Les Miles to be draft analyst for NFL Network

LSU’s sports information department confirmed that Miles will serve as an analyst for the broadcast of the draft on its final day, April 28, and will be featured in interviews on the first two days. Miles will work alongside Rich Eisen and Michael Irvin.

LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne had already invited Miles to accompany him to the draft. Claiborne is expected to be a top 10 pick. defensive tackle Michael Brockers and wide receiver Rueben Randle could also be selected in the first round.

Bobby Petrino fired at Arkansas with cause

Athletic director Jeff Long confirmed in a press conference that Bobby Petrino would no longer be the head coach of Arkansas effective immediately. Long cited a long and deliberate review in which he discovered coach Petrino had “knowingly misled the athletic department about the circumstances of the [motorcycle] accident.” Additionally, Long said Petrino gave football employee Jessica Dorrell an “unfair and undisclosed advantage” for her new job. According to Long, nearly 160 people applied for Ms. Dorrell’s position, and only three were interviewed. Long said Petrino failed to disclose his relationship with Dorrell, which apparently was going on for a “significant period of time.” Petrino and Dorrell also confirmed to Long that Dorrell received $20,000 in cash from Petrino, but Long would not comment further on where the money came from, or what it was used for.

“Coach Petrino abused his authority and made choices that benefited him while hurting the program,” Long said. “No single individual is bigger than the team.”

Long added that he made the decision to fire Petrino on his own. He denied reports that Petrino was offered an opportunity to stay, and insisted Petrino was not given the chance to plead his case.

Long said Petrino was terminated with cause.

Three Kentucky defenders no longer with team

A month or so after Kentucky linebacker Ridge Wilson was booted from the team after being arrested on felony drug charges, the Wildcats are watching another three defenders depart the program. A UK spokesperson confirmed to media today that defensive end Nermin Delic has been dismissed from the team for a violation of unspecified team rules. Additionally, fellow DE Justin Henderson and linebacker Tim Patterson have decided to transfer. The spokesperson did not say to where Henderson and Patterson will go. Although the losses will affect defensive depth for the Wildcats, none of the three defensive players, who were three-star prospects as part of UK’s 2010 class (Rivals.com), made significant contributions to the defense last year.

Florida’s Ronald Powell out with ACL tear

During Saturday’s Florida spring game, linebacker/defensive end Ronald Powell left with what was said to be a sprained left knee. Come this morning, however, the injury turned out to be much worse.

Florida confirmed this morning that Powell suffered a torn ACL and will be out 4-6 months.

“Ronald is in good spirits and is very eager to do whatever is necessary to have a healthy, speedy recovery,” Muschamp said in a statement. ”He has already started with prehab and once the swelling goes down and he regains his range of motion, he will have the surgery.”

Powell played in 12 games last season, recording 32 tackles, six sacks and a forced fumble. He was having arguably the best spring of anybody on UF’s defense and was expected to be a much bigger contributor this fall.

Georgia's injuries pile up...Marshall and Samuel out, Williams nicked for G-Day

Marshall, the highly-recruited tailback, has missed the past week of practice with a hamstring injury, and his status for the G-Day game is now doubtful, according to head coach Mark Richt.

"I would say the chance of Keith going is probably not very good," Richt said following Saturday's scrimmage.

Also doubtful is tailback-fullback Richard Samuel, who has a concussion.

"It's hard to say on Richard. Once the symptoms are gone, we do some physical exertion. If they're okay on that then we get closer to being able to get in," Richt said. "It's a process. I think Richard felt pretty good today, but I don't know if he's gonna be able to go through that process in enough time to make it for G-Day."

Meanwhile, safety Shawn Williams suffered a knee injury in Saturday's scrimmage, which Richt called non-serious.

"We think it's a non-op situation," Richt said, meaning no surgery required. "He's in there (the training room) doing fine right now."

Still, considering the state of the suspension-racked secondary, it's hard to see the coaches letting Williams being a full-go for G-Day, even if he is fine.

Safety Bacarri Rambo (hamstring) has also been out a couple days, and is starting to look questionable for G-Day. (Richt didn't elaborate on Rambo, who is facing a four-game suspension, pending his appeal of a positive drug test.)

Speaking of G-Day, it hasn't been determined how they will divide up the teams. Last year they had a player draft, but that hasn't been mentioned as a possibility this time around.

"That's still up for debate," Richt said. "We'll finalize that Monday. Kind of wanted to see how we came out of the scrimmage, to see where we're at."

Read more here: http://www.macon.com/2012/04/07/1978815/injuries-piling-up-marshall-samuel.html#storylink=cpy

Georgia Bulldogs Land a Trifecta of Commitments for the Class of 2013

The Bulldogs picked up commitments from three recruits for the class of 2013 on Friday, according to 247sports.com.

Leading the way was inside linebacker Ryne Rankin, a 6'1", 230-pounder from East River High School in Orlando, Fla. Rankin is rated as the No. 16 linebacker in the state of Florida, and a 4-star prospect, according to 247sports.com.

Rankin chose Georgia over Arizona, Cincinnati, UConn, Duke and several other FBS programs. He's similar in stature to current Georgia outside linebacker Jarvis Jones, and Jones' success under third-year defensive coordinator Todd Grantham certainly impresses recruits. Also pledging his commitment to the Bulldogs was 6'5", 270-pound offensive lineman Aulden Bynum from Valwood School in Valdosta, Ga. Bynum is a 3-star prospect, according to 247sports.com. Auburn and Ole Miss were also in the mix for Bynum's services. The third member of Friday's commitment trio is 6'2", 185-pound Kyrin Priester from Brookwood High School in Snellville, Ga.—just down the road from Athens. Priester will be joining the Bulldogs as Tavarres King is walking out the door. The versatility of wide receiver/cornerback Malcolm Mitchell should give Priester an opportunity for early playing time.

Since finishing the 2010 season with a 6-7 record, Georgia has rattled off back-to-back solid recruiting classes, won an SEC East title and gotten a jump-start on 2013 with 12 commitments.

by B. Sallee

Tailbacks Rajion Neal and Devrin Young shine in UT Vols scrimmage

Tailbacks Rajion Neal and Devrin Young stood out during UT’s first closed spring scrimmage Friday afternoon at Neyland Stadium, and the Vols receivers helped pave the way with some of their blocking on the perimeter.

“They’re doing so much better on the perimeter. All of them,” coach Derek Dooley said after his team completed the 134-play scrimmage. “Those guys [Neal and Young], you just have to find ways to create a little air for them, because when there’s some air they can go.”

Neal, who’s back exclusively at tailback after playing mostly receiver last season, had 100 yards on 15 carries with an 11-yard reception. Young, the rising sophomore who doubles as the Vols’ kick returner, had 60 yards on eight carries with a 5-yard touchdown in addition to a 35-yard catch. Marlin Lane added a touchdown run from a yard out.

“The guys that showed some explosive plays, Devrin and Rajion, did a really nice job,” Dooley said. “I think Devrin has proven he can get out there and generate some explosion. ... Rajion showed some good promise.”

The Vols had just six runs of 20 yards or more all of last season, but both Neal and Young broke plays of such distance Friday. Young’s biggest concern is his size (5-foot-8 and 171 pounds), and Neal is struggling to run with confidence and physical aggressiveness while battling ball-security issues. What both players clearly have is speed. Neither was really used as a traditional tailback last season, when the Vols tried to get one or the other in space with reverses, end-arounds or even shovel passes. Young showed his explosiveness by averaging 23.3 yards per kickoff return in just nine games. Neal’s speed prompted his move to receiver as UT tried to find a way to get him on the field.

by P. Brown

Razorback's Petrino didn’t want 911 call, called security

Moments after their motorcycle accident, Bobby Petrino and a female employee told a passer-by not to call 911, then got a ride back to Fayetteville where the Arkansas football coach was met by a state trooper who provides his personal security during the season. New details of the immediate aftermath of Petrino’s crash were in a 911 call released Friday by the state police. The passer-by, Larry Hendren, describes coming upon the accident scene Sunday evening just after Petrino and Jessica Dorrell “were getting up out of the ditch.” He said Petrino was “walking, but it looked like his face was bleeding quite a lot.”

“The rider and the passenger of the motorcycle declined us to call 911,” Hendren told a dispatcher. “They got into a vehicle and headed toward the hospital.”

Petrino was taken to a Fayetteville intersection by another passer-by. There, Dorrell left in her own car while Petrino was met by Capt. Lance King, his personal security guard during the season. King took Petrino to a hospital, where he was treated for broken ribs and a cracked neck vertebra. State police said Friday they planned to question the trooper, looking for “any information Captain King may have learned about the crash” during conversations with Petrino.

“While the inquiries have no direct correlation to the investigation of the motor vehicle crash, the questions are legitimate and worthy of answers,” state police spokesman Bill Sadler said. King has been asked to detail “his involvement with coach Petrino and other individuals who’ve been identified within the crash investigation.”

The developments came as Arkansas athletic director Jeff Long considered the future of the football coach, whose salary averages more than $3.5 million. Long appears to have everything he needs to fire Petrino, but the question now is whether he will actually get rid of the coach, who failed to mention having Dorrell with him during the accident and acknowledged having “a previous inappropriate relationship.”

Petrino was not cited by state police, and was described by troopers as cooperative after the accident on a rural road 20 miles outside Fayetteville. What has him in trouble is his attempt to keep anyone from finding out he was riding with Dorrell, a 25-year-old former Arkansas volleyball player whom he hired just last week. A clause in Petrino’s contract gives Long the right to suspend or fire the 51-year-old coach for conduct that “negatively or adversely affects the reputation of the university’s athletics programs in any way.” That language gives Long plenty of leeway to punish Petrino, who is on indefinite paid leave after reviving Arkansas’ football program over four seasons and, until now, steering clear of off-field blemishes.

by K. Voight

Arkansas's Head Coach Bobby Petrino placed on administrative leave

Previous statements by both Petrino and UA claimed the coach was the only person involved in the incident. Dorrell was previously a volleyball player for UA and later worked for the Razorbacks Foundation. She was promoted student-athlete development coordinator for football late last month.

In a statement released this evening, Petrino acknowledged a “previously inappropriate relationship”, but didn’t expand much beyond that.

Below is Petrino’s statement in its entirety. Petrino was not present at the press conference and was seen leaving campus earlier this evening.

“The state police report provides an accurate description of my accident, which includes details that had not publicly come to light prior to the report being issued. I regret that I have not publicly acknowledged a passenger on the vehicle. I have been in constant pain, medicated and the circumstances involving the wreck have come out in bits and pieces. That said I certainly had a concern about Jessica Dorrell’s name being revealed. In my press conference, I referred to her simply as “a lady.” My concern was to protect my family and a previous inappropriate relationship from becoming public. In hindsight, I showed a serious mistake in judgment when I chose not to be more specific about those details. Today, I’ve acknowledged this previous inappropriate relationship with my family and those within the athletic department administration.

“I apologize to my wife, Becky, and our four children, Chancellor (David) Gearhart, Jeff Long, the Board of Trustees, University administration, my coaching staff, student-athletes and the entire state of Arkansas. I have been humbled by the outpouring of concern and get well wishes. I apologize to the Razorback Nation for the attention my actions have brought to the University of Arkansas and our program. I will fully cooperate with the University throughout this process and my hope is to repair my relationships with my family, my Athletic Direction, the Razorback Nation and remain the head coach of the Razorbacks.”

That last line will be determined after Long finishes an internal review of the matter. Long said this evening he received a phone call from coach Petrino at around 3:12 this afternoon with “information he had not previously shared. That information was that there was another passenger on the motorcycle” which was identified to be Dorrell.

Gator's A.C. Leonard still faces fall suspension

Muschamp told the Orlando Senitnel‘s Mike Bianchi that Leonard will serve a suspension of some kind this season.

“He will participate in the fall. How much, I don’t know,” Muschamp said. “He’s going to determine that from the standpoint of how he behaves. We all make mistakes, and he obviously made a huge mistake. And he has some things he’s gotta work through for me that have nothing to do with anything else than making good choices and decisions.

“But there’s gonna be a suspension in the fall, and he’s gonna determine how long it’s gonna be by how he acts from here to August.”

Two days after being partially reinstated to the football team, Florida tight end A.C. Leonard has officially put his legal issue behind him.

Court documents obtained by multiple media outlets show the sophomore pleaded no contest today to a misdemeanor simple battery charge stemming from a February incident where he allegedly attempted to drag his girlfriend out of their apartment by her feet and hair.

Leonard was placed on six months’ probation and ordered to undergo anger management counseling. He also cannot have any contact with the victim and must pay court costs.

Injury knocks Auburn LB out of football

Auburn has announced an injury will end the playing days of linebacker Jawara White.

Auburn did not specify the injury, but it’s believed to be caused by a neck issue similar to one White had during his freshman year with the Tigers.

Below is a statement from coach Gene Chizik:

“Jawara White has sustained an injury that will no longer allow him to play football. Although this is disappointing for Jawara, our medical staff, his family and our coaching staff all agree that this is in his best interest. At Auburn, our top priority is and will always be the health and welfare of our student-athletes. Jawara will continue to work toward receiving his degree from Auburn and will always be a part of our Auburn family.”

Additionally, White offered the following statement from his Twitter account: “Walking away from the game is better than being carried out. Thanks for the prayers salute to THE AUBURN TIGER NATION.”

It’s a tough break for White, who had 23 tackles in 11 games last season. Best of luck to him.

Torn ACL likely to sideline Vols’ LB for 2012

Coming into what could be a make or break season for Derek Dooley, the Tennessee head coach has watched as his defense has taken a rather significant hit to its linebacking depth heading into the final couple of weeks of spring practice.

Confirming message board reports that began to surface Tuesday afternoon, the Vols announced Wednesday that linebacker Christian Harris has been diagnosed with a torn ACL. Harris suffered the injury during practice Monday.

While the Vols have yet to officially rule Harris out for all of 2012, the typical recovery time for such an injury is at least six months following surgery. An exact date for when surgery will be performed has yet to be determined.

Even as Harris is not projected as a starter, the injury comes at a position that’s at the shallow end of the personnel pool. Harris, a three-star member of UT’s 2011 recruiting class, took a redshirt as a true freshman in 2011 but was projected to be a contributor in 2012.

Drug arrest nets Arkansas WR charges

According to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, wide receiver “Michael Kane Whitehurst” was arrested early Sunday morning and charged with possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. Here’s the paper’s description of what led to the arrest:

According to the arrest report, Whitehurst was arrested at 3:39 a.m. on Sunday by an officer responding to a complaint of a black BMW squealing its tires in the Garland Avenue Parking Deck on the UA campus. The officer clocked the car going 25 miles per hour in the facility, which has a speed limit of 10 miles per hour.

The arresting officer reported smelling burnt marijuana coming from the car upon the traffic stop, and found a “grinder, pipe and small baggie of marijuana” inside the vehicle.

Arkansas’ Petrino returns to practice

Bobby Petrino walked slower than normal, his face swollen and red. You couldn’t miss the white brace around the Arkansas coach’s neck.

But the fact that Petrino was even at Razorback Stadium on Tuesday, hours after being released from the hospital following a weekend motorcycle crash, was remarkable.

The 51-year-old spoke for the first time since Sunday night’s accident, minutes before the Razorbacks opened practice. Petrino observed the session in the press box, cleared to do so by doctors after being released from the hospital late Tuesday morning.

“I’m very fortunate,” Petrino said. “I feel very lucky to be here and be in good health.”

Petrino said he was returning home after an evening ride on the scenic road, a favorite of local motorcyclists. He had ridden in the area before but remembers noticing the sun in his eyes moments before the accident.

“I remember coming around the curve, I was noticing the sun was going to be in my eyes the rest of the way home,” Petrino said. “And then there got to a point where I was not going to be able to maneuver the turn.

“It seemed like 15 seconds where I said, `Oh no, here I go.”’

State police spokesman Bill Sadler said Tuesday that Petrino’s accident report wasn’t ready for release yet, but Petrino said he ended up in the ditch following the crash. Petrino said a passing car was waiting when he climbed from the ditch and took him to meet his state police escort before the two went the rest of the way to the hospital.

Razorbacks running back Knile Davis found out about the accident via Twitter when he woke up Monday morning. Davis immediately texted Petrino to express his concern, and he and his teammates weren’t surprised in the least to see the coach address the team Tuesday and return to practice.

“That’s just him,” Arkansas quarterback Tyler Wilson said. “He works hard, and he cares a whole lot about what he does.

“… You’ll never have to question that.”

by K. Voight

Gator's HC Muschamp not sure if A.C. Leonard will play in spring game

Florida tight end A.C. Leonard might have been given the all-clear to return to practice following a domestic incident back in February* that resulted in a charge of simple domestic battery, but his status for UF’s spring game on April 7, as well as this fall, remain TBD.

Speaking with the media today, Muschamp (sort of) explained his reasoning for letting Leonard resume practice with the team.

“I felt like he’s done the things that I’ve asked him to do from the standpoint of the measures that I took with him to this point,” Muschamp said, via the Orlando Sentinel. “At the end of the day, I told him he needed to meet some things to come back to even have a chance to practice with our team and he’s done those to this point. I’m not even worried with his development. I’m not even concerned with that right now. He made a mistake.**”

The sophomore returned to the team on Monday after serving a six-week suspension for his arrest. Leonard faces a misdemeanor count and has pleaded not guilty.

Da'Rick Rogers says there's 'no controversy' on status with Vols

In his first public comments since missing a practice last Thursday and launching speculation that he intended to transfer, Rogers shot down suggestions that he would leave after two seasons with UT and repeatedly stressed that there are no lingering problems for him after a workout Monday morning.

“Oh man, no controversy,” Rogers said. “Just had some little things to handle off the field, got those handled and now we’re looking forward to becoming a championship-contending team. ... If I was a distraction, I really wasn’t trying to be a distraction. It was a situation that we got handled, and everything is good now.

“No transfer for me, no consideration. Maybe I need to do a little better job with my tweets, letting everybody know what’s really actually going on so next time it won’t be misinterpreted.”

The confusion and uncertainty that swirled around Rogers disappeared almost as quickly as they arrived, with the first-team All-SEC performer returning to the field on Saturday after just the one absence and a few public comments on Twitter and to a Georgia State recruiting site that hinted strongly that he was prepared to leave the Vols.

As UT coach Derek Dooley did last week when pressed about the situation, Rogers also declined to provide any specifics about the matters he needed to deal with other than they were “personal” and “not necessarily program issues.”

But both made clear they were ready to turn the page and get back to work building what could be an explosive passing attack, particularly with Rogers again showing off his impressive athleticism with a leaping, one-handed grab almost as soon as practice officially started.
by A. Ward

Razorbacks' Bobby Petrino hospitalized, expected to make recovery following motorcycle accident

Arkansas Coach Bobby Petrino is expected to make "a full recovery" following a motorcycle crash approximately 23 miles outside of Fayetteville on Sunday evening.

Arkansas State Police confirmed they worked a one-vehicle accident involving Petrino off Highway 16, approximately two miles from the Crosses community, on Sunday night in Madison County. Injuries sustained are "not life threatening" and sources told ArkansasSports360.com that Petrino is banged up with injuries that include broken ribs and a chipped vertebrae, but the coach is expected to make a full recovery. They say he also is expected to be released from the hospital today.

Sources told ArkansasSports360.com that Petrino was not wearing a helmet at the time of the accident.

State police spokesman Bill Sadler said police were called to the scene where they found the motorcycle had left the roadway near the Crosses community. Petrino was headed northwest toward Fayetteville and the motorcycle appeared to have left the roadway 20 yards from where it came to rest on pile of limbs and other debris.

Pieces of the motorcyle were found at the scene Monday morning. Petrino was riding a stretch of road that is popular among motorcyle enthusiasts.

In a statement, the UA said:

Coach Petrino was involved in a motorcycle accident on Sunday evening that involved no other individuals. He is in stable condition and is expected to make a full recovery. Our family appreciates respect for our privacy during the recovery and we are grateful for the thoughts of Razorback fans at this time.

Jeff Long, director of athletics and vice chancellor, said he has been in touch with the Petrinos and added that he will consult with the family to provide additional information at a later time. Until then, there will be no further information or comment on the accident per the Petrinos' request.

Vandy's Black and Gold Spring Game April 14

The second annual Black and Gold Spring Game, the featured spring attraction for the Commodore football squad, is scheduled Saturday, April 14 in Vanderbilt Stadium.

The spring game, slated to start at 6 p.m, is part of an important Black & Gold Weekend on campus for Vanderbilt Athletics. In addition to the key football scrimmage, Tim Corbin’s Commodore baseball squad hosts Auburn in a three-game Southeastern Conference series at Hawkins Field and the nationally ranked women’s tennis team welcomes Kentucky to the Currey Tennis Center.

The Black & Gold Spring Game is free to the public. Tickets also remain for all three Vanderbilt-Auburn baseball games, and are available at vucommodores.com.

Vanderbilt fans can also enjoy a fireworks display following the spring game.

An array of fan activities are scheduled in conjunction with the weekend. On Saturday, pregame tailgating is available on Jess Neely Drive and in surface lots across Natchez Trace from the John Rich Practice Facility and Vanderbilt Track & Field Complex. Free inflatable activities for kids will be available between Gates 2-3 of the football stadium. An assortment of field day activities for youngsters also is on tap on the Dudley Field playing surface from 4-5 p.m. prior to the spring game.

Vanderbilt Football Head Coach James Franklin wants to see a huge crowd of supportive Commodore fans for all three sporting events.

“We had so much fun last year with the spring game and we want to make it bigger and better,” Franklin said. “I think it’s tremendous that the Black & Gold Spring Game follows a baseball game. I want to see Commodore fans fill up Hawkins Field to support the baseball team, then come into the stadium and see their football team in action.”