College Football
Pay Me
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
At a time when we seem to rank everything from best to worst, we’ve forgotten about value.
You know, like the $5.95 lunch menu at your local Chinese restaurant, where the food isn’t the best, but you always leave full.
In that spirit, instead of ranking the SEC coaches, below is whether or not I think they’re worth the money they’re making; within the context that all coaches are overpaid, of course.
Nick Saban, Alabama: $9.1 million- Yes. The better question is what number would Saban’s salary have to reach before the answer is “no”?
Ed Orgeron, LSU: $8.7 million- No. I realize it’s a little strange to knock a coach coming off a national championship, but compare what Orgeron has accomplished in his career to Saban, and then convince me it justifies him making only $400k less than the Alabama coach.
Jimbo Fisher, Texas A&M: $7.5 million- No. They had to pay it to pry Fisher away from FSU, I just don’t think he’s worth it.
Gus Malzahn, Auburn: $6.9 million- No. Never. Nope. Not in this lifetime.
Kirby Smart, Georgia: $6.8 million/Dan Mullen, Florida: $6.1 million- Yes. Once Saban retires, one of these two will be considered the best coach in the SEC.
Mike Leach, Mississippi State: $5 million- Yes. Even though I view Leach as the John Calipari of college football, minus the smarts, he tends to win wherever he goes. At the very least, he’ll make Mississippi State fun to watch.
Mark Stoops, Kentucky: $5 million- I guess. He’s gotten about as much out of the Kentucky program as one can ask for, which should validate his salary.
Eliah Drinkwitz, Missouri: $4 million (taking 10% reduction this year due to Covid-19)- No. I’ve always understood the hire, but not the money. Drinkwitz’s lone season at Appalachian State was extremely successful, but was that because of him or the fact the roster was pretty loaded to begin with?
Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss: $3.9 million – Yes. Out of all the contracts, Ole Miss may just be getting the most bang for their buck. Sure, there are a lot to question about Kiffin, and his last name opened doors for him early on in his career that hadn’t been earned, but I’ve thought he was a pretty decent coach. I suspect that number will be higher in 2-3 years, it may just not be with Ole Miss.
Jeremy Pruitt, Tennessee: $3.8 million- Eh, ok. Pruitt isn’t as good a coach as some of the ones listed above, his pay is commensurate with his coaching ability. Honestly, the whole situation says more about the state of Tennessee football than anything.
Will Muschamp, South Carolina: $3.3 million- Yes. Perfect example of getting what you pay for; near the bottom in salary, near the bottom in on the field play.
Derek Mason, Vanderbilt: $3.3 million- Yes. At any other school Mason would’ve already been let go, but everyone seems happy with whatever arrangement they’ve got going on in Nashville. Who am I to argue?
Sam Pittman, Arkansas: $3 million- Sure, why not. I feel like if I’m going to complain about Drinkwitz, who at least has some head coaching success, making $4 million, I should do the same for Pittman, who has no major college head coaching experience. However, you won’t get a SEC coach for less money than that, so you might as well spend it on someone with a good reputation.
Wild West
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Everyone is aware of the current COVID-19 pandemic and how it has changed everyday life for the world.
The social distancing also has an impact on sports since players cannot compete against or work out with each other.
I think this will be a factor this college football season, assuming we still have one. I’m going to preview the SEC West in 2020.
Alabama: They were plagued with injuries in 2019. One player returning from injury is linebacker Dylan Moses. He missed the entire 2019 season with a torn ACL. He led the Crimson Tide with 86 tackles in 2018.
They also lost the top running back in the class of 2019 for the season, Trey Sanders. Najee Harris is also back after passing on the draft.
Quarterback play is under the spotlight with Tua Tagovailoa off to the NFL, but Mac Jones played well at the end of 2019, and true freshman Bryce Young will join the mix.
I don’t think they will have the same bad luck with injuries two years in a row.
LSU: The reigning national champs lose Heisman winning quarterback Joe Burrow. Offensive coordinator Joe Brady left for the NFL. Running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire and wide receiver Justin Jefferson left early for the NFL.
Biletnikoff Award winner Ja’Marr Chase and Terrace Marshall are returning, and they combined for 33 touchdown catches.
Texas A&M: The Aggies have returning talent on both sides of the ball.
Leading running back Isaiah Spiller (946 yards) will improve as a sophomore and the offensive line remains largely intact.
The receiving corps is led by receivers Jhamon Ausbon (66 catches) and Ainias Smith (22) and tight ends Jalen Wydermyer and Baylor Cupp.
Can quarterback Kellen Mond take the next step in development as a senior? The defense also returns most of its key pieces.
Auburn: Bo Nix should be one of the most improved players in 2020. He had a good freshman season with 2,542 yards, 16 touchdowns, 6 picks and he completed 58% of his passes. He also rushed for 313 yards and 7 scores.
Former Arkansas coach Chad Morris was hired as the team’s new offensive coordinator, and his experience working with quarterbacks should help Nix develop as a passer.
The Tigers return a solid stable of running backs, and the team’s top three statistical receivers. Unfortunately, the offensive line loses four starters.
The Tigers also have the same problem in the trenches on defense, losing three starters.
Ole Miss: The Rebels lost eight games in 2019 but five came by eight points or less.
New coach Lane Kiffin isn’t stepping into a total rebuild. QB John Rhys Plumlee had a dynamic freshman season and the top three receivers are back. Both tackles are gone so the line may have some problems.
Ole Miss showed marked improvement on defense in 2019. After giving up 36.2 points a game in 2018, this unit allowed 26.5 last season.
Mississippi State: This is Mike Leach’s first year in Starkville.
He’s known for high-powered offense, but he needs to find a quarterback and receivers. All-SEC running back Kylin Hill returned for his senior year.
Arkansas: The Razorbacks have lost 19 consecutive conference games. They have a new coach, Sam Pittman. They have former Last Chance U star, running back Rakeem Boyd (1,133 yards)
SEC Upper Crust
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Many analysts and fans consider the SEC to be the best football conference.
Depending on the year there may be an element of truth to that. I’m going to look at some of the best teams in conference history and try to determine who the best is.
1998 Tennessee: The Vols were the first national champs of the BCS era. Ironically, everything came together the year after Peyton Manning graduated.
They were led by quarterback Tee Martin and wide receiver Peerless Price. Sophomore running back Jamal Lewis tore his LCL in his right knee, so he only played in the first 5 games.
Price had 920 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns. Travis Henry led the team in rushing with 970 yards and 7 touchdowns. They beat Florida State in the Fiesta Bowl to finish 13-0.
1992 Alabama: The Crimson Tide were led by a strong defense. They led the nation in fewest points allowed (9.2 per game during the regular season).
They won the first SEC Championship Game against No. 12 Florida. In the Sugar Bowl they play defending national champ, No. 1 Miami. They routed the Hurricanes 34-13 to finish 13-0. They also did not allow an offensive touchdown to the Heisman Trophy winner, QB Gino Toretta.
1980 Georgia: This team was led by freshman running back Herschel Walker. He rushed for 1,616, 15 touchdowns and averaged 5.9 yards per carry.
He was talented enough to help the team overcome mediocre quarterback play. Buck Belue passed for 1,314 yards, 11 TD’s, 9 interceptions and completed 49% of his passes.
They beat No. 14 South Carolina and No. 20 Florida in consecutive weeks. In the Sugar Bowl they beat No. 7 Notre Dame to finish 12-0.
1996 Florida: The Gators are the first team on this list with a loss. They outscored their opponents 612-228.
QB Danny Wuerffel threw for 3,625 yards, 39 touchdowns and 13 picks. He won the Heisman Trophy. The offense had a lot of talent with running backs Fred Taylor and Elijah Williams.
They also had Ike Hilliard, Reidel Anthony and Jacquez Green at receiver.
The Gators only loss came in the regular season finale to No. 2 Florida State, 24-21. They got revenge in the Sugar Bowl and demolished FSU, 52-20.
2009 Alabama: They were led by Heisman Trophy winning running back Mark Ingram with 1,658 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns. He also had 3 receiving touchdowns.
Linebacker Rolando McClain won the Butkus Award and Jack Lambert Award.
Greg McElroy threw for 2,508 yards, 17 touchdowns, 4 interceptions and he completed 61% of his passes.
Julio Jones led the team in receiving with 43 receptions for 596 yards and 4 touchdowns.
They beat No. 1 Florida in the SEC Championship and No. 2 Texas in the Rose Bowl to finish 14-0.
2011 Alabama: The defense led the nation in every major statistical category. Running back Trent Richardson won the Doak Walker award, rushing for 1,679 yards and 21 touchdowns.
Seven players were named to various All-America Teams.
The only loss was to No. 1 LSU, 9-6. In the National Championship Game, they avenged the loss and beat the Tigers 21-0. They finished 12-1.
2008 Florida: This was coach Urban Meyer’s best team.
They were led by Tim Tebow and Percy Harvin on offense.
The lone loss came to Ole Miss. They finished 13-1 with a win over No. 2 Oklahoma in the national championship.
2019 LSU: I saved the best for last. Joe Burrow had the best season for a quarterback in college football history and led the Tigers to a 15-0 record.
Best Of The Best
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
I know this topic will spark some debate among the faithful UGA fans out there who are sheltered in place waiting for football season to roll around again. These are my personal rankings.
My Top 5 UGA Quarterbacks of All-Time:
Aaron Murray (2010-13): The SEC’s all-time passing yardage and touchdowns leader tossed for 121 TD’s and over 13,000 passing yards as a four-year starter for UGA. If Murray was the QB for UGA in 2017 and 2018, I believe UGA would have won the National Championship during those two seasons.
Murray did not have a Kirby Smart defense helping him out during his time at UGA. Murray is the most productive QB in UGA history, but does not seem to be near the top of these types of lists, but AM was the man!
David Greene (2001-2004): Greene led the Bulldogs to a 42-10 record as a starter, and ranks third all-time for career passing yards in the SEC.
Greene will always have a special place in the hearts of UGA faithful as he led the 2002 Dawgs to an SEC title breaking a 20-year title drought in Athens. Greene was his best with the game on the line with dramatic wins at Tennessee in 2001 and at Auburn in 2002.
Buck Belue (1978-1981): Buck came to UGA from Valdosta High School. We saw flashes of the swagger as a freshman in 78 when Belue led a 20-point comeback against Georgia Tech in a memorable 29-28 win that had a 13-year-old Kipp Branch dancing on the dirt road he lived on.
Belue was involved in the greatest play in UGA football history to Lindsay Scott that beat Florida once again and is the only QB on my list with a National Championship. Buck always will get on my greatest UGA QB list.
Matthew Stafford (2006-2008): Stafford is the most talented QB to ever put on a jersey in Athens, Georgia.
The 2007 team ended the season as the #2 ranked team in the country. Stafford pretty much was a pro quarterback playing college football during his time at UGA.
Stafford went on to be the first selection in the 2009 NFL Draft for the Detroit Lions, and has every passing record in Lions history.
- J. Shockley (2002-2005): Shockley will always have my respect because he was the ultimate team player.
A five-star QB recruit that waited his turn in Athens behind David Greene and started his senior season and led UGA to an SEC title in 2005. Shockley is the last true dual threat QB UGA has had and will always be loved in Athens.
Just missing the list: Jake Fromm (2017-2019): This will make my wife upset because she loves her some Jake Fromm.
Fromm had a great career in Athens, but every other QB on my list would have won a Natty with the defense Jake had while at UGA.
Great wins against ND, 3-0 against Florida, and an SEC Title will rank Jake near the top of some others list but he can’t crack my top 5.
Ray Goff (1973-1976): Ray may not have been a great coach, but he was the SEC Player of the Year in 1976 for the SEC Champion Georgia Bulldogs. I don’t need to say anything else about that.
Eric Zeier (1991-1994): When Zeier left UGA in 1994 he was the career passing yards leader in the SEC. Led UGA to a 10-2 record in 1992.
Fran Tarkenton was in the NFL when I came into the world so he did not make my list.
There you have it. Aaron Murray is the greatest QB in UGA history because I said so. Stay safe folks.
Past Buzzes
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
It is very difficult to have one elite team for a university. Having that in multiple sports typically does not happen, especially for football and men’s basketball. I want to revisit 1990, a great year for Georgia Tech.
The basketball team for the 1989-90 season had a great year. They were led by coach Bobby Cremins. They were led by a talented trio of players nicknamed “Lethal Weapon 3”. That consisted of ACC Player of the Year Dennis Scott, National Freshman of the Year Kenny Anderson and Brian Oliver.
They had some big wins during the regular season against ranked teams including No. 18 Pitt, No. 17 NC State, No. 15 Louisville and No. 20 Clemson. They also demolished No. 25 North Carolina, 102 – 75.
During the regular season they were swept by Duke and Virginia. In the ACC Tournament they beat both teams and NC State for the third time to win the conference tournament.
They advanced to the Final Four in Denver. On the way there they beat Michigan State in the Sweet Sixteen. The Spartans were Big Ten champs and the top seed in the region. They were ranked third nationally and led by junior Steve Smith.
In the Final Four they lost to UNLV, 90 – 81. The Running Rebels went on to win the national championship. Tech finished the season 28 – 7.
In the fall of 1990, the football team had a historic undefeated season. They were led by head coach Bobby Ross and quarterback Shawn Jones. For the season the Yellow Jackets offense scored 379 points while the defense allowed 186 points.
Jones passed for 2,008 yards, 13 touchdowns and he had 6 rushing touchdowns. William Bell led the team in rushing with 891 yards, 5 touchdowns and averaged 5.5 yards per carry.
On defense they were led by All-American defensive back Ken Swilling. He had 5 interceptions that season. He is said to have predicted an undefeated season before it started, supposedly based on a dream. Safety Willie Clay was second on the team with three picks.
The Yellow Jackets started the season with a home win against NC State. They beat ranked teams like No. 25 South Carolina, No. 15 Clemson and No. 1 Virginia. The game against UVA was nationally televised.
The tie happened at North Carolina, 13 -13. Overtime was not added to FBS football until the 1995-96 bowl season.
They also beat archrival Georgia 40 – 23 in Athens. They went to the Citrus Bowl and played No. 19 Nebraska. Going into the game the Cornhuskers were 9 – 2. The Yellow Jackets won big, 45 -21.
They finished the season 11-0-1 and No. 1 in the Coaches Poll. Colorado was the top team in the AP Poll and they were 11-1-1. I’m not sure how the Buffalos were voted No. 1 since they had a loss.
They also had a game against Missouri where they were given a fifth down. That led to them scoring a touchdown on the last play to win the game 33 -31.
They also have a common opponent, Nebraska. Colorado beat Nebraska 27 – 12.
“A lot of special things happened that season,’’ said Ross said. It was a great accomplishment by a lot of people. We started all the way at the bottom three years before that and went all the way to the top.’’
1990 was an amazing year for Georgia Tech that will never be duplicated.
King Bee
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
We all have a bit more free time on our hands with everything going on currently.
It gives us some time to reflect. I’m going to determine who the best Georgia Tech football player of all time is.
Joe Hamilton is often overlooked despite having a great career. He played for the Yellow Jackets from 1996 to 1999. He set ACC career records for total offense (10,640 yards), touchdown passes (65) and total touchdowns (83).
As a senior in 1999, he was recognized as a consensus first-team All-American, won the Davey O’Brien Award and was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy.
He was the runner-up in Heisman voting, finishing behind Wisconsin running back Ron Dayne. In 2002, he was named as one of the fifty members of the ACC 50th Anniversary Football Team. Hamilton was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2014.
George Godsey replaced Hamilton in 2000. He led Tech to a 9 – 2 record that year. Godsey threw for 2,906 yards and 23 touchdowns; he also had the sixth best passing efficiency in the country.
In 2001 as a senior, he completed 241 passes for 3,085 yards, both of which are school records.
Godsey finished his college career as the most accurate passer in Georgia Tech history, with a career completion percentage of 63.3. He also has the fourth most passing touchdowns in school history with 41.
He has the school record for most passing yards in a game with 486 yards against Virginia in 2001. He broke the previous record, also held by him that was 454 yards versus Clemson in 2000.
Calvin Johnson is probably the name most people would expect in this conversation. Johnson played at GT from 2004 to 2006. Johnson had 178 receptions in his career, good for 2,927 yards and 28 touchdowns.
He ranks first in school history in career receiving yards, second in receptions, first in touchdown receptions, and first in career 100-yard receiving games with 13.
As a junior in 2006 he had his best season. He was honored as the ACC Player of the Year, was a first-team All-ACC selection for the third consecutive year, and was recognized as a unanimous first-team All-American.
Johnson tallied 1,202 yards on 76 catches. He also scored 15 touchdowns, which is the single season record for receiving touchdowns at Tech.
Robert Lavette played from 1981 to 1984. As a freshman, he was ACC third leading rusher (866 yards), third in receiving (45 receptions), first in all-purpose yards and first in kickoff returns.
As a sophomore, he led the ACC in rushing (1,208 yards), touchdowns (19) also a school and conference record, all-purpose yards (1,570 yards) and scoring average (10.4) points.
Lavette is the schools rushing leader with 4,066 yards and holds the record for rushing touchdowns with 45.
Keith Brooking played from 1994 to 1997. He’s the leading tackler in Georgia Tech history (467). He had two of the best tackle seasons in school history with 147 and 146, respectively, as a junior and sophomore.
Kelly Campbell was a great wide receiver and he held all of the records before Calvin Johnson.
Campbell is second in career receiving yards (2,907) and receiving touchdowns (24). He played from 1998 to 2001 so he was one of the favorite targets for Hamilton and Godsey.
This is a tough decision but I rank Joe Hamilton as the best Yellow Jacket.
The Measurables
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The 2020 NFL scouting combine was last week in Indianapolis. I’m going to take a look at some of the players from around the South and see if they helped or hurt their draft stock.
Isaiah Simmons – Clemson: the redshirt junior linebacker turned heads running a 4.39-second 40-yard dash. He also had eye-opening numbers in the vertical (39 inches) and broad jumps (11 feet). At 6’4, 238 pounds these numbers are unreal.
He was also great on the field. He led the Tigers in tackles in their 2018 national championship season (89 total stops, nine for loss, one interception returned for a touchdown, seven pass breakups, three forced fumbles).
His play as a junior (102 tackles, 16 for loss, 8 sacks, three interceptions, nine pass breakups in 15 starts) earned him the Butkus Award as the nation’s top linebacker.
He was also a finalist for the Chuck Bednarik Award and the Bronko Nagurski and Lott IMPACT Trophies, as well as a first-team Associated Press All-American, ACC Defensive Player of the Year and first-team all-conference selection.
Willie Gay, Jr. – Mississippi State: this is another junior linebacker that showed great speed. His 4.46 40 (and 1.50 10-yard split), 39.5-inch vertical jump and 11-foot-4 broad jump displayed his great athleticism. He has character concerns and lack of on field production.
He was a top-50 overall recruit and led Starkville High School to a state championship before committing to his hometown team.
Gay looked to be on the upswing after a promising sophomore campaign, in which he posted 48 stops, 5.5 for loss, five sacks and two interceptions in 13 games with six starts.
He was limited to playing in five games as a reserve (28 tackles, 3.5 for loss, one interception, one pass breakup) during his junior year, though, as he was held out of eight contests due to NCAA violations pertaining to an academic tutor. It has also been reported that he got into an altercation with starting quarterback Garrett Shrader.
Tua Tagovailoa – Alabama: the talented quarterback has been injury prone. His junior year was limited to just nine games as he fought through an ankle injury then a hip injury that ended his season.
Several teams reported they felt there was “nothing alarming” with his medical reports and that Tagovailoa was on schedule to work out in April for scouts. His height from the combine is 6’0 and he weighed 217 pounds.
Joe Burrow – LSU: He did not participate in any on-field workouts, choosing to let his college resume speak for him. He made headlines for his small hands, measuring at 9 inches. This is one of the sillier measurables in my opinion. The one concern is he looked like two different players in 2018 and 2019.
Cam Akers – Florida State: he was a top-10 national recruit after being named the U.S. Army National Player of the Year and Mississippi’s Mr. Football in 2016.
He broke Dalvin Cook’s school record for freshman rushing in 2017, leading the Seminoles with 1,024 yards (194 carries, 5.3 per, seven touchdowns; 16 receptions, 116 yards, 7.3 average, one touchdown).
The Seminoles struggled and his numbers got worse as a sophomore. He looked more like the Akers of 2017 as a junior, receiving second-team all-conference honors after leading FSU with 1,144 rushing yards on 231 carries (5.0 ypc) and 14 touchdowns. Akers also caught 30 passes for 225 yards (7.5 per) and four scores in 11 starts.
At the combine he ran a 4.47 40 and put up 20 bench-press reps (225 pounds).
Richt V. Kirby
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
With all the advances we’ve seen in technology over the past decade, it’s easy to see why people put so much stock in analytics and data; it’s another tool in the tool belt when it comes to winning.
When it comes to comparing players, and coaches even, it can be a little misleading.
How many polls have you seen online where someone posts the stats of two anonymous players, or teams, and asks you vote on which resumé is better? And how many times after finding out who the players or teams were, did you sit back and think “Yeah, but they’re not taking into account (insert your argument here)”?
When you compare the first four seasons of Kirby Smart’s tenure at Georgia to that of Mark Richt’s, they come close mirroring each other in a lot of ways.
Smart has an overall record of 44-12, three division titles, one SEC Championship, and an appearance in the national title game.
While not quite as impressive as Smart’s, Richt’s overall record was 42-10, two division titles, and an SEC Championship.
I remember the expectations being extremely high for Richt leading into his fifth season, but I also recall feeling, at least personally, there was more hype than substance; it wasn’t something he would be able to maintain.
I have a different feeling though when it comes to Smart, and it begins with recruiting.
I won’t pretend to know where most of Richt’s recruiting classes were, but I can’t imagine them being at the level Smart’s have been the last couple years.
Kirby has been bringing in elite talent, at almost all positions, setting up the future for his program quite nicely.
He’s also done an incredible job of bringing in the top tier quarterbacks, which is not something I was expecting when he was hired.
Another part of his recruiting success compared to Richt, is that he is focusing more on local talent, but not at while sacrificing it on a national level.
I know one of the frustrations from Georgia fans was that Richt would oftentimes only recruit the top-level talent, overlooking players from within the state.
I’ll never blame anyone for going after a more talented player, but there is something to say about a four-star athlete who decides to stay home and attend the program they grew up rooting for.
More times than not that four-star recruit will turn out to be a better player, and have a greater impact on your program. It’s a lesson Smart seems to have learned early.
Unfortunately, even after having said all these nice things about Kirby Smart, I don’t think his fifth year in Athens will turn out quite the same as Richt’s- a 10-3 record to go with his second SEC Championship.
However, when you look at the way Smart is bringing in recruiting classes, along with other factors in the SEC and on a national landscape, things are set up perfectly for him to separate himself from his predecessor.
So, if you happen to see a poll next year comparing the records between two coaches after their first five years, and it asks you which one you’d rather have, might I suggest going with the coach who has the worse record.
On paper it may not be as impressive, but you and I both know numbers can be misleading.
Let Me Go
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
In America millions of workers change jobs on an annual basis. Many organizations train and develop workers in their field of expertise and lose them to other organizations for a variety of reasons.
This is the norm in a capitalist society and employers have adapted to this. If the NCAA has their way this could be the norm for college football if adopted this coming April.
The proposed rule is as follows:
First-time transfers starting in the 2020 academic year would no longer have to follow the long standing sit out a year rule in their first season at their new school.
The proposal is being fast-tracked. Because it is a “criteria change” to the NCAA waiver process and not a new “rule change,” it can avoid the regular legislative cycle and take effect well before the NCAA convention next January.
Doesn’t that sound just peachy? College football coaches seem to be totally against this idea, and with good reason.
Former UGA Head Coach Mark Richt tweeted the following on the proposed new transfer rule: “I know, I have an idea,” Richt wrote in a message that went viral, “You recruit and develop players and when I think they’re good enough I will poach them from your roster! Welcome to what the new normal will look like in college football!”
Currently for a transfer to play immediately you have to receive a special waiver from the NCAA. There lies the problem.
The NCAA has not been consistent with the existing rule and now it appears that they want to go the generic route and just allow each student athlete an automatic option to transfer penalty free if they so choose.
I use the University of Georgia as an example to show the hypocrisy of the NCAA recently:
Jacob Eason was the top-rated Pro Style QB in the country for the 2016 cycle. Eason started many games as a freshman at UGA. Eason got hurt in the season opener his sophomore season and never regains the starting job from Jake Fromm. Eason decided he wanted to transfer back to his home State of Washington but had to sit out a season per NCAA rule.
Justin Fields was the top-rated dual threat QB in the country for the 2018 recruiting cycle. Fields came in and played some and was Jake Fromm’s backup. Fields decided he wanted to transfer to Ohio State and the NCAA granted an immediate waiver for Fields to play right away.
Why was Fields given preferential treatment over Eason when they were in the same position on the depth chart when they left UGA?
Then you have Luke Ford, a five-star TE in the 2018 cycle from Illinois, that transferred from UGA to be closer to a sick family member and the NCAA denied the waiver to play immediately for Ford.
This is exactly what the special waiver was designed for, right? But the NCAA, in all of its infinite wisdom, in these three cases seemed to only care about Ohio State’s QB situation, rather than what’s best for the individual student athlete.
Fields did have a high-priced lawyer representing him in his endeavors.
Can you see SEC head football coaches poaching other SEC rosters waving their current depth charts?
If the NCAA wants chaos then you are about to have it. What if Tua was poached to Auburn by Gus Malzahn when he sat behind Jalen Hurts his freshman year at Alabama? You would have had a civil war in the State of Alabama most likely.
Will Kirby, Coach O, Nick, and Gus hire a new assistant coach with the sole responsibility of poaching other Power 5 rosters?
Chaos is on the horizon and it appears you can throw developing roster depth out with the bath water. What else would you expect from the NCAA?
College sports, along with society, appears to be caving in to the entitlement mentally. Get ready for the new normal College Football fans.
It’s Great To Be A Gator
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The 2020 recruiting classes are officially in the books. One team I want to examine is the Florida Gators. Their recruiting class is ranked eighth nationally, one spot behind Auburn. We can argue Florida’s class is better.
They have 1 five-star recruit, 17 four-star players and 6 three-star players. Auburn does not have a five-star player, 16 four-stars and 10 three-star players.
The highest rated player is five-star defensive tackle Gervon Dexter from Lake Wales, Florida. He’s 6’6 and 294 pounds so he has prototypical size for the position.
He was the top-rated player in the state of Florida and sixth nationally. Dexter runs a 4.88 forty so he also has great speed and athleticism.
He only started playing football two years ago for Lake Wales High but has made an elite impact ever since. In two seasons, Dexter recorded 27 sacks, 53 tackles for loss, 178 total tackles, 14 forced fumbles, and three batted passes – all in 23 games.
Several four-star D-linemen will join Dexter in the trenches. Weak side defensive end Antwaun Powell (Chesapeake, VA), d tackles Lamar Goods (Oakdale, CT), Johnnie Brown (Sebring, FL), Jalen Lee (Watson, LA) and strong side defensive end Princely Umanmielen.
Four-star cornerback Ethan Pouncey is ranked tenth best at the position in the 2020 recruiting class. The last name looks familiar because he’s the younger cousin of Maurkice and Mike.
Ethan is 6’1, 160 lbs. so he has to get to the training table and weight room. His older brother Jordan is a wide receiver, who was previously at Texas but he is transferring to UF.
There are three other four-star corners coming to Gainesville. Avery Helm (Missouri City, TX), Jahari Rogers (Arlington, TX) and Mordecai McDaniel (Washington, DC).
First, I want to point out it is impressive for the Gators to land top recruits from Texas.
All of these corners are at least 6’1 so they have great size to compete with tall receivers.
They have four-star safety Rashad Torrence II from Marietta, Ga. He was on the team that won the 7A GHSA state championship, so he knows what it takes to win.
As a senior, he had 111 tackles, 7 pass breakups and 1 interception. I think he might be one of the most underrated recruits and I expect him to be a star.
Four-star dual threat quarterback Anthony Richardson is from Gainesville. He attended Eastside High just a few miles from the campus. He is also on Season 4 of the Netflix documentary series “QB1: Beyond the Lights.”
Richardson is 6’4, 233 lbs. and the fifth ranked dual threat QB in the 2020 class. He only played in six games in 2019 before he suffered a season ending shoulder injury. In those games, he scored 15 total touchdowns and the team averaged 24.5 points per game.
There are also several talented playmakers joining the Gators. Wide receivers Xzavier Henderson (Miami, FL), Jaquavion Fraziars (Dunnellon, FL), Leonard Manuel (Fort Lauderdale, FL) and tight end Jonathan Odom (Tampa, FL).
