ESPN College Football

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

Spring practice in the SEC is upon us.

South Carolina has already started, while Tennessee and Vanderbilt start next Tuesday, LSU on Thursday and Alabama on Friday.

Those of us jonesing for some football don't have to wait any longer. I'll do my best to answer some of your questions from the mailbag:

Stuart in Atlanta writes: How would the Alabama football players achieve an unfair advantage through this textbook issue? If they don't return the books, they would be charged for the amount, so I don't see how they could gain anything financially?

Chris Low: My understanding of what happened is that some Alabama athletes, including football players, worked the system and were able to get free books for their friends and anybody else who wanted them. Keep in mind that Alabama was the one that got wind of this after it had been going on for a while and reported it to the NCAA. So obviously the Crimson Tide took the proper steps in reporting it. What Alabama has been accused of and has admitted to was that it didn't do a good enough job of monitoring how the textbooks were distributed. This isn't a case of anybody cheating to entice recruits, which is why I don't think anything serious will come of it -- perhaps the loss of a few scholarships. But being subject to the NCAA's "repeat offender" clause is always scary. The one thing Alabama did try to hide was the depth of the NCAA's involvement, as several media outlets made open records requests concerning the case in 2007 and didn't receive the requested documents until Thursday. Then again, you know Alabama didn't want any of this to come out before national signing day.

Jackson in Nashville writes: Chris, which schools do you think will be most negatively impacted by the recruiting talents Lane Kiffin has assembled in Knoxville? The early signs point to Georgia, but I would assume everyone should probably watch out. Thoughts?

Chris Low: If you look at this year, Tennessee was able to get two away from Florida at the end -- one from the state of Tennessee (Marsalis Teague) and one from the state of Florida (Nu'Keese Richardson). Safety Darren Myles was from Atlanta, and cornerback Janzen Jackson was an LSU commitment from the state of Louisiana. Honestly, I think Kiffin has put together a staff that won't be shy about going anywhere to recruit. That's been Ed Orgeron's track record, but Orgeron has outstanding ties in Louisiana. I do think Tennessee will continue to hit the Atlanta area pretty hard. The Vols better strap it on, though, because that's Rodney Garner's territory for the Bulldogs, and Garner is one of the best in the business.

David of Irvine writes: Hey Chris, as a Kentucky fan, I always expect to be disappointed. Granted, 7-6 is nothing to brag about. It is UK, and we were rebuilding. How disappointed will I be January 2010?

Chris Low: When you look at what Rich Brooks has done with that program, there's nothing to be disappointed about. The Wildcats have won three straight bowls for the first time in school history. Their 23 victories over the last three seasons are the most over a three-year span at Kentucky since 1976-78. While it might have taken Brooks longer than most fans would have preferred, he has that program in good shape. The Wildcats are recruiting better than they ever have. See recent quarterback signees Morgan Newton and Ryan Mossakowski. And to me, the biggest difference in the program has been the way Brooks has upgraded the talent on defense and added depth on that side of the ball. With defensive end Jeremy Jarmon, middle linebacker Micah Johnson and cornerback Trevard Lindley all deciding to return for their senior seasons, that gives Kentucky a great chance to be right back in the postseason again in 2009. One of the keys will be how much quarterback Mike Hartline improves. The Wildcats have to spruce up their passing game.

Anil in New York writes: Hey Chris, I'm a Gator alum and am deathly afraid of what is going to happen to my team after next year. We all know the Gators have the entire team returning this year, and as long as Tebow stays healthy, this team will be contending for the title. My question is: What happens post-Tebow? Cam Newton is gone. Our quarterback recruits are 4-star recruits. But as of right now, I haven't heard of any of them emerging as possible replacements. A part of me worries that Urban hasn't developed anyone to replace Tebow. What are your thoughts?

Chris Low: My first thought is to enjoy the ride. Tim Tebows don't come along every year, and I feel sorry for whoever has to replace him. The truth is you can't replace him. Sophomore John Brantley will be Tebow's backup next season, and we haven't seen enough of Brantley to make any real judgments on him. What Brantley can do is throw the football. His passing skills should open up other options for the Gators, but he's not anywhere close to the playmaker Tebow is. Again, who is? The Gators signed Jordan Reed of New London, Conn., in this class. The 6-foot-3, 225-pound Reed, rated by Scouts Inc. as the No. 13 quarterback prospect nationally, arrives on campus as the Gators' third-string quarterback. They also have a quarterback committed for the 2010 class, Trey Burton of Venice, Fla. He's a dual-purpose quarterback who's been committed to Florida since last summer. The Gators will be fine. Urban Meyer is continuing to stockpile talent, and his track record says he knows how to develop quarterbacks. You're really going to enjoy freshman receiver Andre Debose, and I think sophomore receiver Deonte Thompson has a chance to be one of the SEC's breakout players next season. But enjoy No. 15 while you've got him.