regarding the compliance issue and the situation is now out of his hands.

“I had (the LSU compliance office) come to me, and they realized there was a problem,” Shepard said. “It’s something that just popped up out of nowhere and the next thing you know there’s all this type of mayhem.

“They talked to me and got all the information that they wanted to get out of me.”

Now, Shepard just has to play the waiting game. The receiver couldn’t comment if he had spoken to the NCAA, but he did say he expected a resolution on the matter prior to the start of the season.

“I don’t think it would ever get that serious, but the NCAA has a job and their job is to protect athletes as well as the universities and they’re going to do the best possible thing for the NCAA and college football,” Shepard said.

LSU’s offensive line loses one to transfer

Thanks to BayouBengalInsider, redshirt freshman Cameron Fordham has decided to move on from the program to an unknown destination. Below is his statement:

“I want to begin by thanking Coach Miles and his staff for affording me the opportunity to be a part of the LSU football program.

“I’ve grown tremendously because of the time and experience that I’ve had at LSU and for that, I’m grateful. I will sorely miss my teammates and all those that make it work behind the scenes for the program.

“I also want to extend to the fans and the people of Louisiana my personal appreciation for all of the support they provided to me from day one.

“This was a personal decision that I made that best fits my current and future career.”

Fordham was a three-star athlete from Georgia who signed with the Tigers in 2010.

Vandy has 6 new desktop wallpapers available

With preseason football camp underway, VUCommodores.com has created six desktop wallpapers available for fans to download for free. You can select your wallpaper of choice by clicking here.

Notre Dame transfer cleared to play by Florida

According to the Miami Herald, however, Wenger has been cleared by Florida medical staff and will be eligible to play immediately with his sixth year of eligibility granted from the NCAA. Wenger was reportedly given the all clear back in June.

Wenger is competing for the starting center job for the Gators, and is reunited with former Irish head coach/offensive coordinator Charlie Weis and offensive line coach Frank Verducci.

Vols Janzen Jackson getting a look as a nickel back

After Saturday's practice, Tennessee's first in pads, coach Derek Dooley said it was the "gambler" in his junior safety. It's what has helped Jackson to emerge as one of the SEC's top defensive playmakers, but it's not always the best thing.

"A guy who gambles when he's way in the back, if he misses it's like putting all your (roulette) money on Black 22," Dooley said. "It's over."

That's why Jackson, along with a handful of others from UT's deep pool of defensive backs, is picking up plenty of repetitions at nickel back.

"We're really experimenting with a lot of guys," Dooley said. "Just trying to find the right combination of who's your best five and where you're going to put them on the field."

Also picking up work at the nickel are freshman Justin Coleman and redshirt sophomore Eric Gordon, both of whom typically play corner-back. Jackson, though, presents the most interesting case. If he's playing at nickel, UT loses its "save-our-ship guy" in the back end, but that might be easier to replace now that the Vols boast a secondary loaded with young talent.

Vandy's....Paint the town gold Saturday

Help the Commodores paint Nashville gold. In addition to attending Vanderbilt's open practice on Saturday, fans are also invited to help the team paint the town gold by distributing posters and schedule cards throughout Middle Tennessee.

The open practice is free to attend and will begin at 9 a.m. with gates opening at 8:30 a.m. Also beginning at 9 a.m. and running through 1 p.m., Vanderbilt athletics is encouraging Commodore fans to stop by the McGugin Center (2601 Jess Neely Drive) and pick up football posters and schedule cards to distribute throughout the city.

A drive-thru distribution tent will be setup in front of McGugin Center and the first 500 participants will receive a free t-shirt. The goal is to distribute 2,000 posters and 10,000 schedule cards across Middle Tennessee.

Georgia coaches praise Isaiah Crowell

Georgia’s biggest offseason addition on each side of the ball was Isaiah Crowell at tailback and John Jenkins at nose tackle. After four preseason practices, the Bulldog assistant coaches are giving one praise, and the other a push. Crowell earned high marks from his position coach and coordinator on Sunday. The freshman tailback from Carver High is still running second team, but that basically ensures playing time. Running backs coach Bryan McClendon said he wants to rotate in at least two tailbacks against Boise State on Sept. 3, and it sounds as if Crowell will be one of them if he picks up the offense.“Not only in this league, but in the NFL or whatever, you’ve got guys that if you can’t trust them out there you’re not going to put them out there. … That hasn’t been an issue with Isaiah so far,” McClendon said. “I mean, that’s just a matter of how quick you can fix it, and how quick they can fix it,” McClendon said. “I think it’s good, now is it SEC caliber right now, we’ll have to wait and see.”
Jenkins still has some work to do to impress his position coach. Kwame Geathers is currently first team at nose tackle, according to defensive line coach Rodney Garner; In fact, Garner answered “yeah” when asked if there was a gap between them right now. It has been assumed that Jenkins, a 350-pound junior college transfer, was signed to start at that nose spot.

“Well, you know what happens when you assume,” Garner said with a wide smile. “I can’t say it in the media.”

UK's Glenn Faulkner pulling cram sessions

Even though school is not in session for another 17 days, freshman Glenn Faulkner is getting in his fair share of cram sessions. Perhaps Kentucky's most highly touted freshman, Faulkner spent the summer getting over a few eligibility hurdles instead of being able to study co-defensive coordinator Rick Minter's complex defensive scheme. So the safety from East Saint Louis, Ill., has had less time to immerse himself in the system. But he doesn't expect it to slow him down."It's kind of been difficult, but my teammates and coaching staff have really been helping me catch up," Faulkner said at UK's Media Day on Friday morning. Faulkner said he considers himself a student of the game and hopes that will help him get acclimated faster. "I'm a thinker," he said. "I'm a thinker on the field." Coach Joker Phillips agreed with Faulkner's self evaluation. "We think he's a smart kid," Phillips said. "He's been in the film room a couple days that he's been here trying to learn. Same thing when he came here for the spring game. He's a guy that really loves to play the game, so we're excited about him."

South Carolina lineman sent to hospital for heat-related illness

According to the Charlotte Observer and other media outlets, freshman offensive tackle Brandon Shell was hospitalized yesterday for a heat-related illness. Team medical staff tended to Shell on the practice field before he was transported to the local hospital. The team was practicing in helmets and pads.

The good news, though, is that Shell appears to be okay as he returned to team meetings later that afternoon.

Charges against Vols linebacker dropped

Tennessee linebacker Austin Johnson has already been cleared by Vols coach Derek Dooley to practice with the team following a July 24th arrest for public intoxication and disorderly conduct. It now appears the charges against Johnson are being dropped as well.

According to GoVolsXtra.com, Johnson has only been required to pay undisclosed court costs; his “punishment” is being handled internally.

“If we could go back three days and just erase everything that the media outlets wrote, it’d be great news but we can’t do that,” Dooley said.

“I should have never put myself in that situation,” Johnson added. “I should have never been out that late. I’m extremely embarrassed. I embarrassed my team, I embarrassed the fans, I embarrassed my family and I embarrassed my coaches. I’ve learned from my mistakes.

“I plan to move forward and become a better person from this.”

Crimson Tide defensive tackle transferring

Alabama defensive tackle Darrington Sentimore is transferring to a junior college.

Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College defensive coordinator Steve Davis said Thursday that Sentimore is set to report early next week.

Sentimore is the seventh Crimson Tide player to leave the program since last season. He was indefinitely suspended for unspecified violation of team rules in June.

LSU Tigers report minus recruits Mickey Johnson, Alonzo Lewis

The LSU football team reported for fall practice on Wednesday minus a few expected players. St. Paul's defensive tackle Mickey Johnson was one of two incoming recruits who did not arrive on the first day, which is largely comprised of meetings, physicals and other administrative functions. Johnson is going through the NCAA Clearinghouse process to confirm his academic eligibility and has not been cleared, LSU Coach Les Miles told the media Wednesday. "We expect that he will clear," Miles said. "It's just a time issue. That being said, he might join us in August just before school starts. The other missing recruit is wide receiver Alonzo Lewis of St. James. Miles said Lewis "would not be with us and may go the junior college route. We will still very much follow him." The only other no show was junior guard Josh Williford, who had two deaths in his family in a 48-hour span. Williford, who is from Dothan, Ala., is expected to join the team later in the month.

One player who will be in camp is junior wide receiver Russell Shepard, whose is involved with an off-campus housing issue. Miles has said in the past he didn't expect it to be a problem and the matter is still being handled internally.

Georgia wide receiver cited by police but avoids arrest

Israel Troupe, a senior wide receiver from Tifton, failed to appear in Athens-Clarke County Municipal Court on Tuesday on a charge of urinating in public. However, court officials told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that Troupe showed up and paid his fine on Wednesday and his case is now closed.

Troupe was fined $210 and paid a $50 late fee, a court clerk said. Records show he was issued a citation for public urination by Athens-Clarke County Police on April 9, 2011. He was not arrested at that time, however, so no incident report was filed. The Bulldogs would have been in the midst of spring practice.

At this point is still not known whether Troupe, a backup split end, will miss any playing time as a result. UGA spokesperson Claude Felton said head coach Mark Richt “is aware of the situation” but could not say what, if any, disciplinary measures have been applied.

Currently running back Carlton Thomas is the only player known to be missing the Sept. 3 season opener against Boise State. for disciplinary reasons. Thomas was suspended one game for an unspecified violation of team rules.

Tide transfer Duron Carter not eligible to practice

Tide head coach Nick Saban said that Carter will remain academically ineligible until the school receives additional information on his grades, presumably from the junior college he attended after leaving Ohio State last year.

“Duron Carter, we do not have all of his information for all of his grades,” Saban said according to the Birmingham News. “Until we get that information, even though he’s here he is not eligible to be at practice or be at camp. When we get that information if it’s all what it’s supposed to be then he’ll be able to practice.”

Academic issues, however, aren’t exactly new to Carter. The receiver was ruled ineligible for OSU’s appearance in the 2010 Rose Bowl, and those same issues prompted him to transfer to Coffeyville (Kan.) Community College in June of last year.

LSU's Kragthorpe steps down

There was a major announcement from coach Les Miles following the morning workout. Steve Kragthorpe had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and gave up his responsibility of offensive coordinator.
Kragthorpe, who informed Miles' about his situation three weeks ago, will remain LSU's quarterbacks coach. Miles wanted to reduce the work load on Kragthorpe.
Miles promoted offensive line coach Greg Studrawa to the coordinator's position. Studrawa, who was the offensive coordinator from 2003-06 at Bowling Green, will remain as the offensive line coach.
"Unfortunately, this is not what we wanted," said Miles at a press conference Thursday afternoon. "This well could have been a curve ball. But, it was not. We have done as best we could have done. We have quickly adjusted responsibilities. We are hoping for uninterrupted leadership."

Georgia submits report about Jones to SEC

The eligibility status of outside linebacker Jarvis Jones is now in the hands of the SEC and eventually probably the NCAA.

Georgia has submitted its report to the SEC after doing its own investigation into Jones’ case. The Columbus Ledger-Enquirer has reported that police records show Tony Adams, who is Jones’ former AAU basketball coach, purchased plane tickets and perhaps a laptop for the player. That could be ruled an improper benefit, unless it is found that Jones had a long-standing, pre-existing relationship with Adams.

“The only thing I know is that we have submitted whatever we have found to the SEC offices, and we’re just kind of waiting,” head coach Mark Richt said. “That’s all I’m really allowed to say.”

The school declined to release the information it sent the SEC.

First pre-season ranking of MSU

Mississippi State will open the season ranked 20th in the USA Today coaches poll, as it was announced this morning.

This is the first preseason ranking for MSU in 10 years.

Six teams on MSU’s schedule are ranked in the poll: Alabama (2), LSU (4), South Carolina (12), Arkansas (14) and Auburn (19), Georgia (22). Eight teams from the SEC are in the poll. Oklahoma was No. 1.

The Bulldogs were ranked 17th in the final coaches poll of the 2010 season, which concluded with a 9-4 record after a 52-14 blow-out of Michigan in the Gator Bowl.

South Carolina's Jeffery sits out first practice

A couple of thousand fans decked out in garnet and black lined the Bluff Road practice field across from Williams-Brice Stadium on a hot, muggy Wednesday night to watch South Carolina open preseason camp for the 2011 football season with a spirited two-hour workout. The Gamecocks have high expectations after winning the SEC East and reaching the conference title game a year ago for the first time. They were the pick among the media and coaches to repeat as SEC East champions, a favorite spot they are not accustomed to having with Florida, Georgia and Tennessee in the same division. "It was a pretty nice practice," said South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier, who is entering his seventh year with the Gamecocks. "All of the coaches were really noticing the difference in our team speed. It was noticeable that our guys are faster than they've been before." South Carolina went 9-5 last year and lost its final two games, a humbling 56-17 setback to eventual national champion Auburn in the SEC title game and a 26-17 loss to Florida State in the Chick-fil-A Bowl.

Although, the Gamecocks have nearly all of their starters back on both sides of the ball, plus the nation's top recruit in defensive end Jadeveon Clowney. Wide receiver Alshon Jeffery missed the opening practice after being involved in a car accident on Tuesday. Spurrier said he is expected back in a couple of days. Quarterback Stephen Garcia was recently reinstated to the team after his fifth suspension and has started 28 straight games.

Spurrier said the fifth-year senior has done everything the university and coaches asked of him and has had a complete lifestyle change.