14 Last Minute SEC Head Coach Recruiting Pitches Before National Signing Day

Right, so National Signing Day’s tomorrow, which means that it’s Christmas for anyone who loves seeing if their school’s signing up some good talent. Why haven’t we gone more crazy on the recruiting front? It’s easy. I could get excited about a recruit, only for him to de-commit 400 times before making a decision, so I’d rather wait until National Signing Day. And then go crazy folks. Which I will do. Somewhere in the SEC, our head coaches are calling, texting, FBing and sexting recruits (OK, maybe not the last) in an effort to get them to come and play for their schools. As a unit, it’s worked: 80 commitments will be to SEC schools on Wednesday. But there’s still

Read more

Bama to sign FSU back-up Coker – Reports

FSU back-up quarterback Jacob Coker is about to join the battle to be Alabama’s new starting quarterback for 2014, ESPN has reported. The report said that sources told the website: “Coker has been released from his scholarship and is free to transfer to another program. He is on course to graduate this spring, whereupon he’s expected to enroll” in Tuscaloosa. Coker was No.2 at FSU to Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston, who lit up the country last year. The report noted that Coker was outgoing Alabama QB AJ McCarron’s back-up at St Paul’s, Mobile, where he threw for over 1,500 yards and 16 TDs and ran the ball for 355 yards and 6 TDs. He’s expected to battle Blake Sims for

Read more

Georgia suspends top safety for first three games of 2014

Georgia has suspended top safety Josh Harvey-Clemons for the first three games of the 2014 season after once again ‘violating team rules’, following on from the player’s suspension from the Bulldogs’ loss in the Gator Bowl to Nebraska. Harvey-Clemons will miss Georgia’s home game against Clemson, the road game at South Carolina, and the home game against Troy. With him missing (and if there’s no immediate improvement with new DC Jeremy Pruitt), the Dawgs could easily go 1-2. Harvey-Clemons wasn’t allowed to travel with the team to the Gator Bowl after he reportedly violated the school’s drug abuse policy for a second time. He had already been suspended for the first game of the season against Clemson after a drug

Read more

South Carolina’s Steve Spurrier Gets Big Raise

Steve Spurrier, the head coach of South Carolina, has been given a contract extension to the 2018 season, as well as a raise that will see him earn $4m a season. The quotable coach, who guided the Gamecocks to a victory over Wisconsin in the Capital One Bowl and a final season ranking of No.4 in the nation last year, made $3.3m in 2013. But now, he’s making 21% more. “We appreciate the attitude of the board of trustees in keeping our salaries competitive with the rest of the SEC,” the Ol’ Ball Coach in a statement. “We all hope to coach here many more years, and we still have some goals that have not been accomplished yet.” South Carolina

Read more

LSU LT Collins to stay, helping O-Line

LSU left tackle La’el Collins has decided to stay at LSU for his senior season. The giant tackle, who weight 315 pounds and stands 6 ft 5, decided to stay in school after starting for 25 games that he could have featured in. It hasn’t been a good off-season for LSU fans in terms of juniors decided to go to the draft, with star wide receivers Odell Beckham Jr, Jarvis Landry, star redshirt sophomore running back Jeremy Hill, and Collins’ cohort on the offensive line, Trai Turner, deciding that it would be time to go pro. On the defensive side, defensive tackles Anthony Johnson and Ego Ferguson both opted to go pro. BOTTOM LINE: Collins’ decision is going to keep

Read more

Georgia hires FSU DC

Georgia has hired Florida State defensive co-ordinator Jeremy Pruitt in a blockbuster deal. Pruitt – who only a few days ago lifted the last-ever BCS Championship with the Seminoles – said:  “This is an outstanding professional and personal opportunity. I’m looking forward to meeting the current players and getting on the road to visit with recruits.” Florida State was best in the nation at scoring defense, third in least total yards per game given up, and second in turnovers (gained). OnlineAthens.com noted that Pruitt also worked under Nick Saban, and runs a 3-4 defensive scheme…..like Grantham. Georgia fans will be hoping that they turn out better than Grantham’s defense of 2013 which – although young – struggled to keep up

Read more

LSU RB Hill and Guard Turner declare for draft

LSU junior running back Jeremy Hill and guard Trai Turner have both declared for the NFL Draft. Hill said on his Twitter account: “I am a Tiger for life. I will forever be grateful to my LSU fans, friends, coaches and family. This decision has been very difficult for me….. With all of that being said, I have decided to forego my Junior season and enter the 2014 NFL Draft.” The loss of Hill will be huge for LSU fans who – at the start of the 2013 season – were probably wondering if Hill would actually be playing for LSU at all. Hill was involved in a fracas outside the ‘Tigerland’ set of bars in Baton Rouge, in which he

Read more

Georgia DC Grantham going to Louisville- reports

Georgia defensive co-ordinator Todd Grantham is going to Louisville, reports say. ESPN’s Joe Schad, quoting sources, said Grantham will get $1m-per-year guaranteed on a five-year contract. Grantham came to Georgia in 2010 after stints at Virginia Tech, Michigan State and in the NFL with Indianapolis, Cleveland and Dallas in varying assistant head coach positions. In 2013 Georgia’s defence was 79th in the country in points conceded, 40th in run defense, 60th in passing yards allowed. BOTTOM LINE: The biggest thing for the Bulldogs hasn’t been Grantham’s recruiting: He’s able to bring in some of the biggest talent in the SEC year after year. The biggest thing for the Bulldogs is how those players have played. The last two years has

Read more

Alabama hires Lane Kiffin as new OC

Alabama has hired Lane Kiffin as their new offensive co-ordinator – just days after previous incumbent Doug Nussmeier went to the job at Michigan. The last time SEC fans saw Kiffin was when he walked out of Tennessee in 2010 to take the USC job, and he left a mess behind him. He was then fired mid-season by the Trojans in 2013 after they were schellacked by Arizona State. Before that they had lost to Washington State. Kiffin had been invited by Bama Coach Nick Saban to evaluate the team’s offense in mid-December, a move that some saw as a sign that Nussmeier was not going to be coming back for the 2014 season. The job for Kiffin should be

Read more

Manziel, Mason, Clowney lead crowd of SEC Juniors Going To The NFL

So here’s your list of junior SEC college football players going pro this year. We’ll miss you, juniors!! ALABAMA Ha Ha Clinton-Dix (S), Adrian Hubbard (OLB), Cyrus Kouandjio (OT) and Jeoffrey Pagan (DE) ARKANSAS None AUBURN Tre Mason (RB), Greg Robinson (OT) FLORIDA Ronald Powell (LB), Loucheiz Purifoy (CB), Marcus Roberson (CB) GEORGIA None KENTUCKY None LSU Odell Beckham Jr (WR), Jarvis Landry (WR), Anthony  Johnson (DT), Ego Ferguson (DT) MISSISSIPPI STATE None MISSOURI Kony Ealy (DE), Henry Josey (RB) OLE MISS Donte Moncrief (WR) SOUTH CAROLINA Jadeveon Clowney (DE), Kelcy Quarles (DT), Bruce Ellington (WR), Vic Hampton (CB) TENNESSEE Antonio Richardson (OT) TEXAS A&M Johnny Manziel (QB), Mike Evans (WR) VANDERBILT  Chris Boyd  (WR) (although Boyd was thrown off

Read more
1 48 49 50 51 52 70