ESPN College Football

Just a few links before the Memorial Day weekend.

• Drama runs high at next week's SEC spring meetings.
• Alabama's Barrett Jones and other SEC players make the Rimington Award watch list.
• Florida coach Will Muschamp finishes up his Gator Club speaking tour.
• There won't be a raise for Mark Richt with his new contract, but bonuses could be coming.
• Former LSU commit Torshiro Davis talks decommitting from the Tigers before signing with Texas last year.
• USA Today takes a look at athletic directors and league commissioners and their salaries.
• Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze is moving the Rebels in the right direction.
• Tennessee coach Derek Dooley addresses discipline issues with his team.

Nickolas Brassell was in a deep enough hole academically when Hugh Freeze took the Ole Miss job back in December that Freeze never counted on having Brassell on the field next season.

Sure, Freeze was always hopeful and did all he could to help Brassell, one of the most dynamic freshmen in the SEC last season, but the official word came down Friday. Ole Miss announced that Brassell was academically ineligible and would transfer.

Brassell, who became the first Ole Miss player since 1988 to start on both offense and defense, missed all but a few practices this spring to try and get his academics in order. Ultimately, he didn't pass the required 18 credit hours over the last two semesters.

It's always tough to lose a player of his ability. Again, though, Freeze knew it was going to be a long shot for Brassell to be eligible.

The plan was to use him at cornerback and then play him situationally at receiver. The good news for the Rebels is that both Wesley Pendleton and Dehendret Collins had big springs, and there's also some depth at cornerback. Senquez Golson will be back from baseball in the fall after starting four games as true freshman at cornerback last season. Also, heralded signee Trae Elston will be on campus this summer.

The Rebels are still looking for more playmakers on offense, and Brassell would have certainly helped there. He also returned a punt 84 yards for a touchdown last season.

Edward Aschoff discusses how new Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze took big steps to improving things off the field for the Rebels.

We're putting spring behind us and looking toward the fall with our post-spring power rankings:

1. LSU: The Tigers had one of the best springs around. Things were quiet off the field, and the offense rallied behind quarterback Zach Mettenberger. Coach Les Miles was very impressed with Mettenberger's play and maturity, and expects LSU's offense to be more balanced with him under center. LSU can still use four or five running backs, as well. Defensively, the Tigers are stacked once again, especially up front with two potential first-rounders in ends Sam Montgomery and Barkevious Mingo. Questions surround the inexperienced linebackers, but Kevin Minter had a tremendous spring in the middle. On paper, LSU is equipped with the talent to make another title run, and gets Alabama at home this year.

2. Alabama: While the defending national champs saw a lot of "new" faces on defense this spring, coach Nick Saban left happy with where his players were -- but not satisfied. There is still work to be done, especially in the secondary, where the Tide must replace three starters. Dont'a Hightower and Courtney Upshaw are gone at linebacker, but the coaches were impressed with how Nico Johnson, C.J. Mosley and Adrian Hubbard played this spring. Some think Hubbard, a redshirt sophomore, could be Bama's top pass-rusher. Offensively, quarterback AJ McCarron is back, more mature and surrounded by a very veteran line. He has a group of younger receivers to throw to, but has at least four quality running backs. Alabama's road to repeating is tougher, with games at Arkansas and LSU.

3. South Carolina: A healthy Marcus Lattimore (knee) at RB makes South Carolina an even better contender for the SEC East crown. His status is uncertain, but the pieces around him are pretty impressive. Quarterback Connor Shaw had an impressive spring, and looks ready to be the passer coach Steve Spurrier wants him to be. The defense is once again stacked, especially up front with ends Jadeveon Clowney and Devin Taylor. There are questions in the secondary, with two new, young starters in Victor Hampton (cornerback) and Brison Williams (safety), while senior Akeem Auguste returns after missing last season with a foot injury. Still, Spurrier is chirping about his SEC counterparts, so you know he thinks he's got a good team this year.

4. Georgia: The Bulldogs should be higher on this list, but when you take into account the suspensions of four defensive starters at the beginning of the season, they slide a little. Georgia returns nine defensive starters, including one of the nation's best linebackers in Jarvis Jones, and some firepower on offense, led by veteran quarterback Aaron Murray, who could get some early Heisman love. It also sounds like enigmatic running back Isaiah Crowell is slowly turning things around. Yet again, the Bulldogs have a favorable SEC schedule, with no games against Alabama, Arkansas or LSU, so their road to the SEC championship is easier than South Carolina's, but keep an eye on that inexperienced offensive line.

5. Arkansas: If not for Bobby Petrino's embarrassing dismissal, the Razorbacks might be ranked higher. Offensively, it doesn't get much better than what Arkansas has. Tyler Wilson returns as arguably the league's best quarterback, and he'll get to work with one of the most complete backs around, Knile Davis, who is returning from a devastating ankle injury. An older and more improved offensive line returns, and so does a talented receiving corps led by Cobi Hamilton. But there are questions. How effective will interim coach John L. Smith be, especially if something goes wrong? Will Marquel Wade's suspension leak into the fall after his spring arrest? And will the defense improve and be more aggressive under new coordinator Paul Haynes? The good news is that Alabama and LSU play in Fayetteville this fall.

6. Florida: The chemistry is much better in Gainesville. Florida returns 10 starters from a defense that ranked eighth nationally in 2011. Matt Elam looks like a budding star at safety, and Florida's linebacking group is solid. Buck/defensive end Ronald Powell could be out after tearing his ACL this spring, but coach Will Muschamp recently said Powell is off crutches. Stud defensive tackle Dominique Easley is also walking fine after tearing his ACL in last year's season finale. The Gators have their third offensive coordinator in three years, and unproven sophomore quarterbacks Jacoby Brissett and Jeff Driskel are still battling. Florida has unproven running backs and receivers, but the offensive line toughened up tremendously.

7. Auburn: The Tigers welcomed two new coordinators, Scot Loeffler and Brian VanGorder, this spring, and by all accounts players were very receptive. Coach Gene Chizik is still dealing with a lot of youth, as close to 70 percent of his roster is made up of underclassmen. One of those underclassmen is quarterback Kiehl Frazier, who made strides as a passer this spring and seems to have the edge in the quarterback race with Clint Moseley, who missed some of the spring with a sore shoulder. The defensive line will be the team's strength, with end Dee Ford exploding this spring and Corey Lemonier returning. There is a lot of depth up front on defense, which will go a long way for the Tigers.

8. Missouri: Coach Gary Pinkel and his players have made it clear they aren't intimidated by the move to the SEC. These new Tigers return solid offensive firepower, but there has to be some concern about quarterback James Franklin, who missed most of the spring after having surgery on his throwing shoulder. Plus, Mizzou's backup QB could miss games this fall after his recent arrest, so the Tigers' offensive success will be riding on Franklin's health. The Tigers are replacing a few starters on both lines, but feel confident about both areas. Mizzou will face a Georgia team down a few defensive players in Week 2, but must travel to South Carolina, Florida, Tennessee and Texas A&M.

9. Tennessee: A lot is different in Knoxville, as the Vols welcomed seven new assistant coaches. Coach Derek Dooley insists the changes were for the best, but there's still going to be some adjusting to do this fall. The good news is that Tennessee returns a lot on both sides of the ball, starting with quarterback Tyler Bray and receivers Justin Hunter and Da'Rick Rogers. A healthy trio there makes Tennessee's passing game one of the best in the league. Questions remain on the offensive line and at running back, but improvements were made this spring. New defensive coordinator Sal Sunseri would like to run more 3-4 this fall, but players aren't totally comfortable, leaving some concerns.

10. Mississippi State: Quarterback Tyler Russell finally looks ready to take over as the guy in Starkville, and he'll have a veteran receiving corps to work with. However, that group still has a lot to prove, especially senior Chad Bumphis. The running game looks solid with LaDarius Perkins and Nick Griffin, and the offensive line got help from the junior college ranks. Defensively, there are a few holes to fill up front and in the secondary, but Johnthan Banks and Corey Broomfield are a solid cornerback tandem and linebacker is set with a few vets back, including stud Cameron Lawrence. Junior college defensive end Denico Autry has to perform early to help a line with a couple of holes.

11. Texas A&M: The Aggies have some holes to fill this year, but the offensive line will be a strength. Left tackle Luke Joeckel, a future first-rounder, leads a line that returns four starters. Star wide receiver Ryan Swope is back, and running back Christine Michael should be healthy (knee) this fall, but quarterback is an issue. Sophomore Jameill Showers has the edge right now, but like all of his competitors, he lacks experience. The defense will lean on linebackers Sean Porter, Steven Jenkins, Jonathan Stewart and converted end Damontre Moore, but the secondary has depth and experience issues, and the team will still be adjusting to a new staff led by coach Kevin Sumlin.

12. Vanderbilt: There is some solid offensive talent in Nashville, starting with running back Zac Stacy and receivers Jordan Matthews and Chris Boyd, but coach James Franklin is still waiting for quarterback Jordan Rodgers to be more consistent. The offensive line is very thin and could barely get through spring. The defense must replace a handful of starters and leaders, but Franklin felt better about guys like linebacker Chase Garnham, defensive end Walker May and cornerback Trey Wilson. Vandy's schedule will be tough this fall, and if that offensive line doesn't hold up, getting back to a bowl will be tough.

13. Kentucky: Coach Joker Phillips was pleased with how spring practice ended, especially when it came to finding offensive playmakers, like receivers Demarco Robinson and Daryl Collins. Quarterback Maxwell Smith had a solid spring, but struggled during the spring game, meaning the battle with Morgan Newton and freshman Patrick Towles should go into the fall. The offensive line is still trying to get by after losing three starters, and the Wildcats must replace six starters at linebacker and in the secondary. Given the Wildcats' schedule, they will need to sweep their nonconference games to be in bowl shape.

14. Ole Miss: The arrival of coach Hugh Freeze brought a lot of positive change to Ole Miss, especially off the field, but there are still a lot of concerns. There are depth issues at just about every position, especially running back and defensive tackle. Even one of the most experienced groups, the offensive line, has struggled mightily with picking up Freeze's spread offense and is the team's biggest weakness. Academic issues are also worrying Ole Miss' staff, and top running back Jeff Scott and cornerback/receiver Nickolas Brassell are in that group. Quarterback is still up for grabs, but progress was made on defense, especially in the secondary.

OXFORD, Miss. -- Ole Miss’ football program is stuck in the wilderness -- a scary place, filled with a plethora of overgrown obstacles.

When coach Hugh Freeze arrived last December, he says the jungle was as thick as ever and it didn’t look like his new team was ready to cut its way out.

That was until Freeze offered a solution: his “Journey.” He told players that he didn’t know how long it would take for them to make it out or find some sort of salvation, but if they followed him, they’d find the light.

“The reasonable expectation for us in Year 1 is for us to compete passionately for this university for 60 minutes,” Freeze said. “And whatever that scoreboard says at the end of that 60 minutes we’ll have to live with.”

The Rebels will have to plod through this quagmire, but Freeze insists patience is the key to turning around a program that is less than three years removed from a second straight Cotton Bowl victory.

“It’s well-documented that we don’t have the talent level that people in the SEC West have right now at a lot of spots, at least not the depth,” Freeze said. “That’s not fixed overnight.”

And it’s just one of the handful of problems Freeze is looking to fix, as he replaces Houston Nutt, who was once heralded as Ole Miss' greatest hire. Academic and discipline issues are also on the agenda. As Freeze puts it, he has “a few mountains to climb” before he can shape things up, but since the journey began in December, progress has been made.

Freeze said probably 65-70 percent of the players have bought in, which might be a conservative number. It’s better than what he expected, considering the trust issues and players being set in their old ways of doing “what they’ve wanted to do for themselves for so long.”

“They think they like it the way they had it, even though, if they’re intelligent enough, they look at the results,” he said. “You’re will is something that’s hard to change once you get set.”

Freeze put the Rebels’ abysmal 6-18 two-year record and 14 straight SEC losses front and center as motivation, he made academics more of a priority, looked to adjust Ole Miss’ lenient drug policy, and created accountability groups.

Everything has helped, but the accountability groups really took off.

They were created to show players how much their actions affected everyone. Miss class? Your group runs at 5 a.m. Miss tutoring? Group run; 5 a.m. Late for anything? Welcome the sun with some running.

Rising junior linebacker Mike Marry said his group never ran – he made sure of it – but he saw other groups running as much as five times during a two-week span. The running cut down as the spring went on and there was hardly any toward the end.

“That’s what I like about him,” Marry said of Freeze, “he doesn’t let little things slide.

“The last coaches, they let certain things slide. Certain things were small, but eventually they start building up and turn into big things and people started feeling like they could get away with more and more things. Since he’s not letting little things slide, you’re seeing the team come together closer and closer and there are fewer problems.”

Freeze said eliminating off-field trouble is top priority. That’s why he’s so nervous about leaving his players in their own hands during the true offseason. Progress was made, but he worries guys will fall back on old habits when less supervised.

To ease his mind, Freeze turns to recruiting. With Ole Miss so thin at defensive tackle, offensive line, running back and safety, and needing walk-ons to fill three full teams in practice (on both sides), Freeze is stacking recruiting on recruiting.

He had some early success in his first class, grabbing three Under Armour All-Americans – DT Issac Gross, DE Channing Ware and DB Trae Elston -- and two junior college All-Americans – QB Bo Wallace and OT Pierce Burton – and his roll has continued with nine commitments in hand for 2013.

Recruiting at Ole Miss has hardly ever been easy with schools like Alabama, LSU, Auburn and Georgia in such close proximity, but Freeze believes he’ll make it work. And he’ll do it by going after the top prospects, not by getting lax and offering whomever to fill space.

“We can make it easy in recruiting, now, and I think that’s what’s happened,” he said.

“I know you can recruit here. I’ve been here before when we did it and when we had 20 kids drafted in the NFL in those three classes that we brought in.

“Is it easy? No, but it is doable.”

Fixing Ole Miss is also doable, he said. It’s going to take a lot of work and a lot of time, but it requires patience. Freeze’s mantra is “Winning the day,” not winning the week.

“The one thing that we have that’s constant and equal [to opponents] is time,” Freeze said. “So, what are we doing to prepare for that end goal -- whatever that is -- today?

“We’re a fragile state of mind right now and when you start talking about things that are so far out there, I don’t think that will be beneficial to us. Let’s just talk about today.”

Freeze might be preaching about today, but you can sense the confidence growing inside players, especially wide receiver Donte Moncrief, who took things a step further.

“Everybody keeps putting us under the radar, but once we learn this offense and the defense keeps playing like it’s playing, we’re going to shock a lot of teams,” he said.

What a journey that’d be.

2011 overall record: 2-10
2011 conference record: 0-8
Returning starters: Offense: 8; defense: 6; kicker/punter: 2

Top returners
RB Jeff Scott, WR Ja-Mes Logan, WR Donte Moncrief, WR Randall Mackey, C Evan Swindall, DE C.J. Johnson, LB Mike Marry, S Charles Sawyer, P Tyler Campbell

Key losses
RB Brandon Bolden, OT Bobby Massie, OT Bradley Sowell, DE Kentrell Lockett, DE Wayne Dorsey, S Damien Jackson

2011 statistical leaders (*returners)

Rushing: Jeff Scott* (529 yards)
Passing: Randall Mackey* (1,112 yards)
Receiving: Donte Moncrief* (454 yards)
Tackles: Mike Marry* (81)
Sacks: Wayne Dorsey (3)
Interceptions: Charles Sawyer* (4)

Spring answers

1. Secondary strength: With questions swirling surrounding Nickolas Brassell’s eligibility, some of the best news this spring for the Rebels centered around the play of cornerbacks Dehendret Collins and Wesley Pendleton. They were junior college teammates and look like they will be manning the starting corner positions this fall for Ole Miss. Add junior safety Charles Sawyer to the mix, and it’s a unit that should be much improved, especially if Brassell makes it academically and heralded true freshman Trae Elston is everything the Rebels think he is.

2. Kicking and screaming: It’s hard to find a team in the SEC that kicks it much better than the Rebels do with their combination of senior place-kicker Bryson Rose and senior punter Tyler Campbell. Rose was 9-of-11 on field goals last season and made 17 straight field goal attempts between 2010 and 2011, which was one shy of the SEC record. Campbell averaged 43.6 yards per punt and was second in the league with 28 punts downed inside the 20-yard line.

3. Freezing them out: First-year Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze spent much of the spring and offseason putting his stamp on the program. Not only do the Rebels have a new spread offense, but several of the players said there’s a new mindset, specifically when it comes to discipline and accountability. The players split into accountability groups, and they policed themselves. If one member of that group did something wrong or ran astray, they all were punished. Freeze exited the spring feeling as if everyone were on the same page in terms of knowing what the expectations were.

Fall questions

1. Making the grade: Junior running back Jeff Scott and Brassell are on the border academically and still have work to do to be eligible. Both players played in the spring game, but missed some practice time. The Rebels are in need of big-play guys on offense. Scott provides that with his speed. Brassell will play cornerback, but the Rebels also plan to use him situationally on offense. Tobias Singleton has moved from receiver to running back. If Scott and Brassell aren’t around this fall, that’s going to put a lot of pressure on Singleton in the backfield.

2. Shackelford’s health: The Rebels could desperately use D.T. Shackelford’s production and leadership on defense in 2012, but there’s no guarantee that he will be fully recovered from a second knee surgery this past March. He missed all of last season after tearing his ACL two springs ago. His knee didn’t respond to that first surgery, and he had to undergo a second procedure just prior to the start of this spring practice. Shackelford, a junior linebacker, led the Rebels with five sacks in 2010. More importantly, he’s the kind of player everybody rallies around. Getting him back would be huge for the Rebels.

3. Offensive line development: It doesn’t matter who’s playing quarterback or who’s running the ball if the offensive line doesn’t jell and play with more consistency than it did a year ago. The anchor is junior center Evan Swindall, but the Rebels need guys such as senior A.J. Hawkins and junior Emmanuel McCray to keep progressing. They moved some players around this spring up front, and several of them have starting experience. But they were still adjusting to the new spread offense, so finding the right combination will be critical in the fall.

OXFORD, Miss. -- There were a lot of changes in and around Ole Miss' football program this spring.

New coach Hugh Freeze was brought in, and with him came a slew of new assistants and schemes. Some have been easier to deal with than others.

For rising junior linebacker Mike Marry, he welcomed all of that change with open arms. It wasn't always easy, but as Marry, who led Ole Miss with 81 tackles, embarks on the offseason he does so with a better outlook on his team, especially the defense.

The Rebels ranked last in the SEC in total defense last year, but Marry said he's excited about this group because of the multiple formations new defensive coordinator Dave Wommack is running. Marry said it'll make Ole Miss' defense tougher to figure out and it allows players to play with more freedom and have more fun on the field.

Marry took time away from hitting the weights to speak with ESPN.com about the spring and changing the culture at Ole Miss.

Edward Aschoff: With a new defensive coordinator and some new coaches in, how did the defense respond and where is it now compared to where it was at the beginning of the spring?

Mike Marry: I feel like at the beginning it was hard for some of us to pick up the schemes and we were playing kind of slow. As practice went on, we had more and more meetings and things started progressing. We started flying around as a D and started connecting and being able to help each other and that's what made things easier and practice more fun.

What was difficult about the new schemes at first?

We're doing a lot of different things and you're never in the same spot. Even if you're running the same play you never line up in the same spot and it was kind of difficult for some of us to move around and do our responsibilities. Once we started picking that up, things became a lot easier.

How much does that help you as a defender when you have to move around so much and play in a lot of different formations?

It helps you a lot because the offense can never predict what defense you're in by where you line up because we line up in all kinds of places and run the same defense. They'll just never know.

For you, what's different? Where are you now compared to where you were last year after stepping into a pretty big role before the season?

As I get older, I have more responsibility to help the younger guys. Last year, I had people over me that were already here and they were able to help me. Now, I'm kind of one of the oldest ones on the team, even though I'm about to be junior. I have to help these younger guys come along.

What have you done to make sure that you step up and lead those younger guys?

We do extra drills after practice or we watch film without the coaches. We just go in and watch film because some players find it easier to talk to older players rather than the coach. If they have a question they'll ask me and if I don't know it I'll ask the coaches and get back to them.

What did you try to improve in your individual game this spring?

Running to the ball. That's one of the main things coach [Freeze] said I needed to improve on from last year. On deep passes, I need to chase the ball even if I can't get there. You never know what's going to happen. If I run to the ball I might get a lucky play and get a fumble or something like that.

Is that something that has been missing on this defense?

I feel like we were missing that last year. There would be a couple games where teams would get a big play you could see the offense and the defense put their heads down and we weren't trying as hard anymore and that's what lost us a lot of games. Even the games that we started off winning, once they got a big play, we put our heads down and ended up letting them come back instead of fighting. Bad plays are going to happen every game. You can't just dwell on that. You have to keep moving for the next play.

Was something that you wanted to make clear to your teammates this spring that they have to keep going no matter the score this time?

Yes, sir. Like I said, we lost a lot of games because of that last year. One thing we have to do is we have to prove to the fans that we're not going to give up because when I first got here we went and won back-to-back Cotton Bowls and I feel like we've been letting down the fans because they put in a lot of time and effort into us, too. We have to play for ourselves and our families and the fans as well.

When you look at the team that you came in to and then you look at the 14 straight SEC losses, what do you think immediately about when it comes where this team was to where it is now in such a short amount of time?

We have a long way to go, but I feel like we have the weapons to get back to where we were, if not better. When I got here, there were a handful of players that dominated and were difference makers. I feel like we have a lot more difference makers now. Even though they're young, they play hard. That's going to get us back to where we were.

OXFORD, Miss. -- Donte Moncrief isn't afraid to be your typical wide receiver.

Ole Miss' sophomore-to-be craves glory like the next self-assured wideout, and he shouldn't be ashamed of it. Quarterbacks get all the love, but they'd be nothing without their receivers, and the good ones know that.

So, it's no shocker that Moncrief is enjoying coach Hugh Freeze's spread offense. While it took some time to adjust from last season's more pro-style attack, Moncrief said he's having more fun in a more wide open scheme because, well, he has the opportunity to get more touches.

"This offense is kind of better for a receiver, because you can get the ball a lot," said Moncrief, who, as a freshman, led the Rebels with 31 catches for 454 yards and four touchdowns in 2011.

Regardless of the type of offense Ole Miss runs, there aren't many scenarios where Moncrief isn't the focal point of the passing game. He's easily Ole Miss' most talented receiving target, and at 6-foot-2 and 214 pounds, he isn't afraid to get physical and make the tougher catches.

Moncrief, the leader of a pretty raw and inexperienced receiving group, wants to be the star, and might have to be. However, for an Ole Miss team that ranked 11th in both passing and total offense in the SEC last season, there's still work to be done before fall arrives.

"Everybody expects me to be the big playmaker when we need a play," he said, "so I'm going to have to try a little harder this summer, get stronger, faster and catch more balls, and be ready to help my team.

"That's the stuff I'm going to work on and get better at so I can become one of the best to come through [Ole Miss' program]."

By try harder, Moncrief means studying his playbook a little more so he can memorize his routes better this season. It was easier to get away with freshman mistakes and botched routes at times in last season's offense, but Moncrief said that with so much going on in the spread, those mistakes won't fly.

Outside of learning new terminology, Moncrief said the toughest thing for him was memorization. Instead of always looking to the quarterback, hand signals from the sidelines, especially when the Rebels crank up the tempo, dictate plays.

He also has to get used to the quickness of this offense. Freeze and offensive coordinator Dan Werner want plays to operate as quickly as possible. Five-step quarterback drops are a thing of the past for the Rebels. As soon as the quarterback has the ball, Moncrief said the play is nearly over.

"It's some fast plays, so you want to get the defense on its heels so you can score real quick," he said.

Outside of the mental part, Moncrief still has some fine-tuning to do physically. He shed some pounds to get faster, but is putting in more time with strength coach Paul Jackson to up his on-field physicality. Fortunately for Moncrief, he craves physical play and actually likes to block, so taking on defenders is rewarding. He thinks it'll benefit him more, because he believes defenders grow wary of seeing receivers that can deliver a bone-rattling block out of nowhere to spring a running back.

"I like it. I love contact," Moncrief said with a sinister smile beaming off his face.

While Moncrief's rambunctious demeanor toward opposing defenders is probably adored by his coaches, Moncrief knows that his first job is to catch passes -- lots of them. Even though he's improving his blocking ability, Moncrief still says he's still the most dangerous in-stride, and he believes he'll be even tougher for defenders to keep up with in 2012.

"Hopefully, there will be a lot of deep balls this year," he said.

OXFORD, Miss. -- Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze knew things weren’t going to be easy in Oxford. He returned to the town and program he loved, but he did so knowing he’d be inheriting a slew of issues, both on and off the field.

However, he didn’t know that the biggest would be in the academic world.

With final exams only days away, Freeze is still concerned about the academic standing of a few players, including key starters Jeff Scott (running back) and Nickolas Brassell (cornerback/receiver).

“I knew that there were some issues, but probably found out it was a little tougher than what I thought it was when I got here,” Freeze said about Ole Miss’ academic issues.

“We’ve made some headway, but we inherited such a mountain to climb that I think it would be presumptuous for me to believe we’re going to climb every single mountain. I don’t think that’s going to be reality.”

The reality of losing those players makes Freeze nervous heading into summer workouts. While he’s seen improvement from them throughout the spring, he’s not ready to say they’ll be academically eligible once the spring semester finishes.

“I feel better because I see improvement, but if you’re asking me do I feel confident at this point to say that they’re going to make it, no, I don’t feel confident to say that,” Freeze said.

“When you start out at nearly zero, it’s a tall task to climb in one semester.”

Although the next few days will be nerve-racking for Freeze and his coaching staff, he is very proud of the way some players improved their classroom habits, especially Scott. The struggles Scott was going through when Freeze first arrived seemed to dissipate as spring progressed.

“I’m extremely proud of Jeff Scott. He has bought in,” Freeze said. “Couldn’t be more pleased with what we’re getting from him right now, as far as effort in the classroom. I’m [hopeful] that he has a good chance of making it. He didn’t have as far to come as some others.”

Having Scott in Ole Miss’ starting lineup this fall will be huge for the Rebels. Last season, Scott was eighth in the SEC in all-purpose yardage, averaging 101.4 yards per game. He also led the Rebels with 529 rushing yards and six touchdowns in his nine starts.

Scott, who will be a junior this fall, entered spring as Ole Miss’ top playmaker, but there isn’t much depth at all behind him at running back. He’s one of three scholarship running backs that include senior Devin Thomas (20 career carries) and Nicholas Parker, who has spent two years on the scout team. Freeze said those two will have to compete with the four incoming freshmen due in this summer if Scott can't go.

“We’re so thin there,” Freeze said. “I’ve never inherited any team that’s as thin at running back as we are here.”

Ole Miss would benefit from Brassell’s athleticism, no matter where he lines up, but the Rebels do have pretty good depth in the secondary and Freeze said cornerback was the most productive unit for the team this spring. Wesley Pendleton and Dehendret Collins, who grabbed two interceptions in Ole Miss’ spring game, made the most progress this spring and the former junior college teammates should be pretty solid players this fall.

Standout Senquez Golson will be back after baseball and the Rebels will welcome talented incoming freshmen Trae Elston and Anthony Standifer.

Freeze will sweat out the next few days as he awaits the fate of some of his players, but he’s pleased with how his team responded to the new coaching staff this spring. It was tough to get players on board at first, and he still thinks less than 80 percent of the team has bought in, but it’s certainly higher than when he first arrived.

This would be a tough job for any coach and Freeze knows that patience will be key to getting this program back on track.

“It won’t be an overnight fix,” he said. “It probably won’t be a one-year fix. It’s a process. I call it the ‘Journey.’”

Paul Johnson and Jon Barry of Georgia Tech successfully defended their Chick-fil-A Bowl Challenge golf championship on Tuesday with a one stroke victory over the field to take home the $125,000 first-place scholarship prize.

Johnson and Barry finished at 10-under-par.

The top SEC team in the field was Mississippi State's Dan Mullen and Fred McCrary, who finished in a tie for fourth with Virginia Tech's Frank Beamer and Dell Curry. They finished at 8-under.

Alabama's Nick Saban and Johnny Mussa tied for sixth with Ohio State's Urban Meyer and Jeff Logan at 7-under.

The Ole Miss team of Hugh Freeze and Sean Tuohy, the South Carolina team of Steve Spurrier and Sterling Sharpe and the Tennessee team of Derek Dooley and Stanley Morgan finished in a five-way tie for eighth place with two other teams. They shot 6-under.

The sixth annual Chick-fil-A Bowl Challenge golf tournament is being played today at Reynolds Plantation outside Atlanta, and five SEC head coaches are part of the event.

The tournament consists of a 16-team field of NCAA head coaches and celebrity alumni. They compete in a two-man scramble format over 18 holes, vying for a first-place prize of $125,000 in scholarship funds. All participating teams will receive a portion of the $520,000 total scholarship purse.

The five SEC coaches playing are Alabama's Nick Saban, Mississippi State's Dan Mullen, Ole Miss' Hugh Freeze, South Carolina's Steve Spurrier and Tennessee's Derek Dooley. Spurrier and his playing partner, former South Carolina and Green Bay Packers star receiver Sterling Sharpe, won the event in 2008 and 2009. The defending champions are Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson and former Georgia Tech basketball star Jon Barry.

This year, the Ole Miss and Mississippi State teams are paired together, which makes you wonder if there will be many "school up north" references from Mullen.

Also, the North Carolina State and Tennessee teams are paired together. The Wolfpack and Vols will meet again in the 2012 football season opener in Atlanta.

Ohio State's Urban Meyer is the lone coach from outside the ACC or SEC playing. His team is paired with Georgia Tech. If the Chick-fil-A Bowl organizers really wanted to be creative, they would have put Meyer and Spurrier in the same pairing. Now, that would have been pure entertainment.

The tournament is being taped by ESPN and will be broadcast in August.

Here's a look at the pairings:

GROUP ONE	COACH/CELEBRITY
Tennessee	Derek Dooley / Stanley Morgan
NC State	Tom O'Brien / Tom Gugliotta
GROUP TWO
Alabama	Nick Saban / Johnny Musso
Virginia Tech ('07 champions)	Frank Beamer / Dell Curry
GROUP THREE
Florida State ('10 Champions)	Jimbo Fisher / Terrell Buckley
Miami	Al Golden / Gino Torretta
GROUP FOUR
Maryland	Randy Edsall / Stan Gelbaugh
Virginia	Mike London / Jim Dombrowski
GROUP FIVE
Wake Forest	Jim Grobe / Riley Skinner
Clemson	Dabo Swinney / Steve Fuller
GROUP SIX
Georgia Tech ('11 Champions)	Paul Johnson / Jon Barry
Ohio State	Urban Meyer / Jeff Logan
GROUP SEVEN
North Carolina	Larry Fedora / Roy Williams
South Carolina ('08, '09 Champions)	Steve Spurrier / Sterling Sharpe
GROUP EIGHT
Mississippi State	Dan Mullen / Fred McCrary
Mississippi	Hugh Freeze / Sean Tuohy

If new Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze is going to get his spread offense off the ground in Oxford, he's going to have to see a lot of positive changes from his offensive line.

What entered the spring as the Rebels' most experienced unit left as arguably its weakest, as it struggled to transition to Freeze's new offense.

"The tempo of which we want to do it with caused some problems and we still have a ways to go in that adjustment period," Freeze said of his offensive line Tuesday.

Ole Miss lost potential first-round pick Bobby Massie and three-year starter Bradley Sowell before spring, but watched as its returning starters struggled throughout the 15 spring practices.

Guard Matt Hall, who started 11 games at right guard last season, was missing for the first part of the spring before he eventually left the team. Fellow guard Patrick Junen, who started six games at left guard, ran with the first team at times, but continued to struggle picking up Freeze's offense throughout spring.

Rising senior A.J. Hawkins, who played in and started five games at center last year, took reps at guard, while rising junior center Evan Swindall (seven starts) was able to stay at his past position and might have been the Rebels' most consistent lineman.

Rising sophomore Aaron Morris (five starts) shined at times, while the tackle spots were filled by redshirt junior Emmanuel McCray, who missed all of last season but played in 12 games in 2010, and junior college transfer Pierce Burton.

There were bright spots here and there, but overall, Ole Miss' offensive line didn't excel. There are a lot of career games along the front five, but it'll take more than experience to get this group going before the season starts.

While Freeze was down on his offensive line, he was impressed by a couple of skill players this spring. Freeze said rising junior wide receiver Ja-Mes Logan had "the most consistent spring at wide receiver." Logan only caught 20 passes for 274 yards and zero touchdowns last season, but he's a big body who the staff hopes can be used as a deep threat in this offense.

He caught three passes for 88 yards and two touchdowns in the spring game.

Freeze was also pleased with how Randall Mackey performed, even with all the moving around he did. After being a starting quarterback for the Rebels last season, Mackey moved to wide receiver. As one of Ole Miss' best pure athletes, he took reps in the slot, as a wildcat quarterback and as a running back.

In Ole Miss' spring game, Mackey completed two passes -- both touchdowns -- for 44 yards, caught a pass for 4 yards, and carried the ball twice for 16 yards.

"He's a talented kid," Freeze said, "and I expect him to give us an added boost to the offense from playing all the many positions that he'll play."

There's no question that there are more than a few issues surrounding Ole Miss' football team.

Hugh Freeze inherited a team that is lacking depth in key areas, is still searching for playmakers, and hasn't won an SEC game in its pst 14 tries.

But if Ole Miss is going to make any immediate progress on the football field, things need to get cleaned up off the field.

Suspensions and dismissals rocked Ole Miss' team last fall, showing an obvious lack of discipline while former coach Houston Nutt was in charge.

When Freeze was introduced to his new team back in December, he made it crystal clear to players that certain things from the past wouldn't be tolerated, and that the attitude around Ole Miss' program was going to change.

Fast-forward to April, and quarterback Barry Brunetti says he's seen a dramatic difference in the way players conduct themselves with Freeze's no-nonsense persona front and center.

"I can just see it in the guys' eyes every day," Brunetti said. "They're ready to come to practice every day, and they're ready to work every day."

Brunetti said Freeze has made improving discipline throughout the entire team priority No. 1 this spring. Sure, learning new schemes and finding the right pieces here and there are important, but Brunetti said this team won't go anywhere without getting away from its troubled past.

"We need to be more disciplined than we were last year, because we have the talent. We have talent just as good as anybody in the SEC," Brunetti said. "I see it every day. I work out with these guys every day, and I know we can go get it.

"I know we can turn it around. We just have to learn to be more disciplined."

That means not getting carried away around the bar scene. That means not getting dismissed for continuing to violate team rules. That means not having starters suspended, especially before the season finale against your rival.

Brunetti said players who have made past mistakes have been forgiven, and the team is trying to forget, but he also said that it's time to make sure silly gaffes from the past don't creep back up.

"At the same time, we have to stop that, and that comes with discipline," Brunetti said. "I really believe that when Coach Freeze came in, a lot of it stopped, and a lot of it has decreased dramatically. Guys are doing very well who were struggling last year.

"To change, you have to change yourself, and that's what Coach Freeze is saying every time he sees us."

While there were six SEC spring games this weekend, six other teams also took part in scrimmages over the the weekend:

ARKANSAS

Quarterback Tyler Wilson had yet another big scrimmage for the Razorbacks. Wilson completed 39 of 49 passes for 448 yards and three touchdowns during Friday's scrimmage. Wilson completed 20 consecutive passes at one point.

Wilson has yet to throw an interception in Arkansas' three spring scrimmages. He led the offense on scores on seven of the offense's 11 possessions Friday.

The good news for Wilson is that his production has come against the first-team defense. The bad news for Arkansas is that his production has come against the first-team defense. But maybe Wilson is just playing that well this spring.

Wide receiver Marquel Wade led Arkansas with nine receptions for 98 yards, while tight end Chris Gragg caught eight passes for 83 yards and a touchdown on Friday. Receiver Javontee Herndon added five receptions for 73 yards and two scores.

Defensive tackle Robert Thomas led the defense with four sacks, while defensive end Austin Flynn added three sacks.

Wide receiver Cobi Hamilton, linebacker Tenarius Wright and tight end Austin Tate all sustained injuries Friday, but coaches didn't feel they were serious.

Check out more from Arkansas' scrimmage here and here.

KENTUCKY

The Wildcats took part in a very spirited scrimmage Saturday. It was one that left coach Joker Phillips proud of both the offense and defense.

The 90-minute scrimmage featured the first-, second- and third-team offense and defense. The offense started things well, with quarterback Maxwell Smith leading a 70-yard drive on 13 plays. He capped the drive with a 21-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver La'Rod King.

Smith finished the scrimmage completing 25-of-38 passes for 227 yards and four touchdowns. King also led the offense in receiving with seven catches for 76 yards and two scores.

Kentucky's defense stepped up considerably after that, allowing just one touchdown and a field goal on the next 10 possessions, including seven three-and-outs.

You can find more info on Kentucky's scrimmage here.

MISSISSIPPI STATE

Despite a fast start by the offense, the defense won Mississippi State's scrimmage Friday after forcing five turnovers late.

The first- and second-team defense held the offenses to four touchdowns and a field goal on 27 possessions. They also registered seven sacks and four interceptions.

After quarterback Tyler Russell led touchdown drives of 75 and 80 yards on the offense's first two possessions, the defense stepped up, forcing a few three-and-outs for the first- and second-team offense.

Russell had an impressive outing inside Davis Wade Stadium, passing for 310 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions.

Wide receiver Joe Morrow had arguably the play of the day when he caught an 83-yard touchdown pass. He sprinted 50-plus yards to the house after spinning off of cornerback Corey Broomfield about 30 yards up field. Morrow finished with 103 receiving yards, while tight ends Malcolm Johnson and Brandon Hill registered 110 and 75 receiving yards, respectively.

The player of the day might have been senior cornerback Darius Slay, who intercepted three passes.

Head coach Dan Mullen missed the practice after the birth of his daughter Friday.

For more on Mississippi State's scrimmage, check here and here.

OLE MISS

It was an air affair in Oxford, as Ole Miss quarterbacks combined for eight touchdowns in the Rebels' Saturday scrimmage.

Barry Brunetti finished the day with 119 passing yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed seven times for 41 yards and two more scores.

But he didn't do much to separate himself from junior college transfer Bo Wallace, who threw for 113 yards and three touchdowns. He also carried the ball five times for 32 yards and another score.

However, both had their hiccups, as Wallace completed less than 45 percent of his passes and Brunetti threw two interceptions. Coach Huge Freeze told reporters after the scrimmage that he had mixed emotions about both, but felt Wallace played a little better Saturday.

"Standing out there it's real clear to me our quarterbacks, our personnel, we don't quite understand the game," Freeze said. "Third-and-2 we don't know those things. We have very little awareness of those at times. We get in second-and-5s and we get negative plays because we try to do more than we can do. Then it puts you in third-and-8, instead of just keeping it third-and-5. There's so many things that we have to understand."

Brunetti threw two 20-yard touchdowns, one to wide receiver Ja-Mes Logan and one to receiver Vince Sanders. Logan also caught two touchdown passes from Wallace, who also hit receiver Terrell Grant for another score.

For more on Ole Miss' scrimmage, you can go here and here.

TENNESSEE

Justin Hunter picked up right where he left off the last time he played inside Neyland Stadium.

After missing most of last season with an ACL injury, Hunter caught three passes for 70 yards, including a 50-yard touchdown pass in his return to Neyland.

Quarterback Tyler Bray completed his first seven passes of the day and finished with 180 yards and a touchdown on 13-of-23 passing.

While Hunter had a solid outing, sophomore wide receiver Jacob Carter was the top receiver of the day, catching four passes for 102 yards.

Marlin Lane, who has improved a lot this spring, had the big day that he needed with his 71 rushing yards and a touchdown on 12 carries.

Defensively, the Vols got sacks from defensive linemen Jordan Williams, Willie Bohannon and Steven Fowlkes. Defensive backs Justin Coleman, Izauea Lanier and Rod Wilks added six tackles.

For more on Tennessee's scrimmage, go here.

TEXAS A&M

As the quarterback race continues in College Station, redshirt sophomore Jameill Showers stood out in Texas A&M's scrimmage over the weekend. He threw for more than 150 yards and two touchdowns. He also threw an interception, but only after it was dropped by a receiver.

Showers played in seven series with both the first- and second-team offense.

Redshirt freshman Johnny Manziel split snaps with Showers, throwing for more than 150 yards and two touchdowns as well, but he threw two interceptions, with one that was returned for a touchdown by junior defensive back Toney Hurd Jr.

None of the offenses' possessions reached double digits in plays. Turnovers, sloppy play and penalties hurt the offense in the Aggies' first open scrimmage of the spring.

"We just have to be more consistent in our play on both sides of the football, and that's why we're here," coach Kevin Sumlin said. "For the quarterbacks to go operate the way they did, checking plays and moving around, it's encouraging. It gives us a real starting point."

Sophomore linebacker Donnie Baggs, junior linebacker Charlie Thomas, junior linebacker Domonique Patterson and senior linebacker Jonathan Stewart all registered sacks in the scrimmage.

For more on the Texas A&M's scrimmage, go here and here.

After being on the road earlier this week, I was able to stop by the chat room a day later than usual.

Here's a glimpse of what you missed earlier today if you weren't around. As you might imagine, there were a few questions about the Arkansas situation:

Hooligan writes: Where does Bobby Petrino land in the next year or two? College level or NFL?

Chris Low: Hard to see him getting any shot again as an NFL coach with the way he left the Falcons. I could see him landing somewhere in the NFL as a coordinator. As far as college, he's going to need somebody at a smaller school to take a chance on him.

ManicTigah writes: How "good" will Zach Mettenberger be this year? I hope he is "focused" on everything.

Chris Low: I can tell you that in talking to LSU defensive coordinator John Chavis following the spring game that Chavis wouldn't relish facing him. Mettenberger will give that offense another dimension with his ability to throw the ball down the field, which should make that running game even stronger.

Bama Fan in Denver writes: Chris, how are you? I wanted to ask if you could shed some light as to what the deal is with Duron Carter? What is the reason that we hear so little about what the "issue" or "issues" are with him - all I ever read is that he remains suspended or ineligible, with no additional explanations. So what's up with that?

Chris Low: I don't think it's just one thing. Changing his lifestyle would help as well as adhering to what he's been asked to do in order to get back onto the field. At this point, I don't see him playing next season unless he goes about things differently.

Hunter in Knoxville, Tenn., writes: Does Tennessee have the best passing attack in the SEC next season?

Chris Low: It's hard to see a better one on paper if everything goes right -- like [Da'Rick] Rogers staying focused and not being a problem off the field, [Justin] Hunter recovering in full and [Tyler] Bray taking on more leadership duties, which he's done this spring. You add Cordarrelle Patterson to the mix, and defenses are going to have some tough decisions to make. All that said, I still think Tennessee has to run the ball better than it did a year ago to win the big games.

Isaac in Oxford, Miss., writes: What do you think about Coach Freeze moving Randall Mackey to wide receiver? Is it a sign that the other quarterbacks are that good, or a sign of how desperate we are at skill positions?

Chris Low: No, I think coach Freeze is trying to get as many playmakers on the field at one time as he can, and Mackey has shown that he can make things happen with the ball in his hands. He just may not be suited to play quarterback.

Blues writes: Chris, I admit I admire (Jeff) Long for doing the right thing, but I think it will eventually cost him his job. How long before Long changes from being "The man that did the right thing" to "The man that fired the best coach Arkansas ever had?"

Chris Low: The thing we're all probably forgetting in this whole deal is that Long has bosses, too. You know everything he did in conducting his review of Petrino and deciding to fire him was done in consultation with the chancellor. He wasn't on an island in making this decision.

Bryan in Springdale, Ark., writes: You are an AD of a top 25 school. Do you hire Petrino as your head football coach in 5 years? 10 years?

Chris Low: Nope, too risky. He's proven to this point that you can't really trust him even though he's a very good football coach. At a smaller school who hasn't had a lot of success, I might take a chance as an AD on him. But not at an SEC, Big Ten, Pac-12 or Big 12 school. He would have to go elsewhere first and show that he's changed his ways.