Kentucky cornerback leaves program

Kentucky’s secondary took another hit Thursday when Coach Joker Phillips announced the departure of cornerback Jerrell Priester. The 5-foot-9 sophomore from Ulmer, S.C., opted to leave the program. “We wish him well,” Phillips said after practice. “It’s one of those things that’s kind of common at this time of the year, that kids leave. We’ll wish him well and keep this thing going.” Priester, who was rated the No. 17 prospect out of South Carolina and the nation’s No. 59 all-purpose athlete, according to Rivals.com, played in nine games last season. He got several snaps as a backup at cornerback, getting four stops and two tackles for a loss against Charleston Southern. He also played on special teams, where he returned two kickoffs for an average of 27.5 yards. Last week, Phillips announced the departures of senior free safety Josh Gibbs for undisclosed “personal reasons” and sophomore linebacker Qua Huzzie, who ended up transferring to Murray State.

Trotter named Auburn’s starting QB

In a statement, head coach Gene Chizik announced that junior Barrett Trotter has won the three-way battle for the starting quarterback job and will be under center when the defending BcS champions open the season Sept. 3 against Utah State. Trotter bested both sophomore Clint Moseley and freshman Kiehl Frazier in the race to fill — or attempt to fill — Newton’s massive shoes.

The school released a statement on the naming of Trotter as his starter.

“Barrett has worked extremely hard to earn the starting quarterback job at Auburn University,” Chizik said. “I’m very proud of him for the leadership and hard work he has shown not only during camp, but also during his three years at Auburn. Barrett has a great opportunity to represent and lead this football team moving forward. Barrett understands the huge responsibility that comes with being the starting quarterback at Auburn and we are confident in his ability to lead this team.

“These decisions are extremely tough when dealing with such competitive young men who have a strong desire to excel. Clint Moseley and Kiehl Frazier worked very hard and it’s been a great competition that will make our young team better. Clint and Kiehl both have a lot of ability and will continue to improve. We look forward to watching their progress as the years go on.”

It’s long been believed that Trotter, based on his experience, had held the slightest of advantages over his younger competitors.

SEC ADs mum on expansion

Tennessee’s interim athletics director said Wednesday that she is referring all questions about possible expansion of Southeastern Conference to the league’s commissioner.

During the SEC’s annual meeting of athletic directors, Tennessee’s Joan Cronan said don’t expect any expansion news from the meeting.

“I think all you’re going to get from any of us is `no comment,’ Cronan said. She added that the ADs “are deferring all questions about expansion to the (SEC) commissioner.”

Several other SEC athletic directors declined any comment. The meetings conclude on Thursday.

Reports continue to swirl this week about Texas A&M possibly becoming the SEC’s 13th member. Florida president and SEC president and chancellors committee chairman Bernie Machen said recently that though they are satisfied with their current alignment, future conditions may make it advantageous to expand.

Texas A&M plans to take a while before making a decision on its conference affiliation.

School President R. Bowen Loftin has said there is no timetable for any decision and any realignment by Texas A&M will take place after a “lengthy” process.

“What we do, if anything, will be in the best interest of Texas A&M and the state of Texas,” Loftin said earlier this week. “We’re also very concerned about the members of the Big 12. We don’t want the Big 12 to go away. We have no intention of doing anything that might precipitate that.”

UGA DB likely side-lined for the year

Dawgs247.com writes today that senior safety Jakar Hamilton has two stress fractures in his right ankle and is likely done for the season. Hamilton has been out for a good portion of UGA’s preseason camp with what has been originally reported as a hamstring injury. It’s believed Hamilton has been dealing with the injury since the offseason.

Hamilton does have a redshirt opportunity to use, if he misses the majority of the season. He started five games for the Bulldogs as a junior in 2010, recording 27 tackles and an interception.

Vols Derek Dooley has practice schedule meticulously planned

The UT coach is the first to admit that he's a meticulous planner. And even though all the details appear to be smoothed out heading into its debut Thursday, Dooley said Tuesday that there will always be components of the switch that will cause him to lose sleep.

"I'm really more nervous about what we haven't thought of," Dooley said. "This will be a little different. But I feel pretty good about the schedule."

All weekday practices from Thursday until the end of the season will be held in the morning.

Dooley said both changes are designed to help the players and his coaches, who will now start fresh with their focus squarely on the upcoming game Monday morning.

"I think it cleans up the game for the players on Sunday, so you don't have to wake up Monday and still revisit Saturday," Dooley said. "And then, I think it's going to help the players manage their weeks better. They're going to get in bed earlier. They're going to eat better. And they won't be oversleeping for class because they have practice, so I just feel like it will be a better routine for everybody.

"Time will tell."

SEC meeting was ‘speed bump’ for Rick Perry’s comments

According to a pair of tweets from Tony Barnhart (@MrCFB) of the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Machen said “SEC Presidents put a ‘speed bump‘ in a fast moving process with Texas A&M.

“Dr. Machen said last Sunday’s presidents meeting was necessary because of Texas Governor Rick Perry‘s public comments on the SEC.”

As a refresher, Perry told media members last week “I’ll be real honest with you. I just read about it the same time as y’all did. … As far as I know, conversations are being had. That’s frankly all I know. I just refer you to the university and the decision makers over there.”

Perry’s comments didn’t mean a lot on the surface; there was nothing that indicated the talks were between A&M and the SEC, although one could certainly bridge that gap in their own mind. It feels more and more like the SEC needed to clear the air, that they needed to show it was A&M who was interested in courting the SEC, not the other way around.

Georgia Bulldogs and Ron Paul Have This in Common

What do the Georgia Bulldogs football team and Ron Paul, a republican primary presidential candidate in 2012, have in common?

They both want to win, and they are both shunned by the media.

Bodog currently has the Bulldogs' odds to win the National Championship at 50-to-1. Ron Paul's betting odds at winning the next presidency currently sit at 45-to-1.

The schedule for UGA is much more favorable this time around, and Ron Paul's competition is also much weaker than it was last time around.

The Bulldogs have dropped everything and made winning a priority in 2011. Likewise, Ron Paul has dropped his seat in Congress to give everything he has to his run in 2012.

AnM leader says Aggies are looking at their options...for SEC

On Monday, the A&M System Board of Regents voted to give Loftin carte blanche to pursue conference alignment. That could mean bolting for the SEC, if offered an official invitation. Or remaining status quo, if the school views the Big 12 as a stable, financially beneficial option for them.

Monday's vote, Loftin said, was about giving the Aggies options.

"We've made no decision about terminating our relationship with the Big 12," said Loftin, who answered media questions for the first time since the news of A&M's flirtation with the SEC broke last week.

"This is all about what is best for Texas A&M, along with visibility for us and our athletes and financial resources. That's what it's all about. I think anybody in my shoes would have exactly the same kinds of concerns.

"It's not so much what's wrong with the Big 12; it's what's right for Texas A&M and where we want to go in time," he said.

However, John Sharp, who was named the lone finalist Monday to be the A&M system's chancellor, provided a hint as to what is on the minds of the Aggies in power.

"Yes, I'm for going to the SEC," Sharp said. "I think it's a win-win situation."

Another high-ranking Big 12 school administrator believed the Aggies leaving for the SEC was a given, not if but when.

"They will leave," the Big 12 administrator told the American-Statesman on Monday night. "We'll try to add one or three teams." The administrator added that the Big 12 will try to persuade Notre Dame and Brigham Young to consider joining the league if A&M departs .

Loftin stressed there was no timetable for making a call on a conference affiliation, deeming it an every "100-year" type of decision. Loftin said he called Slive on July 21 after a board of regents meeting.

LSU's talk is cheap and done for this season...IT's on

It gets serious quick, with the opener against Oregon in Arlington, Texas, in what might be the most anticipated non-conference game of the season. Game 2 is a yawner against FCS member Northwestern State (La.), but then comes a Thursday night game at Mississippi State (yes, the cowbells already are ringing) followed by a trip to West Virginia. Oregon, Mississippi State and WVU combined to win 30 games last season. After that, it calms down a bit, but there still are road games against Tennessee, Alabama and Ole Miss and home contests against Florida, Auburn and Arkansas. The Nov. 5 showdown with the Tide likely determines the SEC West title - and it could be a de facto elimination game in the national title hunt. The remaining 25,000 dollar question is...can QB Jordan Jefferson get the job done? He was adequate as a sophomore in 2009, then regressed badly last season, throwing 10 picks and just seven touchdowns. He has good mobility and can hurt opponents with his legs, but he simply has to become a better passer if LSU is to realize its vast potential. New quarterback coach Steve Kragthorpe will help - but how much?

Vols Curt Maggitt turning heads

"I will tell you this," Thompson said Sunday at UT's media day at Neyland Stadium. "Everybody knew this kid was a special talent, but in 25 years of coaching, this kid is an elite freshman."

In two scrimmages, Maggitt has worked primarily with the first-team defense and hasn't wavered from the pressure. Following a three-tackle debut Tuesday, Maggitt was all over the field Saturday, but spent most of his time in the offense's backfield, as 4.5 of his six tackles went for a loss.

Maggitt saved his best for the last play of the scrimmage, peeling around the end to net his second sack of the day.

"He does have a skill set that is pretty incredible," linebackers coach Peter Sirmon said. "He's got length, he's got some fast-twitch, really good change of direction. The big thing with him having success right now is he's very into football, the game makes sense to him, he's getting aligned right, he's done a good job of not making the same mistake.

"His learning curve has been a lot more rapid than I anticipated."

Maggitt was a four-star outside linebacker at Dwyer High in West Palm Beach, Fla., but was listed as a defensive end when UT announced his signing in February. Because the Vols are low on depth at both of those positions, Maggitt has been asked to pull double duty.

Georgia linebacker day-to-day

The Bulldogs already were having to deal with the day-to-day groin injury of freshman running back Isaiah Crowell. Now, another true freshman will be sidelined to injury, only his comes from an off-the-field incident.

From an official statement from Georgia, linebacker Ray Drew suffered a shoulder sprain in an accident on his scooter Sunday. If there’s any silver lining in this story, Drew was coming home from church.

Big 12 statement on teleconference meeting...on SEC

The consensus, at least according to Texas AD DeLoss Dodds, was that the other nine members of the Big 12 wanted A&M to remain a part of the Big 12 “family”. According to a Big 12 statement released earlier this evening, we know that the other members are committed to the future of the Big 12.

For now, anyway. Missouri has denied any contact with the SEC over a possible invitation, but that doesn’t mean the Tigers wouldn’t reach out to the SEC down the road.

Here’s the statement:

The Big 12 Conference Board of Directors conducted a teleconference meeting today to discuss the future of the Conference given recent developments regarding Texas A&M University.

The Board strongly conveyed to Texas A&M its unanimous desire that it remain a Big 12 member, and acknowledged its value to the Conference. The Board noted that Texas A&M expressed concerns about institutional networks and that the athletics directors worked together and took actions, which the Board has approved, to adequately address those concerns.

The other nine members reaffirmed their long term, unconditional and unequivocal commitments made to each other and the Conference last summer. Although the Board hopes Texas A&M remains in the Conference, the Board is prepared to aggressively move forward to explore expansion opportunities. In doing so, the Board recognizes the strength of the Big 12 Conference national brand and the opportunity to capitalize on it.

SEC to Discuss Admission of Texas A n M

Eleven of the 12 Southeastern Conference presidents will meet Sunday at a secret location to discuss the admission of Texas A&M to the league, according to a high-ranking SEC official with first-hand knowledge of the talks.

The official said there was a 30 to 40 percent chance that the presidents could vote against Texas A&M’s membership. (The president who will not be there in person will be on speakerphone.) He also said there was the issue of which university would become the 14th team, something many in college sports will monitor.

“We realize if we do this, we have to have the 14th,” the SEC official said. “No name has been thrown out. This thing is much slower out of the chute than the media and blogs have made it.”

The official said that three weeks ago, Texas A&M’s president, R. Bowen Loftin, called the SEC commissioner, Mike Slive, and said the Aggies regretted not joining the league last summer. Two weeks ago, Slive and the SEC counsel met with Texas A&M officials. The SEC requested that Texas A&M figure out the legal viability of leaving the Big 12 contract it signed last year.

“We’re very sensitive about being part of breaking a contract,” the official said. “What we asked them to do was to go settle their issues and not have us be on the table as the agent of causing them to leave.”

The SEC official said he wondered if the presidents would vote for A&M only if they were assured that a team from one of their states — Florida State, Clemson or Georgia Tech, for example — would not be added. “I’m going to try and say, don’t bring it up now,” the SEC official said. “That shouldn’t be a condition or part of the negotiation for this next issue. But it could.”

by Pete Thamel

Arkansas' Knile Davis undergoes surgery

Arkansas confirmed earlier Friday that Knile Davis had suffered an injury to his left ankle that is expected to sideline him for the entire year, although the release made no mention of whether surgery would be required to repair the damage. Following practice, head coach Bobby Petrino acknowledged the All-SEC running back underwent surgery Thursday night on what was reportedly a compound fracture of the ankle. Davis had suffered the injury on the seventh play of a scrimmage the same day he underwent the surgical procedure.

“I feel bad for Knile,” Petrino said. “He’s a young man who worked as hard as you can possibly work this summer, provided unbelievable leadership for our team, was doing a great job in camp and working extremely hard. It’s one of those things in football where it’s hard to live with a young man who has invested so much suffers an injury like that.

“He’s very down. He did have a smile on his face this morning at 7 a.m., and it’s amazing how quick he’s able to come out of surgery and how anesthesia doesn’t seem to bother him. Obviously, he’s very disappointed.”

As noted by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, this was the third time in less than three years he’s endured a broken ankle, although the first two were to his right leg.

Now, with Davis all but sidelined for all of 2011, the focus shifts to just who will replace the senior’s production.

Razorback...Knile Davis expected to miss 2011 season

In a press release, the university announced that running back Knile Davis is expected to miss the entire 2011 season due to a left ankle injury suffered during a scrimmage Thursday. The specific nature of the injury was not revealed, and there was no mention in the release of whether surgery would be required.

“I am extremely disappointed for Knile,” UA head coach Bobby Petrino said in a statement. “He is a captain who was incredibly focused on the upcoming year. His leadership throughout the offseason was significant in the development of this team. Our athletic trainers and medical staff are the best in the country, and Knile’s mental toughness will be an asset to him during the recovery process. I am fully confident in the mindset of our running back group and their ability to perform.”

Davis suffered the injury on the seventh play of yesterday’s scrimmage when his leg was rolled up on in a pile at the end of a running play.

Georgia RB Crowell out

Freshman running back Isaiah Crowell was held out of practice Friday with a strained groin. Bulldogs coach Mark Richt said the injury is not considered serious. Richt added that he didn’t know when Crowell would return to practice.

Georgia opens the season against Boise State in Atlanta on Sept. 3.Crowell was the marquee high school senior to sign a scholarship among Georgia’s well-publicized group of freshman recruits. The former Parade All-American ran for over 3,600 yards and scored 58 touchdowns in his last three years at Carver High in Columbus, Ga.

Four-star Gator signee out

Speaking to the media Wednesday morning, head coach Will Muschamp revealed that tight end A.C. Leonard, suffered a torn meniscus in one of his knees and has already undergone surgery to repair the damage. The current time frame for a return is 6-8 weeks, meaning a redshirt season could be in the offing for Leonard.

Muschamp added that the cartilage issue was a non-contact injury.

Leonard was a four-star member of UF’s 2011 recruiting class and was rated as the No. 5 TE in the country according to Rivals.com.

Yet another charmed year for Les Miles and LSU...we shall see

In a perfect world, third-year starting quarterback Jordan Jefferson would be heading into his senior season with few worries. But his erratic passing last season put him in a quiet quarterback battle with senior Jarrett Lee and sophomore Zach Mettenberger.

The position is still Jefferson's to lose despite calls for Mettenberger to get his shot. Jefferson completed just 56 percent of his passes for 1,411 yards, seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions, but his 450 rushing yards and seven scores help. Mettenberger, a Georgia transfer who is currently third on the depth chart, might be the best of the three contenders, but the coaches aren't ready to turn the reins over to him quite yet because he doesn't have the same grasp of the offense as the two seniors.

Mettenberger's only playing experience since high school came last season at Butler Community College in Kansas where he threw 32 touchdowns to just four interceptions and led Butler to the national championship game. Granted, that was in junior college and not in the SEC, but if the Tigers start to struggle offensively — LSU threw just 10 touchdown passes last season — look for an outcry for Mettenberger to see the field.
by Graham Watson