Having athletic QB EJ Manuel healthy is a big key to Florida State's season. (Brad Barr-US PRESSWIRE)
Auburn coach Gene Chizik continues to be asked who the Tiger starting quarterback is going to be.
Could this be any easier?
Clint Moseley is limited with a sore shoulder. True freshman Jonathan Wallace is in the mix, but, again, he is a freshman. Of course, Kiehl Frazier is going to be the quarterback. How hard is it to figure that one out? Of all the reports from SEC coaches, is there any coach that gives the media less information than Chizik?
Florida has lost four verbal commitments in the past few weeks. Only one is directly linked to the departure of former recruiting coordinator Aubrey Hill, but the others are not. There is some speculation that the Gator coaching staff has decided to cut ties with some of the players. Whatever the reason, rival coaches are using the recruiting situation against the Gators.
Speaking of Florida, Gator freshman BUCK linebacker Dante Fowler, Jr., has been nearly unblockable during fall camp. No question he will see early playing time this season.
Georgia now is the only SEC staff to return intact from last season after Mississippi State receivers coach Angelo Mirando left the team due to personal reasons.
Bulldog quarterback Aaron Murray is 2-7 in big games during his career as chronicled in an interesting read by Seth Emerson of www.macon.com. In fairness to Murray, some of the losses can’t be laid on him. He did make some crucial mistakes in the bowl loss to Michigan State. Yet, if Murray rises to the next level, he could lead the Dawgs back to the SEC title game — or better.
Ole Miss football coach Hugh Freeze has lavished praise on freshmen tailbacks Jaylen Walton and I’Tavius Mathers. Heralded freshman defensive end Channing Ward, who was cleared on Friday by the NCAA, is ready to join practice.
Missouri’s athletic department expects to see a minimum $750,000 increase for travel the first year in the league, boosting what was already a $4 to $4.5 million annual expense according to www.stltoday.com. What helps Missouri is the expansion of Delta Airlines into Columbia because Tigers athletes can fly into Atlanta on a regular basis. Still, travel expenses are part of the challenge of conference expansion.
South Carolina’s defense could be better than advertised. In a recent scrimmage, the defense forced five turnovers. That is stout, even though a lot of the players in the scrimmage were reserves. Defensive end Jadeveon Clowney has been given the clearance to roam freely from the linebacker position. All is not good news in Columbia, however. Defensive back Akeem Auguste’s nagging groin/thigh injury, which he aggravated in Saturday’s scrimmage, will keep him sidelined for at least the next four or five weeks.
Tennessee coach Derek Dooley is looking for tight end depth. Junior linebacker Greg King was moved to tight end after Brendan Downs went down with a serious knee injury in Friday’s scrimmage. There is little depth behind starting tight end Mychal Rivera, who also has missed much of camp with injury.
Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher said that quarterback EJ Manuel’s right foot injury is progressing. It appears that defensive tackle Jacobbi McDaniel will be redshirted this season due to an ankle injury that never healed from last October.
Maryland coach Randy Edsall needs something positive to happen in the worst way after losing starting quarterback C. J. Brown to an ACL injury. He has no quarterbacks with any experience behind Brown. His former quarterback, Danny O’Brien, has been named the starter at Wisconsin.
Virginia Tech offensive lineman Brent Benedict, a sophomore, is making a push for a starting job after losing some substantial weight in order to tip the scales at slightly more than 300 pounds. Benedict, who is a transfer from Georgia, is set to come into his own this season.
Brent Beaird writes for www.lindyssports.com, www.collegenotebook.com and Gator Bait magazine. He can be heard on 1010XL sport radio in Jacksonville, Florida. Brent, who is a Heisman Trophy voter, can be contacted at brentbeaird@aol.com and on twitter @brentbeaird
