ESPN College Football

ALPHARETTA, Ga. -- When Florida defensive tackle Leon Orr violated the terms of his deferred prosecution agreement for his misdemeanor marijuana possession charge by being cited for knowingly driving with a suspended license on Monday, he became the ninth Florida player arrested and the 11th overall arrest during Will Muschamp's short coaching tenure.

Though Orr wasn't taken into custody, his citation did count as an official arrest.

With that, there's a growing perception that Florida has an off-field discipline problem. The numbers are hard to ignore, but Muschamp isn't convinced there's a problem. He acknowledges the run-ins that have taken place since he officially took over for Urban Meyer in January of 2011, but insists that perception isn't his reality.

While he wouldn't comment on Orr's situation, he did say that increased media outlets have placed the microscope closer to college athletes.

"When you're dealing with young people, it's an ongoing educational process, especially in this day and age," Muschamp told ESPN.com shortly before he greeted the Atlanta Gator Club at The Metropolitan Club in Alpharetta Wednesday. "I'm not taking a shot at anyone in the media. It's your job to report and more things are being reported now than 15, 12, eight, five years ago. There's more social media outlets now where there's more information. There's a lot of misinformation out there, too."

Of the 11 arrests, only three have occurred during this calendar year, while five occurred during Muschamp's first spring.

You can see a summary of the arrests here.

The overall number is high for less than two years, but it's obvious the off-field incidents have steadily decreased and Muschamp said there's "no question" the discipline is better now than it was when he first arrived ... and he's right.

It hasn't been an overnight transformation, but the improvement is there. Muschamp took over a team that experienced 32 arrests during Meyer's six-year tenure and feels things are turning around. He especially sees it in the fact that during his first five months on the job he had five arrests on his hands. Since September, he's had three.

"At the end of the day, our players understand that there are consequences for their actions," Muschamp said. "They understand there's a certain accountability within the program. It's not a right to play at Florida, it's a privilege."

Though not all punishments have been made public, action has been taken by Muschamp. Star cornerback Janoris Jenkins was dismissed after his two marijuana-related arrests, while former linebacker Dee Finley didn't play against Tennessee last year following his arrest for driving with a suspended license and resisting arrest without violence. He later transferred to North Alabama last October.

Tight end A.C. Leonard, who was arrested for battery in February, was suspended for part of spring and Muschamp has said there will be further suspension this fall, meaning he could miss multiple games.

Three of the nine players arrested are no longer with the program.

With spring practice over with, Muschamp said the concerns of the offseason are on his mind. Players have less strict class schedules and more time on their hands. More time away from the coaches can be a dangerous time for programs.

Muschamp is putting the team in the hands of the players and strength coach Jeff Dillman. Muschamp said he isn't relying on a select group of players to lead the team, but expects everyone to hold each other accountable for workouts, off-field behavior and classroom work ethic. Muschamp said reports from Dillman have been positive.

Muschamp also said off-field issues haven't affected recruiting. He said conversations concerning that have gone over well with recruits and their parents and he's been able to promote Florida and its players well.

"We've got the right guys in our locker room," he said. "Are they all deacons in the church? No, but we've got a good locker room. I know one thing: My two young boys love being in the locker room."

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Some extra thoughts and notes on my time in Gainesville from last weekend:

• I'll start things off by talking about defensive end/Buck Ronald Powell, who will be out four to six months after tearing his ACL in the Orange and Blue Debut. Before the injury, most around Florida's program felt Powell was having the best spring of any of the defenders. After two seasons in which people expected more from Powell, he really turned it up this spring. He was more aggressive, tougher and caused more headaches for Florida's offense than he had during any other time. Coach Will Muschamp might have found that dangerous pass rushers he needs in his defense. Now, Muschamp must turn elsewhere and things will start with OLB Lerentee McCray. He was out with an injury this spring, but played the Buck in place of Powell at times last fall. He made his biggest jump as a player last season and is one player Muschamp and defensive coordinator Dan Quinn are especially excited about.
• True freshmen Dante Fowler Jr. and Jonathan Bullard will get chances to play at the Buck, too, but keep an eye on Neiron Ball. He didn't play last season because of the arteriovenous malformation found in his brain in February of 2011. There has been no word yet if Ball could resume playing for the Gators, but if he remains healthy and the SEC clears him, Ball could get a shot at play at the Buck.
• The quarterback situation was tight before the spring game and was even tougher afterward. Jacoby Brissett entered the spring with a little bit of an advantage, but Jeff Driskel played his way right back into it. I was told that he really has matured both on and off the field this spring. He's taking film more seriously and he's looking to be a real leader now. He wasn't sure how to operate at the college level last fall, but is getting much more comfortable, now. As for Brissett, he doesn't lack confidence at all. He was smiling, laughing and cracking jokes (one on me in front of everyone) during his news conference after the spring game. He fits a pro-style offense more than Driskel and that will help him in the long run. Athletically, Driskel has the edge, but this thing will come down to which one can take over this team during summer workouts.
• Tyler Murphy is a distant third in the quarterback race. He didn't get much time in the spring game and spent more time talking with offensive coordinator Brent Pease. But that doesn't mean he's not helping. He was relaying signals better than anyone and most there think he understands the offense the best, he's just not has gifted physically. He knows what to do the best of the three, but might not be able to do it the best. His role will be more of helper at this point, but he's valuable for the other QBs.
• Pease is much more hands-on with his quarterbacks and players. He was snatching players around during spring game warmups as they ran through plays and formations. He's making sure everyone knows exactly what they're doing and where they're supposed to be. It's especially helping the quarterbacks. Driskel said Pease's closer instruction has helped him learn the offense better than he did last fall. Driskel didn't have any bad words for former coordinator Charlie Weis, but said Pease's approach has been very helpful. "He's developed us into much better quarterbacks in the short time he's been here," Driskel said of Pease.
• This team is much closer than it was a year ago. Like I said in my coaching recap, the pregame locker room was electric. It wasn't like that last year, especially not for a spring game. Linebacker Michael Taylor told me this group really banded together after the Florida State loss. That one really hurt these guys. They were all called soft by their coach and made it a point to change Muschamp's opinion of his team. Something certainly is different. Players are stepping up and leading more than they did a year ago. "A team that's together is a team that's better," Taylor said.
• Two young players to keep an eye on are wide receiver Latroy Pittman and cornerback Loucheiz Purifoy. Pittman might have been Florida's best receiver this spring and while he's not the fastest guy out there, he's tough, physical and has solid hands. With Florida still lacking a true playmaker at receiver, Pittman will get his chance to play a lot this fall. Purifoy drew praise from Muschamp last season, but really came along this spring. With Marcus Roberson out for most of the spring, Purifoy got more reps at corner. He might be lining up opposite Roberson at the second starting corner spot this fall.
• Don't forget about corner Jeremy Brown. I talked to him briefly before the spring game and he said that his knee is much better than it was last fall. His career has been riddled with injuries (he's missed three seasons in four years), and he received a medical redshirt from the NCAA after missing all of last season. This is a guy who was ahead of Janoris Jenkins at one point in his career before a back injury sidelined him for two years. Having him back will definitely upgrade this secondary.
• The offensive line looked better, but time will tell how good this unit can be. Muschamp seems pretty happy with it, mainly because he has depth. He talked about only having six scholarship linemen at one point during the offseason because injury. The team had to take breaks in practice to keep those guys going. That wasn't the case this spring. For as bad as the quarterback play looked and for as much as Florida struggled to run up the middle, a lot of the Gators' shortcomings came because of an inefficient offensive line. "We're better offensively than we were at any time last year," he said. "We have everybody back and we have some talented guys."
• Jeff Dillman might have been Muschamp's biggest hire. Florida's new strength coach was with Muschamp at LSU when the Tigers won it all in 2003-04. He's focusing on more Olympic-style lifting and you can tell. The players are much bigger than last fall. Dillman's secret? Three moves: the power clean, the snatch and the split jerk. He's making sure they're hitting every muscle possible as efficiently as possible.

From the looks of things, plenty of SEC players could hear their names called in the first round of April's NFL draft.

ESPN draft gurus Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay both have a slew of SEC players in their recent pre-draft player rankings. Kiper currently has 11 in his top 25, while McShay has 12 in his top 32.

(McShay has former Florida cornerback Janoris Jenkins a part of his board as well, so that would have made 13).

Kiper's top SEC player is Alabama running back Trent Richardson, who is fourth on Kiper's Big Board. Here's what Kiper wrote about Richardson:

"Richardson missed his pro day but will work out for scouts in the coming weeks. That'll be key, given his surgery. He's powerful and fast; he showed improved vision and pass-catching skills; he runs with good pad level and breaks tackles with ease."

McShay has LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne as his top SEC player, coming in at No. 4 on his list. Here's what McShay wrote about Claiborne:

"Hands-down the top cover corner in the nation. Claiborne's size, speed, fluid hips and impressive ball skills were on display at the combine and further cemented his place among the top 10 picks."

Kiper and McShay also have five Alabama players on their lists -- Richardson, safety Mark Barron, linebackers Dont'a Hightower and Courtney Upshaw, and cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick.

Hightower, Kirkpatrick and Upshaw all moved up on Kiper's board.

Kirkpatrick is up from No. 19 to No. 17:

"Should be the No. 2 corner off the board on draft day. Has advantage of elite size for the position, and he doesn't give up much quickness for it. Still has top-10 potential, but pro day will be key."

Upshaw is up to No. 18 from No. 20:

"Came into Indy heavier than I suspected he'd be, and I think some teams now question how he fits in a 3-4. Has improved his pass-rush skills, but size makes him a tweener. Great pad level, uses hands well and violently and battles against the run."

Hightower is up to No. 21 from No. 23:

"At one time, I saw Hightower as a better prospect than current Raider Rolando McClain. Now fully back from a knee injury, Hightower looks the part again and could be used inside or outside. He is a fiery, rangy, powerful linebacker."

South Carolina cornerback Stephon Gilmore was previously unranked on McShay's list last week, but came in at No. 28 this time:

"Gilmore is rising thanks to good size and speed, the ability to track the ball well, and his strength in run support."

Players took a dip on McShay's list, as six SEC players' rankings fell this week. The player who fell the most was Georgia offensive lineman Cordy Glenn, who slipped to No. 30 from No. 21:

"Glenn's size, power and athleticism make him a first-round guard prospect, and also give him the potential to develop into a right tackle in the NFL."

Janoris Jenkins spent a year away from SEC ball, but it apparently didn't affect his physical abilities.

The North Alabama cornerback had what ESPN NFL draft analyst Todd McShay said was "the best workout among the corners" during the final day of the NFL combine Tuesday. The former Florida standout, who was dismissed by new Florida coach Will Muschamp days after his second drug-related arrest in three months last spring, ran the sixth-best 40-time (4.46) out of all of the defensive backs and McShay said Jenkins "seemed the most confident, agile, quick-moving corner in drills."

McShay broke down some of the top defensive backs from the final day of the combine and he was very high on Jenkins:

"His feet got up and down quickly in his backpedal, and he stayed compact while pedaling and showed the ability to smoothly flips his hips and run with receivers. He did mistime one jump after turning and running to a ball thrown down the sideline, but, other than that, Jenkins did a nice job locating and playing the ball."

There has never been a question about Jenkins' talent on the field. He had always shown superb cover skills, physicality, athleticism and speed while at Florida and even played most of the 2010 season with a torn labrum in his shoulder. He was an All-SEC performer that year and shut down top SEC wide outs like A.J. Green, Alshon Jeffery and Julio Jones when matched up one-on-one with them.

What has come into question is his character. Last spring, he had the two drug arrests and his dismissal and in 2009 was involved in a fight in downtown Gainesville and was arrested and charged with misdemeanor affray and resisting arrest without violence.

He has first-round talent, but he has certainly seen his draft stock fall because of his character issues. It sounds like he did well communicating his issues during the interviewing process, so that should help him.

McShay also talked about how top corner prospect Morris Claiborne didn't do much to help or hurt his draft stock Tuesday. The former LSU star ran a pedestrian 4.5 40 and McShay said that he "gets lazy in his backpedal and plays too high at times," but with his elite-level coverage and ball skills, he's sure to stay at top-10 pick in April's NFL draft.

Also, McShay still has come concerns about Alabama cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick, who ran a 4.51 in the 40.

McShay said of Kirkpatrick: "Kirkpatrick showed some stiffness in drills, but he has quick feet and impressive balance, considering his taller frame. He also caught the ball well, which is important because playing the ball in the air is his biggest weakness."

He also said that Kirkpatrick is behind Jenkins in man-coverage skills and ball skills.

As for one of the second-tier corners in the draft, McShay said South Carolina corner Stephon Gilmore helped his draft stock with impressive workouts.

"Gilmore's instincts are inconsistent, but he has the physical tools to earn a Day 2 (Rounds 2-3) grade. His showing at the combine could even entice a team into taking him late in the second round, although I'm not convinced he belongs that high."

You can also find more combine information and what scout Steve Muench thought of the SEC defensive backs Tuesday.

Hitting the SEC links on a Wednesday.

• Mike Herndon of The Mobile Press-Register looks at freshmen who should contribute this fall in the SEC.
• SEC coaches are resisting change to scholarship terms when it comes to making them good for four years.
• One lawmaker is looking to make the South Carolina-Clemson game required by law to be played every year.
• Alabama coach Nick Saban will play in a grouping with New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick in this week's AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.
• Steve Rubio is no longer a part of Derek Dooley's staff at Tennessee.
• With secondary coach Phillip Lolley moving to an administrative role at Auburn, Tigers coach Gene Chizik is yet again on the coaching search.
• Ex-Florida cornerback Janoris Jenkins is still first-round material in April's NFL draft.
• Recent dismissals leave Georgia with concerns in its secondary.
• New Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze is hoping the Rebels "buy in" with him in charge.

ESPN's Todd McShay has four SEC players going in the top 10 picks of the 2012 NFL draft, but Alabama running back Trent Richardson isn't one of them.

McShay has Richardson going No. 11 overall to the Seattle Seahawks in his latest mock draft. Here's what McShay has to say about Richardson:

"Richardson is a top-five talent but will likely slip a bit because of positional value considerations. Falling this far would be a surprise, but none of the teams in the top 10 have a pressing need at running back. If none of them ignore need to take the best player available, the Seahawks will feel like they've won the lottery."

The first SEC player to come off the board, according to McShay, will be LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne at No. 5 overall to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The other SEC players projected to go in the top 10 are also defensive players -- South Carolina defensive end Melvin Ingram to the Miami Dolphins at No. 8, LSU defensive tackle Michael Brockers to the Carolina Panthers at No. 9 and Alabama outside linebacker Courtney Upshaw to the Buffalo Bills at No. 10. Ingram and Upshaw both really helped themselves with strong performances at the Senior Bowl.

McShay has four Alabama players going in the first round. Safety Mark Barron is projected to go to the New York Jets at No. 16 and cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick to the Cincinnati Bengals at No. 17.

Georgia offensive tackle Cordy Glenn is penciled in at No. 23 to the Detroit Lions and Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill at No. 25 to the Denver Broncos.

Former Florida cornerback Janoris Jenkins, who played last season at North Alabama, is projected to go No. 14 overall to the Dallas Cowboys.

Florida suffered a pretty big loss to its defense over the weekend.

Coach Will Muschamp said during his Monday news conference that true freshman cornerback Marcus Roberson will miss the rest of the season after straining his neck in Florida's 17-12 loss to South Carolina Saturday.

Roberson had started each of Florida's 10 games this season and recorded 18 tackles, one interception and one pass break-up. Muschamp said he expects to get Roberson back in time for spring practice.

Roberson had his hiccups here and there this season, but there was no question he was Florida's best cornerback. He was rangy, fast and physical in Florida's defensive backfield. He was sometimes overly aggressive in his coverage, making him susceptible to pass interference calls, but he rarely got beat for big plays and was Florida's most consistent corner.

The loss of Roberson means Florida takes yet another hit to its corner depth. First it was the dismissal of Janoris Jenkins that hurt this secondary, then a knee injury has kept junior Jeremy Brown off the field this season. Florida will now turn to sophomores Cody Riggs and Jaylen Watkins. Riggs has started 10 games, while Watkins has started five. Both has shown flashes, but have been prone to giving up big plays in one-on-one coverage.

Freshman Louchiez Purifoy and redshirt senior Moses Jenkins will both get more opportunities on the field as well. Purifoy is one to watch here. He is still pretty raw, but his speed and athleticism have caught the eye of his head coach. With more reps in practice, we could see more of him outside of just special teams.

Preseason practice is in full swing. Teams are partaking in scrimmages and injuries are popping up here and there. Here are some SEC links to keep you up-to-date with everything.

• Janoris Jenkins tells Mike Bianchi of The Orlando Sentinel that he would still be playing at Florida if Urban Meyer was still the head coach.
• Auburn 2012 quarterback commitment Zeke Pike is using Twitter to take part in the Auburn-Alabama rivalry.
• A fishing trip with offensive line coach Mike Summers helped Kentucky's offensive line bond.
• Florida backup tight end A.C. Leonard could be out for two months after tearing his meniscus in practice.
• LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne is not only looking to pick up where he left off last season but he wants to improve on his solid 2010 campaign.
• Alabama's Phillips Sims has that quiet confidence about him at the quarterback spot.
• Arkansas's offensive line makes improvements once the pads go on.
• The Razorbacks' defense might be making vast improvements on defense, but defensive coordinator Willy Robinson still wants his group to stay humble this season.
• Georgia wide receiver Marlon Brown is finally starting to turn some heads at practice.
• Derek Dooley disappointed with his offense's performance during Tennessee's first scrimmage.

It's never too early to talk about next year's NFL draft, right? Of course not.

Well, ESPN colleague Mel Kiper recently made a list of his top-five juniors and seniors at each position and 12 SEC seniors made Kiper's list -- it would have been 13 if not for the dismissal of former Florida cornerback Janoris Jenkins, who is rated as the No. 3 corner on Kiper's list.

Here is the list of SEC seniors on Kiper's list:

Running backs:

• No. 5: Jeffery Demps, Florida

Offensive guards:

• No. 3: Cordy Glenn, Georgia
• No. 4: Rokevious Watkins, South Carolina

Centers:

• No. 2: William Vlachos, Alabama
• No. 3: Ben Jones, Georgia

Inside linebackers:

• No. 5: Chris Marve, Vanderbilt

Outside linebackers:

• No. 1: Courtney Upshaw, Alabama

Cornerbacks

• No. 4: Casey Hayward, Vanderbilt

Safeties

• No. 1: Mark Barron, Alabama
• No. 3: Tramain Thomas, Arkansas

Kickers

• No. 1: Blair Walsh, Georgia

Punters

• No. 2: Drew Butler, Georgia

My thoughts:

• It's interesting to see Demps on this list. Yes, he has incredible speed and there isn't a player in the country that can catch him after he hits a hole and finds some space, but he has size (5-8, 190 pounds) and durability issues. He injured his foot last season against Tennessee when he carried the ball more than 20 times and was never the same in 2010. Demps needs to stay healthy and excel in Charlie Weis' pro-style offense this fall in order to stay on this list. Also, I expect Ole Miss' Brandon Bolden to creep onto this list. He's one of the most underrated players in the SEC.

• Tennessee's Malik Jackson and South Carolina's Travian Robertson have the ability to nudge their way into the list of top defensive tackles with solid seasons this fall. Also, Arkansas' Jerry Franklin and Kentucky's Danny Trevathan will push get in on the action at linebacker. I think Franklin has, like, 1,000 career tackles at this point.

• I like the love Hayward got. He hasn't gotten a ton of national attention, but he would start on just about any team in the SEC.

Now for the juniors:

Quarterbacks

• No. 5: Tyler Wilson, Arkansas

Running backs

• No. 1: Trent Richardson, Alabama
• No. 2: Knile Davis, Arkansas

Wide receivers

• No. 1: Alshon Jeffery, South Carolina
• No. 5: Rueben Randle, LSU

Tight ends

• No. 2: Orson Charles, Georgia
• No. 4: Michael Williams, Alabama

Offensive tackles

• No. 5: Xavier Nixon, Florida

Offensive guards

• No. 2: Barrett Jones, Alabama
• No. 5: Larry Warford, Kentucky

Centers

• No. 5: T.J. Johnson, South Carolina

Defensive ends

• No. 4: Devin Taylor, South Carolina

Inside linebackers

• No. 4: Dont'a Hightower, Alabama

Cornerbacks

• No. 1: Dre Kirkpatrick, Alabama
• No. 4: Stephon Gilmore, South Carolina
• No. 5: Morris Claiborne, LSU

Safeties

• No. 2: Robert Lester, Alabama
• No. 3: Janzen Jackson, Tennessee

Kickers

• No. 5: Bryson Rose, Ole Miss

My thoughts:

• Well, this junior class sure is stacked. There are 19 SEC juniors on Kiper's list and all of them are impact players in this league. I won't argue many of the players on this list, but I'm going to hold off on putting Wilson on here. He played in just one game last season, and while he did pretty well, I need to see more of him before I place him on a draft list. Cue his 4,000-yard performance this fall ...

• I saw where my Big 12 blog compadre David Ubben disagreed with Kiper for his decision to put Jeffery ahead of Oklahoma State's Justin Blackmon. Sure, Blackmon has the killer speed that Jeffery doesn't, but Jeffery is a physical beast on the field and was the best in one-on-one situations last season. He'll catch anything, no matter who's around him. I'll take Jeffery as well and he should be just fine at the next level.

• Five of Kiper's 10 defensive backs reside in the SEC. Memo to all the quarterbacks in this league: throw with extreme caution. One player to keep an eye on this season is Claiborne. He has all the tools to be the top corner in the league this fall and could end up being the top corner in the country.

The links are back on the blog. I know, we missed you all, too. Check out what's going on around the league.

• Brad Locke of The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal writes that there could be some added tension to this year's SEC Media Days.
• Kentucky wide receivers coach Tee Martin still has fond memories of his "special" time as Tennessee's quarterback.
• Charles Goldberg of The Birmingham News writes that Auburn's calendar is beginning to fill up.
• Kristi Dosh over at The Business of College Sports has everything you ever wanted to know about Florida's finances.
• Former Florida cornerback Janoris Jenkins is looking to rebuild his image at North Alabama.
• Georgia sophomore defensive end Derrick Lott is expected to miss four-to-six weeks after suffering a deep cut on his lower right leg in a scooter accident Tuesday.
• Brent Benedict says a dispute with Georgia strength and conditioning coordinator Joe Tereshinski played a part in his decision to leave Georgia and transfer to Virginia Tech.
• Former Georgia running back Caleb King is projected to be a late-round pick in the NFL's supplemental draft.
• South Carolina reserve wide receiver Bryce Sherman said on Twitter that he will not return to the Gamecocks' football team.

We’re starting to see the normal attrition across the league, players leaving on their own accord or being asked to leave.

If you toss in a few of the injured players who aren’t expected to play next season, you could put together a pretty decent team of those SEC players who have either moved on or won’t be on the field this fall for various reasons.

Here’s a sampling:

OFFENSE

• Nathan Stanley, QB, Ole Miss
• Washaun Ealey, RB, Georgia
• Broderick Green, RB, Arkansas (injured)
• Mike Blakely, RB, Florida
• Eric Smith, H-back, Auburn
• Shaun Kitchens, WR, Auburn
• Trinton Sturdivant, OL, Georgia (injured)
• Brent Benedict, OL, Georgia
• A.J. Harmon, OL, Georgia
• Seth Oxner, OL, Arkansas
• Alex Smith, TE, Kentucky

DEFENSE

• Chris Martin, DE, Florida
• Kerry Murphy, NG, Alabama (injured)
• Montori Hughes, DT, Tennessee
• D.T. Shackelford, LB, Ole Miss (injured)
• Clarence Jackson, LB, Ole Miss
• Janoris Jenkins, CB, Florida
• B.J. Scott, CB, Alabama
• Mike McNeil, S, Auburn
• Robby Green, S, Alabama

Florida's front seven has taken a big hit.

Friday, coach Will Muschamp announced that redshirt freshman defensive end/linebacker Chris Martin is transferring from the program.

“Chris and his family have indicated that it might be best for him to be closer to home," Muschamp said. “We wish him nothing but the best of luck.”

Martin is now the fifth player to leave Florida's program this year. All-SEC cornerback Janoris Jenkins was dismissed from the team this spring, following his second arrest on misdemeanor marijuana charges in less than three months. Freshmen receivers Chris Dunkley and Javares McRoy both transferred, along with freshman running back Mike Blakely.

Martin, who played high school ball at Aurora, Colo., Grandview, originally signed with California, but transferred to Florida in July because he felt his heart was at Florida and there were too many distractions at Cal.

But Cal wasn't even Martin's first choice in recruiting. Martin, who was in and out of three different high schools, originally committed to Notre Dame in February of 2009, but later decommitted and was going to commit to Florida. He chose Cal in December after former Florida defensive coordinator Charlie Strong left to be the head coach at Louisville.

Now, Martin is on the move once again and will be looking for his fourth school to call home.

There’s no denying the ability Martin has on the field. During his redshirt year, Florida coaches and players raved about his play and how he was one of the most talented defensive players in practice. The 6-4, 250-pound athlete practiced at middle linebacker in the fall, but was moved outside this spring. He left spring as the backup to rising sophomore Ronald Powell at the hybrid Buck position.

While Martin had all the talent to excel in this league, issues off the field might have finally caught up with him. On Jan. 29, Martin was cited by Gainesville police for possessing less than 20 grams of marijuana. A source close to the situation told ESPN.com Friday night that Martin had multiple off-the-field issues that played a part in his decision to transfer.

Martin also had a history of being pretty outspoken on social media outlets.

Shortly after Jim Tressel's resignation at Ohio State, former Florida coach Urban Meyer released a statement stating that he wasn't interested in pursuing any coaching jobs this fall and that he was committed to his new as a college football analyst with ESPN.

After Meyer's statement came out, Martin took to Twitter on the account @cmart4634 to express his feelings about what Meyer said.

"Committed to espn? Lets see if the other analyst stress him out so bad he has to spend time with his family in COLUMBUS now.. #truthhurts," Martin tweeted.

Earlier this year, Martin wrote on his Facebook page that he was dismissed from the team. After a handful of people responded both on his Facebook page and on Internet message boards, he wrote that his status was an "early April Fools" joke and then offered up this gem to those who read his Facebook:

"FOR ALL YOU FACEBOOK STALKERS THAT POST OUR STUFF TO MESSAGE BOARDS...HERE IS THE FIGURATIVE FINGER FOR BEING NOSY."

Immaturity is something all college athletes struggle with, but more and more these off-field antics are shortening careers, but it seems like Martin is still figuring that out.

One thing is for certain, Martin is wasting some quality talent and with the current college football climate, coaches might think twice about getting involved with someone who has a knack for putting himself before his team.

Janoris Jenkins can finally start over.

The former All-SEC cornerback at Florida has found a new home and here's to hoping he can finally get things off the field in order.

Wednesday, ESPN's Mark Schlabach reported that Jenkins, who was dismissed from the team in April after his arrest on misdemeanor marijuana charges, is transferring to Division II North Alabama.

Instead of entering the NFL's supplemental draft, Jenkins is making the right move and going back to school. He won't get the national attention he did at Florida, but he's going to have the chance to redeem himself after off-field incidents late in his career overshadowed his impressive career on it.

Jenkins left Florida with eight career interceptions, including three last season, and might have made the case as being the nation's top cover corner when it was revealed after the season that he had played most of the year with a torn labrum in his shoulder.

Jenkins opted to return to school this spring after undergoing surgery on his shoulder.

But all of that was clouded by two very poor decisions he made. In January, Jenkins was as arrested for a misdemeanor marijuana possession charge. Less than three months later, he was arrested on the same charge.

After meeting with Jenkins following his second arrest, new coach Will Muschamp dismissed Jenkins, leaving a giant hole in Florida's defensive backfield, but it was a tough decision that he had to make.

Earlier this month, Florida Today reported that Jenkins pled no contest to possession of less than 20 grams of marijuana. He was given no probation or community service, but was ordered to pay a fine of $421.

Jenkins also had a run-in with the law in June of 2009 when he was arrested on misdemeanor affray charges after being involved in a fight in downtown Gainesville, Fla., and fled police. He agreed to a deferred prosecution agreement on that charge and was placed on six months' probation.

Jenkins can now start over new at North Alabama with coach Terry Bowden. He will not only be able to improve his NFL draft stock with an extra year of college football, but he'll hopefully be able to change his reputation.

He didn’t arrive in Gainesville as a troubled kid, but he’ll have a lot of questions to answer from NFL teams about some of his foolish decisions.

SEC defenses don’t make it easy for quarterbacks to get their jobs done. But when you’re throwing against the talent the conference throws out at the cornerback positions you have to feel for them at times.

Or you don’t really have to, I guess.

Here’s the list of top corners that we came up with:

1. Stephon Gilmore, South Carolina, Jr.: Gilmore knows that 2010 could have been better for him. Still, he was first on the team with 79 tackles and three interceptions. He also played well in the box, grabbing three sacks. Gilmore enters the season as one of the most dynamic corners in the league and should be the top cover-corner around.

2. Morris Claiborne, LSU, Jr.: It would surprise few if he were at the top of this list by the end of the year. He lined up opposite Patrick Peterson in 2010 and led the Tigers with five interceptions. Claiborne should fill into Peterson’s role nicely this fall and expect quarterbacks to limit their passes toward his side of the field.

3. Dre Kirkpatrick, Alabama, Jr.: Coming out of high school, he was one of the top defensive back prospects and after a year of growing, he should move to the top of the SEC chain. He’s got great length at 6-3, 193 pounds and had a way of finding the ball last season; defending 10 passes, including having three interceptions.

4. Casey Hayward, Vanderbilt, Sr.: After linebacker Chris Marve, Hayward is Vanderbilt’s top weapon. He’d start on a lot of teams in the SEC and led the SEC with 17 passes defended and had six interceptions. Hayward was a second-team All-SEC member a year ago and could creep into the first team in his last go-round.

5. Tyrann Mathieu, LSU, So.: Another athletic corner on the Bayou. Real shocker. Mathieu got solid playing time last year and made sure he was always around the ball when he was on the field, ranking fourth on the team with 57 tackles and he was third defending nine passes. He’ll start opposite Claiborne this fall.

6. Prentiss Waggner, Tennessee, Jr.: He moved from safety to corner last year and was an All-SEC performer with his five picks. Then, he moved back to safety this spring when Janzen Jackson left, but could end up back at corner again this fall. He’s got great lockdown ability and should be fine this fall after injuring his left hand this spring.

7. Brandon Boykin, Georgia, Sr.: Boykin is Georgia’s best weapon in the secondary and is the emotional leader of the entire defense. He had three interceptions last year and would have had more if teams threw his way more often. Boykin is also an exceptional player in the Bulldogs’ return game as well.

8. Corey Broomfield, Mississippi State, Jr.: He’s improved each year he’s been in Starkville and is the best all-around player in Mississippi State’s defensive backfield. He had 52 tackles and three interceptions last year, but people around the program think he’ll be even better and should make even more big plays this fall.

9. DeQuan Menzie, Alabama, Sr.: The former junior college standout overcame a lot of injuries last year and started six games. He might not have the popularity of some of Alabama’s other defensive backs, but coach Nick Saban has complete trust in him and thinks he has the skill to be Alabama’s most talented player in the secondary.

10. Jeremy Brown, Florida, Jr.: During freshman workouts a couple years ago, Brown was actually ahead of eventual All-SEC corner Janoris Jenkins. Now, he’s really ahead of the departed star and while he had some rough moments last year, he’s locked up one of Florida’s corner spots. His back is healed, he’s learned some things and should be even better in 2011.

Here are some SEC links to munch on while dissecting our SEC position rankings to this point:

• Raised expectations aren't anything new for Georgia coach Mark Richt.
• Former Florida All-SEC cornerback Janoris Jenkins will choose between North Alabama and Valdosta State, reports Rachel George of The Orlando Sentinel.
• Once again, linebacker depth is a major issue for Tennessee.
• Auburn has the richest coaching staff in college football, and maybe the best, writes Kevin Scarbinsky of The Birmingham News.
• LSU is gauging interest in expanding premium seating in Tiger Stadium.
• Phillip Fulmer's faults as a coach may take him out of the athletic director's search at Tennessee, writes David Climer of The Tennessean.