SPORTS N STUFF

The NCAA has given Texas and Maryland a one-year reprieve from a new rule that limits off-campus football recruiting by a coach designated as the head coach-in-waiting.

That will allow Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp and Maryland offensive coordinator James Franklin to fully participate in the critical spring evaluation period in April and May.

The new rule says coaches “publicly designated” to be the next head coach are bound by the same recruiting rules as the current head coach. That would limit them to one off-campus visit with a prospect and it could not be during the spring evaluation period. Other assistants can have multiple off-campus visits.

Texas spokesman Nick Voinis said Tuesday the grace period gives the schools time to seek permanent relief.

Only Texas, which lost to Alabama in the BCS championship game, and Maryland are currently affected by the rule that was proposed in June 2009 and passed in January.

Texas athletic director DeLoss Dodds has complained that the rule was unfair because Texas and Muschamp agreed to his coach-in-waiting contract in November 2008. Dodds has said Texas was “singled out” by the rule and put at a “direct disadvantage” in recruiting.

NCAA spokesman Erik Christianson said in an e-mail to the Associated Press that the NCAA determined the rule applied to both schools, but they were given the grace period to consider their options.

Those options could include revising the contracts, asking for a permanent exemption to the rule or seeking to have it changed, Christianson said.

If nothing changes after one year, both schools will be bound by the rule, Christianson said.

The rule change was supported by the NCAA’s football issues committee. The rationale was that recruiting by a “head coach in waiting” creates a competitive advantage for a program at a time when the NCAA has moved to curb off-campus recruiting by head coaches.

The change was not supported by the NCAA’s recruiting cabinet, which noted that designating an assistant as a future head coach is likely to happen several years before the coach is promoted.

Garrett Gilbert has the humble thing down.

Five plays into the BCS title game, coaches called his number to replace the injured Colt McCoy. The backup freshman quarterback, who had all of 26 college passes to his name, couldn’t find his helmet.

The 6-foot-4, 215-pound Gilbert is taller and has a stronger arm than predecessor Colt McCoy. (US Presswire) “I went to the wrong bench at first,” Gilbert said.

No, not the Alabama bench, the bench where the Texas defensive players were congregated.

That was bad enough, and it went downhill from there.

Gilbert looked tentative, overwhelmed. Basically, he played like what he was: a freshman who had barely p and his life. At halftime, he had completed one of his 10 passes for minus-4 yards. A simple confidence-building shovel pass near the end of the first half turned into an awkward interception after being bobbled. The gallant Gilbert became road kill as Alabama’s Marcell Dareus ran over him on the way to the end zone.

It was the first of Gilbert’s five turnovers that night (four of them interceptions). Texas was down 24-6 at half.

“There’s not much after 37 years I didn’t think I’d seen,” Longhorns coach Mack Brown said. “I’m not sure any of us handled it very well. I thought we all were in shock.”

The halftime locker room was cauldron of emotion and confusion. Coaches trying to emotionally prop up a team that looked like it had been smacked with a 2×4. Players fixating on McCoy, who, in one last desperate attempt, tried to play catch with his dad in the locker room. Standing seven yards away, Colt couldn’t muster a worthy throw because of the pinched nerve in his shoulder.

At that point, it was official. The quarterback king’s career was dead. Long live the new guy.

“You never ask for something like that to happen,” said Gilbert, who was, and still is, considered The Next One at Texas. “When Colt went down, I didn’t know what to think.”

Gilbert has had two months to clear his head. It’s slowly sinking that the night of J to the quarterback in the short term and maybe Texas in the long term.

“That’s right, no doubt,” said Garrett’s father, Gale, a backup quarterback on five Super Bowl squads. “I think it was a big confidence builder.”

Texas formally trotted out McCoy’s successor to the media at the end of a spring practice session this week. It was the first time we had spoken to Gilbert since he sat hunched by locker, head down, at the end of the 37-21 loss to Alabama. Back then, we were caught up chronicling the devastating end to McCoy’s career, trying to frame Alabama’s first national championship in 17 years and making deadline.

What could an understudy say anyway, forced into a Broadway lead in the blink of an eye? Better for others to frame the moment.

“This is going to be great for you,” receiver Jordan Shipley said The Next One privately as they walked off the field. “I am going to enjoy watching you.”

That’s the takeaway from one of the most bitter losses in Texas history. It’s easier to deal with a championship lost because a new quarterback emerged. In the second half, Gilbert found his confidence and his receivers. With six minutes left, Texas was within three, 24-21, and a comeback for the ages was in the works.

Orangebloods choose to remember that, not Gilbert then reverting to raw freshman. He turned it over on Texas’ final three possessions.

“Instead of being excited about being in a championship game, he was disappointed we lost,” Brown said.

Gilbert was the No. 1 quarterback target of the ‘Horns in the 2009 recruiting class, and his second-half line in the BCS title game revealed that maybe a high school star had been reborn. He completed 14 of 30 for 190 yards and two touchdowns against one of the nation’s toughest defenses.

If the first half of the Alabama game was a car wreck, then the second half offered hope.

“A lot of people told me to use it as a learning experience and forget about the bad parts,” Gilbert said. “Obviously, it’s still a tough loss.”

The overall lesson learned by Brown was never to be boxed in like that again. As good as Texas and McCoy were last season, fate and Alabama exposed a fatal flaw. A couple of significant Vince Dooley, the Georgia legend, and his brother Bill, who won 162 games in 26 years at North Carolina, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest.

That’s why things will change fairly drastically. As good as the 6-foot-4, 215-pound Gilbert is, he won’t be the constant centerpiece in the offense. Texas, 61st in rushing last seaBrown has promised it. The offense will have more of a pro-style look, there will be players in motion, look for a fullback or H-back to lead block and more tight end.

Gilbert and running back Tre Newton will be counted on to produce points. (US Presswire) We will still see Texas’ famous spread attack and its no-huddle, just not as much. Most significant, Gilbert will be under center for perhaps the first time since his Pop Warner days. In becoming the Gatorade national player of the year and setting the Texas schoolboy career passing record, Gilbert worked in the spread.

No surprise there. One of the nation’s football hotbeds has become a breeding ground for spread quarterbacks. The state of Texas led Division I-A in starting quarterbacks last season (22). Texas has helped lead that revolution with native Texan spread guys producing a national championship (Vince Young) and the school’s career passing record (McCoy).

“You average [39] points per game and win 13 games, so what we did was right,” Brown said of last season. “But what has happened is, it’s harder to find tailbacks than it used to be. We’re having trouble finding tight ends. We’re having trouble finding fullbacks.

“If we’re going to get to the BCS, we’re going to play a physical two-back team. We need to go and have some two-back physical running.”

Combine a new quarterback, Texas tweaking its offense and the nation’s unholy obsession over Tim Tebow going under center, you’ve got some issues. At least to some.

“It’s just different,” Gilbert said. “I don’t know if there is anything tougher about it.”

“He’s just a work in progress,” receiver James Kirkendoll said. “He’s got a lot of work on him … He’s still trying to figure it out. He showed flashes of it in the [championship] game. He’s going to learn. We’re here to guide him along the way.”

In the first public practice of the spri kind of like the title game. He threw a troubling interception across the middle to defensive back Christian Scott, but also threw a deep, sideline rocket to Kirkendoll for about 30 yards.

Gilbert is the subject of one of several questions surrounding Texas this spring. Who will he throw to? Shipley is gone. Promising Marquise Goodwin is running track. Who will replace All-American corner Earl Thomas? Who will run it? There hasn’t been a go-to back at Texas for a while. There are holdovers like Vondrell McGee, Tre Newton and Fozzy Whittaker, but if you’re looking for something new, check out redshirt freshman Chris Whaley, a 6-3, 245-pound brute with speed.

Fortunately, Brown has a good track record at retooling. The quarterback position has moved seamlessly from Major Applewhite to Chris Simms to Young to McCoy. You have to feel good, then, about Gilbert.

He is taller than McCoy, with a stronger arm. Not many kids have a former NFL quarterback as a dad. Texas coaches and fans have had a glimpse, under trying circumstances, of what is to come.

Best of all, for now, Gilbert has the humble thing down.

“Obviously, the expectation level is high and it should be,” Gale Gilbert said. “I think he is wired probably to handle that.”

Garrett Gilbert has the humble thing down.

Five plays into the BCS title game, coaches called his number to replace the injured Colt McCoy. The backup freshman quarterback, who had all of 26 college passes to his name, couldn’t find his helmet.

The 6-foot-4, 215-pound Gilbert is taller and has a stronger arm than predecessor Colt McCoy. (US Presswire) “I went to the wrong bench at first,” Gilbert said.

No, not the Alabama bench, the bench where the Texas defensive players were congregated.

That was bad enough, and it went downhill from there.

Gilbert looked tentative, overwhelmed. Basically, he played like what he was: a freshman who had barely p and his life. At halftime, he had completed one of his 10 passes for minus-4 yards. A simple confidence-building shovel pass near the end of the first half turned into an awkward interception after being bobbled. The gallant Gilbert became road kill as Alabama’s Marcell Dareus ran over him on the way to the end zone.

It was the first of Gilbert’s five turnovers that night (four of them interceptions). Texas was down 24-6 at half.

“There’s not much after 37 years I didn’t think I’d seen,” Longhorns coach Mack Brown said. “I’m not sure any of us handled it very well. I thought we all were in shock.”

The halftime locker room was cauldron of emotion and confusion. Coaches trying to emotionally prop up a team that looked like it had been smacked with a 2×4. Players fixating on McCoy, who, in one last desperate attempt, tried to play catch with his dad in the locker room. Standing seven yards away, Colt couldn’t muster a worthy throw because of the pinched nerve in his shoulder.

At that point, it was official. The quarterback king’s career was dead. Long live the new guy.

“You never ask for something like that to happen,” said Gilbert, who was, and still is, considered The Next One at Texas. “When Colt went down, I didn’t know what to think.”

Gilbert has had two months to clear his head. It’s slowly sinking that the night of J to the quarterback in the short term and maybe Texas in the long term.

“That’s right, no doubt,” said Garrett’s father, Gale, a backup quarterback on five Super Bowl squads. “I think it was a big confidence builder.”

Texas formally trotted out McCoy’s successor to the media at the end of a spring practice session this week. It was the first time we had spoken to Gilbert since he sat hunched by locker, head down, at the end of the 37-21 loss to Alabama. Back then, we were caught up chronicling the devastating end to McCoy’s career, trying to frame Alabama’s first national championship in 17 years and making deadline.

What could an understudy say anyway, forced into a Broadway lead in the blink of an eye? Better for others to frame the moment.

“This is going to be great for you,” receiver Jordan Shipley said The Next One privately as they walked off the field. “I am going to enjoy watching you.”

That’s the takeaway from one of the most bitter losses in Texas history. It’s easier to deal with a championship lost because a new quarterback emerged. In the second half, Gilbert found his confidence and his receivers. With six minutes left, Texas was within three, 24-21, and a comeback for the ages was in the works.

Orangebloods choose to remember that, not Gilbert then reverting to raw freshman. He turned it over on Texas’ final three possessions.

“Instead of being excited about being in a championship game, he was disappointed we lost,” Brown said.

Gilbert was the No. 1 quarterback target of the ‘Horns in the 2009 recruiting class, and his second-half line in the BCS title game revealed that maybe a high school star had been reborn. He completed 14 of 30 for 190 yards and two touchdowns against one of the nation’s toughest defenses.

If the first half of the Alabama game was a car wreck, then the second half offered hope.

“A lot of people told me to use it as a learning experience and forget about the bad parts,” Gilbert said. “Obviously, it’s still a tough loss.”

The overall lesson learned by Brown was never to be boxed in like that again. As good as Texas and McCoy were last season, fate and Alabama exposed a fatal flaw. A couple of significant Vince Dooley, the Georgia legend, and his brother Bill, who won 162 games in 26 years at North Carolina, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest.

That’s why things will change fairly drastically. As good as the 6-foot-4, 215-pound Gilbert is, he won’t be the constant centerpiece in the offense. Texas, 61st in rushing last seaBrown has promised it. The offense will have more of a pro-style look, there will be players in motion, look for a fullback or H-back to lead block and more tight end.

Gilbert and running back Tre Newton will be counted on to produce points. (US Presswire) We will still see Texas’ famous spread attack and its no-huddle, just not as much. Most significant, Gilbert will be under center for perhaps the first time since his Pop Warner days. In becoming the Gatorade national player of the year and setting the Texas schoolboy career passing record, Gilbert worked in the spread.

No surprise there. One of the nation’s football hotbeds has become a breeding ground for spread quarterbacks. The state of Texas led Division I-A in starting quarterbacks last season (22). Texas has helped lead that revolution with native Texan spread guys producing a national championship (Vince Young) and the school’s career passing record (McCoy).

“You average [39] points per game and win 13 games, so what we did was right,” Brown said of last season. “But what has happened is, it’s harder to find tailbacks than it used to be. We’re having trouble finding tight ends. We’re having trouble finding fullbacks.

“If we’re going to get to the BCS, we’re going to play a physical two-back team. We need to go and have some two-back physical running.”

Combine a new quarterback, Texas tweaking its offense and the nation’s unholy obsession over Tim Tebow going under center, you’ve got some issues. At least to some.

“It’s just different,” Gilbert said. “I don’t know if there is anything tougher about it.”

“He’s just a work in progress,” receiver James Kirkendoll said. “He’s got a lot of work on him … He’s still trying to figure it out. He showed flashes of it in the [championship] game. He’s going to learn. We’re here to guide him along the way.”

In the first public practice of the spri kind of like the title game. He threw a troubling interception across the middle to defensive back Christian Scott, but also threw a deep, sideline rocket to Kirkendoll for about 30 yards.

Gilbert is the subject of one of several questions surrounding Texas this spring. Who will he throw to? Shipley is gone. Promising Marquise Goodwin is running track. Who will replace All-American corner Earl Thomas? Who will run it? There hasn’t been a go-to back at Texas for a while. There are holdovers like Vondrell McGee, Tre Newton and Fozzy Whittaker, but if you’re looking for something new, check out redshirt freshman Chris Whaley, a 6-3, 245-pound brute with speed.

Fortunately, Brown has a good track record at retooling. The quarterback position has moved seamlessly from Major Applewhite to Chris Simms to Young to McCoy. You have to feel good, then, about Gilbert.

He is taller than McCoy, with a stronger arm. Not many kids have a former NFL quarterback as a dad. Texas coaches and fans have had a glimpse, under trying circumstances, of what is to come.

Best of all, for now, Gilbert has the humble thing down.

“Obviously, the expectation level is high and it should be,” Gale Gilbert said. “I think he is wired probably to handle that.”

Campus police say a college football coach in Texas is backing players who removed every campus newspaper because they contained an article about teammates getting arrested on drug charges.

Former Kentucky and Baylor head man Guy Morriss is the coach at Texas AM-Commerce, where an incident report filed by university police says he told officers he was proud of his players.

Im proud of my players for doing that, he said. This was the best team building exercise we have ever done.

Morris did not stop there. When asked about the The East Texan newspaper, he panned I dont read that crap.

Morris, who led the Lions to a 5-5 record last year, wasnt the only one to offer comment.

I dont think they are smart enough to do this on their own, athletic director Carlton Cooper said early Wednesday of the incident.

No one has been arrested over the removal of 2,000 copies of paper on Feb. 25. Editor James Bright estimated the loss at about $1,100.

Campus police are investigating, school spokesman Randy Jolly said.

Morriss has been disciplined, but Jolly declined to discuss details. Also disciplined are the football players involved in the East Texan thefts, school officials said in a statement.

Copies of the weekly newspaper, which is distributed free around campus, disappeared the morning of Feb. 25, shortly after football practice let out, according to the incident report. The lead story was about the arrest of two football players on drug charges.

Surveillance video near one of the newspaper racks showed two football players hauling off all copies of the paper, police said.

A policy printed in the newspaper says the first copy is free, but each additional copy costs 25 cents.

Bright, a senior journalism major, said Morriss reaction is appalling.

He is condoning criminal activity, Bright said. And to me, that is unacceptable.

A college football coach in Texas is backing players accused of removing every copy of a student newspaper from racks around campus because of a front-page article about teammates being arrested on drug charges, according to a police report.

The incident happened at Division II Texas AM-Commerce. The coach is Guy Morriss, who also coached at Kentucky and Baylor and played 15 seasons in the NFL with the Patriots and Eagles.

Im proud of my players for doing that, Morriss said, according to an incident report. This was the best team building exercise we have ever done.

No one has been arrested over the removal of 2,000 copies of The East Texan on Feb. 25. Editor James Bright estimated the loss at about $1,100.

Campus police are investigating, school spokesman Randy Jolly said. Morriss has been disciplined, but Jolly declined to discuss details.

Also disciplined are the football players involved in the East Texan thefts, school officials said in a statement. Athletic director Carlton Cooper apologized, saying players made an error in judgment.

AM-Commerce does not stand back idly when crimes like these are committed, said Dr. Dan Jones, the schools president.

Morriss declined comment Wednesday through a school spokesman. When reached at home by a reporter from The Associated Press on Tuesday, Morriss hung up.

Copies of the weekly newspaper, which is distributed free around campus, disappeared the morning of Feb. 25, shortly after football practice let out, according to the incident report. The lead story was about the arrest of two football players on drug charges.

Surveillance video near one of the newspaper racks showed two football players hauling off all copies of the paper, police said.

An officer notified Cooper that players appeared to be involved, and the athletic director expressed concern because he didnt think they were smart enough to do this on their own, according to the incident report.

A day after the papers disappeared, police interviewed Morriss at the campus police office. The coach repeatedly referred to the article about the drug arrests as crap and said he didnt read it. He then said he was proud of his players, and repeatedly asked how taking a free newspaper could be considered stealing.

A policy printed in the newspaper says the first copy is free, but each additional copy costs 25 cents.

Bright, a senior journalism major, said Morriss reaction is appalling.

He is condoning criminal activity, Bright said. And to me, that is unacceptable.

Morriss is 5-5 after one season at Texas AM-Commerce, which is about 60 miles east of Dallas. He was 27-54 as head coach for two seasons at Kentucky and five at Baylor.

Lane Kiffin really is getting a jump on recruiting.

No sooner had the Trojans new coach put the finishing touches on the Class of 2010 recruits, that he turned his attention to the Class of 2015.

Thats right, 2015.

Thursday evening Kiffin received a verbal commitment from 13-year old wunderkind quarterback David Sills of Bear, Del.

Too young?

Not according to his personal coach Steve Clarkson, who has mentored some of the games best quarterbacks including current USC starter Matt Barkley.

His skill set is off the chart, Clarkson said. Ive never seen anyone at his age do what hes been able to do.

The commitment, which was first reported by ESPNs Shelley Smith, has happened in college basketball previously, but is unprecedented for college football where its harder to project how a player as young as Sills will develop physically. Clarkson says that wont be a problem.

Hes already six feet as a 13-year old, Clarkson said. And hes breaking down NFL footage.

Clarkson said the scholarship offer emerged after he called Kiffin to discuss a quarterback recruit for next years class.

Clarkson said Kiffin asked him his opinion of the recruit and Clarkson said, You might call me crazy, but youve known me a long time, right? And when I said if there was going to be a LeBron James of football itd be Jimmy Clausen that turned out to be a pretty good prediction.

And when I said Matt Barkley had the potential to be as good as Jimmy, he ended up winning Gatorade Player of the Year as a junior and starting at USC as a freshman, right?

Well, Ive got a kid now who is better than all of them and hes in Delaware. You gotta take a look at him.

Clarkson then directed Kiffin to a video of Sills that is making the rounds on YouTube.

Kiffin watched it and called him back immediately.

He was like, This kid is incredible. How old is he again?

I was like, Thats the problem, hes 13.

A couple of hours later, the Sills family called Kiffin and they spoke for the first time. USC had always been Sills dream school, according to his father, David Sills IV.

Im as shocked as anybody, Sills father said. I was just talking with friends yesterday about what itll be like four years from now when David goes through the recruiting process. I never expected this to happen so soon.

But Davids always wanted to go to USC. I mean, is there a better place to play football in the country? How can you pass up the best offer youre ever going to get?

The younger Sills, who is an seventh-grader at Red Lion Christian Academy in Bear, Del., has been training with Clarkson for three years. They meet about once every six weeks at various locations around the country. Sometimes in California, where Clarkson is based. Sometimes in Delaware. And sometimes somewhere in the middle, if Clarkson is conducting a clinic.

Steve and David hit it off immediately, David Sills IV said. If theres ever anything David is doing wrong, Steve can fix it in like 10 minutes.

Still, 2015 is a long time from now. A lot can change.

Well, were going to be out to California in a few weeks and well meet Lane then, Sills father said. Were excited to meet him. And were excited to verbally commit. Hopefully it all works out in the future.

Whatever health problems Florida coach Urban Meyer may have, his program is in pretty good shape.

Meyer signed the consensus No. 1 recruiting class in the country Wednesday, stockpiling the kind of talent that could keep the Gators in the national title hunt for several years.

Does it mean anything to be on top?

“It shouldnt, but it does, Meyer said. “I guess thats the competitive nature of it, but it has no bearing on where you finish. … The ego part of it, where … Hey, you guys just had the No. 1 class in America. Thats good for about 24 hours and then youve got to get to work and worry about something else.

The class is already being touted as the best in school history. It includes three of the top seven prospects, according to Rivals.com, and 11 of ESPNUs top 50 high school seniors.

Twenty-eight players signed national letters of intent with Florida, including 11 who enrolled last month. Securing the class was Meyers last bit of work before beginning his leave of absence. He plans to take vacation, but also has a series of heart and stress tests lined up later this month.

He expects to return for spring practice, which begins March 17, and coach this fall.

“I feel good, Meyer said. “Just taking care of yourself, thats the key. Im trying to do the best I can.

He did just fine recruiting.

At the top of Floridas class is defensive end Ronald Powell, a 6-foot-4, 250-pound Californian whos rated the No. 1 prospect in the country by Rivals.com.

Powell is the centerpiece of a group filled with standout defensive linemen. It includes tackles Dominique Easley, Leon Orr and Sharrif Floyd, and ends Neiron Ball and Lynden Trail.

“As far as the defensive front, I dont know if Ive ever seen one like this, Meyer said.

The defensive secondary is nearly as loaded. Safeties Jonathan Dowling, Matt Elam and Jordan Haden are rated three of the best in the country, and talented cornerback Joshua Shaw should get a chance to earn a starting job opposite Janoris Jenkins.

Florida lost six starters on offense and six on defense, and Meyer said this class could help fill the void left by the early departure of underclassmen Aaron Hernandez, Maurkice Pouncey, Joe Haden, Major Wright and Carlos Dunlap.

“I dont know if theres ever rebuilding, but this would be a rebuilding year for us, he said. “You got to replace those guys with real guys. You look at the record of those players I just talked about. Its a very productive group, so we put a big emphasis on going out and finding some difference makers.

The Gators signed 15 players from the Sunshine State, including nine from the talent-rich South Florida area. Meyer and his staff also showed they can go beyond Florida to pull in top talent.

Shaw is from Palmdale, Calif., Floyd is from Philadelphia, Easley is from New York and quarterback Tyler Murphy is from Wethersfield, Conn.

“The key to recruiting, just like the key to a great sale, is having a tremendous product, and we obviously have a tremendous product, Meyer said. “Academically and football program-wise, whats happened in the last five years here, its a product where a lot of guys want to be part of.

Those guys also has plenty of questions as Meyer battled rumors, speculation and uncertainty on the recruiting trail.

He tried to step away after the Gators beat Cincinnati in the Sugar Bowl on New Years Day, but that lasted about a day and a half. He returned to work and made countless phone calls in hopes of keeping the class intact.

“Yes, there were fires to be put out, he said. “The good thing is when you go top to bottom in our class, youre dealing with intelligent guys and good families. … When youre dealing with very intelligent families and people that really understand, they hear some crazy rumor – and I heard some – you simply pick up the phone and say, Listen. … You can end the rumors like that because you have a relationship with a kid.

Derek Dooley appeared to have a daunting task when he was hired at Tennessee 19 days before national signing day.

Turns out, selling the Volunteers program to recruits wasnt that difficult for him.

“Im still trying to find out if theres anything wrong with this place, Dooley joked on Wednesday. “Whats not to sell?

Seventeen prospects signed with Tennessee on Wednesday to join eight others who enrolled in January to form Dooleys 2010 recruiting class. The class included Rivals.com and Scout.com five-star wide receiver, DaRick Rogers, and offensive lineman James Stone, one of the top prospects from the state of Tennessee.

“The university has so much to sell, so it wasnt as hard as people think to go out there and convince some of these young men to come to Tennessee, Dooley said. “It was just a matter of getting out there in front of them.

The class was ranked as high as sixth in the nation by Rivals at the beginning of the year, but dropped to the low teens after former coach Lane Kiffin bolted for Southern California on Jan. 12.

On Wednesday night, the class was rated ninth in the nation by Rivals and 15th by Scout.

“Theyve really grabbed some big names and stole some big names, led by Darick Rogers, Rivals southeast recruiting analyst Barton Simmons said. “I think all in all, particularly considering where they sat when they were hired, you really cant say enough about this class.

Kiffins departure left the program “in a little bit of a fragile state, said Dooley, who immediately went to work assuring the midterm signees of their future with Tennessee. Their decision to remain with the Vols sent a message of stability to other recruits, he said.

Rogers, a standout from Calhoun, Ga., was committed to Georgia before Dooley came calling. Dooley signed his teammate, quarterback Nash Nance, in what was perceived as a package deal.

Nashvilles Stone had his eye on both Alabama and Tennessee but knew he didnt want to play for Kiffin.

“Tennessee didnt seem like a place where I would feel comfortable (under Kiffin), but now I feel like I will be comfortable with the leadership and Ill be able to really grow as a person, Stone told The Tennessean newspaper.

Dooley couldnt hang on to at least two other celebrated recruits, five-star wide receiver Markeith Ambles, who followed Kiffin to USC, or defensive end J.C. Copeland, who signed with LSU.

Simmons said Rogers commitment would keep the Vols from missing Ambles, though Tennessee still has a glaring need at defensive line.

Rogers is one of four wide receivers who will join the team, bolstering a position that had lost some of its luster in recent years at a school known as “Wide Receiver U in the 1980s.

And after a season with limited options at quarterback, the Vols now have a variety of choices with Nance joining midterm enrollees Tyler Bray and Matt Simms.

“I think every year youre always looking for game-changing, playmaking, offensive weapons for when it gets down there in the fourth quarter and it gets tight, Dooley said.

A few of Tennessees neediest positions, like offensive and defensive line and special teams, got some help too.

Dooley said he was aware of Tennessees needs but felt with two weeks available for him to recruit he had to focus on getting the best talent available.

He also cautioned fans not to get too wrapped up in the excitement of signing day because every coach will misjudge some talent in each signing class.

“Theres no way that I can sit here and project how good these guys are going to be two to three years from now. Today is when the work begins, he said. “This class will be evaluated three or four years from now.

CBS responded to complaints over a conservative groups planned Super Bowl ad featuring football star Tim Tebow by saying that it had eased restrictions on advocacy ads and would consider responsibly produced ones for open spots in its Feb 7 broadcast.

CBS Corp. said Tuesday it had received numerous e-mails — both critical and supportive — since a coalition of womens groups began a protest campaign Monday against the ad, which the critics say will use Tebow and his mother to convey an anti-abortion message.

Funded by the conservative Christian group Focus on the Family, the 30-second ad is expected to recount the story of Pam Tebows pregnancy in 1987. After getting sick during a mission trip to the Philippines, she ignored a recommendation by doctors to abort her fifth child. She later gave birth to Tim, who won the 2007 Heisman Trophy and helped his Florida team win two BCS championships.

CBS said Tuesday that the decision to air the Tebow ad reflected a change in its policies toward advocacy ads that has evolved over the past several years.

We have for some time moderated our approach to advocacy submissions after it became apparent that our stance did not reflect public sentiment or industry norms, said spokesman Dana McClintock. In fact, most media outlets have accepted advocacy ads for some time.

He said CBS will continue to consider responsibly produced ads from all groups for the few remaining spots in Super Bowl XLIV.

Thirty-second commercials during the Super Bowl are selling for $2.5 million to $2.8 million.

Hasty Pudding honors Timberlake

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Justin Timberlake will soon have a new piece of hardware for his trophy case — a pudding pot.

The Grammy and Emmy award winner was named Harvards Hasty Pudding Man of the Year on Tuesday.

Timberlake will receive the award at a roast set for Feb. 5.

Hasty Pudding Theatricals, the nations oldest undergraduate drama troupe, said in a statement that the singer, songwriter, actor and producer was selected because hes one of pop cultures most influential entertainers.

His album, Justified, produced four No. 1 singles, making him the first artist in Nielsen Top 40 history with four No. 1 hits from one album.

Actress Anne Hathaway was named Hasty Pudding Woman of the Year earlier this month.

Florida quarterback Tim Tebow embraces his mother, Pam, during a pre-game ceremony for graduating seniors on the Florida football team prior to an NCAA college football game against Florida State in Gainesville, Fla., on Nov. 28, 2009.

In his first season walking on the football team at the University of Georgia, Reuben Faloughi was astonished how much bigger the players were compared to those he faced in high school.

One trip back home to Evans High School, however, and this viewpoint had been inverted. His old friends were the ones amazed, even though Faloughi said he had gained no more than 15 pounds on his 6-foot-4 frame to weigh around 235.

I thought he was somebodys dad, said Justin Black, Faloughis former basketball and football teammate who is now a senior at Evans. It was like a grown man had shown up in Reubens body.

Hundreds of players across the country this Wednesday will sign binding letters of intent that punch their ticket to major college football. Players like Faloughi and Aquinas graduate Drew Hill, though, show there is another path to play under the brightest lights, in front of the largest crowds and in the most consequential games: walking on.

Its definitely taking a chance … but I wanted to see if I could play with the best athletes, said Hill, a wide receiver who walked on at Kent State in Ohio. This is the pinnacle of college football. Its not in the BCS, but we play BCS teams.

Hill, who is 6-1, was a wide receiver at Aquinas, where coach Matt LeZotte said Hill was dependable and caught everything thrown his way.

Kent State represented his only opportunity to play Division-I football. Hills grandfather, Stan Rose, had attended the school, and the connection endured when Hill attended a football camp at the school the summer before his senior season. He remained in touch with the coaches and was invited to walk on.

Hill, who like Faloughi redshirted this past fall, enjoys many of the perks as a scholarship player. He even lives with the teams starting quarterback, a freshman from Arkansas named Spencer Keith.

He obviously understands the offense, so I try to pick his brain a little bit, Hill said. He has a great understanding of what were trying to do against an opponent.

Kent State, just northeast of Akron, plays at Penn State next year, and Hills goal is to make the travel roster for the game. He did not travel with the team this year, but cited former Aquinas player Lee Malchow, who was awarded a scholarship this past fall at Wake Forest after initially walking on, as proof these type of goals are attainable.

Faloughi, at Georgia, won scout team player of the year for defense this past fall. He found even more fulfillment the week before the team played Georgia Tech. Coaches told him he would mimic the moves and play of Yellow Jackets defensive end Derrick Morgan, expected to be a top NFL draft pick.

That award meant a lot, said Faloughi. What meant more was that week before the Georgia Tech game. When they told me that, I went out and balled all week.

Georgia will begin a shift to the 3-4 defense this spring under new defensive coordinator Todd Grantham, and Faloughis former coach believes he could thrive in that system. It could turn out to be another turn in his favor, a reward for taking a flyer as a walk-on. Faloughi turned down a scholarship from Furman to walk on at Georgia.

I didnt think he was taking a chance, said Marty Jackson, who coached Faloughi at Evans. With his ambition, he was going to be successful. He would have been great at Furman, too. … But theres something to be said about playing major college football.

Faloughi was recruited to Georgia by Jon Fabris, who was one of three defensive assistant coaches let go by Georgia last month. His recruiting pitch, according to Jackson, was: Were not bringing Reuben here just to be a tackling dummy.

Faloughi said he is not worried about losing whatever traction he gained under Fabris. Coach Joe Tereshinski now oversees the walk-ons, Faloughi said, and he thinks his impression has rubbed off on more than just one coach.

I feel like all the coaches know who I am, Faloughi said. All my hard work isnt going to be for nothing. … I know that.