ALABAMA: Tide running backs coach Burton Burns is staying at Alabama after a flirtation with Florida State for the same position. Why did Burns stay at Bama? FSU is a fine school, but at best it is a lateral move. No doubt he got the promise of a pay raise and he realized that he will be coaching an incredible group of running backs coming in next year such as Derrick Henry from Yulee, Florida, who broke the national high school rushing record this season.
There was not much surprise that offensive lineman D. J. Fluker is leaving Alabama. He did improve his stock toward the end of the season. I had the chance to meet Fluker after the national title game in New Orleans last year. I was really impressed with his humility. His teammate, guard Anthony Steen, announced that he is returning next season. There was little conjecture that Steen was leaving.
Tide coach Nick Saban announced the hiring of Greg Brown as the secondary coach replacing Jeremy Pruitt who went to FSU. Brown spent the last three seasons in the college ranks at Colorado and Arizona.
ARKANSAS: According to Chuckoliver.net, Razorbacks’ running back Donovan Roberts is not returning to the team. Roberts, a Norman, Okla., native, sat out the 2012 season after being rated as the 32nd-best running back in the nation by Rivals.com out of high school. He was in line for opportunities in 2013 after the departure of veterans Knile Davis, Dennis Johnson and Ronnie Wingo.
AUBURN: Tiger quarterback Clint Moseley is not returning next season which means Kiehl Frazier and Jonathan Wallace will battle for the Tiger starting position this spring. Bank on the fact that Auburn will be in better shape at quarterback in 2013 than they were last season.
GEORGIA: According to Bulldog beat writer Gentry Estes, nose guard Kwame Geathers is heading to the NFL. He played in 34 games for the Bulldogs after redshirting during the 2009 season. His teammates Jarvis Jones and Bacarri Rambo have already declared. The Georgia offense will be deadly but the Bulldog defense may be missing as many as nine starters.
Per Bulldog beat writer Dean Legge, Chris Wilson, who was on the Mississippi State the past three seasons, is the new defensive line coach replacing Rodney Garner who went to Auburn. Coach Mark Richt said, “Wilson is a tremendous teacher, recruiter, mentor and brings a wealth of knowledge.”
FLORIDA: Florida linebacker Jelani Jenkins is leaving for NFL draft. He was often injured during his career. Quarterback Jacoby Brissett and running Chris Johnson are transferring. Brissett was a Charlie Weis recruit. He is a good dual-threat quarterback who will be a nice addition for some team. Johnson made a minimal contribution.
KENTUCKY: Wildcat officials are trying to raise $125 million to refurbish Commonwealth Stadium. This is a good move that will benefit new coach Mark Stoops in terms of recruiting and fan interest.
LSU: The 10th underclassman to declare for the draft is junior offensive tackle Chris Faulk. Rarely have we ever seen this many underclassmen leave one school. This will be a spring with plenty of question marks for the Tigers.
According to Nola.com, NFL Draft analyst Mike Detillier told Matt Moscona of ESPN 104.5-FM in Baton Rouge that Tigers junior offensive lineman Chris Davenport will transfer to Tulane for his final season. One of the state’s highest-rated recruits in the Class of 2009, the 6-foot-4, 330-pound Davenport never started a game for LSU after beginning his career on the defensive line and moving to the offensive line in 2011. A December graduate, Davenport will be able to play right away at Tulane under NCAA rules,
LSU also will lose defensive linemen Barkevious Mingo, Sam Montgomery and Bennie Logan, running backs Spencer Ware and Michael Ford, linebacker Kevin Minter, safety Eric Reid, cornerback Tharold Simon and punter Brad Wing.
In better news, LSU junior safety Craig Loston said he will return for his senior season.
SOUTH CAROLINA: Receiver Ace Sanders is returning for senior season. Sanders is a dynamic playmaker as he proved in the Outback Bowl. He can get the job done also on special teams as evidenced by his punt return for a touchdown in the bowl game.
TENNESSEE: According to the Timesfreepress.com, three freshmen have left the team. The Volunteers careers of defensive linemen Omari Phillips and Trent Taylor and cornerback Deion Bonner are done. Phillips and Bonner were indefinitely suspended by former coach Derek Dooley for violating unspecified team rules during the season, and the 6-foot-2, 288-pound Taylor wasn’t a part of the program during the season while he focused on academics.
After signing with Florida, the 6-foot-6, 325-pound Phillips eventually enrolled at Tennessee during the summer when he was denied admission to his home-state school. Bonner, who was charged in the locker-room theft of items during a visit to Georgia his junior year of high school, was linked to a campus theft in November. No charges were filed, and Bonner didn’t miss any games until his suspension two weeks later. The 5-foot-11, 178-pound Bonner appeared in nine games, mostly on special teams and as a defensive reserve, while Phillips and Taylor played in just one game each.
VANDERBILT: Perhaps coach James Franklin’s biggest recruiting success was convincing receiver Jordan Matthews to stay in school for his senior season. Matthew is one of the reasons Vandy won nine games last year for the first time since 1915. No, I did not cover that season for the Commodores.
CLEMSON: Clemson quarterback Tajh Boyd announced Wednesday that he is returning for his senior year. What a game the opener at home against Georgia will be. Boyd and Aaron Murray might throw for a combined 1,000 yards in the game.
FLORIDA STATE: According to Warchant.com, Dameyune Craig’s replacement could possibly be former Clemson offensive coordinator Billy Napier, who is currently the quarterbacks coach at Colorado State.
Noles offensive lineman Menelik Watson is leaving for the NFL according to Warchant.com and the Palm Beach Post. After transferring from the JUCO ranks last year, Menelik started 12 games at tackle for the Seminoles, earning honorable mention All-ACC honors following the season. The Post writes that Menelik “has played just 20 games since come to this country from Manchester, England, 12 at FSU, eight at Saddleback Junior College.
GEORGIA TECH: Coach Paul Johnson has hired Ted Roof away from Penn State to be the defensive coordinator. Roof had redeemed himself at Penn State after his defenses at Auburn were frankly miserable.
VIRGINIA TECH: Cornerback Antone Exum will return for his senior season. That is good news for defensive coordinator Bud Foster, but the Tech problems are more on offense than defense.
CONFERENCE BOWL RECORDS: Here are the final conference bowl records: WAC 2-0, C-USA 4-1, Big East 3-1, ACC 4-2, SEC 6-3, Pac-12 4-4, Big 12 4-5, Sun Belt 1-2, Big Ten 2-5, MAC 2-5
and Mountain West Conference 1-4.