Correction: Noah Whiteside is a 3rd stringer..

He would have been the 6th WR picked to be on the field behind Sidney Rice, Kenny McKinley, Syvelle Newton, and Mike West, and O.J. Murdock. That would make him 3rd string... my bad.

Regardless we don't need him.

As I stated earlier, he was one of Lou's poorly recruits. Not saying that all of them were, but more of them were.

The great character players still left on the team from the Holtz era like Sidney Rice are few and far between.

Be patient, the bad apples are being weeded out.. so to speak.

For any arguments on the on Whiteside being 3rd string.. check the depth chart. Link below.

http://southcarolina.rivals.com/cdepthtext.asp?Team=SOCAROLINA

Robertson gives USC a shot in the arm

On Recruiting

LAST WEEK’S COMMITMENT from defensive end Travian Robertson (6-foot-4, 230 pounds) of Laurinburg, N.C., certainly gives a boost to USC’s recruiting efforts. It had been over a month since the Gamecocks’ last commitment.

With Robertson’s commitment, the Gamecocks can feel some recruiting momentum shifting back their way. They are hoping for good news this week from wide receiver Jason Barnes (6-4, 196) of Charlotte who is deciding between USC and North Carolina. His coach said Barnes seemed to favor the Tar Heels, but his parents like the Gamecocks.

Saturday tight end Wes Saunders (6-5, 270) of Durham, N.C., visited USC with his father and has the Gamecocks squarely in the picture. Saunders will visit USC this fall. He also has dates set with Louisville and Penn State. His other offers are Clemson, East Carolina, Wake Forest, North Carolina, N.C. State and Maryland. He does not have a favorite.

When the Gamecocks open practice Saturday night, their top quarterback target, Stephen Garcia (6-3, 215) of Tampa, Fla., plans to be there for an unofficial visit. Garcia has said USC and Florida are his favorites. He competed at the Elite 11 quarterback camp in California last week and was rated third behind Texas commitment John Brantley IV and Clemson commitment Willy Korn.

The Gamecocks lead for defensive end Cortez Myles (6-3, 250) of Madison, Miss., and he’s thinking about making a commitment for his season. Myles also has Auburn, LSU and Florida in the mix.

USC is in the top four with defensive back Akeem Auguste (5-10, 175) of Hollywood, Fla. He also likes Florida, Florida State and Auburn. He said he will take in a game at USC this season.

Offensive lineman Kyle Nunn (6-6, 280) of Sumter committed to Virginia Tech last week. He also had offers from N.C. State and North Carolina.

Shrine Bowl defensive lineman Chris Donaldson (6-3, 260) of Westside signed last week with Coffeyville (Kan.) JC.

Cheraw defensive end Cliff Matthews (6-5, 223) has traded his basketball sneakers for football cleats after returning from an AAU tournament in Las Vegas. He plans to have a decision in August and said his preference remains Georgia, Clemson and USC. He does plan to make an unofficial visit to Clemson before deciding.

Conway wide receiver Junior Hemingway (6-2, 205) made an unofficial visit to USC last week and has the Gamecocks on his favorites’ list along with Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Florida and Miami. He wants to make a decision before his season.

Byrnes linebacker Chad Diehl (6-2, 235) has offers from Duke, Virginia Tech and Coastal Carolina and says Clemson and Georgia Tech plan to watch him early in the season.

Spring Valley offensive lineman Kyle Fischer (6-6, 300) now has offers from Louisville, Maryland, Vanderbilt, East Carolina and N.C. State.

Tight end Brian Linthicum (6-5, 225) of Charlottesville, Va., will announce his decision Thursday with Clemson, Boston College, Michigan State, California and Virginia Tech on his list. He will make an unofficial visit to Virginia Tech on Tuesday. He has no favorite.

USC has offered defensive end Byron McKnight (6-4, 215) of Laurinburg, N.C., Travian Robertson’s teammate. That is his first offer.

Defensive lineman Kyle Linney (6-3, 275) of Taylorsville, N.C., has offers from USC, N.C. State and East Carolina. He’s a slight lean to N.C. State.

USC and Florida are the two favorites of two Ocala, Fla., teammates: defensive back Antonio Allen (6-1, 190) and wide receiver Deon Lecorn (6-0, 205). Both plan to make unofficial visits soon and official visits during the season.

Allen also has offers from Clemson, Nebraska, Mississippi, Louisville, N.C. State and North Carolina. Florida has not offered. Lecorn list includes Clemson, South Florida, Central Florida, Louisville, N.C. State, Illinois, Mississippi, Tennessee and LSU.

http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/sports/colleges/university_of_south_carolina/15161370.htm

Overflow Of Recievers at South Carolina

Latest News!! The Gamecocks have as many at 25 recievers as Noah Whiteside is listed as 5th string! This could be why they didn't have enough offensive lineman for the Spring game! Noah was one of 4 recievers returning to catch a pass last year and he wasn't even gonna start! That crafty Old Ball Sack!

The more important notes from Spurriers press conference..

July 31, 2006

South Carolina head football coach Steve Spurrier addressed the media as part of his annual golf outing Monday in Columbia. Here are some of his thoughts on the upcoming season:

Opening Statement
"I really think I've got one of the best coaching staffs I've ever had in 16 years, I'm serious. We've got some new guys who have helped us, plus I think our guys are going to coach better this year. I think we have learned a little bit more about what we are trying to do and we are going to coach better than last year."

"I know I had to yell at our guys a little bit about offseason workouts. We had five to seven players that are not as committed as well as we should, but one group I want to brag on a little bit is the offensive line, and I've said several times already this year I think the offensive line will play better than the group last year. They've worked harder in the offseason. They've been close to 100 percent from what our strength coach tells us, and as a group, they've probably been the best on the team."

"James Thompson is ready to become a ballplayer now. Chris White is in the best shape he's ever been in, Thomas Coleman has really improved his strength and was able to make all the runs the other day. Gurminder Thind is a guy who's worked extremely hard. He works on his own. I saw some guys in the weight room the other day working out on their own, which is very unusual around here. I'm sure they do it on their own some, but we don't see them very often. They do go out and throw the ball around and cover each other, the quarterbacks, receivers and DBs from what I hear, so they've done that. Anyway, it's good to see some guys doing a little extra on their own, which Gurminder was doing the other day."

"We are approaching the year again with some cautious optimism. I've said before if we win more than we lose that will be a good year. I don't think we need to put a lot of pressure on our guys that they're supposed to win so many right now. We're still building this thing, but we could have a pretty good team. I don't know what's going to happen. I just know looking back at a lot of teams I've been able to coach, we've been able to win a lot of games with not maybe a dominant defense, but a good defense. I think our defense will play better this year too. I think we'll be much better organized. Our players will be more knowledgeable about what they're trying to do, and I think those sophomores and freshmen maybe will really represent us as a group that plays with a lot of effort, that plays with as much effort as we can, so I'm looking forward to seeing what our defense does this year too."

"Obviously, we feel good that we won seven games last year. We had a chance to win one or two more and had a chance to lose two or three other more. When you play a whole bunch of close ones and you win more than you lose, sometimes you count your blessings. Some of those teams lose all the close ones, then you can really have a bad year, so hopefully we'll again win our share of the close games and go from there."

"If we are going to have a big year this year, obviously our quarterback Blake Mitchell will have to play extremely well. I think our running backs Cory Boyd and Mike Davis are two really good ones. Bobby Wallace may jump in there and make some long runs this year, who knows."

"Our receiving corps, with Sidney Rice and Kenny McKinley; Mike West is a fast player over there just learning how to play receiver. Maybe he can make some plays. The freshman Moe Brown is one of the fastest kids on the team, so he'll get a good chance out there also."

"Defensively, I don't know who to talk about right now. We'll have to wait and see who the star players are going to be over there. We think a lot of them have got a chance to play well."

"Marvin Sapp hopefully is going to be our leading tackler, hopefully one of our safeties won't do it this year, although one freshman you might want to keep an eye on is Emmanuel Cook. I think right now we're putting him where Ko Simpson played. From what I hear, Emmanuel runs extremely well and is one of the strongest freshmen reporting, so he's physically ready to play as a freshman. Other than that, Fred Bennett is about the lone returning starter, though I'm sure we had a few others start off and on."

"We're excited about Marque Hall. Marque has gained about 25 good pounds and he's ready to step in there and play defensive tackle and hopefully make a bunch of plays in there. Stanley Doughty is always a wait-and-see type guy, but hopefully he's lost a little weight and can play to his potential, because he could be a good player in there for us if his weight is right and his mind is right, so hopefully he's going to do that."

"In our kicking game, Ryan Succop of course is our kickoff man. He's one of the best in the country. I don't know who the extra point/field goal is going to be. We're still having some tryouts. Coach Chatham and us are going to have tryouts here quickly and try and settle on who we think our best kicker is. Ryan Succop could be our punter."

Listen to Spurriers Presser here: http://uscsports.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/073106aaa.html

3rd string WR and 2nd string Saftey suspended for Carolina's 1st 3 games of season..

Well it looks like Carolina will have to try to beat Miss St, UGA, and Wofford without 2 of their backups.

In a media conference today Spurrier stated that Noah Whiteside and Ty Erving will be suspended for the first 3 games of Carolina's opening season.

"Noah is not academically eligible yet," Spurrier said. "He's worked pretty hard in the off-season."

Erving was arrested in April, 2005, for simple possession of marijuana in the Five Points area the night after the spring game. Erving was with former Gamecock player Josh Johnson when he was arrested, Brown was kicked off the team soon after. Erving petitioned for the Pre-Trial Intervention program earlier this year.

Whiteside, a senior, career stats are as followed.. 32 catches for 518 yards and 3 TDs in 3 seasons.

Erving, a junior, saw no action on the field until the 2005 season where he had 6 solo tackles and 2 assist tackles.

This was not a shock to anyone on either players parts, in fact they both are lucky they weren't suspended for the entire season. Especially Erving.

They have poor work ethic along with other problems. They are two of the many low character players picked up during the Lou Holtz era. It was only a matter of time for both of them.

Tigers have eyes on primetime

Posted on Sun, Jul. 30, 2006

ITS SELF-PROCLAIMED “BCS Summer” is over, and Clemson is about to learn whether it can compete with the big boys.

Or CBS’s “Two and a Half Men,” to be exact.

With a remotely successful season this year, the Tigers could land on Monday Night Football in 2007.

ACC commissioner John Swofford announced last week that the Miami-Florida State game will not be held on Labor Day night next year for the first time in four years, leaving the conference and ABC with a major hole in its season kickoff package.

Swofford guaranteed that an ACC game will fill the slot, and given the league’s willingness to pimp its second-tier teams on ESPN’s Thursday night lineup, the conference will unquestionably do everything in its power to ensure that happens.

From its perspective, Clemson would appear an ideal fit.

Aside from pitting FSU or Miami against a powerhouse from another conference — and both coaches recently spoke wearily about enduring yet another high-stakes opener — the ACC’s options seem few and far between.

Based on this season’s projections, only one other team, Virginia Tech, could potentially justify inclusion.

If Clemson can manage to finish this upcoming season with a top-25 ranking, it would offer a combination of quality products — relative name recognition (coach Tommy Bowden) and star power (tailbacks James Davis and C.J. Spiller) .

Not to mention, the Tigers would be available.

Clemson has conveniently avoiding releasing specifics about its 2007 opener for several reasons.

Among them: The ACC does not finalize the schedule order of conference games until January, so the Tigers would not know of their new date for a while.

And school officials say releasing a premature schedule that gets changed later would needlessly upset fans who have already made plans for those weekends.

Clemson has previously announced three of its four non-conference games with tentatively scheduled dates: Sept. 8 against Louisiana-Monroe, Sept. 15 against Temple and Nov. 24 at USC.

But don’t expect the Temple game to happen — the Owls recently booked Connecticut to replace the Tigers on the docket — and Clemson remains tight-lipped about its two remaining opponents.

Considering the Tigers and FSU prefer to square off early in the season to avoid the possible drama of having a Bowden family member on the hot seat — be it Tommy, FSU coach Bobby, or one of Tommy’s brothers, beleaguered Seminoles offensive coordinator Jeff — even throwing the Bowden Bowl on primetime makes sense.

That is not to suggest Clemson will eagerly embrace any of these speculative scenarios.

As treasured as the 1 p.m. Saturday start time is to both school and followers, the prospect of a late Monday night would invariably sap some of the festivity from the Tigers’ blue-collar clientele.

Plus there’s no way the coaching staff would want a high-caliber opener when player personnel is taken into account.

Clemson will head into its 2007 opener with a green quarterback — probably either this year’s No. 2, then-junior Cullen Harper, or touted incoming freshman Willy Korn — as well as an entirely overhauled offensive line if junior left tackle Barry Richardson bolts for the NFL.

That’s putting the remodeled cart before the horse.

But for a program seeking to raise its social status, the Labor Day game is an attainable long-term goal that would validate Clemson’s jump from annual trendy pick to accepted ACC contender and boost the Tigers to that perceived next level.

“That game is like Monday Night Football,” Bobby Bowden said. “You’ve got the whole country. ... Everybody wants that night.”

“The exposure and recruiting and P.R., you can’t get enough money to buy that much P.R.”

Or turn it down.

http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/sports/15155937.htm

Tough season-opener keeps Bulldogs focused

7/30/2006

In 32 days, Mississippi State will kick off its season against South Carolina in a nationally-televised ESPN game.

With the questions facing this Bulldog squad, a cupcake such as Murray State (last year's opener) might have been more appropriate to schedule.

However, it's the hand that's dealt and the challenge facing Sylvester Croom as he begins his third year on the MSU sidelines.

But many coaches say a tougher opponent keeps the focus through the hot summer months. We'll soon find out. And we all know, focus these next four-plus weeks is key.

Why? For the offense, there are several reasons.

It's a unit that has an Everest-like mountain to climb before it's ready to take the field against the Gamecocks.

Quarterback Michael Henig, who has just three starts under his belt, broke his toe six weeks ago in a freak accident running up the stairs and became limited in his offseason workouts.

At the SEC Media Days, Henig said he's fine and that he'll be ready on Wednesday for the first practice. However, a slight limp was noticeable Friday as he made the rounds to meet with the various news agencies.

Despite the setback, he was able to wear a protective boot as he found time to throw the football and work on his timing. That helped, along with the fact he said he was in the best shape of his life prior to the injury.

Still, with a crop of new receivers and a new-look backfield, he needs to get to 100 percent as fast as possible.

"We'll probably limit how many reps he gets in practice early, but we were going to do that anyway because we know Mike knows what to do," Croom said. "He knows how to run the offense."

Prep work within the offensive line is key, too.

However, there is an advantage - far more experience up front than a year ago. And in this league, success greatly hinges on how the men in the trenches perform.

Brian Anderson has received a great deal of attention as he has been named second-team All-SEC by nearly every publication imaginable. Last year, he showcased his versatility by playing left tackle. This year, he's back at his natural position - right guard.

The Bulldogs do have a new center in Royce Blackledge. But again, experience isn't lacking, as he started the last six games at right tackle. Anthony Strauder returns at left guard, where he started every game in 2005. The only two players lacking experience are J.D. Hamilton and Craig Jenkins, but at least they have veterans to turn to for advice. In recent years, that hasn't been the case.

"Basically, we withdrew into a shell last year and became a very conservative football team because we didn't have a lot of receivers and because of inexperience in the offensive line," Croom said.

With those problems being rectified, a more open offense should be revealed.

Of course, we'll know a lot more come Aug. 31, win or lose.

While it is essential the Bulldogs get off to a good start as far as the win/loss column is concerned, Croom said the outcome won't make or break the season.

"A win would make it easier," he said. "I sure would have a lot more fun that night and the next day when I go recruiting."

But a must-win game, the first game of the season? No such animal. You got 11 more games to play."

http://www.djournal.com/pages/story.asp?ID=225141&pub=1&div=Sports

Hope Is Building For FAU

One moment, Howard Schnellenberger sounds insane. The next, Florida Atlantic's football coach is waxing passionately and eloquently about the contribution of the on-campus football stadium to the tradition of college football, reciting names and dates and 20-year-old scores.

This will be the sixth season at FAU for the 72-year-old Schnellenberger, who brought programs at Miami and Louisville back to life many years ago. His quixotic plan at FAU, which includes a national Division I championship and an on-campus stadium by the end of this decade, is not exactly on schedule. In their first season in Division I-A last year, the Owls went 2-9, losing their season finale, 52-6, to Florida International. That's a long, long way from the championship of south Florida, let alone the nation.

Schnellenberger didn't mention anything about championships at Saturday's session of the Florida Sports Writers Association Media Days. He did mention that his roster is very young again, a coach's way of reducing expectations. Any chance the Owls had of bouncing back with the kind of seasons they posted in 2003 and 2004 (11-3 and 9-3, respectively) figures to be quickly dismissed by their schedule.

"I'm sure excited about the fact that Clemson agreed to play us at their place, Kansas State agreed to play us, as did Oklahoma State," Schnellen-berger said in Tampa, "and finally, that Steve Spurrier would give us the opportunity to come up to (South Carolina) and learn how to play . . . old-coach ball, is it?

"Those will be FAU's first four games, all on the road."

I doubt seriously whether we'll win the national championship this coming year," Schnellenberger deadpanned. "But once again, we want to start out playing the best teams that will play us.

"It's an admirable concept, and crazy. In 2007, FAU will play at Florida. Schnellenberger has talked to Bobby Bowden about bringing FSU down for the first game in FAU's new stadium, whenever it opens. If ever it opens. FAU has grandiose plans for a 40,000-seat indoor stadium for football and basketball, similar to Syracuse's Carrier Dome. Several hurdles and many dollars are in the way. Even FAU's media guide refers to the project as its "Possible New Cultural Events Center."

By contrast, UCF, which came up with a stadium plan years after Schnellenberger, hopes to have its new stadium up next year. "Right now they have the concrete up and the steel shows up Aug. 15," coach George O'Leary reported.

Losing games to national powers does not worry Schnellenberger nearly as much as losing the battle to get his stadium constructed."Without a stadium on our campus, there's no reason to play football," he said. "Without a stadium, we're not going to get to where we need to get."

Then again, he added, "two and nine is not a death sentence. Two and nine is just a work in progress."

http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060730/COLUMNISTS0604/607300412/1113/SPORTS

The University of Spurrier

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

???? ?

-- 1. Steve Spurrier (South Carolina): This man has spent most of his career in the SEC at the top of this ranking. Even though Spurrier is 61, he has the mind and physical strength of a much younger man and he is still the best. He proved that last year with a vastly undermanned team, yet he managed to outcoach the likes of Phillip Fulmer, Urban Meyer and Houston Nutt. End of discussion.

Urban Meyer? This constitutes what? It was his first year playing with the big boys and quite frankly the jury is still out.

Houston Nutt? Wow he is so good he is about to get fired.

Phillip Fulmer, O.K. we can use that sparingly. I say sparingly because it was the worst Tenn. team he ever had.

Please Contact The State Newspaper

I'm sure they will agree you have better sources and issue a rebuttal to the article, LOL.

As for your offensive line, they were horrible last year and you didn't even have enough for a full line in the Spring game. Again you make no sense and yes even a JUNCO Offensive lineman could have played for your team last year. Bottom line, your offensive line and defensive line were awful last year. Thats why Ko Simpson was your leading tackler. Thats also why S. Rice caught so many balls, that and the fact your other recievers were not very good. I sure do hope you are counting on some of the players coming in and making an impact, otherwise according to the 6-6 bowl and rilvary losing football team that was on the field last year minus Ko Simpson, it will be a long year for the Cock.

Spurrier still best in SEC

Saturday, July 29, 2006

With SEC Media Days behind us and the endless and mindless predictions accounted for, the time has come again to analyze the 12 gentlemen who will coach in the league this fall.

This bi-annual poll ranks the league's coaches not so much on lifetime achievement but on current ability. This is not based entirely on won-loss results or what happened last year.

I first began this column in the late 1980s around the time of media days and some of those on top have included Pat Dye, Gene Stallings, Terry Bowden and Nick Saban.

Here is a look at the best and worst of the SEC coaches:

-- 1. Steve Spurrier (South Carolina): This man has spent most of his career in the SEC at the top of this ranking. Even though Spurrier is 61, he has the mind and physical strength of a much younger man and he is still the best. He proved that last year with a vastly undermanned team, yet he managed to outcoach the likes of Phillip Fulmer, Urban Meyer and Houston Nutt. End of discussion.

-- 2. Mark Richt (Georgia): Only a Hall of Famer keeps Richt out of the top spot. The only blemish on his otherwise stellar resume is his 1-4 mark against Florida. His road record (19-2) is breathtaking and his overall mark of 52-13 is sparkling.

-- 3. Tommy Tuberville (Auburn): The boy can coach. Since the coup attempt, Tuberville is 24-3, proving Auburn moguls should have gassed up the jet a year earlier if they wanted to get rid of him. He has beaten Alabama four times in a row and has put Auburn football back on the national map.

-- 4. Phillip Fulmer (Tennessee): Many are writing off Fulmer, but not so fast. He's had one bad year in his career and in spite of being on the hot seat, I wouldn't be surprised to see the Vols contend for the SEC East title. Bringing David Cutcliffe back should cure the offensive ills of last season. Many have gone broke underestimating Fulmer's abilities.

-- 5. Urban Meyer (Florida): By far Meyer is the coach with the most potential to be a superstar. Meyer struggled in his first year (9-3), but still managed to beat Tennessee, Georgia and Florida State. He has proven to be one of America's top recruiters and will probably be the most intriguing story to watch in the league over the next few years.

-- 6. Les Miles (LSU): Miles also remains a mystery. After inheriting a national championship-caliber team from Saban, Miles managed an 11-2 record but still left many with an uneasy feeling about his future.

-- 7. Mike Shula (Alabama): Coming off a surprising 10-2 record and top-10 national ranking, Shula's program encountered a tough summer off the field and faces even more questions about the upcoming season. Still, with a new $1.8 million annual contract, Shula's most important feat last season was getting critics off his back. He still must find a way to deal with the Auburn
question (0-3) and win an SEC title, After all, this is his fourth year on the job.

-- 8. Houston Nutt (Arkansas): This is a man squarely on the hot seat. Two years removed from deciding against the Nebraska job, Nutt has gotten himself into a big mess. He faces a seminal season and may have to play a true freshman at quarterback. If the quarterback comes through, Nutt will have a great year.

-- 9. Ed Orgeron (Ole Miss): Orgeron confirmed his status last winter as a great recruiter but can he coach? Losing badly (35-14) to Mississippi State didn't help matters, but his high-octane energy has some fans thinking glory days may return to Oxford.

-- 10. Sylvester Croom (Mississippi State): Another coach who has done a good job of talking the talk but so far the walk has not been smooth. Because he oozes class, beaten-down Bulldog fans are willing to extend a helping hand and give Croom plenty of time. Still, at some point, wins need to come on the field or patience will run very thin.

-- 11. Bobby Johnson (Vanderbilt): Last year this program was so close to breaking out, but once again failed to get to a bowl game (a loss to Middle Tennessee made the difference). Still, the stunning upset over Tennessee was the biggest moment in recent Vandy history. Most observers believe Johnson would be a success at a more stable program.

-- 12. Rich Brooks (Kentucky): We have now finished the third SEC Media Days in a row where Brooks -- who inherited a mess -- was predicted to be in his final year at Kentucky. This dubious hire has shown no signs of being successful. At this week's media days, Brooks was dead man walking. If he were wise, he'd call Allied Moving now to lock in a good price for December.

http://www.al.com/sports/mobileregister/pfinebaum.ssf?/base/sports/1154164541311770.xml&coll=3

Clarence Bailey wouldn't have beat out this guy for his starting job.

Expected to challenge for the starting job, and actually starting are two different things. We know we have a good OT in Gurminder Thind (pictured above) we didn't know that about Bailey. If a guy couldn't qualify from a JUCO we don't want him anyway.

"In fact, Spurrier was planning to start him next year at Offensive Tackle."

Isn't that what you wrote? I guess there went the validity of your write up.. LOL.

Any arguments please contact Steve Spurrier.

Bailey won’t be toeing O-line for USC

The USC newcomer expected to make the biggest impact this season will not figure in the Gamecocks’ plans at all.

Clarence Bailey, an offensive lineman from Lackawanna (Pa.) Community College, has failed to qualify and will not enroll at USC, Gamecocks coach Steve Spurrier said Thursday.
“He didn’t make it,” Spurrier said during the second day of SEC Media Days.

Bailey, a 6-foot-7, 330-pounder from Trenton, N.J., signed with USC in December and was expected to challenge Gurminder Thind for the starting job at left tackle. Spurrier said it was doubtful that Bailey would join the Gamecocks in the future.

I guess there went the validity of your write up.
Any arguments please contact The State Newspaper.

http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/sports/15141321.htm

Few Gamecock pics.. You know you love em!

Future Heisman winner!

Chris.. Pimping

Cory Boyd and Chris Smelley

Casper DE and Jasper MLB

Travian Robertson

Travian Robertson's commitment speach was so heart felt, he said "Spurrier said he didn't need me and that was what won me over". I got news for you, he does need you and alot more, I guess Tommy should have bitch slapped your stupid ass and maybe that would have made a difference.

Great Research!

WOW! I was wrong, that really proves it the SEC is wonderful. I guess being compared to the big east is not too bad though, they embarrassed your superior SEC champs last year. One thing is for sure, you can have 12 Cory Boyds on the field and 20 Spurriers on the sidelines and you will still be getting you ass handed to you in November, and the way things are going you can look forward to it next year too.

Please Post Your Source of All these Non-qualifiers

Otherwise its like an article from The Myrtle Beach online just a University of Spurrier fan pipe dream. LOL

Another 4 bite the dust!

Man I'm glad that Clarence Bailey was Carolina's only signee that didnt qualify. Your article below on him should have been named "The only one that bit the dust." He was a JUCO transfer that would have only been playing for 2 years anyway. He wouldn't have beat out Jamon Meredith or Gurminder Thind for their starting jobs either. By the way, that was old news.. it's been known since spring.

On the other hand, it looks like Clemson signed a class full of good ole pulp wood dummies. They are all pictured above, and it looks like the pulp wood yard will get a top 15 signing class themselves thanx to Clemson.

Travian Robertson is THE MAN!

"I'm going to meet with my principal soon, and we're going to try to work it out where I can graduate in December."

Said Travian Robertson in an interview after his commitment to the Gamecocks.

In the end, he just prefered playing for Steve Spurrier over the guy in the picture to your right. I for one don't blame him.

As far as him having character issues, who knows maybe he does. I can tell you that the Tigers wanted him very bad. All the comments that I've heard about him suggest that he's a very good kid, and he's gotta be smart if he's going to graduate early.

You havn't seen how things will turn out with Cory Boyd yet, but be patient. He was suspended last year, and patiently waited to get back on the field in a Gamecock jersey rather than transfering to somewhere else. I'm glad to have him back, but trust me you won't be.

SEC decaying?? LMAO!!!

"Its not my fault the SEC is in decay and the ACC has caught up and is about to pass them up."

That is to funny to pass up! If the SEC is in decay I would hate to know what the ACC is. I've got an idea though, and I'll use your favorite word to describe it.. POOP.

The ACC will never be on the same level as the SEC. I did a little research for you to prove my point about the SEC being the superior conference. I looked up the 2004 and 2005 top 25 rankings and compared the two conferences, after the expantion of the ACC. Even with the addition of those 4 great teams the ACC was, and always will be just to shitty to save. Anyways, let me share with you what I found. I don't think you're going to like the results, because it makes your comment above look very silly... or for lack of a better word like POOP.

Let's see here..

2004

SEC

1) Auburn #3

2) Georgia #8

3) LSU #12

4) Tennessee #15

5) Florida #20

ACC

1) VT #9

2) Miami #14

3) FSU #17

4) Virginia #18

5) BC #25

2005

SEC

1) LSU #6

2) Alabama #8

3) Georgia #10

4) Florida #12

5) Auburn #14

ACC

1) VT #7

2) Miami #17

3) BC #18

4) Clemson #21

5) FSU #23

So, there you go. Now you can see how shitty your comment really was. Please don't pick up anymore poop off the sidewalk and bring it here. By the way, check The State paper.. they now have the "ACC fails to live up to great expectations after expansion" article on there page. Guess I wasn't the only one that didn't think it was so shitty huh?

Why College Football Reigns Supreme.

That article was very 0ff the mark and very, very wrong. The ACC has traditionally been a basketball conference, but never has it been anything near the Southern Conference.

Comparatively speaking, Wake Forest and Duke are very similar to Kentucky and Vanderbilt. Also, I don't think the SEC has a school that is almost Ivy League character that competes (admittedly, barely) in Division I football like Duke.

Every conference has its great teams and mediocre teams and bottom dwellers. I will not go as far as to say the SEC is on the way down, but the ACC is right there with it.

In Clemson's defense, I have recently learned more details around Danny Ford's departure, and I understand now why it has taken so long to rebuild what was one of the great teams of the 80's.

The addition of BC, UM, and VT did strengthen an already surging conference, but as a football fan I watched a lot of ACC schools compete with the nations great teams through the last 8 years or so and we were not behind athletically. The offense has generally been more conservative, but the defense is speaking for itself in the NFL drafts.

Finally, if the traditional powers of the SEC doesn't catch up with the new wave of offense hitting college football, I can see them slipping slightly in conference power charts.

These are my opinions, not meant to piss anyone off......but they could. Brent

Another One Bites the Dust!

Clarence Bailey was the Gamecock's best offensive linemen recruit last year. In fact, Spurrier was planning to start him next year at Offensive Tackle, but that is not going to happen now because he has been declared a big old fat Butt Nellie Pulp Wood Dummy.

The Cocks Never Learn

The Gamecocks have yet another recruit that an initial strong lean in their favor, then making false claims to be heading in a different direction and choosing the Cocks at the last minute, all done to gain media attention. What does this spell? More character issues on the way. After all who got this whole thing started? Thats right, Cory Boyd and look how that turned out. When will they learn? Dishonestly and thuggery are one in the same.

After all, most Cock fans would argue to the end that this is not true of Travian Robertson, how soon they forget, Gary Gray did the same thing and I don't think he will be winning any popularity contest at the Cock festivals anytime soon.

Not shooting the messenger

But if you pick up a turd and bring it in the house I'm not going to blame the dog for pooping.

Saying anything bad about the ACC these days is plain stupid and it is obvious that it is done for an alteria motive, put plainly, a Cock fan. Many many comparison's were made to the SEC, several references were made bashing the Tigers. Its not my fault the SEC is in decay and the ACC has caught up and is about to pass them up.

On the Myrtle Beach online article..

Don't shoot the messenger!

I was simply reporting news a found. If there is an article that has somthing derogatory concerning Carolina or the SEC conference (fact or fiction) I fully expected it to be posted on this webpage.

I mean, articles like this make things interesting.. it surely got a rise out of someone.. am I wrong??

I'm not saying that I agree or disagree with the article, infact I'm about half and half.

Comments about the ACC being the Socon without BC, FSU, VT, and Miami are far fetcthed, but really.. how far fetched are they??

I still wouldn't compare the ACC to the Socon, without the teams named above, but more like the Big East of new. Without the 4 teams named above the ACC would be pretty evenly matched with teams like West Virginia, Louisville, Pitt, Syracuse, ect.

Again, I was just posting an article I found on-line. Nothing more. So, next time don't get the sad face like Whitehurst did in the picture above (after the loss to Wake, that I so graciously posted for your pleasure) when you see any article that has negitive opinions about the ACC (or any of the schools in the ACC) in the future.

Futhermore, it's silly to bash USC, Steve Spurrier, or the SEC just because you don't agree with an opinionated article that the Myrtle Beach Online puts out. The article had nothing to do with the three.

Don't forget I'm just the messenger!

And that concludes MY OPINION!

Spurrier's Words Clicked With Robertson

July 27, 2006
By Phil Kornblut


USC got the last in person visit with DE Travian Robertson (6-4 230) of Laurinburg, NC, on Tuesday, and it was a final meeting with Steve Spurrier that stuck in his mind as he made his decision to commit to the Gamecocks over Clemson. "He specifically told me he can win with me or without me," Robertson said on SportsTalk Thursday night. "If you don't do what he says, he's going to get rid of you. I like working hard and seeing the results. I was looking more at Clemson facility wise and I felt comfortable there. I got real close to coach Napier, but I felt special with coach Spurrier. I was the only prospect he came to see in North Carolina (in the spring). Spurrier made me feel special. It came down to trusting the coaches. The fact my recruiter Brad Lawing will be my position coach was real important. You are going to spend a lot of time with your position coach." Robertson missed most of last season with a torn ACL but says he's 100% now. He plans to graduate in December and enroll at USC in January if he can get all his academic work done in time.


Side note: Travian Robertson is ranked as the 8th best strong side DE in the nation and a 4 star by Rivals.com

THATS JUST MY OPINION!!!!

"ACC fails to live up to great expectations after expansion"
by: The Myrtle Beach online

I had to go ahead and change my topic for the week because this was too good to pass up. This article was the biggest pile of smelley dog crap that I have ever read. Whoever wrote it needs to stick to what they do best which is probably cow tipping and eating poop. Maybe in the future we can find better sources for this site. For example: The Butt Nellie Post and Courier.

Lets just rip it from paragraph to paragraph shall we:

Paragraph one:
I got news for you, the ACC is every bit as potent as the SEC, in fact a large percentage of people with more than one brain cell think the ACC is on the up swing and the SEC is not what it once was, in short: When people are arguing who has the toughest conference, the ACC is usually right at the top of the list, not the SEC.

Paragraph two:
What is this SEC worthy crap? The SEC champions were upset by the West Virginia inbreeders last year, enough said.

Paragraph three:
Miami and Florida State no longer elite, lay off the crack pipe. Again the SEC champions lost to West Virginia, are they no longer worthy? Every team has a bad game or two, anybody that thinks teams like Miami or Florida State won't always be one of the top five team in the Nation when speaking of football programs is an idiot.

Paragraph four:
A Southern Conference? This is too stupid for an intelligent response, who would be the president? Maybe Doodle Dove or somebody out of the Duke family.

Paragraph five:
"The Deacons are supposed to win only when they play Duke and Clemson."
This was obviously written by a University of Steve Spurrier fan, I thought I smelled shit.

Paragraph six:
The Tarheels are not underachieving, they have never had a good football team.

Paragraph seven:
Frank Beamer in Chapel Hill, what would he do? While the heels have never had a good football team they have also never had a team full of thugs.

Paragraph eight:
Lay off the heels.

Paragraph nine:
It just keeps getting worse and worse, O.K. Mack Brown's Football team won the National Championship last year, you stupid pile of Scooter poop.

Paragraph ten:
I like Amato, he needs to go back to Florida State.

Paragraph eleven:
See Paragraph ten.

Paragraph twelve:
"Clemson always looks good before the season. Then the season begins. The Tigers are never as good as you expect them to be." More evidence, this was a University of Spurrier fan, again it just has that shitty smell to it.

Paragraph thirteen:
"Danny Ford spoiled us. His team played for the national championship. These days, the Tigers play for the championship of South Carolina." His team won the National Championship, if Clemson was playing for the championship of South Carolina they would be playing East Carolina or SC State, they would give us better competition.

I could never have posted this article, it would be like finding a terd on the sidewalk, picking it would have never crossed my mind. But, "Thats Just My Opinion" whats yours?

Latest News: Jimmy Clausen having to much fun this summer

I don't want this guy on my team.. LMAO!

ACC fails to live up to great expectations after expansion

"I am thrilled that Miami, and Virginia Tech and Boston College — and before them the Seminoles — joined North Carolina and N.C. State and Clemson and the fellows. If they had not, the ACC would be the Southern Conference, and I mean no disrespect to Appalachian State."

WHEN YOU THINK about ACC football, there is a term you can’t avoid. The term, of course, is mid-major.

What happened? After annexing Miami and Virginia Tech and then Boston College, the ACC looked potent. Look out, SEC. Well, maybe not SEC, but look out everybody else. I remember telling Carolina Panthers safety Mike Minter he was lucky his beloved Nebraska Cornhuskers didn’t play in the ACC. I hope he doesn’t remember.

The Hokies have been tremendous. Along with a superior program, they offer superior fans and an environment that on game days is, like Clemson, SEC worthy.

Boston College is consistently pretty good. Miami, alas, has been a disappointment. The Hurricanes lost to North Carolina. They were supposed to be a super power but, like Florida State, they no longer are elite. Miami ended its season by losing 40-3 to Louisiana State and losing four assistant coaches. Another was run off earlier.

But I am thrilled that Miami, and Virginia Tech and Boston College — and before them the Seminoles — joined North Carolina and N.C. State and Clemson and the fellows. If they had not, the ACC would be the Southern Conference, and I mean no disrespect to Appalachian State.

The North Carolina programs are abysmal. Duke is supposed to be abysmal, and the Blue Devils always live up or down to that standard. Wake Forest also has an excuse. The Deacons are supposed to win only when they play Duke and Clemson.

The Tar Heels and Wolfpack annually underachieve. When I met North Carolina coach John Bunting, I was so moved I wanted to suit up. A former Tar Heels linebacker, the man is charismatic and, oh, how he loves his school.

He might not have been the first choice — imagine the work Virginia Tech’s Frank Beamer would do in Chapel Hill — but it was tough to envision a recruit turning him down.

Bunting remains charismatic and he still loves his school, but I’m not sure his school loves him back. The Tar Heels went 4-4 in the conference last season and 5-6 overall. For them, anything above .500 feels like major success.

When you look in hindsight at what Mack Brown accomplished at North Carolina, he did a better job there than he has at Texas. Bunting, meanwhile, would be a great fundraiser.

Everybody rips N.C. State coach Chuck Amato. I refuse to get on the bandwagon. I’ve ripped him for years. He once was considered a star. He had the shades and the shoes and the daring and quarterback Philip Rivers. I think he still has the shades and the shoes.

In six seasons, he has lost two more ACC games than he has won. Last season N.C. State was 3-5 in the conference and 7-5 overall.

Clemson always looks good before the season. Then the season begins. The Tigers are never as good as you expect them to be.

Danny Ford spoiled us. His team played for the national championship. These days, the Tigers play for the championship of South Carolina.

http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/mld/myrtlebeachonline/sports/15123019.htm

Yellow Jackets Getting Wrestler To Whip Them Into Shape!

Wow, the yellow jackets have resorted to sports entertainment celebs to help them win.

Amber in Tampa: Aside from the voluntary workouts and the 7-on-7s and weight lifting that we're always hearing about, what have been some of the bigger changes in the offseason training of football players you've seen in the last few years?

Feldman: About a decade ago, martial arts was among the "hot" things many players were doing during the summer, and many still are because it can be very beneficial, especially for linemen in improving their hands. From talking to some coaches, it sounds like yoga really has become a factor for many programs now. Last month I wrote about how Mississippi State has embraced it as a big part of the Bulldogs' summer workouts and last Sunday, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution did a big story on Ga. Tech's commitment to it.

The AJC story really caught my eye for two reasons. One, because it mentions that the Jackets are being trained by former pro wrestling star Diamond Dallas Page ("Do you own Notre Dame or what?" Page yells at the Jackets during a workout.)
The other reason is because Page's business partner is a former college football player from my hometown who happened to be best friends with the older brother of one of my childhood best friends. When I saw the name Craig Aaron and a later reference that he played at Lafayette and Union, I almost dropped my laptop. Aaron has gone from small-college defensive end to Yoga Doc. (It has probably been 15 years since I had seen or heard his name.)

Media ranks Miami Qb Kyle Wright ahead of James Davis and Gaines Adams for ACC preseason player of the year?

Preseason picks on the ACC season

How the media forecast the ACC season on Monday (first-place votes in parentheses):

ATLANTIC DIVISION

1. Florida State (49) 373 points

2. Clemson (13) 322 points

3. Boston College (3) 269 points

4. Maryland 163 points

5. N.C. State 124 points

6. Wake Forest 116 points

COASTAL DIVISION

1. Miami (52) 374 points

2. Virginia Tech (10) 316 points

3. Georgia Tech (3) 279 points

4. Virginia 166 points

5. North Carolina 165 points

6. Duke 65 points

ACC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME WINNER

Miami (31)

Florida State (23)

Clemson (5)

Virginia Tech (5)

Georgia Tech (1)

PRESEASON PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Calvin Johnson, Georgia Tech (50)

Kyle Wright, Miami (5)

James Davis, Clemson (4)

Drew Weatherford, Florida State (4)

Lorenzo Booker, Florida State (1)

Gaines Adams, Clemson (1)

http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/sports/colleges/clemson_university/15114845.htm

Richt's son might be Clemson-bound

Published July 23, 2006

Mark Richt has a long legacy of developing quarterbacks.

Now one of his legacies is developing into a quarterback himself.

Jon Richt, the 16-year-old son of the Georgia coach, has received his first scholarship offer -- from Clemson.

The younger Richt, who'll be a junior in the fall at Athens' Prince Avenue Christian, made an impression on Tigers coaches at their recent camp.

Being a coach and a bit curious, Mark Richt made a call to Clemson to see if everything was on the up and up. Turned out, the offer is more than legitimate. This wasn't some sort of professional courtesy being extended to Richt because of his connection to Clemson coach Tommy Bowden's family. (Richt previously worked for Bobby Bowden, Tommy's father, at Florida State.)

Jon Richt goes 6-foot-2, 185 pounds. His father's scouting report: big arm and a good pocket presence.

"He's not a player where you are going to design a lot of quarterback runs," Mark Richt said Saturday. "He has got a strong arm and can get the ball out there."

http://www.goupstate.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060723/NEWS/607230353/1002/SPORTS04

Spotlight: Rendrick Taylor

Clemson's offense has several offensive weapons this year. Everyone is talking about James Davis and C.J. Spiller and the impact they will have. Most agree that Chansi Stuckey and Aaron Kelly are as formidable as any recievers in the league. These guys will do well, but there is one player who has not been mentioned a lot outside of Death Valley and that is Rendrick Taylor.
Taylor is listed as a WR, but he will line up at fullback, tight end, and tailback as well. Rob Spence has officially assigned his position as J-Back to utilize his unique physique and physical attributes and skills (6'1'', 228). He literally looks like a body builder.
Lining up as J-Back is something Rob Spence did while in Maryland and it creates mismatches with linebackers trying to cover the position, and if used correctly could be unstoppable. I watched Taylor in the spring game and he had 190 yards recieving with a 92 yard TD reception. He was the star of the game.
There will be big plays for clemson this year, and you can bet Rendrick Taylor will be on the recieving end of many.

Latest News!

Charlie Weis quoted as telling Gray:

"You look like a baby and if you don't come to The University of Notre Dame I'm gonna eat you!"

Weis Attacks the South.

Well, I am a Notre Dame fan, they have always been my team behind Clemson. I also liked the hiring of Charlie Weis. I read that article on ESPN about what Jamie Cumbie said, and I believe it. I understand that recruiting is a "dirty" game, but this guy committed ( and already doing well in summer workouts) and the Tiger bashing was afterwards. This makes me wonder about Gary Gray as well. Did Charlie change Gary's mind in the same manner or does Gray just not want to be a gamecock?

Thats My Opinion

Up until now "The Sportaholic News" has been mostly facts from other sources and now its time for something a little different. Every week I will host a Segment called "Thats My Opinion". Its pretty obvious the subject this week, decommitting of recruits and its affect on a team.

We I guess its a fact now, the University of South Carolina's crown jewel of recruits has up and changed his mind. Impact? For the Cocks? Nightmarish. Most of USC's class was based on Gray's commit as they were all friends. Will this be contagious among USC's commits? The possibilities are endless. And Clemson fans? Doing cartwheels? Well maybe, hold on though wait, what if Will Korn decommitted to the Tigers? A disaster at best, and it could happen.

A little something else along the same lines, does anybody really believe the bigger name University's do not employ dirty tactic's? I can't just hear the ND coaches now, do you really wanna go to the po-dunk Clemson Tigers? All this and the Tigers have one of the highest graduation rates in the nation among student athletes. Bottom line, its says something when you are competing with these schools for recruits and oh yeah, even getting them from time to time. Ironically, where did Charlie Weis get his coaching start? The University of South Carolina, one of those so called po-dunk schools. But, thats just my opinion. Whats yours?

Cumbie clarifies statements regarding ND

July 20, 2006

Meanwhile ND coach calls allegation of negative recruiting 'amusing'

On second thought, Jamie Cumbie doesn't recall anyone at Notre Dame characterizing the education at Clemson University as "horrible."

In a statement released through Clemson sports information director Tim Bourret, Cumbie stood by his claim that Notre Dame compared the education levels at the two schools, but appeared to back off the characterization of the ND coaching staff's tone."

In an article in the Charleston (S.C.) Post Courier earlier this week I was quoted as saying that Notre Dame recruiters had said Clemson's education was horrible," Cumbie said Thursday. "I did not characterize our conversations properly in that interview.

"No one from Notre Dame, either in writing or in general conversation, said Clemson had a horrible education. Notre Dame made a comparison in different areas between the two schools and the facts made Notre Dame look better. One of the areas was education. I am sure everyone makes comparisons during the recruiting process. It didn't bother me at all.

"No one from Notre Dame did anything wrong in their recruitment and I wish them the best this season."

Cumbie did not address the timing of Notre Dame's recruiting pitches this time around - in his original comments, he said Notre Dame continued to aggressively recruit him after his verbal commitment to Clemson. Verbal commitments are non-binding, and it is common for schools to pursue "committed" athletes up until they sign a binding national letter of intent.

Cumbie wasn't the only one issuing a prepared statement on Thursday. Notre Dame coach denied allegations of "negative recruiting" attributed to Cumbie, first by the Charleston paper and also run in Thursday's South Bend Tribune. "

I find it quite amusing that a student-athlete already enrolled at another university has decided to be the team spokesman on Notre Dame recruiting practices," Weis said in a prepared statement issued through the university's office of sports information. "There is an obvious contradiction between how this was handled and what was stated. We do not use negative recruiting tactics. All we do is represent what Notre Dame stands for."

Cumbie told the Charleston paper earlier this week that Notre Dame coaches continued to pursue him after he had verbally committed to Clemson. Though he graduated from Morris (Ill.) High School near Chicago, Cumbie grew up in South Carolina and grew up a Clemson fan."

They said Clemson has a horrible education," Cumbie reportedly told Post and Courier reporter Larry Williams about Notre Dame's coaching staff."

If supporting Notre Dame academics can be misconstrued as speaking down on another school's academics, call us guilty," Weis said in the statement. "Coach Dan Darlington, the former head coach at Morris High School, and coach George Dergo, who succeeded him, were on top of everything we were doing. This is an obvious case of negative reporting against Notre Dame by other institutions. Maybe they should look in the mirror."

Mike Farrell's thoughts on the Gray Situation..

De-committing isn't easy

There's really no good way to do it. I'm talking about de-committing from one school to either open up your recruitment or choose another school. That's the situation that stud cornerback Gary Gray from Columbia (S.C.) Richland Northeast is in. The 5-10, 163-pounder, ranked as the nation's No. 3 cornerback by Rivals.com, committed to Steve Spurrier back in March over Charlie Weis and Notre Dame. However, four months later Gray is having second thoughts.

Gray is smack in the middle of Gamecock Country, and South Carolina has one of the best and most rabid fan bases in the country. Remember, this is a team that sold out all their home games when they went 0-11 in 1999. Since Spurrier was hired, the fan frenzy about South Carolina football has been multiplied by 10.

Gray was the first commitment to Spurrier for the 2007 recruiting class and the biggest catch for the Ole Ball Coach since he arrived in Columbia. Gray, ranked as the No. 26 prospect overall in the nation, had offers from everyone, and losing a local kid with so much upside could have been a disastrous start. Since Gray pledged his allegiance to the Gamecock program, two other top in-state players -- offensive tackle Quentin Richardson and running back Brian Maddox -- have done the same. The three players, along with another local stud in wide receiver Mark Barnes, who is also expected to be a Gamecock commitment eventually, represent a breakthrough year in recruiting talent for Spurrier and his staff.

But it's never that easy.

This past weekend Gray took a trip to South Bend, Ind. with his mother to check out Notre Dame once again. Gray had been there before, his mother had not. Gray chose the Gamecocks over Notre Dame back in March, but is having second thoughts and wanted to re-open the recruiting process. There has been quite a reaction from all sides, as one would imagine.
Gamecock fans feel a bit betrayed and are targeting an assistant coach as the man to blame. As with any fan base, they can't understand why a kid would commit only to change his mind a few months later.

Notre Dame fans are excited and would love to see the Irish land another top prospect and would love to see Steve Spurrier knocked down a notch by their own iconic coach, just because he's Steve Spurrier.

Notre Dame haters are beating their chests about the moral integrity that their schools have and how Weis and company shouldn't recruit a committed player, even if it was the player and his family who wanted to set up the visit.

Oh yeah, and Clemson fans are just giddy watching it all.

So is there anything to the above? There's no proof that anyone is to blame and playing that game doesn't get anyone anywhere. Notre Dame fans get excited about everything and, like most fan bases, don't like Spurrier simply because he's been so successful. Recruiting committed kids, whether the Irish did or didn't or do or don't, is a common practice in college football and there isn't a program in the nation that hasn't done it. Last year there were double-digit major de-commitments and the number seems to rise every year. And finally, Clemson fans love anything that hurts the hated Gamecocks.

And none of this matters to Gray, a 17-year-old kid trying to find the university where he'll feel the most comfortable, the most wanted and where he'll have the most success in football and in the classroom. Gray will now apparently take two official visits and then decide between South Carolina and the Irish. He'll take in the South Carolina-Georgia game on Sept. 9 then head back to South Bend to watch Notre Dame host Michigan the following weekend.

In the meantime, Gary Gray is laying low, avoiding as many phone calls and interview requests as he can and likely hoping that things will die down in a couple of weeks. Unfortunately for Gray, that doesn't seem too likely. He's one of the biggest names in recruiting this year being recruited by two of the biggest names in college coaching. Add is a dash of controversy and you get a recipe that doesn't make for any quiet time until a decision is made, once and for all.

http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=109114

Irish re-enter fight to land RNE’s Gray

Defensive back backs off his commitment to USC making weekend visit to Notre Dame

Nearly four months ago, Gary Gray stood on a stage at Richland Northeast High School and announced his college decision by unbuttoning his shirt to reveal a South Carolina Gamecocks jersey.

Now it appears Gray has hung that jersey in his closet — at least for a few months.

Gray, one of the nation’s top high school defensive backs, has backed away from his commitment to USC and decided to reconsider Notre Dame.

Richland Northeast coach Jay Frye said Gray took a second unofficial visit to Notre Dame on Thursday. The trip was initiated by his mother, who had not been able to go the first time, and her impressions of South Bend apparently influenced Gray’s decision to re-open his recruitment.

“Obviously Gary liked Notre Dame the first time. But he liked South Carolina better, so he committed to South Carolina,” Frye said. “But his mother decided she wanted to see Notre Dame. So she contacted Notre Dame, and they took the trip.”

Duane Wages, Gray’s godfather and an assistant coach at RNE, said Gray feels he rushed into a decision when he announced his intention to attend USC.

“When he made the decision, he made an uninformed decision,” Wages said. “And all parties involved, due to some circumstances, they weren’t able to make some trips. Key members and some family members felt his decision was rushed.”

Gray, who could not be reached for comment, is rated as the 26th-best senior recruit in the nation by Rivals.com. Scout.com ranks him No. 62.

Gray had seemed the firmest of USC’s commitments. When he announced his decision on March 23, he became the first member of the Gamecocks’ 2007 class and right away began urging fellow rising seniors to join him at USC.

One of those players was Spring Valley offensive lineman Quintin Richardson, who was in the audience for Gray’s March announcement. Richardson committed to the Gamecocks a few weeks later, and he said Sunday his commitment remained firm despite Gray’s new uncertainty.
“It was a surprise to me,” Richardson said. “But at the same time, teams were pressuring him. Teams are pressuring me. They won’t stop until you sign in February.”

Gray will make an official visit to USC on Sept. 9, when the Gamecocks play Georgia. He has scheduled a visit to Notre Dame the following Saturday, when the Irish play host to Michigan.
Wages said Gray will decide between the two schools “shortly thereafter.” For now, he said, the Gamecocks and Fighting Irish are on equal footing.

“He felt it was only fair that if he was looking at other schools, he’s not going to hold a spot while he’s shopping around,” Wages said. “That’s out of respect for South Carolina. They deserve to be able to go out and recruit for his spot.”

Gray’s decision to backpedal leaves the Gamecocks with four oral commitments: Richardson, T.L. Hanna running back Brian Maddox, cornerback Addison Williams of Atlanta and receiver Michael Bowman of Wadesboro, N.C.

Notre Dame and USC also are both recruiting Gray’s teammate, Mark Barnes, a receiver who is ranked No. 44 in the country by Rivals.com.

http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/sports/colleges/university_of_south_carolina/15054729.htm

Brent's Teams 1-5 Reviewed.

Finally, we are into the top five, and a day late at that:

5. Auburn: Auburn has a triple threat with RB Kenny Irons, QB Brandon Cox, and WR Courtney Taylor. They have most of their line back. The defense has some holes to fill, but they are talented and fast, which will help with the attacking offense they have. This team can beat anyone in the country, but the SEC is tough to go unbeaten. MVP: Kenny Irons, RB

4. USC: The run at Troy isn't over, not with all of those recruiting classes ranked #1. While not the team of the last couple of years, Pete Carroll knows what he is doing. They have two All-American recievers and return some talent in the defensive front 7. They will win the Pac-10 and could end up in the title game for the third straight year. MVP: Dwayne Jarrett, WR

3. Ohio State: Troy Smith and the gang lead the Buckeyes this year probably with a big offense. The defense will be rebuilt, but I think they will be solid after a couple of weeks. The test for Ohio State will be week 2 when they go to Austin to face the Longhorns. Then we'll know if they can win it all. Don't you wish other teams played a "real" non-conference game too? MVP: Troy Smith, QB

2. Notre Dame: Charlie Wie has made playmakers out of good, not great players starting with Brady Quinn, QB and Jeff Samardzija, WR. This is the best offense in the country without a doubt. If the Irish are gonna bring back the glory, though they have got to have a much better defense. I think Georgia Tech will be a test and the USC showdown is in the Coliseum this year. I think they will be triumphant in Troy. MVP: Brady Quinn, QB

1. Texas: Most people believe Texas doesn't belong here, but they have to be beaten before they should have to give up their top spot. Until then, they're still the champs. This team is loaded with talent on both sides of the ball. Their biggest concern if finding a quarterback who can deal with the pressure. MVP: Jamaal Charles, RB

2006 CFN All-America Cornerbacks

Preseason 25 Best Cornerbacks

1. Fred Bennett, Sr. South Carolina
2. Daymeion Hughes, Sr. California
3. Antoine Cason, Jr. Arizona
4. DeAndre Jackson, Sr. Iowa State
5. Tarell Brown, Sr. Texas
6. John Talley, Sr., Duke
7. Kenny Scott, Sr., Georgia Tech
8. Darrelle Revis, Jr. Pitt
9. Justin King, Soph. Penn State
10. David Irons, Sr. Auburn
11. Marquice Cole, Sr. Northwestern
12. Marcus Hamilton, Sr., Virginia
13. Leon Hall, Sr. Michigan
14. Robert Herbert, Sr. Colorado St
15. Eric Wright, Jr. UNLV
16. Josh Wilson, Sr. Maryland
17. Tanard Jackson, Sr. Syracuse
18. Mike Mickens, Soph. Cincinnati
19. Terrell Maze, Sr. San Diego St
20. Mike Jenkins, Jr. South Florida
21. Chaz Williams, Jr. UL Monroe
22. Joe Burnett, Soph. UCF
23. William Gay, Sr. Louisville
24. Bradley Robinson, Jr. MTSU
25. Jack Williams, Jr., Kent State


2006 CFN Preseason First Team All-Americans

Fred Bennett, Sr. South Carolina - 31 tackles, 1 sack, 3 interceptions, 10 broken up passesAt 6-1 and 199 pounds with lights-out speed, Bennett will emerge as one of the SEC's best corners this year and is the next top NFL prospect from the USC defensive backfield. He has been steady over the last two seasons with good open-field tackling ability, seven interceptions and 13 broken up passes.

Daymeion Hughes, Sr. California - 62 tackles, 5 interceptions, 12 broken up passes, 1.5 TFLThe first-team All-Pac 10 star of last year should be blossom into a superstar this season. He's an experienced defender with 118 tackles and seven career interceptions, and he put it all together with a fantastic 2005 turning into the lock-down corner the defense was looking for. At 6-2 and 188 pounds he's a great-sized corner with the speed to stay with just about any receiver in the conference.

2006 CFN Preseason Second Team All-Americans

Antoine Cason, Jr. Arizona - 50 tackles, 2.5 TFL, 3 interceptions, 5 broken up passesOne of the Pac 10's best all-around defenders from his first snap as a freshman, Cason has made 120 tackles and picked off seven interceptions in his first two seasons. He's a fantastic open-field, safety-like tackler with more than enough speed to make big plays all over the field and be a lockdown, number one corner on the strongside.

DeAndre Jackson, Sr. Iowa State - 55 tackles, 5 interception, 8 broken up passes, 1 TFL, 4 forced fumblesOne of the best defensive backs in the Big 12, the 6-0, 192-pound senior hits like a safety and covers like a corner. He'll get beat taking a lot of chances, but it's worth it with all the big plays he makes both against the run and when the ball is in the air. He's simply a tremendous all-around playmaker.

2006 CFN Honorable Mention All-Americans

(in alphabetical order) Tarell Brown, Sr. Texas - 70 tackles, 1 interception, 8 broken up passes, 2 TFLArguably the best unsung cornerback in the Big 12, Brown has 24 career starts as one of the team's top cover-corner over the last few seasons. He saved his best game for last cranking out ten tackles against USC showing off the hitting ability that could eventually make him an NFL safety.

David Irons, Sr. Auburn - 48 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 11 broken up passesThe former JUCO transfer got another year of eligibility thanks to missing 2004 with a knee injury. He recovered to be one of the SEC's best corners last season becoming a solid lock-down coverman to go along while growing into sure tackler highlighted by an 11-stop day against Wisconsin. He's not huge, but he hits like a bigger player and is fast enough to handle any SEC receiver. He's the brother of Auburn star RB Kenny Irons.

Justin King, Soph. Penn State - 11 tackles, 2 broken up passes, 10 catches, 126 yds, 2 TDOne of last year's top recruits turned into a nice backup corner and a dangerous receiver spending most of his time on offense over the second half of last season. He's a fantastic all-around athlete with next level speed and enough size to handle himself well against the bigger receivers. While he wasn't able to crack the starting lineup last season. He'll be expected to become the team's best cover-corner taking over for Anwar Phillips on the right side.

Darrelle Revis, Jr. Pitt - 41 tackles, 4 interceptions, 9 broken up passesOne of the best corners in the Big East, Revis did a little of everything well last season including return punts. He's a ball-hawker both against the pass and the run with the size to be a sure tackler and the speed to be a shut down defender. He should go from being an All-Big East performer to earning a bigger national profile.

Kenny Scott, Sr. Georgia Tech - 56 tackles, 2 interceptions, 5 broken up passes, 1 TFLScott needs to be a rock with all the movement going on in the Tech secondary. A steady starter for the last two seasons with a great combination of 6-2, 185-pound size and good speed, he can hit like a safety with an impressive ten tackle game to his credit against Virginia.

John Talley, Sr. Duke - 50 tackles, 5 interceptions, 8 broken up passesProbably the best cornerback you haven't seen, Talley is an extraordinary ball-hawker with 11 career interceptions and 22 broken up passes over the last two seasons. He's a tough tackler who's always around the ball, and he has to make sure he can hold up after having problems with his shoulder last year requiring off-season surgery. He's way too valuable to be gone for any stretch of time.

http://www.collegefootballnews.com/2006/Preview/AllAmerica_CB.htm

Hornets to receive Clemson transfer (Former high school All-American pass catcher kicked off team last December)

DOVER -- As it turns out, the 79,000 fans crammed into Death Valley weren't enough for Kelvin Grant. It wasn't the local newspapers' headlines or the attention he was showered with on campus.

And, much to his surprise, it wasn't even playing for a NCAA Division I-A college.

It took Grant being gone from football completely to realize he just wanted to be where he belonged. Grant, a 6-foot-2 senior wide receiver from Clemson, said Wednesday that place is Delaware State, where he has committed to play next season.

Because Grant is transferring to a Division I-AA college, he will be eligible to play this season. First, he said, he must earn a 2.0 grade-point average in two summer classes he recently enrolled in at DSU.

The Hornets, 7-4 last season, are also awaiting word on sophomore wide receiver J.J. Bedle of Syracuse and sophomore running back Chris Strother of Central Florida. Both players recently committed to DSU and will also be eligible this season if they finish necessary course work in their hometowns.

Selected to All-American lists at USA Today and Super-Prep.com as a high school player at Camden (S.C.) High, nobody arrived at Clemson with more fanfare than Grant. He was considered a local favorite since he was playing for a high-profile state college with a passionate football following.

"It was like I arrived already," Grant said of his first year at Clemson. "But it was just the beginning. I had to hit rock bottom to finally see it all."

The bottom, Grant said, was having surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament, then seeing his tension-filled relationship with Clemson coach Tommy Bowden escalate to the point that Bowden kicked Grant off the team in December for breaking team rules.

"I could say I got mistreated, but I could have handled things different," said Grant, once rated one of the top 15 high school players in the nation.

"It seemed like I was always in the newspaper doing something wrong," he said. "I just couldn't get over that hump. Then I got defiant. I pushed buttons. Eventually, they just said 'kick him out.' It was an awakening and it let me know I'm not 'the one.' "

According to NCAA rules, DSU coaches cannot talk about transfers until they have signed their intent to play at the school. Grant will do that once his summer classes are completed.

Listed in Clemson's media guide as one of the program's best all-around athletes, Grant played in 11 games in 2004 and ranked third on the team with 23 catches for 274 yards. That season, he played in the Peach Bowl against Tennessee.

In 2005, playing in just five games due to his knee injury, his numbers decreased to 10 catches for 84 yards.

"I've been nothing but underachieving my whole career," said Grant, who has one year of eligibility remaining. "I was very highly ranked [in high school], but I haven't done anything in college. I still think I can make an immediate impact."

Grant said following his ACL surgery last September, he hasn't rehabbed the knee as much as he should. He said he's been doing light workouts recently and is at about "97 percent." He believes he'll be ready when DSU players report on Aug. 6.

Grant will buttress an important position at DSU. Under the West Coast offense, the Hornets have only junior receiver Shaheer McBride (50 catches, 720 yards, six TDs), a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference first-team pick, to count on this season.

With Grant, and perhaps Bedle, added to the mix, DSU would have three solid starters on a team that averaged 142.3 yards receiving per game.

A youth coach of Grant's, now residing in Maryland, pointed him toward DSU. He said he's been nothing but pleased so far with the Hornets.

"After the knee injury, for a minute I wanted to give up," Grant said. "I wanted to start over and I don't want people to judge me off hearsay. This is my calling and I didn't want to miss it. I'm looking forward to being part of a team again."

Meanwhile, Bedle, a Keyport (N.J.) High grad, was considered to be one of the primary receivers for Syracuse before he was suspended last spring due to conduct detrimental to the team, according to reports. As a 5-9 freshman, he caught three passes for 28 yards on a deep receiving corps.

Once rated the No. 19 prospect in New Jersey by SuperPrep, Bedle won three state championships with Keyport and set the school record with 38 career touchdowns, according to Syracuse's media guide.

Strother, a 5-8 tailback from Carol City High in Miami, never played at Central Florida.

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060713/SPORTS08/607130319/-1/NEWS01

Brent's Teams 6-10 Reviewed.

We finally break into my top 10 programs. These 5 teams are just a litte further away from winning it all than the top five, but they are legitimate national title contenders:

10. Georgia: The bulldogs have to find a QB to succeed Shockley and Matthew Stafford is the man. Joe Tereshinski will probably start, but he is a mediocre quarterback holding the ball until Stafford is ready. Georgia has runningbacks, all are good, none great. I don't care how many people they replace, Mark Richt's "hairy dawgs." will have a great defense. Georgia will taste success again, but probably lose to Florida to end their national title hopes. They'll still play for the SEC, though. MVP: Thomas Brown, RB

9. California: California has Marshawn Lynch and Justin Foster to shoulder the load until a new QB is settled. Lynch is the best back in the league. There are questions everywhere else on offense. California probably has the best defense in the PAC-10, and thats why they will win 10 or more games in the offensive league. MVP: Marshawn Lynch

8. West Virginia: Think I'm crazy? I think the Mountaineers are the second best team in the league. Pat White and Steve Slaton are great, but I think they will lose one important game this year. MVP: Pat White, QB

7. Louisville: This program is the best in the Big East to me. Brian Brohm is great, and I love their offensive system. It is very balanced and is the best in the country to me. Michael Bush is a great powerful RB. They are as good as the league's "glamour" duo. Their defense returns 9 starters. That is a big factor and that will be the difference when they beat west Virginia. MVP: Brian Brohm, QB

6. Florida State: The Seminoles are back, and will be in the title hunt until the end. Drew Weatherford is one of the best in the country. I don't like Jeff Bowden's offense, but I think Lorenzo Booker will take some burden off of Weatherford this year. FSU will have new faces on defense, but they will usually play dominant against anyone in the country. MVP: Lorenzo Booker, RB