By BRENT BEAIRD
www.jaxsportsnews.com
Alabama center Evan Cardwell will take a medical scholarship this season. Cardwell has dealt with a recurring back injury during much of his collegiate career, though it's not clear if he will go on medical scholarship.
He has already obtained his undergraduate degree from UA and is currently enrolled in graduate school with a sports management specialty. A product of Brooks High School in Killen, Ala., Cardwell played in 26 career games for Alabama.
That included seven starts at center when injuries and suspensions hit the offensive line during the latter half of the 2007 season. Linebacker Charlie Kirschman, who is from Nease High in Ponte Vedra, Fla., will also not return according to BOL.com. Prince Hall transferred to Central Washington. Sophomore linebacker Jennings Hester is taking a medical scholarship for "chronic hamstring problems," according to his high school coach.
Receiver signee Michael Bowman has academically qualified and been approved by the NCAA Clearinghouse in time to enroll for second summer session classes at UA. Bowman will reportedly join Gadsden cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick as a late summer enrollee. Kirkpatrick, like Bowman, was held up by late academic hurdles. That leaves Louisiana signees Eddie Lacy (running back) and Darrington Sentimore (defensive lineman) as the Crimson Tide's known remaining academic question marks. Clay-Chalkville (Ala.) lineman Quinton Dial has already said he will attend junior college in the fall
Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart told a booster group in Rome, Ga. that in the two minute drill quarterback Greg McElroy scored every time against the defense. He also said receiver Julio Jones is one of the toughest, most competitive wide receivers he has ever been around. Smart also said there is more depth on defense than last year because of freshmen signed two years ago. Smart also mentioned a possible scheduling note with ESPN scheduling a game in three years to play a Big 12 team in the new Cowboys stadium (bamamag.com)
Jarrick Williams (6-2, 205), a Rivals100 safety from Blount, Ala., from told BamaOnline.com that he phoned Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban with his commitment. Williams is a big addition for the Crimson Tide. The 6-foot-2, 205-pound safety is rated the state's No. 2 overall prospect and No. 4 safety overall by Rivals.com. Williams represents Alabama's 16th commitment to its expected 2010 signing class and the fourth defensive back. Millbrook's Demarcus Milliner, another defensive back, and the state's top prospect in most circles committed earlier.
Former Tide great Ozzie Newsome was in town recently for his golf tournament. When the conversation turned to Newsome's interest in one day becoming the Alabama athletic director, the three-time Pro Bowler said he doesn't know what his future holds. Newsome said he probably gets asked that question once a day. He said at some point he’s coming back home. (Tuscaloosa News)
Alabama finished in the top 30 for the third time in the last five years in the Director’s Cup, but fell five spots from last year’s No. 25 overall ranking. The standings measure athletic department performance sport by sport, with a point system rewarding success in postseason play (and high rankings in the final USA Today poll in football). The system measures the top 10 men’s and women’s sports for each school to determine the final standings. The Directors’ Cup awards in all divisions are presented by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics.
Alabama moved up in the spring after being in 41st place at the conclusion of winter sports seasons. Alabama’s spring sports surge included a third-place national finish in softball, an 11th-place finish in women’s golf, a 15th-place finish in men’s golf and a 17th-place finish by the men’s tennis team. Alabama’s highest finish for the academic year was second place in gymnastics. Football finished sixth and men’s cross country was 10th.Alabama ranked seventh among the 12 Southeastern Conference schools. Florida was third overall, with Stanford No. 1 and North Carolina ranked second. LSU was ninth, with Georgia 18th, Tennessee 23rd, Arkansas 25th and Auburn 26th. Kentucky finished 34th, followed by South Carolina at 39th, Ole Miss at No. 60, Vanderbilt at No. 67 and Mississippi State (Tuscaloosa News)
DIRECTORS' CUP RANKING
Here is Alabama's final ranking in the Sports Directors' Cup standings for each of the last 10 years:
2008-9- 30th
2007-8- 25th
2006-07- 43rd
2005-06 -21st
2004-05 -38th
2003-04 -41st
2003-03 -29th
2001-02 -23rd
2000-01- 46th
1999-2000- 28th
GEORGIA: There was a report from the Michigan student newspaper that noted a rumored match-up with Georgia next season. In Bill King's Atlanta Journal-Constitution blog there are a couple of major reasons why a UGA-UM game next year to open the renovated Big House -- and another game the following year in Athens -- is seemingly a pipe dream. One, Georgia already has a season opener scheduled against Louisiana-Lafayette. Two, Georgia is looking for an additional home game as they currently set at five in '10. And, three, with a road game against Colorado and an always-rigorous conference slate already sitting on the '10 table, it's highly unlikely the school would want to add another road game against a BCS foe in the same season.
Offensive coordinator Mike Bobo told a booster group in Rome, Ga., that quarterback Joe Cox has earned the respect of his teammates and freshmen receivers Marlon Brown and Marlon Brown could have a chance to play early.
Receiver Tavarres King was on his way to being a big part of the rotation until he severely sprained his ankle, forcing the redshirt year. In the long run, he said it was probably for the best. The 6-foot-1 King only weighed 176 pounds as a freshman, but has bulked up to 184 without losing any of his speed. King said he gained virtually all extra pounds since the end of spring drills. With so much focus on Green, King said it's going to be up to the other receivers like himself to take up for some of the slack.
Alec Ogletree became the 11th commitment to the Georgia football team last Saturday, DawgPost.com reported. The safety from Newnan High (Ga.) School showed interest in Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, LSU and Miami, but decided to stay close to home. Ogletree had 62 tackles and two interceptions in his senior season. He is listed as the 29th overall prospect by Rivals.com. Southwest (Ga.) Dekalb running back Kendrun Malcome made the trip up to Athens to give the staff the good news of his committment. Malcome chose Georgia over Florida, Oklahoma, Clemson and West Virginia. He also had offers from schools like Tennessee, Alabama, Florida State, and Miami. Malcome had recently listed Oklahoma and later Florida as the schools he favored the most. He said in his final analysis the offensive scheme looked better in Athens. His top two were Florida and Georgia. (UGASports.com)
OLE MISS: The school has sold close to 35,000 season tickets as of Friday. It expects to sell an allotment of 7,500 student tickets in August. The Oct. 10 game against Alabama is nearing a sellout and is now only being sold through the school’s season ticket package. A Sports Illustrated writer and photographer will be in Oxford Monday to visit with football coach Houston Nutt and several key players. The reporter is prepping an article for the magazine’s annual college football preview. (Clarion Ledger)
SOUTH CAROLINA: Highly touted prospect Alshon Jeffery is poised to meet the qualifying requirements. According to a source close to Jeffery, the Calhoun (S.C.) County receiver had an improved SAT score and needs to maintain his current ‘A’ this week in an online course. Combined, the test score and online course are enough to meet eligibility requirements, the source said. Barring any unexpected hitches, Jeffery would enroll at USC this weekend. Jeffery was one of the gems of the Gamecocks’ 29-player signing class — a 6-foot-3, 217-pounder who caught 35 passes for 740 yards and three touchdowns as a senior. He initially committed to Southern Cal — and donned a Trojans blanket during a Signing Day press conference before pulling out a Gamecocks cap. (The State)
Pleased with the path on which Eric Hyman has put South Carolina's athletic department, the university's board approved Friday a five-year extension for the director that will run through July 1, 2015. Since arriving in 2005, Hyman has set out to balance the financial books for the department. And he's brought about a vast facilities plan and vision, designed to make USC more attractive to prospective student-athletes. The most recent addition in Hyman's so-called "master plan" is the $30-plus-million baseball stadium, heralded nationally as one of the country's finest college parks. The next project set for completion is the "Dodie," the school's state-of-the-art academic support center for athletes. That structure, near the location of the old baseball stadium, is to be the center of life for what Hyman has called an "athletics horseshoe" that will tie that part of the campus together.
Football coach Steve Spurrier's contract also saw a change, but not in the form of an extension. Spurrier's deal was amended to include an academic provision. It's an incentive clause, based on the NCAA's APR standards. The higher the team's academic performance determines the amount of the bonus for Spurrier. In the most APR results, released in May, the football team notched a 929. The APR is established through a formula that is primarily centered on graduation rates. Anything below 920 is considered substandard and might be grounds for the elimination of scholarships.
KENTUCKY: Tight end Ryan Wallace, who left the University of Colorado following the spring semester, will transfer to Kentucky, according to the Bowling Green Daily News. Wallace, a three-star recruit out of high school who played for his father, Kevin at Bowling Green, redshirted as a true freshman at Colorado. Wallace’s father told the newspaper that his son will walk on at UK in 2009 and then go on scholarship the following year. He will have three years of eligibility remaining. (Lexington Herald)
ARKANSAS: Linebacker Kirhy Battle was arrested early Sunday and charged with a DUI. This is his second arrest since May (first was failing to appear in court) Coach Bob Petrino announced Monday that Battle has been dismissed from the team for violating team rules, ending the sophomore's short and unproductive stint with the Razorbacks. Battle, 20, faces charges of driving under the influence and violation of the city's noise ordinance.
FLORIDA: The transition is complete. Florida’s 2009 football recruiting class is now the 2009 true freshman class. This happened on Monday, when all 16 members of the freshman class were officially enrolled for the Summer B semester. Although all the freshmen are in school, it does not signal that all have qualified yet academically. Some may still have to go through that process with the NCAA’s academic clearing house. UF coach Urban Meyer said back in May that there could be an issue with one two of the signees, but he also stated there’s a good chance all will be academically qualified.
Six members of the class were early enrollees who participated in spring drills - offensive lineman Nick Alajajian, linebacker Jon Bostic, safety Dee Finley, offensive lineman Jonotthan Harrison, defensive tackle Edwin Herbert and tight end Desmond Parks. The 10 newcomers, including All-America defensive tackle Gary Brown, have now joined their freshmen teammates at UF. Brown did not show up for orientation last week because he had to complete an online course, which he has since done.
AUBURN: The dismissal of three defensive players has led to a secondary shakeup at Auburn.
For Harry Adams, that meant a return move from receiver to cornerback. Adams admitted that he preferred offense to defense. Once Aairon Savage sustained an Achilles injury that will likely keep him sidelined all season. The move became more imminent once safety Christian Thompson was kicked off the team last week. As a result, cornerback T’Sharvan Bell moved to safety. Auburn desperately needed Adams back at cornerback. Adams spent the entire 2008 season at corner before moving to receiver during the middle of spring practice. Auburn could get two more cornerbacks – JUCO transfers Demond Washington and Taikwon Paige – within the next few weeks. They would also add immediate depth to the position. (Anniston Star)
