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Blog: Latest Bama News 12/23/14

kyallie

kyallie

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Updating the SEC’s coaching carousel-sds



Every offseason, there is coaching turnover around college football, so much so it can be hard to keep track of. SDS is making it easy for you, with a list of every coaching change so far throughout the SEC.

Alabama

  • Assistant strength and conditioning coach Mark Hocke was named the strength and conditioning coach at Georgia.
Auburn

  • Fired defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson, hired Will Muschamp as his replacement.
Florida

  • Fired Will Muschamp as head coach as well as letting go of Muschamp’s staff. Florida hired Jim McElwain as his replacement.
  • Hired Mississippi State’s Geoff Collins as defensive coordinator
Georgia

  • Hired Alabama’s Mark Hocke as strength and conditioning coach after Joe Tereshinski announced he would be stepping down in December.
  • Offensive coordinator Mike Bobo accepted the head coach position at Colorado State, replacing McElwain.
Kentucky

  • Offensive coordinator Neal Brown left to take the head coaching job at Troy, hired Shannon Brown as new offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
  • Special teams coach Craig Naivar left to take a position at Houston.
Mississippi State

  • Defensive coordinator Geoff Collins left to take the same position at Florida.
Missouri

  • Defensive coordinator Dave Steckel left to become head coach at Central Missouri.
Ole Miss

  • Linebackers coach Tom Allen left to be the defensive coordinator at South Florida.
Texas A&M

  • Fired defensive coordinator Mark Snyder following the regular season finale.
  • Wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator David Beaty left to become head coach at Kansas.
  • Offensive line coach and top recruiter B.J. Anderson left the program.
Vanderbilt

  • Fired offensive coordinator Karl Dorrell, defensive coordinator David Kotulski, wide receivers coach Mark Lubick and strength coach Bill Hughan
 
kyallie

kyallie

FB Moderator
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Jan 17, 2010
201,402
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Shakopee Minnesota, via Birmingham Alabama

Biggest recruiting miss of last five years: Kentucky-sds


Kentucky thought it had solidified its quarterback position for the next five years when it signed not one but two four-star quarterbacks in its 2009 recruiting class.

The Wildcats were content with their starter at the time — Mike Hartline — but were aggressive in signing quarterback prospects Morgan Newton and Ryan Mossakowski to shore up the position in the coming years.
Unfortunately, instead of improving at the position the Cats quarterbacks would only deteriorate following Hartline’s senior season in 2010.
When Hartline missed time with an injury in 2009, it was Newton who filled in as the No. 2 quarterback while Mossokowski redshirted. When Hartline was suspended for Kentucky’s bowl game following the 2010 season, Newton was called upon once again. And after Hartline graduated from UK, it was Newton who was named the starter to open the 2011 season.
Realizing he would always play second-fiddle to Newton at a position that requires but one player, Mossakowski transferred to junior college and then to Lamar to finish his college career. He never attempted a pass as a Wildcat.
Newton, meanwhile, struggled mightily in 2011 and was eventually replaced by then-freshman Maxwell Smith. Although he played sparingly at the end of the 2011 season and throughout a rocky 2-10 campaign in 2012, Newton was never reinserted as Kentucky’s full-time starter after being pulled eight games into 2011.
For his career, Newton completed 193 of 384 pass attempts (50.3 percent) for 1,837 yards with 15 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. He never threw for more than 793 yards in any one season.
And for what it’s worth, Mossakowski completed 125 of his 200 pass attempts (62.5 percent) at Lamar for 1,318 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Kentucky had two supreme talents in its 2009 class and needed just one to pan out to keep the offense operating at a high level. It whiffed on both prospects, and the offense has yet to recover.
Kentucky hasn’t reached a bowl game since Hartline left the program, and his 2010 numbers remain the best by any Kentucky quarterback in the last five years.
 
kyallie

kyallie

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Shakopee Minnesota, via Birmingham Alabama

National Signing Day Predictions: South Carolina-sds



Now is not the time to ask Steve Spurrier about the possible strength of his incoming 2015 class.

Much doubt has been cast in lieu of several recent decommitments including four-star cornerback Mark Fields. The Gamecocks are hoping Spurrier’s recent comments pertaining to his future in Columbia doesn’t negatively affect what remains of a Top 15 group nationally.
The dominoes, however, may not be done falling.
Here’s a review of where South Carolina sits heading into bowl week after the holiday and a few predictions on where the Gamecocks could end up in February. We use 247Sports’ team rankings and individual composite player lists to determine grades:

Current standing


  • National recruiting rank: 12th
  • SEC recruiting rank: 6th
  • Number of commits or signees: 26

Signed, sealed, delivered


  • Marquavius Lewis, DE, Hutchinson, Kan. (Four-star)
  • Ulric Jones, DE, El Dorado, Kan. (Three-star)
  • Ernest Hawkins, LB, Salinas, Calif. (Three-star)

Notable hard commits


  • Shameik Blackshear, DE, Bluffton, S.C. (Four-star)
  • Jalen Christian, ATH, Damascus, Md. (Four-star)
  • Dexter Wideman, DT, Camden, S.C. (Four-star)

Remaining primary target


  • Mark Fields, CB, Cornelius, N.C. (Four-star)

Signing Day surprise


  • Steve Spurrier doesn’t like surprises in February, especially considering this year’s class has already suffered from six decommitments over the last two months. It doesn’t appear the Gamecocks are going to lure any unexpected players to Columbia on National Signing Day, but losing four-star defensive end Arden Key could happen. The Georgia native is still being heavily recruited by the home state Bulldogs … There’s also a chance cornerback Mark Fields re-commits and signs with the Gamecocks. He’s going to take official visits to Clemson and South Carolina before making his decision. One would expect the Gamecocks to put on the full-court press in January to secure his services.
 
kyallie

kyallie

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Jan 17, 2010
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Shakopee Minnesota, via Birmingham Alabama

Dontavius Blair leads group of redshirts who could help Vols in ’15-sds



Dontavius Blair didn’t play a single snap for Tennessee in 2014. Despite entering as the team’s top JUCO transfer, Blair missed the entire season to redshirt, which was even more surprising given the team’s struggles in the trenches.

The Vols had the worst offensive line in the SEC. The group ranked No. 118 overall in sacks allowed and No. 124 in tackles for loss allowed.
Tennessee was also short in depth, making the decision to redshirt Blair all the more surprising. Starting tackle Jacob Gilliam suffered an ACL tear in Week 1, but returned several weeks later. Center Mack Crowder went down in Week 12 and was replaced by Dylan Wiesman,
There were plenty of opportunities for Blair, a former four-star, to see playing time given his assumed potential as one of the nation’s top JUCO prospects in 2014. However, the 6-foot-8, 300-pound offensive lineman should be even more prepared after spending an entire year with the program.
Blair is expected to make an impact on what should be an improved Vols roster. With two years of remaining eligibility, the former blue chipper should play a crucial role in improving Tennessee’s depleted line in 2015.

DILLON BATES RETURNING FROM INJURY

Like Blair, Dillon Bates was a top prospects of Tennessee’s top-5 recruiting class that found himself redshirting in 2014. However, Bates was receiving playing time before suffering a torn labrum injury in Week 2, which he played through for tw0nmore games before being sidelined.
The four-star linebacker had successful surgery midway through the season and is expected to see improvement in his second season. Bates severed as a backup WILL linebacker and recorded six tackles in four appearances, including a season-high three against Utah State in his college debut.

CREAMER OF THE CROP

Three-star athlete Neiko Creamer also redshirted during his first season with the program. The 6-foot-3, 218-pound freshman is expected to play tight end in 2015, which is lacking depth chart after Daniel Helm’s decision to transfer and Brendan Downs’ departure.
Creamer was athletic enough to excel as a wide receiver for Eastern Christian Academy, one of the nation’s top high school travel teams, and has the size to play tight end in the SEC. He should benefit from the extra year of eligibility and provide the Vols with a solid option at tight end along side Ethan Wolf.
 
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