MrSEC.com

Receiver Thompkins Likes UT’s Future

Josh Ward — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 13:08:49 +0000

Wide receiver Kenbrell Thompkins from El Camino Community College in Torrance, Calif., committed to Tennessee without visiting the school’s campus.

Thompkins committed because he likes UT’s direction in the SEC.

“I just liked the fact it’s an up-and-coming program,” Thompkins told the Knoxville News Sentinel. “Lane Kiffin, he’s a very cocky coach. He’s doing anything he can to get his program noticed.”

Thompkins is the fourth wide receiver to commit to UT for 2010. The Vols are hoping to add another player at the position.

Wide receiver Chris Dunkley from Pahokee (Fla.) High School visited UT last weekend. The visit went better than he expected.

“It was good,” Dunkley told Volquest.com. “I enjoyed myself a lot. At first, you know, I thought Tennessee could be kind of lame, I want to say, just being honest. But I enjoyed myself a lot. I could see myself playing here. I can see why a lot of kids come here.”

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SEC Commitment Comparison – 11/2/09

John — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 13:39:03 +0000

There’s been quite a bit of shuffling on our recruiting Big Board since we last checked. Eight of the league’s teams have seen some amount of movement up the chart.

As usual, we use the rankings provided by Rivals.com. We give each star in their system an equal point value in our system. But we count even 0-star athletes as being worth 1 point. Okay, so we’re softies.

Below are the updated commitment numbers for each team in the SEC, through this morning.

School	Commits	5-stars	4-stars	3-stars	2-stars	1- or 0-stars	Total Points	Avg Points
LSU	23	0	15	8	0	0	84	3.65
Tennessee	21	0	11	10	0	0	74	3.52
Alabama	21	1	10	8	2	0	73	3.47
Georgia	18	1	9	8	0	0	65	3.61
Florida	17	1	11	5	0	0	64	3.76
Auburn	19	0	7	11	1	0	63	3.31
Vanderbilt	21	0	0	19	2	0	61	2.90
S. Carolina	19	0	3	12	1	3	53	2.78
Arkansas	15	0	1	111	1	2	41	2.73
Kentucky	16	0	0	9	3	4	37	2.31
Miss. State	14	0	2	8	0	4	36	2.57
Ole Miss	11	0	2	9	0	0	35	3.18

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Tennessee Lands Two JUCO Prospects

Josh Ward — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 13:00:46 +0000

Tennessee received commitments from two junior college prospects during the weekend.

The first came from Ken Adams, a tight end from Copiah-Lincoln Community College in Wesson, Miss.

“I like everything about Tennessee,” Adams told the Knoxville News Sentinel. “Good atmosphere, I enjoyed myself at the game.”

Adams chose the Vols over an offer from Auburn.

UT also picked up a commitment from wide receiver Kenbrell Thompkins from El Camino Community College in Torrance, Calif. Thompkins is a teammate of quarterback Matt Simms, who is being evaluated by the UT coaching staff.

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Jacksonville Teammates Commit To Arkansas

Josh Ward — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 12:38:13 +0000

Arkansas has received a commitment from two prospects from Andrew Jackson High School in Jacksonville, Fla.

Wide receiver Marquel Wade and linebacker Montaque Mack both decided to commit to Arkansas during the weekend.

“Arkansas did a great job of recruiting Marquel,” Andrew Jackson coach Kevin Sullivan said. “They love his speed. When I talked to him, he said Arkansas was the place for him. He said he was finished with the recruiting process and wouldn’t be taking any more visits.”

Wade was also considering South Carolina and South Florida.

Mack appears to be heading for a grayshirt, meaning he’ll enroll at Arkansas as a part-time student in 2010 and count toward the 2011 signing class for the Razorbacks.

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Arkansas Gets Win, Confidence Boost in 63-27 Victory Against Eastern Michigan

admin — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 11:45:16 +0000

FAYETTEVILLE (AP) – Ryan Mallett went 14 of 16 for 248 yards and three touchdowns, and Broderick Green added a 99-yard touchdown run to lead Arkansas to a 63-27 rout of Eastern Michigan on Saturday night.
(more)

Bowl Game Or Bust

admin — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 13:11:38 +0000

FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas defensive tackle Zach Stadther admits he doesn’t want to again spend his winter break at home.

(more)

News from MrSEC.com

admin — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 21:30:33 +0000

Slive’s reprimand to Kiffin now public

Read the entire story here.

Listen to MrSEC.com on the radio! John Pennington can be heard:

Tuesdays —
12:20pm CT on “The Boomo Bugg Show” with Harold Bugg and Brett Beaird on 93.9 FM The Score in Florence, Alabama.

Thursdays —
1:20pm CT on “The Thom Abraham Show” with Thom Abraham and Brad Hopkins on Sportsradio 560 AM in Nashville, Tennessee… 730 AM The Ump in Huntsville, Alabama… and 103.9 FM in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

Fridays —
3:30pm ET on “SportsTalk” with Jimmy Hyams and John Wilkerson on The Sports Animal 99.1 FM, 99.3FM and 990AM in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Fridays —
5:05pm CT on “SportsTalk” with Dave Barr on KREB 1190 AM in Bentonville/Fayetteville, Arkansas … KTTG ESPN 96.3 FM in Fort Smith, Arkansas … and KABZ 103.7 FM “The Buzz” in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Saturdays —
9:40am ET on “Fox Football Saturday” with Chris Goforth and David Jenkins on Fox Sports Chattanooga 1310 AM and 1370 AM in Chattanooga.

News from MrSEC.com

admin — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:50:11 +0000

SEC Stats: Efficiency Ratings… In-Conference Games.

Prepare to be surprised.

Listen to MrSEC.com on the radio! John Pennington can be heard:

Tuesdays —
12:20pm CT on “The Boomo Bugg Show” with Harold Bugg and Brett Beaird on 93.9 FM The Score in Florence, Alabama.

Fridays —
3:30pm ET on “SportsTalk” with Jimmy Hyams and John Wilkerson on The Sports Animal 99.1 FM, 99.3FM and 990AM in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Saturdays —
9:40am ET on “Fox Football Saturday” with Chris Goforth and David Jenkins on Fox Sports Chattanooga 1310 AM and 1370 AM in Chattanooga.

Alabama Cornerback Favors Two SEC Schools

Josh Ward — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:11:49 +0000

Cornerback Chris Davis from Woodlawn High School in Birmingham, Ala., is favoring South Carolina and Auburn, according to The State in Columbia.

Davis, who’s still waiting for a scholarship offer from Auburn, has scheduled an official visit to South Carolina on Nov. 13.

Davis also has offers from Alabama-Birmingham and Arkansas State. He told The State he expects an offer from Auburn this weekend.

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South Carolina In Receiver’s Final Two

Josh Ward — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:07:28 +0000

South Carolina has made the final two for wide receiver Marquel Wade from Jacksonville, Fla.

Wade is also considering Arkansas after removing Georgia and South Florida from his list. Wade said South Carolina and Arkansas have shown him the most interest.

“Both schools are telling me I could start as a freshman,” Wade told The State in Columbia.

Wade plans to take an official visit to Arkansas this weekend. He’ll visit South Carolina on Nov. 13.

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UGA Basketball Lands First 2010 Commitment

Josh Ward — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:03:06 +0000

Georgia has received its first basketball commitment for the 2010 class.

Forward Cady Lalanne from Orlando gave his pledge to Georgia coach Mark Fox on Thursday.

“I’d been thinking about it for a while so I was ready to do it,” Lalanne told the Atlanta Journal Constitution. “I met Coach Fox this summer andh e called me on the first day (of the contact period). I looked at Coach Fox’s background and saw he had a good history of developing big guys like me. It’s a great school and it’s close to home so I didn’t see any reason to wait.”

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Receiver Rogers Solid To UGA

Josh Ward — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 11:58:46 +0000

Wide receiver Da’Rick Rogers from Calhoun (Ga.) High School appears solid in his commitment to Georgia.

Rogers received a visit recently from Tennessee recruiting coordinator Ed Orgeron. The visit didn’t sway Rogers from his commitment to Georgia.

“He’s a Georgia Bulldog,” Calhoun coach Hal Lamb told the Atlanta Journal Constitution. “He’s solid.”

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SEC Schools Absent From Johnson’s List

Josh Ward — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 11:54:26 +0000

Running back Storm Johnson from Loganville (Ga.) High School has narrowed his list of schools to five, and none of them play in the SEC.

Johnson, who once committed to LSU, told DuckTerritory.com he’s considering Miami, North Carolina, Michigan State, Penn State and Oregon.

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Answers To Florida Recruiting Questions

Josh Ward — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 11:50:25 +0000

It’s a big recruiting weekend for Florida as the Gators prepare to play SEC Eastern division rival Georgia in Jacksonville on Saturday.

Edward Aschoff of the Gainesville Sun took the time to answer some recruiting questions from Florida fans.

Check it out.

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Vols Expect Nine Official Visitors This Weekend

Josh Ward — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 11:46:23 +0000

Tennessee is expecting nine official visitors to be on campus this weekend when the Vols host South Carolina on Saturday.

Dave Hooker of the Knoxville News Sentinel has this breakdown of the players. Here is a shortened list:

DL Ken Adams
DB Demar Dorsey (Committed to Florida)
WR Chris Dunkley
LB Christian Jones
WR Ted Meline (Committed to UT)
CB Dequan Menzie
DL Corey Miller (Committed to UT)
DB Terrence Mitchell
DL Brandon Miller (Committed to UT)

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Cobbs Switches From One UT To Another

Josh Ward — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 11:41:32 +0000

DeMarco Cobbs has switched his commitment from Tennessee to Texas.

The athlete from Tulsa (Okla.) Central High School committed to Tennessee in early September. He called the Vols’ staff Thursday night to let them know he had changed his mind.

“It wasn’t easy at all, but I had to be a man,” Cobbs told OrangeBloods.com. “I committed to them and I didn’t want Tennessee to hear about it from anybody else, I wanted them to hear about it from me.”

Cobbs is projected to play wide receiver in college. Tennessee still has commitments from three wide receivers for 2010: Markeith Ambles, Ted Meline and Matt Milton.

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Duke Commit Considering South Carolina

Josh Ward — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 11:39:25 +0000

Athlete Darius Lipford from Lenoir, N.C., is still committed to Duke, but he’s considering other options.

Lipford’s father told The State in Columbia his son is considering official visits to other schools. Those schools could include South Carolina, Clemson, North Carolina and Virginia.

“I just told him to take his time,” Darryl Lipford said. “I don’t want him to feel like there is any pressure on him.”

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South Carolina BBall Commit Receives High Praise

Josh Ward — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 11:32:04 +0000

South Carolina was happy to receive a commitment earlier this week from Anthony Gill, a junior forward from Charlotte Christian High School.

The Gamecocks will be even happier to hear thoughts on Gill from his high school coach.

“First of all, he has a great, strong Christian character,” coach Shonn Brown told The State in Columbia. “He’s highly skilled. He finished well around the basket. He can play on the perimeter. He slashes to the basket and handles the ball well. He’s always looking at something to improve on.”

That’s only the beginning on the list of compliments handed out to Gill. Check the link above for more on the future Gamecock.

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Cocktail Party Should Influence Recruiting

Josh Ward — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 11:26:58 +0000

Florida and Georgia will square off in Jacksonville, Fla., on Saturday for a key SEC Eastern division matchup.

The game will also be critical on the recruiting trail as well.

Georgia coach Mark Richt noted the importance of recruiting the state of Florida.

“The talent base is outstanding,” he said. “The bottom line is we’re going to recruit the state of Georgia and every state that touches our state.”

Georgia has done will in Florida recently. Georgia signed three prospects from the state in 2009: quarterback Aaron Murray, tight end Orson Charles and wide receiver Rantavious Wooten.

Georgia also has commitments from seven players out of Florida for the 2010 class. That’s made the battle between Georgia and Florida even more important, according to Gators coach Urban Meyer.

“It is very intense,” Meyer said. “They get their share, we get our share.”

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News from MrSEC.com

admin — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 20:57:33 +0000

Which defenses are the best at forcing turnovers?

Which SEC offenses best take care of the football?

Do good teams get the good calls? Not necessarily.

How the league has caught up to Gus Malzahn’s offense.

Lane Kiffin’s brash talk has actually landed him a mention in a Lil Wayne rap.

Listen to MrSEC.com on the radio! John Pennington can be heard:

Tuesdays —
12:20pm CT on “The Boomo Bugg Show” with Harold Bugg and Brett Beaird on 93.9 FM The Score in Florence, Alabama.

Fridays —
3:30pm ET on “SportsTalk” with Jimmy Hyams and John Wilkerson on The Sports Animal 99.1 FM, 99.3FM and 990AM in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Saturdays —
9:40am ET on “Fox Football Saturday” with Chris Goforth and David Jenkins on Fox Sports Chattanooga 1310 AM and 1370 AM in Chattanooga.

Arkansas Pursuing Commitment’s Teammate

Josh Ward — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 11:59:16 +0000

Arkansas was excited last week to receive a commitment from athlete Eric Bennett from Booker T. Washington High School in Tulsa, Okla.

The Razorbacks would be thrilled if Bennett’s teammate, defensive tackle Calvin Barnett, would make the same college choice.

Barnett told ArkansasSports360.com he’s taken notice to Bennett’s Arkansas commitment. Still, Barnett seems happy now with his commitment to Oklahoma State.

“(Bennett’s commitment) brought me up a little bit because I want to go to school with him,” Barnett said. “But it didn’t make too much of a difference.”

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Vanderbilt Pulls Prospect From Pac-10

Josh Ward — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 11:53:40 +0000

Rod Odom has switched his commitment from Arizona to Vanderbilt.

The small forward from Concord, Mass., surprised both schools with his move.

“It’s 100 percent,” Odom told the Tennessean. “There’s a certain feeling you get when you knoq you’ve made the right decision and I have that feeling now.”

Odom is Vanderbilt’s third commitment for 2010, joining point guard Kyle Fuller and center Josh Henderson.

Odom also had scholarship offers from Boston College, Louisville, West Virginia and Georgia Tech.

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Offensive Lineman Chooses South Carolina

Josh Ward — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 11:48:39 +0000

Offensive lineman Duvan Milsap from Buford (Ga.) High School has committed to South Carolina.

It’s a decision Milsap had considered for a while.

“It’s closer to home and it just felt like a better fit,” Milsap told The State in Columbia. “I’ve been contemplating it for a while.”

Milsap said he chose South Carolina over Ole Miss and Oklahoma State.

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News from MrSEC.com

admin — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:50:44 +0000

SEC Officials Do NOT Try To Influence Games

Read the entire story here.

Listen to MrSEC.com on the radio! John Pennington can be heard:

Tuesdays at 12:20pm CST on “The Boomo Bugg Show” with Harold Bugg and Brett Beaird on 93.9 FM The Score in Florence/Huntsville, Alabama.

Thursdays at 2:20pm CST on “The Thom Abraham Show” with Thom Abraham and Brad Hopkins on Sportsradio 560 AM in Nashville, Tennessee, 730 AM The Ump in Huntsville, Alabama and 103.9 FM in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

Fridays at 3:30pm EST on “SportsTalk” with Jimmy Hyams and John Wilkerson on The Sports Animal 99.1 FM, 99.3 FM, 990 AM in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Most Saturdays at 9:40am EST on “Fox Football Saturday” with Chris Goforth and David Jenkins on Fox Sports Chattanooga 1310 and 1370 AM.

MSU Headlines – 10/28/09

admin — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:27:22 +0000

1. As you know by now, Dan Mullen is a reprimanded man.

2. The SEC has told Kyle Veazey of The Jackson Clarion-Ledger that the controversial touchdown/no touchdown call against the Bulldogs on Saturday was not overturned due to insufficient evidence.

“The instant replay process operates under the fundamental assumption that the ruling on the field is correct. The replay official may reverse a ruling if and only if the video evidence convinces him beyond all doubt that the ruling was incorrect. Without such indisputable video evidence, the replay official must allow the ruling to stand.”

3. State defensive back Jonathan Banks is quickly making a name for himself.

4. In basketball news, forward Elgin Bailey might miss the entire season due to an ankle injury.

MSU Headlines – 10/28/09

admin — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:26:11 +0000

Athlete Chisholm Commits To Mississippi State

Josh Ward — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 03:33:22 +0000

Athlete Antwon Chisholm from Glades Central High School in Belle Glade, Fla., has switched his commitment from Oklahoma State to Mississippi State, according to ESPN.com.

Chisholm should be a nice fit in the offense of head coach Dan Mullen, who previously served as Florida’s offensive coordinator.

The 5-foot-9, 165-pound Chisholm is comparable to Florida speedsters Chris Rainer and Jeffrey Demps.

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Defensive Tackle Cassius Marsh Chooses LSU

Josh Ward — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 03:27:20 +0000

Defensive tackle Cassius Marsh from Oaks Christian High School in Westlake Village, Calif., has committed to LSU.

Marsh, who originally committed to California, chose LSU after visiting the Tigers earlier this month.

Marsh had also considered Arizona State and Oklahoma.

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Running Back Bernard Chooses Notre Dame

Josh Ward — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 03:22:22 +0000

Running back Giovanni Bernard from St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., has committed to Notre Dame.

Bernard had considered Alabama, Tennessee, Florida State, Nebraska and Oregon before he committed to the Fighting Irish.

Bernard said Notre Dame’s program reminds him of St. Thomas Aquinas.

“It’s just a great program all around and it has everything I am looking for in a school,” Bernard told Rivals.com. “I visited there for the USC game. They work like our coaches at St. Thomas. It should be an easy transition for me but I know it would be no matter where I go.”

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Receiver Reed To Choose Between Auburn, LSU

Josh Ward — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 03:13:29 +0000

Trovon Reed will announce his college decision on Nov. 13.

The wide receiver from Thibodeaux (La.) High School appears to most strongly be considering Auburn and LSU. He chose Nov. 13 as announcement date because that’s his birthday.

Click this link for more recruiting news from J.C. Shurburtt of ESPN.com.

Here are some highlights of Reed. Beware of the music included with the video.

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How The Nation’s Top Players Performed

Josh Ward — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 03:08:39 +0000

ESPN.com has put together a nice rundown of how some of the nation’s top prospects performed last weekend.

Check it out here.

Some standout performances from future SEC players:

QB Phillip Sims (Alabama): His two touchdown passes for Oscar Smith High School in Chesapeake, Va., helped push his career total to 81 touchdown passes.

RB Ken Malcome (Georgia): Malcome rushed for 182 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries for Southwest DeKalb High School in Decatur, Ga.

ATH DeMarco Cobbs (Tennessee): The future wide receiver had two rushing touchdowns and another passing for Tulsa (Okla.) Central High School.

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Robey Reaffirms Commitment To Georgia

Josh Ward — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 02:52:35 +0000

Nickell Robey seems to be sticking to his commitment to Georgia.

The defensive back from Frostproof (Fla.) High School said recently he planned to take official visits to Tennessee and South Florida. Robey had expressed concern about the growing uncertainty of Georgia defensive coordinator Willie Martinez’s job status.

Robey seems less concerned now after a visit from Martinez and running backs coach Bryan McClendon.

“I am 100 percent committed to Georgia . . . so everything is fine in my eyes,” Robey told UGASports.com.

It’s still unknown whether Robey will take an official to a school other than Georgia.

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Fast-starting Cats put away ULM 36-13

admin — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 13:36:06 +0000

Kentucky proved Saturday night that a fast start can be enough to beat a slow finish.

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Sanders Sticking With Kentucky

Josh Ward — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 11:19:49 +0000

Kentucky fans don’t have to worry about Raymond Sanders backing off his commitment.

The running back from Stephenson High School in Stone Mountain, Ga., has received more attention since his impressive performance against M.L. King High School on ESPNU last Friday.

Sanders, who rushed for 135 yards and two touchdowns in the game, says he will still sign with Kentucky.

“Kentucky was on me early,” Sanders told the Atlanta Journal Constitution. “I committed before the season started. I felt it was the right fit for me as far as academics, athletics, facilities, coaching staff. I just thought it was a perfect fit. So I’m committed to Kentucky and I’m going to stay a Wildcat.”

Good news for Kentucky. Sanders could be another one of those overlooked players that Rich Brooks turns into a standout SEC player.

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Highly-Touted Point Guard Chooses Duke

Josh Ward — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 11:06:04 +0000

Point guard Kyrie Irving, who attended Kentucky’s Big Blue Madness last weekend, has committed to Duke.

Irving is considered the nation’s No. 2-ranked point guard by Scout.com for the 2010 class. Rivals.com ranks Irving fourth among all point guards.

Irving attends St. Patrick High School in Elizabeth, N.J. He’s a teammate of forward Michael Gilchrist, who’s considered by many to be the top prospect for the 2011 class.

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Vols Expected To Offer Quarterbacks Simms

Josh Ward — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 11:01:31 +0000

Tennessee looks to be ready to offer a scholarship to another player in the 2010 class.

Dave Hooker of the Knoxville News Sentinel reports UT is expected to offer Matt Simms, a quarterback from El Camino Community College in Torrance, Calif.

Simms, the son of former NFL quarterback Phil Simms and younger brother of Denver Broncos quarterback Chris Simms, transferred from Louisville to El Camino in January.

UT already has a commitment from a high school quarterback for 2010 – Tyler Bray from Kingsburg (Calif.) High School.

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Breaking News from MrSEC.com

admin — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 23:23:15 +0000

UK’S WALL NOT ELIGIBLE YET?!?!

Read the entire story here.

News from MrSEC.com

admin — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 18:42:35 +0000

The SEC Should Lead The Way On Dark Jersey Issue

Read the entire story here.

Listen to MrSEC.com on the radio! John Pennington can be heard:

Tuesdays at 12:20pm CST on “The Boomo Bugg Show” with Harold Bugg and Brett Beaird on 93.9 FM The Score in Florence/Huntsville, Alabama.

Fridays at 3:30pm EST on “SportsTalk” with Jimmy Hyams and John Wilkerson on The Sports Animal 99.1 FM, 99.3 FM, 990 AM in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Most Saturdays at 9:40am EST on “Fox Football Saturday” with Chris Goforth and David Jenkins on Fox Sports Chattanooga 1310 AM and 1370 AM.

UGA Recruiting In-State Sims

Josh Ward — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 11:31:29 +0000

Blake Sims has been committed to Alabama since April, but that hasn’t kept Georgia from going after the athlete from Gainesville (Ga.) High School.

Georgia coach mark Richt recently called Sims in an effort to sway Sims’ commitment. The pitch by Richt has left the Sims family in a difficult position.

“That was pretty cool,” said Sonny Sims, Blake’s father. “Coach Richt has been part of Blake’s life for a long time. We’ve got pictures of Blake with Coach Richt as a 9th grader. That’s why we couldn’t understand why Georgia didn’t snag him early because he’d been groomed all his life for Georgia. Everything in our house was Georgia. We were shocked when Blake committed to Alabama. It just happened. He didn’t even give me a chance to talk to him about it. He just did it. But he did and we’ve got a good relationship now with Coach (Nick) Saban. So it’s a tough situation.”

Blake Sims has been recruited by a number of schools since he committed to Alabama, and Sonny Sims has continued to say his son will go to Alabama. The fact he calls it a “tough situation” clearly shows the Sims family is now torn.

Some people have wondered recently if Georgia and Gainesville High have a strained relationship. Several players from the schools have committed elsewhere.

Along with Sims, wide receiver Tai-ler Jones is committed to Notre Dame and safety Daunte Carr is committed to Stanford. Linebacker A.J. Johnson committed to Tennessee last week.

Still, Gainesville coach Bruce Miller told the AJC there are no problems between UGA and Gainesville.

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Georgia Commit Robey Looking Elsewhere

Josh Ward — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 11:24:09 +0000

Nickell Robey is still committed to Georgia, but the athlete from Frostproof (Fla.) High School is keeping his options open.

“He’s still with Georgia,” Frostproof coach Brad Metheny told the Atlanta Journal Constitution. “He has has these two visits he’s going to go ahead and take. But he hasn’t changed a whole lot. He just wants to make sure he has options if there needs to be any changes.”

Part of that stems from the uncertainty surrounding Georgia defensive coordinator Willie Martinez. The Bulldogs defense has struggled this season, which has caused people to wonder if Martinez will return in 2010.

Robey plans to take official visits to Tennessee and South Florida, according to the AJC.

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Florida Receives First 2011 Commitment

Josh Ward — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:53:00 +0000

Florida has its first commitment for the 2011 signing class.

The Gators received a commitment from De’Ante “Pop” Saunders, a standout athlete from DeLand (Fla.) High School.

Saunders decided to commit after he received a scholarship offer from Florida.

“It was a place that I always wanted to go,” Saunders told the Orlando Sentinel. “Once I saw they had a full ride for me, I knew that was what I wanted to do. I always liked Florida, even when I was little.”

Here are some highlights of the speedy Saunders.

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Kiffin Pleased With Helicopter Ride

Josh Ward — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:47:19 +0000

Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin made the splash he hoped to during his helicopter ride in Atlanta on Friday night.

Kiffin and recruiting coordinator Ed Orgeron traveled around Atlanta in a helicopter to help avoid road traffic and also impresive recruits.

Kiffin believes it worked.

“I think it shows our commitment to doing things first class,” Kiffin told the Knoxville News Sentinel. “It shows our commitment from our athletic director to making sure we have everything we need to be able to recruit the best players to come play for the best university in the country.”

UT spent $1,500 on the chartered helicopter, according to the News Sentinel. UT almost scrapped the idea when it received an initial estimate of more than $4,000, but another company offered the lower rate.

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Tulsa Athlete Commits To Arkansas

Josh Ward — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 11:50:05 +0000

Athlete Eric Bennett from Booker T. Washington High School in Tulsa, Okla., has decided to play college football for Arkansas.

Bennett chose the Razorbacks over offers from Arizona, Texas Tech, Iowa State and Oregon State.

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SEC Commitment Comparison – 10/19/09

John — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 16:51:15 +0000

It’s been a couple of weeks since our last check of the SEC’s commitment “Big Board” and there have been some significant changes to the chart in that time.

(Go ahead, Buck Turgidson doesn’t even mind if you see the Big Board.)

Commitments, decommitments and a few grade changes from Rivals.com have brought about some movement in our overall rankings.

Below you’ll find each team’s current number of commitments broken down by their star ratings from Rivals.com. We then assign a point value to each star grade and tally up the results.

Keep in mind that we count all 1- and 0-star recruits as being worth 1 point each. God don’t make no junk, as they say.

Here’s the updated list less than four months out from National Signing Day:

School	Commits	5-star	4-star	3-star	2-star	1- or 0-star	Total Points	Avg. Points
LSU	22	0	14	8	0	0	80	3.63
Alabama	21	1	10	8	2	0	73	3.47
Tennessee	20	0	11	9	0	0	71	3.55
Georgia	18	1	9	8	0	0	65	3.61
Florida	17	1	11	5	0	0	64	3.76
Auburn	19	0	7	11	1	0	63	3.31
Vanderbilt	21	0	0	18	3	0	60	2.85
SCarolina	18	0	3	1	1	3	50	2.77
Arkansas	14	0	1	10	1	2	38	2.71
Miss St	13	0	2	8	0	3	35	2.69
Ole Miss	10	0	2	8	0	0	32	3.20
Kentucky	13	0	0	7	2	4	29	2.23

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Defensive Back Fulton Still Visiting Alabama

Josh Ward — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 04:26:44 +0000

Defensive back John Fulton from Manning (S.C.) High School is visiting Alabama until Monday.

“It’s going really well,” Fulton told The State in Columbia. “I’m having a lot of fun. I was here in the summer and everything is even better now. The stadium was rocking.”

That was during Alabama’s win against South Carolina Saturday night. Fulton still plans to take official visit to Florida, LSU, South Carolina and Michigan.

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Pahokee’s Johnson Still Committed To FSU

Josh Ward — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 03:59:06 +0000

De’Joshua Johnson remains committed to Florida State despite the questions surrounding head coach Bobby Bowden.

The wide receiver from Pahokee (Fla.) High School told Warchant.com he had already planned on Jimbo Fisher replacing Bowden when he decides to retire.

Still, Johnson’s recruitment might be worth watching. He already plans to visit North Carolina.

Johnson had considered several SEC schools before he committed to Florida State in June. Those schools are surely paying attention to his interest or concerns with the Seminoles.

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Georgia Lineman Receiving Increased Interest

Josh Ward — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 03:40:57 +0000

Defensive tackle Michael Thornton from Stephenson High School in Stone Mountain, Ga., is receiving increased interest from BCS conference schools.

Thornton was an important part of Tennessee’s Friday night helicopter visit. He’s also considering schools such as Auburn, Georgia, Penn State and Michigan.

J.C. Shurburtt of ESPN.com wrote a recent story on Thornton. Read it here.

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Kiffin Impresses Atlanta-Area Recruits

Josh Ward — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 03:28:50 +0000

Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin made it clear last week that recruiting the state of Georgia is a priority for the Vols.

Kiffin proved that on Friday when he attended two high school games in the Atlanta area.

The first game was played between M.L. King High School and Stephenson. Kiffin impressed the prospects playing in the game by showing up in a helicopter.

One of the prospects impressed by Kiffin was Stephenson’s Mike Thornton, a 2010 defensive tackle.

“That really felt good to me because I talked to him for a minute on the phone,” Thornton told the Atlanta Journal Constitution. “He told me he was going to come in and show off a little bit and, sure ‘nough, he did his thing. I saw him leave out and come in but that’s it.”

Kiffin left to attend a game between North Gwinnett High School and Northview High School.

North Gwinnett is the school of offensive lineman JaWuan Jones, who visited UT on Oct. 10. Northview’s quarterback is Kane Whitehurst, a 2011 prospect and cousin of San Diego Chargers quarterback Charlie Whitehurst.

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Lineman Christian Commits To Auburn

Josh Ward — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 00:52:09 +0000

Offensive lineman Ed Christian has committed to Auburn.

Christian, who attends Lowndes High School in Valdosta, Ga., chose the Tigers during an official visit to Auburn. He originally committed to Florida State but reopened his recruitment last month.

Christian had also considered Alabama, Florida and Tennessee.

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Georgia Commit Benedict Suffers Major Knee Injury

Josh Ward — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 22:46:24 +0000

Georgia commit Brent Benedict suffered a major knee injury during his high school game on Friday.

The offensive lineman from Bolles High School in Jacksonville, Fla., tore his ACL and PCL as well as his hamstring and meniscus, according to the Florida Times-Union.

“His whole knee is shot,” said Ed Benedict, Brent’s father. “We’ll know a little more on Monday, when we meet again with the doctors, but it looks like a 12- to 18-month recovery.”

Benedict was a key pickup for Georgia when he committed to the Bulldogs in June. Rivals.com ranks him the fourth-best offensive tackle in the country and the 41st overall prospect in the nation for 2010.

Benedict injured his knee during a non-contact situation.

“It looked like somebody had shot him when he went down,” Bolles coach Corky Rogers said.

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