Arkansas announces 2013 signing class

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(Writer’s note: below the jump are the complete bios of all 22 members of Arkansas’ 2013 recruiting class.)

Austin Allen
QB, 6-2, 210, Fayetteville, Ark. (Fayetteville HS)
Allen led Fayetteville to back-to-back 7A state championships and was named MVP of both championship games. After his senior season, he was selected as Arkansas’ 2012 Gatorade Player of the Year. He was the 17th-ranked pro-style quarterback in the country and No. 3 player in Arkansas by 247Sports.com, and Rivals.com also tabbed him as the No. 3 player in the state. He was an all-state player in his senior season, when he was 233-of-366 passing for 3,593 yards and 29 touchdowns and added 200 yards and 10 touchdowns rushing to lead Fayetteville to a 10-3 mark and the state title. Following his senior year, he was selected for the Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl and started for the East Team. As a junior, he completed 270-of-420 passes, a 64.3 percent completion rate, for 4,150 yards and 46 touchdowns against just 11 interceptions. Allen also rushed for 300 yards and six touchdowns while leading the Bulldogs to a 12-2 record and the state crown. He was an active member of FCA and in his local youth group and also worked with local Boys & Girls Clubs. He was coached at Fayetteville by Daryl Patton. Austin’s brother, Brandon, is a quarterback at UA and his father, Bobby, is the Razorbacks’ director of high school relations. Allen had multiple scholarship offers before choosing Arkansas.

Tevin Beanum
DE, 6-3, 235, Forrest City, Ark. (Forrest City HS)
Beanum was ranked as the No. 8 player in Arkansas by Rivals.com and the No. 9 player in the state by 247Sports.com. He finished his senior season with 76 tackles, 7.5 for loss with 3.5 sacks, two fumble recoveries and one forced fumble while helping Forrest City advance to the 5A state playoffs and finish with a winning record for the first time since 2009. His first season of high school football was his junior year, and he recorded 50 tackles, including 5.0 sacks, and recovered three fumbles for the Mustangs. He volunteered at his local animal shelter while in high school. He was coached at Forrest City by Rich Trail.

Alex Brignoni
S, 6-1, 200, Fayetteville, Ark. (Fayetteville HS)
Brignoni helped lead Fayetteville to back-to-back 7A state championships in his last two seasons. He was ranked as the No. 5 player in Arkansas by Rivals.com and 247Sports.com. As a senior, he was named to the all-state team after recording 89 tackles, six pass breakups and five interceptions on the way to the state title. Fayetteville’s defense allowed an average of 16.0 points per game over the final 11 games of 2012 after Brignoni returned from missing the first two games due to an injury. His junior year, he recorded 126 tackles and 10 interceptions, returning two for touchdowns, as the Bulldogs finished 12-2 and won the state title. He helped Fayetteville advance to the state championship game as a sophomore. He was a member of FCA while in high school. He was coached at Fayetteville by Daryl Patton and selected Arkansas over multiple offers, including Illinois.

De’Andre Coley
S, 6-1, 178, Miami, Fla. (Northwestern HS)
Coley was ranked as the No. 52 safety in the country by ESPN. As a senior, he helped Northwestern advance to the second round of the 6A state playoffs where the Bulls fell to the eventual state champions and ended their season with a 9-3 record. He recorded 68 tackles, including six sacks, one interception and 12 pass breakups as the defense held opponents to an average of 12.3 points per game and allowed seven points or less in seven games, including two shutouts. In his junior season, Northwestern’s defense allowed 20 points per game in an 8-2 campaign. He also ran track, where he was a member of the state runner-up team in 2012 boasting a 10.6 100-meter dash time and took the baton for the second leg of the 4×100 relay. He was coached at Northwestern by Stephen Field. Coley selected the Razorbacks over TCU.

D.J. Dean
CB, 5-10, 180, Newton, Texas (Newton HS)
Dean was an impact player on both sides of the ball at Newton, playing cornerback and quarterback. As a senior, he was named district MVP after leading the Eagles to the semifinal round of the state playoffs and a 13-1 final record. He recorded 34 tackles, four interceptions and one forced fumble and also passed for 1,062 yards and 11 touchdowns while rushing for 1,014 yards and 20 touchdowns. In his junior season, he made 46 tackles and five interceptions while passing for 1,280 yards and eight touchdowns and rushing for 672 yards and eight touchdowns. He was coached at Newton by W.T. Johnston. Dean received several offers and chose Arkansas over Baylor and Utah.

Brooks Ellis
LB, 6-2, 215, Fayetteville, Ark. (Fayetteville HS)
Ellis helped lead Fayetteville to back-to-back 7A state championships in his last two years and was named the state’s Defensive Player of the Year in each. He was ranked as the No. 4 player in Arkansas by Rivals.com and 247Sports.com, and was rated 24th in the country at his position by 247Sports and 42nd by Rivals. As a senior, he was named to the all-state team despite missing the first two games after he registered 114 tackles, 16.0 for loss with 4.0 sacks, four forced fumbles, two pass breakups and one fumble recovery on the way to the state title. Following his junior season, he was also named the Little Rock Touchdown Club’s 7A Player of the Year. He recorded 86 tackles, 22.5 for loss with 13.5 sacks, 19 quarterback hurries, two forced fumbles and two pass breakups at linebacker as the Bulldogs finished 12-2 and won the state title. As a sophomore, he started at safety and recorded 87 tackles, five for loss, five pass breakups and two forced fumbles. He was named the 2010 Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Sophomore Defensive Player of the Year and helped Fayetteville advance to the state championship game after recording 130 tackles, five pass breakups and three forced fumbles. He served as student body treasurer at Fayetteville and also was a member of FCA and the National Honor Society. He was coached at Fayetteville by Daryl Patton and chose Arkansas over multiple other offers.

Denzell Evans
RB, 6-0, 205, Houston, Texas (Bellaire HS)
Evans was a three-year starter at Bellaire, rushing for 2,350 yards and 26 touchdowns in his career. He was named first-team all-district after his senior season when he rushed for 1,147 yards and 16 touchdowns to lead Bellaire into the 5A Division I state playoffs. As a junior, he averaged 7.4 yards per carry, totaling 997 yards on 135 rushes and scored 11 touchdowns while the Cardinals won seven games and qualified for the state playoffs. He gained 711 yards and scored eight touchdowns as a sophomore, when Bellaire played in the first round of the state playoffs. He was coached at Bellaire by Trey Hermann and Trey Sissom. Evans selected Arkansas over offers from Arizona State, Kansas State, Michigan State and Houston, among others.

Melvinson Hartfield
WR, 5-11, 183, Dallas, Texas (South Oak Cliff HS)
Hartfield played both sides of the ball for South Oak Cliff. In his senior year, he led a defense that allowed an average of 10.4 points per game while helping the Bears to nine wins and a spot in the 4A Division 2 state playoffs. On offense, he added 12 receptions for 324 yards and four touchdowns. As a junior, he recorded 46 tackles and one interception as the defense held opponents to 13.9 points per game and South Oak Cliff put together an undefeated regular season and advanced to the state playoffs. He was active in his local church and was coached at South Oak Cliff by Emmett Jones. Hartfield selected Arkansas over Kansas State and Texas Tech.

Hunter Henry
TE, 6-5, 238, Little Rock, Ark. (Pulaski Academy)
Henry was rated as the No. 1 tight end prospect in the nation by Tom Lemming. He was named to the PARADE All-America Team, named a first-team All-American by 247Sports.com and a second-team All-American by Max Preps. Rivals.com ranked him as the No. 2 tight end in the country, and 247Sports and Scout.com tabbed him as the nation’s No. 4 tight end. ESPN ranked him as the No. 1 player in Arkansas, and Rivals and 247Sports had him as the No. 2 player in the state. As a senior, he caught 107 passes for 1,449 yards and 15 touchdowns while helping lead Pulaski Academy to the semifinal round of the 5A state playoffs. Following his senior year, he was selected to play in the Under Armour All-America Game, where he was voted a team captain and started for the White Team. He caught 64 passes for 1,093 yards and 16 touchdowns in his junior season as the Bruins claimed the 4A state championship and finished 14-0. He played on both sides of the ball as a sophomore, hauling in 45 passes for 748 yards and 10 touchdowns and registering 30 tackles, three for loss, and one fumble recovery while P.A. advanced to the state title game and finished 13-2. He was involved in his church’s youth group and an FCA leader at P.A., where he helped lead a food drive for the homeless. He was coached at Pulaski Academy by Kevin Kelley. Henry chose Arkansas over Alabama after receiving numerous offers.

Sam Irwin-Hill
P, 6-3, 215, Bendingo, Australia (City College of San Francisco)
Irwin-Hill is an ambidextrous punter, possessing the ability to punt with either leg, and ranked as the No. 1 junior college punter in America by 247Sports.com. He was named a first-team All-American as a sophomore after punting 44 times for an average of 41.7 yards per punt, including a long of 77 yards, and also dropped 15 punts inside the 20-yard line while helping City College advance to the California Community College Athletic Association championship game and finish the season 10-2. In his freshman year, he averaged 40.6 yards per punt with a long of 62 as the Rams won the CCCAA state title and ended the season with a perfect 12-0 mark. He was coached at City College by George Rush. Irwin-Hill selected Arkansas over Miami.

Denver Kirkland
OG, 6-5, 320, Miami, Fla. (Booker T. Washington HS)
Kirkland is a versatile lineman who was ranked as the No. 5 offensive guard in the country by Scout.com and 13th at the position by 247Sports.com, while ESPN tabbed him as the No. 12 offensive tackle in the country and the No. 20 overall prospect in Florida and Rivals.com pegged him 13th in the country at tackle and 19th overall in the state. His senior season, he was named first-team all-state after anchoring an offensive line that allowed Booker T. Washington to average 53.5 points and 431.2 yards of total offense per game and win the 4A state championship with a 13-1 final record. He was selected to play in the Under Armour All-America Game following the state championship. As a junior, he was named first-team all-state after the Tornadoes won 13 games and advanced to the state championship game behind an offense that averaged 41.7 points and 404.9 total yards per game. He was coached at Booker T. Washington by Tim Harris. Kirkland chose Arkansas over Ole Miss, Miami, Florida State and South Florida.

Reeve Koehler
OG, 6-3, 325, Honolulu, Hawai’i (Saint Louis School)
Koehler was ranked as the No. 2 overall prospect in Hawai’i by Rivals.com and 247Sports.com, with Rivals tabbing him as the No. 8 offensive guard in the country and 247Sports ranking him 14th at his position. Following a senior season in which he blocked for an offense that averaged 32.5 points per game, he was selected to play in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. In his junior year, the Crusaders topped 30 points in five of 10 games and averaged 31.8 points per game. Saint Louis won the Division I state title his sophomore season, when the offense averaged 40.8 points per game, including 39.0 points per game in the playoffs. He was actively involved in community service, including coaching youth league basketball and contributing to Special Olympics, Meals on Wheels, MDA and beach cleanup. He was coached at Saint Louis by John Hao and Matt Wright. Koehler received numerous offers and selected Arkansas over Tennessee, Oregon, Cal and Kansas.

Ke’Tyrus Marks
DT, 6-1, 288, West Palm Beach, Fla. (Suncoast HS)
Marks was a three-year contributor at Suncoast who was selected to play in the Florida-Georgia All-Star Game and the Palm Beach County-Treasure Coast All-Star Game following his senior season. He was an all-district honoree after breaking Suncoast’s single-season sacks record with 19 as a senior as part of a 60-tackle season. In his junior year, he made 38 tackles, recovered two fumbles and forced one fumble for the Chargers. His sophomore season, he made 47 tackles, including seven sacks, and forced three fumbles. He has been involved in several community service outreach projects for the less fortunate, including cooking for the elderly and helping his church provide the homeless a place to shower. He was coached at Suncoast by Jim Clark. Marks chose Arkansas over multiple offers, including Wake Forest.

Korliss Marshall
S, 6-0, 200, Osceola, Ark. (Osceola HS)
Marshall started at running back for Osceola for three seasons and rushed for more than 4,100 yards and nearly 60 touchdowns. He was rated as the No. 6 overall prospect in Arkansas by Rivals.com and as the state’s 10th-best prospect by 247Sports.com. His senior season, he rushed for 1,711 yards and scored 24 touchdowns to earn all-state recognition and help lead Osceola to the second round of the 3A state playoffs. As a junior, he accumulated 1,421 yards and 22 touchdowns on the ground as the Seminoles advanced to the second round of the 4A state playoff bracket. His sophomore season, he gained 973 yards and scored 12 touchdowns rushing. He was an active member of FCA and was coached at Osceola by Russell Leggett. Marshall selected Arkansas after receiving multiple offers.

Damon Mitchell
QB, 6-2, 200, Egg Harbor City, N.J. (Cedar Creek HS)
Mitchell was ranked as the No. 11 dual-threat quarterback in the nation and the No. 12 overall prospect in New Jersey by 247Sports.com, and Rivals.com pegged him 15th in the nation at his position and 20th in New Jersey. In his senior season, he passed for 2,025 yards and 22 touchdowns and rushed for 1,027 yards and 21 touchdowns to lead Cedar Creek to 11 wins and an appearance in the NJSIAA South Group 2 championship game. As a junior, he played quarterback and safety, passing for 859 yards and nine touchdowns and rushing for 937 yards and 12 touchdowns while adding 43 tackles, three interceptions and 12 pass breakups on defense. He was coached at Cedar Creek by Tim Watson. Mitchell selected Arkansas over Georgia Tech and Rutgers.

Drew Morgan
WR, 6-0, 190, Greenwood, Ark. (Greenwood HS)
Morgan helped lead Greenwood to two undefeated seasons, two state championships in different classifications, and was named MVP of both championship games. He was ranked as the No. 7 player in Arkansas by Rivals.com and as the No. 13 prospect in the state by 247Sports.com. He won the Landers Award as the state’s best high school player following his senior season in which he contributed on offense and defense to Greenwood’s 6A state championship and 15-0 record. He also was named the state’s Offensive Player of the Year after making 83 receptions for 1,122 yards and 14 touchdowns and 82 rushes for 764 yards and 19 touchdowns. He recorded 73 tackles, 20.5 for loss with 2.5 sacks, three interceptions, three forced fumbles and two pass breakups on defense in 2012. As a junior, he caught 85 passes for 1,400 yards and 25 touchdowns while adding 89 tackles, 4.5 sacks, and four interceptions, returning two for touchdowns for the 14-0 5A state champions. He was involved in FCA, assisted with Special Olympics and was a member of the Future Business Leaders of America. He was coached at Greenwood by Rick Jones. Morgan selected Arkansas over multiple offers, including Auburn.

Dan Skipper
OT, 6-10, 295, Arvada, Colo. (Ralston Valley HS)
Skipper was rated as the No. 32 offensive tackle in the country by Scout.com, the No. 4 prospect in Colorado and the No. 46 offensive tackle in the country by Rivals.com, and the state’s No. 5 prospect and the country’s 47th offensive tackle by 247Sports.com. He earned 5A all-state recognition as a senior, helping Ralston Valley average 35.8 points per game while advancing to the semifinal round of the state playoffs, and after the season was selected to play in the Offense-Defense All-American Bowl. His junior season, the Mustangs put together a 10-2 record and advanced to the quarterfinal round of the state playoffs. He was a member of student government all four years in high school, where he contributed more than 100 hours of community service and served his senior year as student body president. He also was a member of the National Honor Society and volunteered for a program to mentor incoming freshmen. His coach at Ralston Valley was Matt Loyd. Skipper received numerous scholarship offers and chose Arkansas over Ole Miss, Tennessee, Ohio State and Michigan.

Tiquention Coleman
S, 5-10, 195, Mauldin, S.C. (Georgia Military College /Mauldin HS)
Coleman comes to Arkansas ranked as the No. 10 junior college safety in the country by 247Sports.com after starting every game in his two seasons at Georgia Military College. In 2012, he recorded 44 tackles, four interceptions, two pass breakups, two fumble recoveries and one forced fumble to help the Bulldogs advance to the Heart of Texas Bowl. As a freshman, he made 30 tackles and forced two fumbles as Georgia Military earned six wins with four shutouts. In his senior season at Mauldin, he helped lead the Mavericks to a berth the 4A state playoffs and as a junior he led a defense that held six opponents to 14 points or less on the way to the quarterfinal round of the state playoffs. He was coached at Georgia Military by Bert Williams and at Mauldin by Doug Shaw. Coleman selected Arkansas over Wisconsin and Arizona.

Johnathan McClure
OL, 6-4, 310, Wichita, Kan. (Butler CC/Wichita Heights HS)
McClure was an All-American in both of his seasons at Butler, earning first-team honors in 2012 and second-team recognition as a freshman. He was ranked as the No. 5 junior college offense guard in the country by 247Sports.com. He started all 12 games in his sophomore season, helping lead the Grizzlies to a No. 2 national ranking and the NJCCA Football Championship Game with an offense that averaged 45.2 points and 487.8 yards of total offense per game. In 2011, he anchored a line that allowed the offense to average 48.6 points and 499.3 yards of total offense per game as Butler finished the year 11-1 with a victory in the Citizen’s Bank Bowl. As a senior at Wichita Heights, he was named a first-team all-state performer by the Kansas Football Coaches Association after helping lead the Falcons to the 6A state championship game. He was coached at Butler by Troy Morrell and at Wichita Heights by Rick Wheeler.

Martrell Spaight
LB, 6-0, 220, North Little Rock, Ark. (Coffeyville [Kan.] CC/North Little Rock HS)
Spaight was a two-time junior college All-American at Coffeyville Community College. He was ranked as the No. 8 junior college outside linebacker in the nation by 247Sports.com and was 82nd in ESPN’s Junior College 100 ranking. He was a first-team NJCAA All-American and the Jayhawk Community College Conference’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2012 after collecting more than 100 tackles for the second consecutive season. As a sophomore, he recorded 130 tackles, 13.5 for loss with 1.5 sacks, three pass breakups, one forced fumble and one blocked kick. His tackles total was fourth on Coffeyville’s single-season list. In his freshman year, he earned NJCAA All-America honors after making 101 tackles, 9.0 for loss with 1.5 sacks, two fumble recoveries and one forced fumble. As a senior at North Little Rock, he was a 7A Central all-state selection. He was coached at Coffeyville by Aaron Flores and at North Little Rock by Brad Bolding. Spaight selected Arkansas over Kansas State.

Myke Tavarres
LB, 6-2, 215, Lake Oswego, Ore. (College of the Siskiyous/Lakeridge HS)
Tavarres comes to Arkansas as a two-time all-conference selection at College of the Siskiyous in California. He was ranked as the No. 7 junior college outside linebacker in the country by 247Sports.com and 63rd in ESPN’s Junior College 100 ranking. He recorded 85 tackles, 12.5 for loss with 2.5 sacks, two interceptions, five pass breakups, two fumble recoveries and one forced fumble in 2012, helping lead the Eagles to a 10-1 record, the most wins in school history, and the CCCAA Central Division championship. As a freshman, he made 51 tackles, 12.5 for loss with 4.5 sacks, one interception and four pass breakups. As a senior at Lakeridge, he collected 135 tackles, including 20 in one game and 17 the next week, and 5.0 sacks with one interception, two fumble recoveries and one forced fumble. He was coached at Siskiyous by Charlie Roche and at Lakeridge by Tom Smythe. Tavarres chose the Razorbacks over offers from Boise State and Arizona, among others.

Carroll Washington
CB, 6-0, 175, Baltimore, Md. (Hartnell [Calif.] CC/Edmondson-Westside HS)
Washington was ranked as the No. 1 junior college cornerback and the No. 10 overall junior college player in the nation by 247Sports.com. He was an all-conference performer and collected 25 tackles as a sophomore in 2012 while adding three interceptions, six pass breakups, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. In his freshman season for Hartnell, he recorded 27 tackles, four interceptions, six pass breakups, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery while earning all-conference recognition and helping the Panthers to Coast Conference and Southern Division titles. He played on both sides of the ball in high school and made 38 tackles, two interceptions, three pass breakups and one forced fumble on defense while catching 35 passes for 653 yards and one touchdown and rushing 21 times for 204 yards and two scores as a senior. In his junior season, he quarterbacked the Red Storm into the second round of the state playoffs, finishing the year 60-of-110 passing for 1,088 yards and eight touchdowns and rushing 53 times for 437 yards and seven touchdowns. On defense, he collected 11 tackles, two pass breakups and one forced fumble. He has volunteered at the Baltimore Boys & Girls Club, assisting with after-school programs. He was coached at Hartnell by Matt Collins and at Edmondson-Westside by Dante Jones. Washington chose Arkansas over Mississippi State, among others.

AP

Shortly before National Signing Day this past February, it was reported that Marquise Williams was no longer enrolled at North Carolina. A couple of months later? That’s no longer the case.

UNC confirmed Friday that the quarterback is again enrolled at the school and is attending classes.  Academics prevented Williams from enrolling for the spring semester, which kept the player from participating in spring practice.

Last season, the former four-star recruit served as the primary backup to starter Bryn Renner, who returns to the Tar Heels this fall for his senior season.

Mitch Trubisky exited spring as the No. 2 quarterback on the depth chart as a true freshman.  Trubisky was an early enrollee after signing on as a member of the Tar Heels’ 2013 recruiting class.

As a redshirt freshman last season, Williams accounted for 127 yards passing and 186 yards rushing.  He scored four total touchdowns.

AP

Two months after being slapped with a suspension, Darius Millines, along with a teammate, has seen his career at Illinois come to an untimely end.

An Illini official confirmed to the Associated Press that Millines and defensive end Darrius Caldwell have been dismissed from the football program.  As expected, the only reason given was an unspecified violation of team rules.

The school has yet to offer up any public comments on what led to head coach Tim Beckman‘s decision to dismiss the duo.

In early March, the wide receiver was indefinitely suspended for the same set of reasons.  As a junior last season, Millines was second on the team with 319 receiving yards on 32 catches.

Caldwell played in 12 games as a redshirt freshman last season, credited with 17 tackles, five tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.

AP

We don’t yet know to where Wes Lunt will transfer, but we do know where it won’t be.  Reportedly.

According to Jeremy Fowler of CBSSports.com, Oklahoma State is restricting the quarterback from transferring to Southern Miss as well as any SEC school.  Such restrictions would severely limit desirable destinations for Lunt as he had been considering five schools; three of them — Southern Miss, Tennessee and Vanderbilt — are now off-limits because of his former school in general and his ex-coach specifically.

Still on Lunt’s radar are Illinois and Louisville.  Lunt either has or will in very short order visit the Illini, who are currently considered the front-runners by default.

A school spokesperson confirmed the head-scratching restrictions to Fowler, and stated it was between OSU head coach Mike Gundy and Lunt when asked why the player would not be released to that set of schools.  It’s unclear why Gundy — ya know, the “I’m a man, I’m 40″ rant guy when it came to defending one his players from the sharp barbs of the mean ol’ media — placed such restrictions on Lunt.

The Southern Miss football program is now headed by Todd Monken, who served as Gundy’s offensive coordinator in 2011 and 2012; the Cowboys and Golden Eagles are not slated to face each other during the regular season at any point over the next nine years.  After sitting out the 2013 season to satisfy NCAA transfer rules, Lunt will have three years of eligibility remaining; the only SEC school Oklahoma State will face in the regular season during that four-year timeframe is Mississippi State in 2013.

Ironically, Gundy spoke to at least two different schools this offseason about their head coaching vacancies, and would’ve been free to move to those programs without restriction.  The two schools he’s known to have spoken with about their openings?  Arkansas and Tennessee, both members of the SEC.

Excellent work, Coach Gundy.  You and your university and T. Boone should be very proud of the pettiness and double-standards on full display.  Stay classy, Stillwater.

UPDATED 6:26 p.m. ET: According to Zach Kerker, sports director at 1450 in Springfield, Ill., Lunt’s high school coach stated that his former player is also restricted from transferring to Pac-12 schools as well as Central Michigan (on OSU’s non-conference schedule in 2015 & 2016).  The reason behind the restrictions?  ”They could play in bowl games,” the coach said.

Pitiful.  Absolutely pitiful situation.

While uncertainty still abound when it comes to one high-profile member of Florida State’s 2013 recruiting class, another has seen his status clarified in a positive way by an arm of the NCAA.

FSU announced Friday that defensive end DeMarcus Walker has been cleared by the NCAA Clearinghouse following months of uncertainty.  Walker was an early enrollee at FSU but did not participate in spring practice due to the Clearinghouse issue.

Reportedly, the issue stemmed from an online course he had taken in high school.

“Nole Nation I just got the best news ever I’m cleared academically now,” Walker wrote in a tweet posted to his Twitter account. “I swear ever(y) school on the schedule is in trouble now. #FEAR THE SPEAR.”

Walker was a four-star member of FSU’s recruiting class this year, rated as the No. 5 strongside defensive end in the country and the No. 11 player at any position in the state of Florida.  He was rated by Rivals.com as the No. 57 player in the country.

In part because of attrition and in part because of his talent, Walker is expected to contribute immediately to the Seminoles’ line rotation.

AP

Thanks in large part to it being a (very) low point in the offseason college football news cycle, another blast directed at Nick Saban has dominated the headlines over the past couple of days.

The Alabama head coach was referred to as “the devil himself” as well as accused of lacking a personality by Florida assistant Tim Davis at a booster function.  What differentiates this from Vanderbilt head coach James Franklin‘s “Nicky Satan” blast earlier this year is the fact that Saban and Davis had a previous working relationship, leading the former to label the latter’s comments as “terribly disappointing” and seemingly being left hurt by the jabs.

During an appearance via the telephone on the Dan Patrick Show Friday, Saban addressed that topic as well as multiple other issues — including the acknowledgement that preparations for the rematch with Johnny Manziel and Texas A&M are already ongoing.  Check out the video below.

Meandering our way through the offseason, a single one-liner at a time…

– al.com: While you’re going after Nick Saban, he’s going about his business.

– Speaking of Saban, have you ever wondered what the Alabama head coach would look like with Dana Holgorsen‘s hair?  If so, today’s your lucky day.

– Losing U.S. Open tennis could lead to CBS televising early-season SEC games.

– Charlie Weis likes the hope fans have in the Jayhawks, but doesn’t want their faith to be blind.

– Auburn’s defensive line going back to basics in order to shore up its run defense.

– Eric Weddle has become an unofficial ambassador for the Utah football program.

– Oklahoma State defensive coordinator Glenn Spencer and ESPN sideline reporter Jeannine Edwards are engaged to be married.

– Former Ole Miss quarterback Tom Luke has returned to his alma mater as the football program’s assistant athletics director for player development.

– This Georgia Tech grad assistant’s attempt at recruiting via photoshopping is bad. “Not bad meaning good but bad meaning bad,” says Run DMC.

– Not football-related, but Ohio is the most swearingest f—–g state in America.  O-F’N-H!!!

– Not football-related either, but RIP Dick Trickle.  Smoke ‘em if you’ve got ‘em…

AP

An early enrollee has decided to take an early leave of the West Virginia football program, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is reporting.

Citing Chavas Rawlins‘ high school coach, the paper has confirmed that the quarterback will be transferring from the Mountaineers.  It appears as though the departure of WVU assistant Jake Spavital played a significant role in the player’s departure.

“Everyone at West Virginia was great to him, but as you know he came in right when Jake left,” Monessen (Penn.) high school coach Andy Pacak told the Post-Gazette. ”His initial decision was I’m gonna go down there and make the most of it, but that (loss of Spavital) weighed on him a little bit.”

Spavital, WVU’s quarterbacks coach the past two season, left in January for the same job at Texas A&M, plus the additional title of co-offensive coordinator.  Rawlins’ decision also comes a couple of weeks after Clint Trickett transferred in from Florida State and entered the Mountaineers’ quarterback fray.

Rawlins, a three-star member of WVU’s 2013 recruiting class and the only QB signed this year by the Mountaineers, participated in spring practice as an early signee but did not play in the spring game as all of the reps went to Paul Millard and Ford Childress.

“Chavas has been getting reps in practice and slowly we’ve been moving him along, but obviously he’s got a long ways to go,” said head coach Dana Holgorsen after the spring game.

If Rawlins transfers to another FBS school — there’s no early indication as to which direction he might be headed — he would have to sit out the 2013 season but would retain all of his eligibility.

You know what this means, right?  Yep, we’re slowly inching closer to the start of a new season.

While that remains a little under four months away, one major postseason award has released its first watch list of the offseason, with the Lott IMPACT Trophy releasing its group of 42 players on the defensive side of the ball.  No finalists or semifinalists for last year’s award, won by Notre Dame Manti Te’o, are represented on this year’s watch list.

A total of seven conferences — the American Athletic Conference, Conference USA, MAC and Sun Belt Conference being the lone exceptions — and three independents — Army, BYU and Notre Dame — are represented this year, including a total of 37 different football programs.

Of the seven schools with two players on the list, three come from the Pac-12: Stanford (DL Henry Anderson, S Ed Reynolds), UCLA (LB Anthony Barr, LB Eric Kendricks) and Washington (DT Danny Shelton, LB John Timu).  Baylor (S Ahmad Dixon, LB Bryce Hager), Northwestern (DB Ibraheim Campbell, LB Damien Proby), Ohio State (CB Bradley Roby, LB Ryan Shazier) and Virginia Tech (CB Antone Exum, LB Jack Tyler).

The Pac-12 led all conferences with 11 players on the list, followed by the ACC, Big Ten and Big 12 with seven apiece.  Players from the SEC and Mountain West (two) were also part of the initial grouping.

The Lott Trophy is named in honor of former USC and San Francisco 49ers great Ronnie Lott, and is given out to the player who has the biggest IMPACT — Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community and Tenacity – on their teams both on and off the field.

For the complete Lott Trophy watch list, see below:

Henry Anderson, DL, Stanford
Geoffrey Bacon, LB, Army
Calvin Barnett, DL, Oklahoma State
Anthony Barr, LB, UCLA
Nat Behre, DB, San Diego State
Chris Borland, LB, Wisconsin
Max Bullough, LB, Michigan State
Ibraheim Campbell, DB, Northwestern
Ross Cockrell, CB, Duke
Aaron Colvin, CB, Oklahoma
Scott Crichton, DL, Oregon State
Alden Darby, DB, Arizona State
Aaron Donald, DL, Pitt
Steele DiVitto, LB, Boston College
Ahmad Dixon, S, Baylor
Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, CB, Oregon
Antone Exum, CB, Virginia Tech
Jake Fischer, LB, Arizona
Chase Garnham, LB, Vanderbilt
Bryce Hager, LB, Baylor
Jackson Jeffcoat, DE, Texas
A.J. Johnson, LB, Tennessee
Lamarcus Joyner, S/CB, Florida State
Eric Kendricks, LB, UCLA
Devon Kennard, DL, USC
James Morris, LB, Iowa
C.J. Moseley, LB, Alabama
Damien Proby, LB, Northwestern
Ed Reynolds, S, Stanford
Bradley Roby, CB, Ohio State
D.T. Shackleford, LB, Ole Miss
Ryan Shazier, LB, Ohio State
Danny Shelton, DT, Washington
Spencer Shuey, LB, Clemson
Derron Smith, DB, Fresno State
John Timu, LB, Washington
Stephon Tuitt, DE, Notre Dame
Jack Tyler, LB, Virginia Tech
Kyle Van Noy, LB, BYU
Jason Verrett, CB, TCU
Avery Williamson, LB, Kentucky
Ty Zimmerman, S, Kansas State

AP

Brace yourself: what you’re about to see is some (gasp!) feelings and a hint of emotion coming from future college football Hall of Famer and current cyborg Nick Saban.

Earlier in the week, Florida assistant Tim Davis was quoted at a booster function as referring to the Alabama head coach as “the devil himself.”  That was the second time this offseason that the Prince of Darkness has been brought up in reference to Saban, with Vanderbilt head coach James Franklin referring to the four-time BCS-title-winning coach as “Nicky Satan” in January.

This time, though, it was a little personal for Saban as Davis was a member of his Miami Dolphins staff for two years and spent another year on his Tide staff.  That familiarity led to some unexpected — and refreshing — honesty on the part of the coach prior to a Crimson Caravan event Thursday.

“It really is a little terribly disappointing,” Saban said according to al.com. “I try to do right by the people that work for me,” he said. “It’s a tough, demanding job. And at the same time, if anybody had an issue or problem with me, I would want them to just tell me. …

“It’s just disappointing. If somebody has a problem with me, I’d appreciate it if they’d tell me. If I’m doing something to offend somebody, I’d certainly like to do whatever I have to do to fix it. It’s not our intention. It’s not what we try to do.

“We’re in a tough business. It’s very competitive. Sometimes you’ve got to demand that people do things that maybe they don’t want to do, but it’s not personal.”

Also included in Davis’ standup routine — which Saban apparently took to heart way more than we had assumed he would — the Gator offensive line coach took a jab at Saban’s personality, or lack thereof, in propping up his current boss Will Muschamp.

“[Muschamp's] like [Saban], only he’s got a personality,” the Gator assistant said. “He’ll smile at you. He’ll talk to you. You understand?”

Muschamp also worked under Saban for five years, four at LSU and one with the Dolphins, and the two have a level of respect for the other that goes beyond the football field.  It’s that respect that left Saban seemingly biting his tongue when it came to Davis’ personality shot.

“I know it’s not representative of Will Muschamp and the University of Florida and the way they do things,” he said. “I know that, because I’m close enough to Will to know that.”

What will be interesting to see is Muschamp’s response to one of his assistants taking digs at someone who is both a friend and conference competitor, albeit in a different division.  Even more interesting?  When the damn season gets here so this kind of stuff moves to the background.

Getty Images

Just a handful of weeks following the end of spring practice, Virginia’s depth and experience at the running back position has taken an unexpected hit.

In a press release, Cavaliers head coach Mike London announced that Clifton Richardson has been granted a release from his scholarship and will leave the football program.  No specific reason for the departure was given, although it appears to be an amicable parting of ways.

“Clifton Richardson has been granted permission to seek a release from his scholarship to pursue opportunities elsewhere,” said London in a statement. “Clifton will be leaving the University in good academic standing. I wish the best for Clifton as he pursues his academic and athletic goals.”

The release stated that Richardson will have two years of eligibility remaining plus a redshirt season.

Richardson appeared in 20 games during his Cavaliers career, rushing for 425 yards and two touchdowns.  In seven games last season, Richardson ran for just 59 yards as he battled an injury to his lower extremities.

A four-star member of Virginia’s 2011 recruiting class, Richardson was rated as the No. 20 RB in the country and the No. 6 player at any position in the state of Virginia.

Meandering our way through the offseason, a single one-liner at a time…

– Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith supports the idea of playing the Big Ten championship game in Detroit when the contract with Indianapolis runs out in three years.

– Newark Star Ledger: New athletic director Julie Hermann needs to prove she can be a visionary for Rutgers.

– While an agreement in principle has been reached to renew the Memphis-Tennessee hoops rivalry, a continuation of the football series remains up in the air.

– Michigan State’s Spartan Stadium North end zone project involves Homeland Security issue.

– Former Penn State quarterback Steven Bench tells the Tampa Bay Times his visit to USF left him impressed.

– At least for now, former Alabama offensive coordinator Jim McElwain is looking forward to bringing his Colorado State team to Bryant-Denny Stadium this fall.

– Having an East Coast recruiting presence is being embraced by Michigan State defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi.

– Four Utes looking to replace the production in the running game lost with the departure of John White.

– Safety Ebo Makinde posted the fasted 40-yard dash time (4.24) at Boise State’s spring testing day.

– Speaking of Boise State, Bronco Stadium will be getting a new 60-foot-by-33-foot video board to replace the one installed in 2001.

– Class of 2014 Kentucky football recruits banding together on Twitter.

With two new members coming on board in 2014, and with a nine-game conference slate looming on down the road, the Big Ten has released its league schedule for the first season under a new divisional format.

Highlighting the eight-game schedule, of course, is Maryland and Rutgers entering the conference rotation.

Both the Terps and Scarlet Knights will play their East Division opponents (Indiana, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State and Penn State) as well as each other, plus two cross-division games.  The former will face West Division foes Iowa at home and Wisconsin on the road, while the latter travels to Nebraska and hosts Wisconsin.

The two new members will close out the 2014 season against one another Nov. 29 in College Park.

Rutgers will be the first of the two new members to open conference play, hosting Penn State Sept. 13 in the lone Big Ten contest that weekend.  Maryland’s inaugural Big Ten game will take place two weeks later at Indiana.

From the Big Ten’s release:

From Sept. 27 to Nov. 29, the 2014 Big Ten schedule will feature 10 consecutive weeks of Big Ten competition, boasting at least five conference games each week. All 14 teams will be in action during the final two weeks of Big Ten play, including six division games each week.

Beginning in 2016, the Big Ten will move to the nine-game conference schedule, with each team playing their six division foes plus three cross-division games.  One of those cross-division games will be an annual protected matchup.

The Big Ten championship game will be held Dec. 6 in Indianapolis.

Below is the complete 2014 Big Ten conference schedule:

A week after leaving Tennessee, it appears Daniel Gray has found a new football home.

By way of Evan Woodbery of the Knoxville News Sentinel, the defensive back proclaimed via Facebook that he will be transferring to Utah State.  There has yet to be any kind of confirmation from the Aggies on Gray’s addition to the program.

It appears that one of the more significant factors behind Gray’s decision to head to USU is the presence of two former high school teammates on the roster.

“For the next 3 years I will be taking my talents to the university of Utah state,” Gray wrote on the social media website, even as he didn’t quite nail the technical name of his new school. “God is good and I’m very thankful for him. Never through [sic] I would be playing college ball with my best friend JoJo Natson. Lauderdale better believe ima put on for my city. #NFL2016 draft here I come.”

Because of NCAA transfer rules, Gray will likely have to sit out the 2013 season.

Gray played in eight games as a true freshman last season, starting one of those contests.  He was a three-star member of the Vols’ 2012 recruiting class coming out of high school in Lauderdale Lakes, Fla.

AP

Hell yeah they are!

According to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, Hawaii athletic director Ben Jay has reversed field from a previous decision and all men’s athletic teams will be renamed the Rainbow Warriors. This decision comes just months after Jay decided all men’s sports would simply be named the Warriors. From 2000 to 2012, some teams were named the Warriors and others the Rainbow Warriors. This occurred after former UH football coach June Jones requested the football team be known strictly as the Warriors. Prior to 2000, the football team was known as the Rainbow Warriors.

Jay said continuity and a push to re-add the “Rainbow” portion of the name were the reasons behind the decision

“The decision on February 13 to change the nickname of the men’s teams to Warriors has generated a lot of discussion and we have received both positive and negative feedback,” Jay said. “We listened to the public discussion and we went back to the original two questions we asked ourselves – who are we and what is representative of the islands?

“We initially decided to adopt Warriors as the nickname of our men’s teams, since it was used by the majority of our men’s programs, including the one with the largest fan following (football). This is a very subjective and emotional issue and the only clear consensus on this topic over the last 13 years has been that a decision needed to be made to unify our men’s teams under one nickname. That goal will still be accomplished as we retain the Rainbow and Warriors names, both of which are near and dear to the hearts of our fans, whom we represent.”

Now, to update UH’s helmets and uniforms…

With the 2013 season less than four months away, Illinois has completed its out-of-league schedule for the following season.

The Illini announced Wednesday that the football program has added a pair of games to its 2014 non-conference.  The second week of that season, the Illini will square off with Western Kentucky (Sept. 6) and follow that up two weeks later with a game against Texas State (Sept. 20) that will mark the end of the non-conference portion of the schedule.

Both of those games will be played at Memorial Stadium in Champaign.

It had previously been announced that the Illini would host Southern Illinois in the season opener, then travel to Washington to play the Huskies in mid-September.

The games against the Hilltoppers and the Bobcats will be the first-ever meetings in football between the respective programs.  TSU, incidentally, will be playing in just its third season at the FBS level in 2014 after moving up from the FCS level in 2012.