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A day after Georgia declared there would be no eligibility issues for tight end Orson Charles after being linked to an ex-Miami booster in a Yahoo! Sports report, Florida released a statement on its two players linked to the story.

Florida wide receiver Andre Debose (see the allegations against him) and offensive tackle Matt Patchan (here are the allegations against him) were both named in the Yahoo! Sports report as athletes who were improperly brought to Miami booster Nevin Shapiro so that he could try to persuade them to sign with the Hurricanes.

Florida said in a statement released by the university that neither player has any eligibility issues.

"We have been in communication with the NCAA and there are no eligibility issues with Andre Debose and Matt Patchan as it relates to recent reports," the statement said. "Andre, Matt nor the University of Florida will have any additional comments regarding this matter."

Florida wide receivers coach Aubrey Hill was also linked to the report as a coach who Shaprio said was knowingly involved in the impermissible recruitment of Miami recruits, including Debose, while he was the Hurricanes' wide receivers coach. Shortly after Yahoo! Sports' report was published, Florida issued a statement on Hill, saying that he was confident he did nothing wrong during his time with the Hurricanes.

"While we declined comment for Yahoo's request, Coach Hill indicated he was very comfortable with, and very confident in how he conducted himself while at the University of Miami," associate athletics director/communications Steve McClain said in a statement.

Former Tennessee running back Bryce Brown, now a member of Kansas State's football team, was also cleared of eligibility issues after he was also named in the Yahoo! report.

The damning allegations made by convicted Ponzi schemer and former Miami booster Nevin Shapiro might cripple University of Miami athletics, but Shapiro's actions might affect some schools outside of Coral Gables.

In a Yahoo! Sports report, Shapiro said he provided impermissible benefits to at least 72 Miami athletes and other athletes, and also committed NCAA violations with members of the Miami coaching staff when he had improper recruiting contact.

It is an NCAA violation for a school's booster to be involved in the recruitment of prospective student-athletes.

Three SEC schools -- Florida, Georgia and Alabama -- were linked to Yahoo! Sports' report.

First-year Alabama assistants Jeff Stoutland and Joe Pannunzio have been accused by Shapiro of steering recruits to him in order to help persuade them to sign with Miami.

The Yahoo! Sports report quoted Shapiro as saying Stoutland, Alabama's current offensive line coach, was among coaches who brought prospects to his home or luxury suite for recruiting pitches. The story also said Pannunzio, Alabama's director of football operations, was involved, though the report only cited unnamed sources when referring to Pannunzio.

Stoutland was the offensive line coach at Miami from 2007-10, while Pannunzio spent the past five years as the Hurricanes' tight ends coach/special-teams coordinator.

Alabama released a statement Tuesday night through team spokesperson Doug Walker.

"The University of Alabama is aware of the story, but we will have no further comment," Walker said.

Shapiro told Yahoo! Sports that Florida wide receiver Andre Debose and offensive tackle Matt Patchan were athletes who were improperly brought to him so that he could try to persuade them to attend Miami. Shapiro also alleged that current Florida wide receivers coach Aubrey Hill was one of the coaches present when impermissible contact with three recruits, including Debose, took place in 2008.

According to the report, Debose, along with two of his high school teammates, was brought to Shapiro's multimillion dollar mansion by Miami recruiting coordinator Clint Hurtt. The report also stated that Hill, who was Miami's receivers coach at the time, was also there.

"I took [Debose, Armstrong and Dye] in my car the first night," Shapiro told Yahoo! Sports. "They came to my house. They were there with Clint Hurtt, who at the time was the recruiting coordinator, and Aubrey Hill, who was the receivers coach. I gave them a strong pitch on why they should come to the University of Miami. Ray-Ray Armstrong and Dyron Dye were both already in the boat, meaning they were ready to come. Debose was the only one who was wavering."

Shapiro also said he gave Miami equipment assistant Sean Allen around $2,000 to $3,000 in cash and told Allen to show the players "a good time." The reports states that Allen later used the cash to take the three players to nightclubs and a strip club.

Shapiro alleges that two Miami assistants were with Patchan, three members of his family and several other Miami players. Shapiro also said Stoutland was there.

Florida released a statement through Associate Athletics Director/Communications Steve McClain in regards to Hill's role at Miami.

"While we declined comment for Yahoo's request, coach Hill indicated he was very comfortable with, and very confident in how he conducted himself while at the University of Miami," McClain said.

Georgia tight end Orson Charles was also listed as a player who had impermissible contact with Shapiro. The report stated that Charles allegedly toured Shapiro’s mansion in 2008 with Tampa (Fla.) Plant coach Robert Weiner and then-Miami quarterback Robert Marve, who also played at Plant.

Florida and Georgia will not face program violations, but it's unclear what could happen to Debose, Patchan and Charles.

A former SEC name also linked to the Yahoo! report is former Tennessee running back Bryce Brown. He originally committed to Miami, but signed with Lane Kiffin at Tennessee after national signing day, before transferring to Kansas State last year.

Shapiro alleges he provided a lunch costing more than $500 and a hotel room for more than $1,000 for Brown, his family and family adviser in 2008.

The withdrawal of Tennessee safety Janzen Jackson from school earlier this week is another reminder of how inexact recruiting rankings can be.

Jackson, easily one of the Vols’ best returning players, has been battling ongoing personal issues. The university announced that it was hopeful he could get those issues straightened out to the point where he could return to the team in the fall, but there’s no guarantee. He would need a waiver from the NCAA to do so.

If Jackson doesn’t make it back, he’s yet another member of that 2009 signing class (Lane Kiffin’s only class at Tennessee) that has left the program prematurely.

Go back and see what happened to the guys that made that a top 10 class nationally.

In fact, the Vols signed six ESPNU 150 prospects that year, and none of the six will be around when the Vols kick off spring practice in March. Again, Jackson has a chance to make it back, but linebacker Jerod Askew was dismissed from the team this week for violating team rules.

Receiver Nu’Keese Richardson and safety Darren Myles were both arrested in separate incidents and kicked off the team following their freshman seasons at Tennessee. Running back Bryce Brown also left the team following his freshman season and has since transferred to Kansas State. Running back David Oku played the past two seasons, but announced last month that he plans to transfer.

Cornerback Mike Edwards was also arrested and dismissed from the team following his freshman season, while receiver James Green failed to qualify academically and never made it to school.

With Jackson in limbo for next season, it’s no surprise that the Vols signed two junior college defensive backs in this class. Byron Moore and Izauea Lanier could both end up starting from the first game on next season in the Vols’ secondary.

I had a question last week about five-star prospects and how many of those guys have panned out in the SEC.

Well, I went back to the 2007 signing class, and SEC schools have signed a total of 33 players who were five-star prospects or received grades of 85 or higher from ESPN coming out of high school.

That includes the 2011 signing class.

Florida leads the way with nine five-star signees during that span. LSU is second with eight, followed by Alabama with five, Georgia with four, Auburn with three and South Carolina and Tennessee with two apiece.

Of the 33 five-star prospects to sign with SEC schools, one has already played in the Pro Bowl (Tennessee safety Eric Berry), and two others transferred or left school (Tennessee running back Bryce Brown and Florida safety Jonathan Dowling). Brown transferred to Kansas State after Derek Dooley took over at Tennessee, and Dowling was dismissed from Florida's team by former coach Urban Meyer for violating team rules.

Counting Berry, four of the 33 five-star prospects earned first-team All-SEC or first-team All-America honors. The other three were Georgia receiver A.J. Green, Alabama receiver Julio Jones and LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson.

The following is a year-by-year breakdown of the five-star prospects signing with SEC teams going back to the 2007 class:

2011 (7)

• Georgia – 2 (RB Isaiah Crowell, DE Ray Drew)
• LSU – 2 (DT Anthony Johnson, OT La’el Collins)
• Alabama – 1 (OT Cyrus Kouandjio)
• Auburn – 1 (OT Christian Westerman)
• Florida – 1 (QB Jeff Driskel)

2010 (5)

• Florida – 4 (DE Ronald Powell, DT Dominique Easley, S Matt Elam, S Jonathan Dowling)
• Auburn – 1 (RB Mike Dyer)

2009 (11)

• Alabama – 3 (CB Dre Kirkpatrick, RB Trent Richardson, OT D.J. Fluker)
• LSU – 3 (WR Russell Shepard, S Craig Loston, WR Rueben Randle)
• Florida – 2 (LB Jelani Jenkins, WR Andre Debose)
• South Carolina – 1 (CB Stephon Gilmore)
• Georgia – 1 (QB Aaron Murray)
• Tennessee 1 (RB Bryce Brown)

2008 (6)

• Florida – 2 (S Will Hill, S Dee Finley)
• LSU – 2 (CB Patrick Peterson, DE Chancey Aghayere)
• Alabama – 1 (WR Julio Jones)
• Georgia – 1 (WR A.J. Green)

2007 (4)

• Auburn 1 (S Mike McNeil)
• LSU 1 (WR Terrence Toliver)
• Tennessee 1 (S Eric Berry)
• South Carolina 1 (RB Brian Maddox)

It's the Friday version of SEC lunch links:

• Auburn's Onterio McCalebb is displaying more durability in Year 2.
• Former Tennessee running back Bryce Brown cites depression as one of the reasons he wanted a release and says that he didn't fit in with the other players.
• Florida coach Urban Meyer says quarterback John Brantley is good to go for Saturday's game against LSU. Running back Jeff Demps will also play, but won't be 100 percent with a sprained foot.
• Alabama's defense inside the red zone is a dead zone for opposing teams.
• Alabama's all-time leading receiver, DJ Hall, was one of two former Crimson Tide players arrested Wednesday in Tuscaloosa on drug charges.
• Mark Bradley of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution takes a glass-half-full stance and examines how Georgia might still win the SEC East.
• Kentucky's goal is to bring down the big guy -- Auburn quarterback Cameron Newton.
• LSU fans recall their wide gamut of emotions at the end of last week's 16-14 win over Tennessee.
• Mississippi State defensive coordinator Manny Diaz knows better than to misjudge Houston's short-handed offense.

The more you hear about the NCAA's ongoing investigation into Tennessee's recruiting practices under former coach Lane Kiffin, the clearer it is that this probe is much broader than a couple of recruiting hostesses making a trip last September to see a high school football game in Duncan, S.C.

That trip by members of the now-defunct Orange Pride group may have been one of the things that prompted the NCAA to start turning over rocks, but it's mushroomed into something much bigger now. For Tennessee athletic director Mike Hamilton to admit that a letter of inquiry is probably coming, that's telling. The unnerving thing for Hamilton and the rest of the university is that there's no way to know at this point what the NCAA has or what all has turned up in its probe.

This thing has been going on for nearly six months, and the latest news is that the NCAA wants to interview former Tennessee running back Bryce Brown, who was Kiffin's most heralded recruit in the Vols' 2009 class. Browns' father, Arthur Brown, told ESPN's Joe Schad that they asked to delay that meeting with the NCAA while preparing for Brown's appeal on his release, an appeal that was heard via teleconference on Wednesday. Current Tennessee coach Derek Dooley refused to release Brown from his scholarship, meaning he would have to pay his own way this first year at Kansas State, which is where Brown's older brother plays.

When the Vols signed Brown, a showy deal that dragged out well past signing day, you could almost guess that the NCAA would come snooping around at some point. Remember, Brown had an "adviser" at the time (Brian Butler), and Butler initially was charging for updates concerning Brown's recruitment on a website. Before Brown was cleared to play at Tennessee as a freshman, the NCAA looked into whether his amateur status had been violated.

Well, here we are now -- some 16 months after Brown ended his recruiting circus by signing with the Vols -- and neither Brown nor Kiffin is still around.

The NCAA hasn't gone anywhere, though, which makes you wonder what kind of price Tennessee might end up having to pay.

Tennessee’s Tauren Poole isn’t one to hold a grudge.

So even though he felt like he was getting the shaft last season, he didn’t speak out, didn’t point fingers, didn’t brood and didn’t blame the guy playing in front of him.

“Everything that’s happened here has made me a better football player and a better person,” Poole said. “I’m not going to wallow in my disappointments. I’ve been waiting for this opportunity for a long time, and I’m going to put all my energy into making sure I take advantage of it.”

Poole, a 5-foot-10, 215-pound junior, is Tennessee’s starting tailback. A year ago, he was buried on the bench behind All-SEC performer Montario Hardesty and heralded freshman Bryce Brown, who was the crown jewel of former coach Lane Kiffin’s recruiting class.

Despite a big spring and despite several of his teammates feeling like Poole was the better player, Brown got the nod as Hardesty’s backup.

Poole knew there was nothing he could do about it, especially with Kiffin touting Brown so aggressively and reminding everybody along the way that the Vols were able to go out and sign the No. 1-rated player in the country.

Brown was Kiffin’s poster child when it came to recruiting, and the Vols’ former coach wasn’t about to sit him on the bench.

“I knew the only chance I would have was if something changed,” Poole said.

Well, something did. Kiffin bolted for Southern California in January, and Brown decided soon afterward that he was going to take a pass on spring practice and a hiatus from football.

So while Tennessee fans asked daily questions about Brown on radio talk shows and Internet message boards, Poole quietly went about his business on the practice field, entrenching himself as the Vols’ starter under first-year coach Derek Dooley.

“I want to be an all-around back, catching the ball, doing the little things, offering the offense a variety of things,” said Poole, who’s from Toccoa, Ga. “I pride myself on that, making plays any way I can to help the team win and not being a one-dimensional back.”

And if you had any reservations about Poole’s character, get a load of this: He reached out to Brown over these last several months and tried to talk him into coming back to the team.

Brown just recently requested a release, although Dooley said he has no plans to grant him one, and is headed to Kansas State to play with his older brother.

“He’d make us a better team and could offer us a lot,” Poole said of his efforts to re-recruit Brown. “It’s not about me, and it’s not about him. It’s about getting this team back to where it needs to be.”

Poole said he and Brown had several conversations and that it was pretty obvious that Brown’s heart was still in Tennessee.

“But I think there were other things working,” Poole said. “I’m not sure about all the dynamics. I just know it’s tough when you’re a young adult and have family telling you where you need to go. I wish him the best. It wasn’t his fault what happened last year. Maybe he deserved it. I don’t know.

“I just know that he and his family have decided it’s best for him to move on, and I am, too.”

Poole, who carried the ball just 10 times for 85 yards last season, will have his work cut out this season. The Vols’ offensive line will be one of the most inexperienced in recent SEC history. Guard Jarrod Shaw is the “veteran” of the group with three career starts, and two of the other starters will be freshmen.

“I’ve seen how hard they’ve worked and how motivated they are to prove everybody wrong,” Poole said. “I think they’re going to surprise a lot of people because there are some talented guys in that line.

“The experience will come. It takes a lot to play in this league, and we all know that greatness doesn’t happen overnight.”

Schedule: Practice starts Wednesday at 2:15 p.m. ET for the first group and 7:45 p.m. ET for the second group. The first day in full pads is Sunday (Aug. 8).

What’s new: What isn’t new? Derek Dooley is the Vols’ third head coach in as many seasons. He brought in Justin Wilcox from Boise State to run the defense, meaning Wilcox will be the Vols’ third different defensive coordinator in as many years. Jim Chaney was retained from Lane Kiffin’s staff and will coordinate the offense. The difference is that Chaney will call the plays this season, whereas Kiffin was the play-caller a year ago. This will be the fourth straight year that a different coach has called Tennessee’s offensive plays. David Cutcliffe had those duties in 2007, Dave Clawson in 2008, Kiffin in 2009 and now Chaney.

Sidelined: Four signees are still waiting to be cleared academically -- defensive tackle John Brown, linebacker Martaze Jackson and defensive backs Eddrick Loften and Marcques Dixon. Redshirt freshman defensive back Naz Oliver is out while rehabilitating an ACL tear. Senior defensive end Ben Martin had arthroscopic knee surgery in June and will be limited.

Key battle: Junior Cody Pope will start out No. 1 at center, but junior college newcomer Darin Gooch and senior Victor Thomas, who moved over from defensive tackle, will also take their shots this preseason.

New on the scene: Get ready to see a ton of new faces in orange this fall. True freshman Ja’Wuan James is the starting right tackle, and redshirt freshman JerQuari Schofield is the starting left guard. The Vols are eager to see what true freshman Jacques Smith can do at defensive end. True freshman receivers Da’Rick Rogers and Justin Hunter look like they have what it takes to be big-play threats, and pair of true freshmen may wind up handling the kicking chores -- Michael Palardy as the place-kicker and Matt Darr as the punter.

Breaking out: Junior tailback Tauren Poole never got a chance last season. He wasted away on the bench while Bryce Brown got all the second-team snaps behind Montario Hardesty. Hardesty’s in the NFL now, and Brown’s back in Kansas. Poole has endured and is hungry to make up for lost time. Several of his teammates felt like he should have been playing ahead of Brown last season.

Don’t forget about: Senior middle linebacker Nick Reveiz has feverishly worked his way back from a knee injury that ended his season a year ago in the fourth week. From a leadership, knowledge and production standpoint, Reveiz is one of those guys who’s extremely difficult to replace.

All eyes on: Junior quarterback Matt Simms. He’s the starter going into preseason camp, and Dooley has made that clear. Simms, who started his career at Louisville before stopping over at El Camino (Calif.) Community College, has gone out of his way this offseason to be a leader. Now, he’s got to prove it on the field and fend off a challenge from true freshman Tyler Bray, who went through spring practice. Bray has a nice upside, but still has some maturing to do before he’s ready to lead a team.

Quoting: "I think people on our team feel good about our program, and that’s important. If the team doesn’t feel good about where you are and the plan to get where you want to be, then you’ve got real problems. But I feel like our team does feel that way." -- Tennessee coach Derek Dooley

Tennessee coach Derek Dooley reiterated Friday that he's felt for some time that running back Bryce Brown would not be playing for the Vols this season.

Nonetheless, Dooley said he has no plans to give Brown a release now that he's asked for one.

"This is not personal against Bryce, but I'm always going to do what I feel like I need to to protect this program," Dooley said. "It's a business decision."

Brown's father, Arthur Brown, told ESPN's Joe Schad, that his son wants a release from Tennessee to be able to transfer to Kansas State, and Arthur Brown said he's repeatedly made those wishes known to Dooley since April.

Dooley confirmed that Brown did come to see him last Saturday, but that Brown was still sorting through what he wanted to do at that point and that a release was never discussed. On Wednesday of this week, Dooley said he received a text from Brown requesting a release.

"The only reason this thing has dragged out as long as it has is because Bryce never came to me and told me what he wanted," Dooley said.

Since taking the job at Tennessee, Dooley said five players, including Brown, have requested a release. He said he's given two of those players unconditional releases (quarterback Nick Stephens and receiver Todd Campbell). He said he released offensive tackle Aaron Douglas conditionally and declined to release quarterback Nick Lamaison and Brown.

"I consider three factors when players ask for a release -- what they've invested in the program, the harm their leaving will do to the program and how they've handled the situation," Dooley said. "In this case, Bryce is free to go wherever he wants, but I'm not releasing him. He can pay his own way that first year or go to junior college."

Brown, the crown jewel of Lane Kiffin's only recruiting class at Tennessee, skipped spring practice earlier this year and has not taken part in any team activities since March. He rushed for 460 yards last season as a freshman, averaging 4.6 yards per carry, and served as Montario Hardesty's backup. Nearly half of Brown's yards (215) came in nonconference wins over Western Kentucky, Ohio and Memphis.

Greetings, SEC friends. It’s here. Practice starts next week. Georgia’s the first to go Monday. Let’s see what’s on everybody’s mind in the SEC mailbag:

Russell in Kirkuk, Iraq writes: Hey Chris. Been reading your work since 2007 and appreciate everything you've contributed to the conference and its fans. Right now, I am almost nine months into my deployment and can't wait to end it on a high note with the last two months filled with football. I should get back in time to go watch my Tigers (the Geaux version) take on War Eagle. Where do you see each squad sitting overall/conference record-wise coming into the contest? Can LSU duplicate its success against Auburn from last year, or were the results merely due to Auburn running out of steam?

Chris Low: Most importantly, Russell, I want to thank you for your service to our country. I can assure you that my family will forever be grateful for the sacrifices made by all of our brave military men and women. As for your “Geaux version” of the Tigers, this is obviously a critical season for Les Miles. I thought their most complete game last season was the 31-10 beatdown of Auburn, which was sort of reeling at that point after losing two in a row to Arkansas and Kentucky. LSU was coming off a bye last season and looked like a rejuvenated football team against Auburn, which was playing its eighth straight game. This season, neither team will have had a bye when they meet on Oct. 23 on the Plains, so there shouldn’t be an advantage on that front. As I look at LSU’s schedule this season, I see the Tigers being 5-2 and 3-1 in the SEC entering that contest. As for the Auburn Tigers, I’ve got them 6-1 and 3-1 in the SEC. Even though last season was the exception, the Auburn-LSU game has just about always been close. It should be again this season. Be safe and thanks again for your service.

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Joe in Anaheim, Calif., writes: Hey Chris, longtime reader and fan of the blog. It's all that keeps me going over these long offseasons. I am a recent Ole Miss alum, and have been following the Masoli story very closely. My question is: Why all the mentions of Jamar Hornsby? You mention that it "blew up in our face," but I don't think the two situations are all that similar. Yeah, he did really disappoint, and it did fall through. But I don't think it was a fair comparison. He never suited up, never enrolled and never even made it to campus. Does the rest of the SEC see it differently? I follow recruiting and thought it was a loss when he got arrested, but 90 percent of our fans probably have never heard of him. To me, it was just a recruit picking another school before getting to campus. It had little long-term effect on the program. Keep up the good work!

Chris Low: Even though Hornsby never made it to campus, he’s somebody Ole Miss signed that had been kicked off another team (Florida) for a run-in with the law. Masoli was also kicked off Oregon’s team following multiple run-ins with the law. That’s why I made the comparison. As I’ve said, it’s a gamble any way you look at it, and I realize Houston Nutt needs another quarterback badly. I’ve heard from Ole Miss fans who want no part of Masoli, and I’ve heard from fans who can’t wait to see him in uniform. I hope for his sake and Ole Miss’ sake that the whole thing works out, and in the end, they help each other.

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Gerald in Anniston, Ala., writes: What is the situation with Bryce Brown at Tennessee? It doesn’t appear that you have commented on the situation.

Chris Low: I’ve tried not to comment on it because I never thought it was realistic that he would be back at Tennessee, and I don’t think Derek Dooley ever did, either. I guess you’re never amazed by anything when it comes to the passion of SEC football fans, but the fascination over Brown by some of the Tennessee fans has been a freak show. Maybe that comes with the territory when a guy’s rated the No. 1 prospect in the country in some quarters and Dooley’s predecessor builds him up like he’s the next coming of Walter Payton. It’s all about the recruiting hype. In this case, the hype (and it wasn’t all Brown’s fault) far outweighed the performance. There are a lot of Bryce Browns in the SEC, and I think Tauren Poole might end up being a better player for the Vols. Several of his teammates thought so a year ago.

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Roger in Little Rock, Ark., writes: Chris, why do you only report commitments for certain SEC teams and not all of them? I know it's not because some are rated higher than others, because sometimes you mention players who are rated lower by ESPN's own recruiting site than others whom you fail to mention. Is there a good reason for this, or is it the result of a personal bias against certain teams?

Chris Low: I promise it’s not a bias of any kind. My best answer is that occasionally a commitment will just simply slip through the cracks. My assumption is that you’re referring to the Hogs’ recent commitment, Jervohnte Riles of Bessemer, Ala. He’s one I did miss this week, and he’s a good one. The 6-4, 225-pound Riles is a receiver/linebacker in high school, but could grow into a tight end in college. He said the Hogs are recruiting him as a receiver. Riles is a four-star prospect, according to ESPN’s rankings. For what it’s worth, five of Arkansas’ 11 high school commitments for the 2011 class are four-star prospects. The Hogs have 13 commitments overall, counting junior college players.

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Brian in Greensboro, N.C., writes: OK, Chris, I have to call you out on this one because I know how long you have watched SEC football and you know defense wins championships. You have Arkansas as the second team in the West, but you have them as the 10^th-rated defensive line, 11^th-rated linebackers and 12^th-rated special teams and defensive backs. You have Auburn third in the West, but they have better units than the Razorbacks in every spot except wide receiver and quarterback. In most cases, it isn't even close compared to where they are ranked in your lists. Would you have Auburn third based on schedule or offense or coaching? It just seemed a bit odd to me. Have a great week.

Chris Low: To be honest, I’ve gone back and forth between Arkansas and Auburn on who’s the second best team in the West. I ended up going with the Hogs based on how explosive their offense should be and the fact that I still think Auburn might be a tad thin in the depth department this season. So, yes, it could go either way. And when you start ranking positions, the difference in who’s third, fourth and fifth can be miniscule. On the offensive line, I had Auburn fourth and Arkansas fifth. The same goes for running back, where I had Auburn third and Arkansas fourth. It’s a similar story on the defensive line with Auburn ninth and Arkansas 10^th. The Hogs still have to prove it to me that they’re good enough on defense to contend in the West, but Cameron Newton has to prove that he’s ready to lead this Auburn football team in his first season as a starter. In short, I think both teams will be improved and give Alabama something to think about in the West race.

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Stephen in Baton Rouge, La., writes: You keep saying that Arkansas will be able to put up big points against anyone. Does that mean you don't think the SEC is built on defense anymore?

Chris Low: No, but there are exceptions and perhaps the Hogs will be better on defense than I’m giving them credit for. If they’re as good as I think they will be offensively, it's not like they have to be second or third in the league defensively to factor into the race. Just eliminating some of the big plays they give up last season will be a good start. If they can finish in the top 50 in the country in total defense, I think they have a good chance to win 10 or more games. They finished 89^th last season. There were seven SEC teams that finished in the top 50 nationally a year ago in total defense. That’s the group the Hogs need to be in to make a run.

Some of what's making headlines in the SEC:

• Ron Morris of The State newspaper writes that South Carolina quarterback Stephen Garcia is primed for a breakout season.

• Brandon Marcello of The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette ranks the coaches' performances at the SEC media days.

• The Bryce Brown saga at Tennessee may finally be coming to an end, writes Austin Ward of The Knoxville News-Sentinel.

• Mississippi State reels in seven verbal commitments over the weekend at its Big Dawg Camp. The Bulldogs now have 14 commitments for the 2011 class.

• Kentucky's Derrick Locke and Randall Cobb are plotting Act II for the Wildcats, writes Chip Cosby of The Lexington Herald-Leader.

• High school coaches see the softer side of Nick Saban.

Congratulations to the South Carolina baseball team for winning the school's first national championship in a men's sport. Now, it's officially football season:

• Lane Kiffin's fingerprints are all over the Bryce Brown saga, writes David Climer of The Tennessean.

• Tennessee defensive end Chris Walker undergoes arthroscopic surgery to clean up some loose cartilage in his knee.

• Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett is "doing good" while recovering from a second surgery on his foot, according to Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino.

• Alabama coach Nick Saban doesn't support the NCAA proposal to limit support staffs.

• Kyle Veazey of The Jackson Clarion-Ledger takes a look at just how tough Mississippi State's schedule in 2010 will be.

• Former LSU star Chad Jones is flown to a New York hospital as he continues his recovery from last week's car wreck in New Orleans.

• Florida picks up its 10th commitment for the 2011 class, kicker Kyle Christy of Brownsburg, Ind.

• The Northridge community in Tuscaloosa copes with the loss of Susan Kines Langston, the daughter of former Alabama defensive coordinator Joe Kines.

Our Friday check of what's happening around the SEC:

• Mississippi State has sold more than 25,000 season tickets, which is 19 percent ahead of this time last year, reports Kyle Veazey of The Jackson Clarion-Ledger.
• Football and gardening are linked for former Georgia coach Vince Dooley.
• Columnist Kevin Scarbinsky of The Birmingham News wonders if former Alabama quarterback Star Jackson will have to jump through hoops to transfer like former Alabama basketball player Justin Knox.
• Back in the SEC as an assistant coach at Kentucky, former Tennessee quarterback Tee Martin likes the fresh approach of first-year Kentucky head coach Joker Phillips.
• Pat Dooley of The Gainesville Sun ranks the SEC's top quarterbacks. He has Arkansas' Ryan Mallett No. 1 and Florida's John Brantley No. 2.
• Tennessee coach Derek Dooley says there haven't been any recent talks with former running back Bryce Brown, and although the door hasn't been shut, Dooley's not optimistic about Brown returning to the team.

We took a look Wednesday at 10 incoming true freshmen who may have an early impact next season in the SEC.

Even coaches admit it’s hard to predict who will play early and who won’t. Everybody adjusts to the college game at a different pace.

Soon after picking the 10, I started thinking about highly-rated guys who’ve come into the SEC in recent years and were expected to make a big impact early, but haven’t to this point for various reasons. Several have already bolted for another school.

In some instances, injuries have held them back, while other players were simply overrated, couldn’t cut it academically, ran into trouble off the field or just never adjusted to the whole college scene.

A few are still hanging in there, and perhaps this will be their season.

So before we get too caught up in who is supposedly a “can’t-miss” prospect, remember some of these guys, who are listed in alphabetical order:

Brendan Beal, LB, Florida: Said last week he plans to transfer after struggling with injuries and playing sparingly.

DeAngelo Benton, WR, Auburn: Still trying to work his way up the depth chart after catching just six passes as a freshman last season. Signed with LSU twice before landing at Auburn.

Bryce Brown, RB, Tennessee: Had a solid freshman season, but didn’t go through spring ball and plans to transfer. Several on the team thought Tauren Poole was better.

Gary Brown, DT, Florida: Dismissed from the team earlier this year following his arrest on battery charges. Redshirted last season after showing up overweight.

Marlon Brown, WR, Georgia: Hopes to see his role increase after catching just two passes last season as a true freshman.

Enrique Davis, RB, Ole Miss: Coming off a solid spring, Davis wasn’t a factor his first two seasons after arriving as the No. 1 prep school player in the country.

Torrey Davis, DT, Florida: Struggled with grades and off-the-field issues his whole career and left the program following the 2008 season.

Chris Donald, LB, Tennessee: Came to Tennessee as one of the top linebacker prospects in the country, but was never able to get on the field and transferred to Chattanooga.

David Gordon, CB, Arkansas: Showed some promise last season as a true freshman, but was arrested this month on drug charges and plans to transfer to Oklahoma State.

Omar Hunter, DT, Florida: Injuries have been his biggest problem, but he’s yet to live up to the hype. Remember how much Urban Meyer talked him up?

Alonzo Lawrence, CB, Alabama: A big-time defensive back recruit for the Crimson Tide who wound up transferring to Southern Miss.

Tyler Love, OT, Alabama: One of the top-rated offensive line prospects of the 2008 class. Love is still trying to crack the Tide’s rotation.

Nu’Keese Richardson, WR, Tennessee: Arrested on robbery charges and dismissed from the team. Caught just eight passes last season as a freshman.

Tyrik Rollison, QB, Auburn: Once thought to be Auburn’s future quarterback, Rollison is leaving the program and transferring to Sam Houston State.

Chris Strong, LB, Ole Miss: Academic issues derailed Strong’s career. He left school following his freshman season after making a few starts at middle linebacker.

We’ve covered pretty extensively the players SEC schools have lost from last season due to their eligibility expiring or the NFL draft.

But what about those players who won’t be returning or playing this season for other reasons?

Here’s a team-by-team list of some of the more notable scholarship players who won’t be back, keeping in mind that this list may grow once semester grades are in. There's sure to be a few academic casualties:

ALABAMA

S Robby Green (NCAA suspension)

RB Terry Grant (graduated, gave up football)

QB Star Jackson (transferring)

ARKANSAS

CB David Gordon (transferring)

OT Matt Hall (transferring)

QB/TE Jim Youngblood (transferring)

AUBURN

QB Tyrik Rollison (transferring)

FB John Douglas (transferring)

FLORIDA

CB Adrian Bushell (transferring)

LB Brandon Beal (transferring)

DT Gary Brown (dismissed)

GEORGIA

QB Zach Mettenberger (dismissed)

OLB Montrez Robinson (dismissed)

KENTUCKY

S Matt Lentz (injury)

WR Kyrus Lanxter (left the team)

WR Eric Adeyemi (transferring)

LSU

WR John Williams (injury)

MISSISSIPPI STATE

WR O’Neal Wilder (concentrating on track)

OLE MISS

WR Andrew Harris (transferring)

SOUTH CAROLINA

QB Aramis Hillary (transferring)

QB Reid McCollum (left the team)

TENNESSEE

OT Aaron Douglas (transferring)

RB Bryce Brown (transferring)

QB Nick Stephens (transferring)

VANDERBILT

OT Reilly Lauer (transferring)

WR Collin Ashley (transferring)