2013 College Football off-season

[fiver]

Malzahn has assembled a beastly staff at Auburn. he added Dameyune Craig and Rich Bisaccia today just before the recruiting dead period ends at midnight tonight.

 

Ellis Johnson - defensive coordinator, linebackers (head coach at Southern Miss and former defensive coordinator at South Carolina, Alabama, and Clemson prior to moving to AU)

Charlie 'Cheese' Harbison - co-defensive coordinator, secondary (secondary coach at Clemson prior to moving to AU)

Rodney Garner - defensive line, associate head coach, recruiting coordinator (d line, assistant head coach, recruiting coordinator at Georgia prior to moving to AU)

Melvin Smith - secondary (secondary coach at Mississippi State prior to moving to AU)

 

Rhett Lashlee - co-offensive coordinator, quarterbacks (Gus Malzahn protege, offensive coordinator at Arkansas State prior to moving to AU)

Dameyune Craig - co-offensive coordinator, wide receivers (quarterbacks coach, recruiting coordinator at Florida State prior to moving to AU)

Rich Basaccia - running backs, special teams, assistant head coach (running backs, special teams, assistant head coach for the San Diego Chargers before moving to AU)

JB Grimes - offensive line (offensive line coach at Arkansas State, Kansas, and Mississippi State prior to moving to AU)

 

There is still a tight ends coaching vacancy.

[Old Style]

Smith & Grimes both coached at A&M under Coach Fran. Hope you get better results out them than we did.

[snoodmonger]

Smith & Grimes both coached at A&M under Coach Fran. Hope you get better results out them than we did.

 

Always a plus when you can snag a guy who was on Turner Gill's staff.

[Old Style]

Quote from a former A&M player on Grimes taken from another board.

 

Grimes was the O-Line Coach the two years I kicked. I would never support his hire anywhere.

[Andy]

Georgia LB Jarvis Jones declares for the draft.

[Guest]

Georgia LB Jarvis Jones declares for the draft.

 

I wonder if his spinal stenosis might cause him to drop.

[fiver]

Smith & Grimes both coached at A&M under Coach Fran. Hope you get better results out them than we did.

 

Gus just filled the TE coaching slot a few minutes ago. Tim Horton is leaving Arkansas. He was their RB coach, recruiting coordinator. He recruited and coached some very good running backs while with the Hogs (McFadden, Felix Jones, Kniles Davis), and he did a great job of recruiting WRs as well.

 

JB Grimes at OL and Rhett Lashlee at co-OC were the two hires that I didn't like. On the offensive line, I would have preferred we retain Jeff Grimes or hire Vanderbilt's OL coach, Herb Hand. Rhett Lashlee is just too young and inexperienced to be our OC in my opinion. However, he played QB for Gus and has worked directly for Gus for a long time and is more familiar with his scheme than anyone. I believe Gus is going to be calling the plays during games anyway, and now Dameyune Craig will share the OC responsibilities.

[Tracer Bullet]

Redfield makes it official for ND

[dcvalpo]

Redfield makes it official for ND

 

ND now with the #1 ranked class both on ESPN and Rivals. Of course, we will how things shake out officially on NSD. The rise of ND over the past 12 months has been unbelievable.

[UMFan83]

Looks like the Cotton Bowl of all bowls is set to host the first playoff championship game, with the Rose and Sugar bowls to host the semis.

 

Also, the Rose and Sugar bowls will both be played on January 1 regardless of whether they are semi-final games or not. When they are not hosting playoff games, the actual Semi-finals will be played on December 31st.

[Andy]

Looks like the Cotton Bowl of all bowls is set to host the first playoff championship game, with the Rose and Sugar bowls to host the semis.

 

Also, the Rose and Sugar bowls will both be played on January 1 regardless of whether they are semi-final games or not. When they are not hosting playoff games, the actual Semi-finals will be played on December 31st.

A) While JerryWorld is projected to host, I don't believe the title game is going to have any real affiliation with the Cotton Bowl. I read this week that they won't slap a corpo-name on the title game, so it won't be the same as the double-hosting model the BCS operates under now.

 

B) Why do I have a feeling that when the semifinals are 12/31 that New Year's bowl ratings will take a nosedive?

[Guest]

Defensive end Kylie Fitts, who was supposed to be an early enrollee to USC has decommitted. Apparently USC told him they could no longer take him early (scholarship crunch?). Sounds like he'll come down to UCLA of Washington.

[shnsajax]

Considering the decommits USC has had I am surprised they don't have room. Even more surprised Kiffen even bothered to tell him.

[Tracer Bullet]

Defensive end Kylie Fitts, who was supposed to be an early enrollee to USC has decommitted. Apparently USC told him they could no longer take him early (scholarship crunch?). Sounds like he'll come down to UCLA of Washington.

 

They're at 75 and with Leon jumping in this weekend, they couldn't take him as an EE. They need the spring/summer to trim a couple more spots.

[Tracer Bullet]

Considering the decommits USC has had I am surprised they don't have room. Even more surprised Kiffen even bothered to tell him.

 

They have room if he isn't an EE. Or more accurately, will have room next fall when a few others are pushed out. He is mad bc he jumped thru hoops to EE at Kiffen's request and then got told to push it back. Understandable but I'm surprised more recruits for USC wouldn't know the game when they sign on.

[Guest]

Defensive end Kylie Fitts, who was supposed to be an early enrollee to USC has decommitted. Apparently USC told him they could no longer take him early (scholarship crunch?). Sounds like he'll come down to UCLA of Washington.

 

They're at 75 and with Leon jumping in this weekend, they couldn't take him as an EE. They need the spring/summer to trim a couple more spots.

Makes sense - that's the reasoning being mentioned on UCLA forums. Sounds like USC gambled he'd be willing to wait till June but, as you said, Fitts was pissed because of all he had to do to be an EE. Looks like UCLA is in a good place to get him, especially since they're on the quarter system.

[Tracer Bullet]

Defensive end Kylie Fitts, who was supposed to be an early enrollee to USC has decommitted. Apparently USC told him they could no longer take him early (scholarship crunch?). Sounds like he'll come down to UCLA of Washington.

 

They're at 75 and with Leon jumping in this weekend, they couldn't take him as an EE. They need the spring/summer to trim a couple more spots.

Makes sense - that's the reasoning being mentioned on UCLA forums. Sounds like USC gambled he'd be willing to wait till June but, as you said, Fitts was pissed because of all he had to do to be an EE. Looks like UCLA is in a good place to get him, especially since they're on the quarter system.

 

I think UCLA is in a good spot but I wouldn't be surprised if he's pretty open and waits until signing day.

 

If Bama had pulled this instead of southern cal, he may still be on board. i.e., I think the losses, esp the bowl, and the general unrest in Laneyland are at least as important as switch on EE status. I guess ND has already been in contact with him and is trying to schedule a visit.

[dew1679666265]

Tennessee got 4* WR Ryan Jenkins to switch from Clemson yesterday. He's only 5'10, but he's lightning fast and will fit Butch's system perfectly.

 

5* DL Carl Lawson is also scheduled to visit on the 18th. He's a former (current?) Auburn commit and Tennessee's apparently in his top two now. If Butch can find a way to pull Lawson, Derrick Green and (pure hope) Vonn Bell, he'll begin to turn me into a bit of a believer.

[fiver]

Tennessee got 4* WR Ryan Jenkins to switch from Clemson yesterday. He's only 5'10, but he's lightning fast and will fit Butch's system perfectly.

 

5* DL Carl Lawson is also scheduled to visit on the 18th. He's a former (current?) Auburn commit and Tennessee's apparently in his top two now. If Butch can find a way to pull Lawson, Derrick Green and (pure hope) Vonn Bell, he'll begin to turn me into a bit of a believer.

 

 

The negative aspect of AU hiring Georgia's DL coach, Rodney Garner, is that Garner was late in recruting Lawson over at Georgia. Georgia coaches didn't view Carl as a 3-4 DE intially and went after other targets. Carl got his feelings hurt about this and thus didn't consider Georgia thereafter.

 

Garner went to speak to Carl's father this past weekend, and the conversation went well. However, I have no clue what this kid is going to do.

Technically, Lawson is still 'committed' to AU, but that's just a silly word used by recruiting sites. If a kid hasn't made his final decision, is 're-evaluating everything', then he's not committed.

[OleMissCub]

5* DL Carl Lawson is also scheduled to visit on the 18th. He's a former (current?) Auburn commit and Tennessee's apparently in his top two now. If Butch can find a way to pull Lawson, Derrick Green and (pure hope) Vonn Bell, he'll begin to turn me into a bit of a believer.

 

What Rivals says as of this morning

 

 

DE Carl Lawson: Lawson remains committed to Auburn but many feel he will end up at either Clemson or Ole Miss. Tennessee is also in the mix. Ole Miss is the new hot thing for Lawson and playing opposite of Nkemdiche wouldn't be a bad thing. However, he has not de-committed from Auburn and Rodney Garner is working hard to keep it that way. Keep in mind Lawson has a teammate committed to Ole Miss and the Auburn relationship has been up and down since the clean sweep of the coaching staff.

[fiver]

DE Carl Lawson: Lawson remains committed to Auburn but many feel he will end up at either Clemson or Ole Miss. Tennessee is also in the mix. Ole Miss is the new hot thing for Lawson and playing opposite of Nkemdiche wouldn't be a bad thing. However, he has not de-committed from Auburn and Rodney Garner is working hard to keep it that way. Keep in mind Lawson has a teammate committed to Ole Miss and the Auburn relationship has been up and down since the clean sweep of the coaching staff.

 

Peyton Barber is Lawson's teammate who is currently committed to Ole Miss. Now, Malzahn is heavily recruiting Barber to come to AU. Barber took an unofficial visit to AU this past weekend and missed the Ole Miss bowl game because of it. He's scheduling an official visit to AU this month. AU's interest in Barber is at least somewhat related to Lawson, but he is a better fit into Malzahn's offense than he would have been with the pro style AU's previous coaches were trying to run.

[UK1679666180]

Good news for Raisin:

 

"The school expects to keep Jim Mora, who has been contacted about the San Diego Chargers vacancy, and plans to increase the base salary for Mora's assistants and improve the team's facilities, according to a report from the Los Angeles Times."

[snoodmonger]

Why does Texas a&m have 112 commits?

[Old Style]

Why does Texas a&m have 112 commits?

SEC, baby!

 

Actually we have 34, I think. 9 are mid term enrollees that count back to 2012. We only took about 18 total last year with a couple of those counting towards 2011.

[Andy]

Michigan OT Taylor Lewan coming back. Mild surprise as he was a projected top 10 pick. Edited January 10, 2013 by Andy