ESPN College Football

I know you're focused on recruiting, but we still have some links for you.

• Georgia's class gets a big boost with the addition of outside linebacker Josh Harvey-Clemons.
• Alabama board considers a plan to improve cell phone service inside Bryant-Denny Stadium.
• South Carolina is recruiting well in the state of Georgia.
• There could be a lot of potential in Kentucky's recruiting class.
• Ole Miss defensive back Senquez Golson is making the transition from football to baseball.
• Brad Locke of The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal takes an early look at Mississippi State's special-teams unit for 2012.
• Former LSU offensive lineman commit Patrick Miller is enrolled at Auburn and is ready to go through spring practice.
• Running back Steven Ridley continues LSU's tradition in New England.
• Linebacker Harding Harper provides an unexpected boost to Vanderbilt's signing class.

Going back to my post on potential 1,000-yard rushers next season in the SEC, I thought it would be interesting to see who has produced the most 1,000-yard rushers in the league over the past five seasons.

That would be Arkansas with six, including four different players. Darren McFadden did it twice, and so did Felix Jones. In fact, they both rushed for 1,000 yards in the 2006 and 2007 seasons.

Florida and Vanderbilt have not had a 1,000-yard rusher over the past five seasons.

The Gators’ last 1,000-yard rusher was Ciatrick Fason in 2004 with 1,267 yards. The last time the Commodores produced a 1,000-yard rusher was Jermaine Johnson in 1995 with 1,072 yards.

Last season, Marcus Lattimore became the first South Carolina player to rush for 1,000 yards since Derek Watson had 1,066 yards in 2000.

Here’s a rundown:

Arkansas: 6 (Darren McFadden 1,830 yards in 2007, Darren McFadden 1,647 yards in 2006, Knile Davis 1,322 yards in 2010, Felix Jones 1,168 yards in 2006, Felix Jones 1,113 yards in 2007, Michael Smith 1,072 yards in 2008)

Auburn: 3 (Cam Newton 1,473 yards in 2010, Ben Tate 1,362 yards in 2009, Mike Dyer 1,093 yards in 2010)

LSU: 3 (Charles Scott 1,174 yards in 2008, Stevan Ridley 1,147 yards in 2010, Jacob Hester 1,103 yards in 2007)

Ole Miss: 3 (Dexter McCluster 1,169 yards in 2009, BenJarvus Green-Ellis 1,137 yards in 2007, BenJarvus Green-Ellis 1,000 yards in 2006)

Tennessee: 3 (Montario Hardesty 1,345 yards in 2009, Arian Foster 1,193 yards in 2007, Tauren Poole 1,034 yards in 2010)

Alabama: 2 (Mark Ingram 1,658 yards in 2009, Glen Coffee 1,383 yards in 2008)

Georgia: 2 (Knowshon Moreno 1,400 yards in 2008, Knowshon Moreno 1,334 yards in 2007)

Mississippi State: 2 (Anthony Dixon 1,391 yards in 2009, Anthony Dixon 1,066 yards in 2007)

Kentucky: 1 (Rafael Little 1,013 yards in 2007)

South Carolina: 1 (Marcus Lattimore 1,197 yards in 2010)

Over and above A.J. Green and Julio Jones, here's a quick snapshot of some of the highs and lows involving SEC players at the NFL combine this past weekend:

Auburn quarterback Cam Newton tested extremely well. His 10-6 broad jump tied for the best among quarterbacks, and he also ran a 4.59 in the 40-yard dash, which tied him for third fastest among quarterbacks. But in some of his passing drills, he struggled, in particular the shorter and intermediate routes. His timing was a bit off, too, and at one point, he sailed three out routes over the heads of his receivers.

Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett, along with Florida State's Christian Ponder, turned in the best passing performances of the day, according to Todd McShay and Kevin Weidl of ESPN's Scouts Inc. Mallett has the strongest arm of the quarterback class, and according to the Scouts Inc. crew, the ball exploded out of his hand. He also demonstrated nice touch on his passes.

Kentucky receiver Randall Cobb helped himself with a 4.46 in the 40, which was faster than a lot of people expected. Cobb also impressed with his route-running.

Auburn's Mario Fannin had the second fastest 40 time among running backs (4.38). Kentucky's Derrick Locke was tied for third (4.4). Fannin and Locke tied for fifth with a 37.5-inch vertical jump.

Alabama's Mark Ingram didn't run a particularly fast 40 time (4.63), but the three-year average for the running back position is a 4.59. Plus, Ingram fared very well in the drills with his balance and lateral agility.

Georgia outside linebacker Justin Houston was second among linebackers with 30 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press.

LSU's Stevan Ridley was fourth among running backs with a 6.78 in the 3-cone drill. Ridley ran a 4.66 in the 40.

LSU's Terrance Toliver was third among receivers with a 6.48 in the 3-cone drill.

Alabama defensive tackle Marcell Dareus checked in at 6-3 and 319 pounds, while Auburn defensive tackle Nick Fairley wasn't as tall or as big as expected. He was 6-3 and 291 pounds. He was listed at 6-5 while playing at Auburn.

Some of the other 40 times from SEC receivers were: Tennessee's Denarius Moore (4.45), Auburn's Darvin Adams (4.56), South Carolina's Tori Gurley (4.56) and LSU's Terrence Toliver (4.59).

Some of the bench-press numbers among SEC offensive linemen were: Florida's Marcus Gilbert (30 reps), LSU's Joseph Barksdale (29), Georgia's Clint Boling (28), Arkansas' DeMarcus Love (27), Alabama's James Carpenter (23), Mississippi State's Derek Sherrod (23), and Auburn's Lee Ziemba (20).

Breaking into our countdown at No. 21 is a guy who had 57 career carries coming into last season.

No. 21: Stevan Ridley, RB, Jr., LSU

2010 numbers/honors: Finished fourth in the SEC in rushing with 1,147 yards and also scored 15 touchdowns. A first-team All-SEC selection by the coaches and second-team All-SEC selection by the Associated Press.

Preseason ranking: Not ranked in the 2010 preseason countdown.

Making the case for Ridley: When you start talking about the impact a player has on his team, imagine the LSU offense last season without Ridley. He was the Tigers’ offense and carried the load over and over again with 249 carries, tying South Carolina's Marcus Lattimore for the most in the SEC among running backs. LSU went from 122.8 rushing yards per game in 2009 to an average of 185.7 yards last season, and a big part of that was Ridley’s bruising running style. One of those backs who’s constantly churning for extra yardage, the 6-foot, 223-pound Ridley helped keep the chains moving for the Tigers despite any real threat of a passing game for most of the season. He averaged 91.5 yards against SEC defenses and ended his LSU career with a 105-yard rushing effort against Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl. His 1,147 yards marked the seventh highest single-season rushing total in LSU history. Ridley decided to bypass his senior season and enter his name into the upcoming NFL draft.

The rundown

No. 22: Mississippi State OT Derek Sherrod

No. 23: Alabama DE Marcell Dareus

No. 24: Kentucky LB Danny Trevathan

No. 25: Alabama LB Courtney Upshaw

We’re not going to completely turn the page on the 2010 season.

I’ve spent much of this week compiling the 10 players that I thought were the most improved players in the SEC this past season.

We’ll name it the All-Nick Fairley Team, which ought to tell you who the captain of the team is.

Here goes:

1. Auburn junior defensive tackle Nick Fairley: He went from two starts and 3.5 tackles for loss as a sophomore to the Lombardi Award winner and most dominant interior defensive lineman in college football as a junior. He led the SEC with 24 tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks and could end up being the No. 1 pick overall in April’s NFL draft.

2. Arkansas sophomore running back Knile Davis: He had trouble overcoming injuries and a crowded Arkansas running back stable earlier in his career. But after rushing for only 163 yards as a freshman, Davis exploded this season to lead all SEC running backs with 1,322 yards.

3. Mississippi State junior quarterback Chris Relf: He got better all season, but saved his best game for the Gator Bowl when he passed for three touchdowns and ran for one in the 52-14 rout of Michigan. Relf finished with 13 touchdown passes and only six interceptions and was second on the team in rushing with 713 yards to go along with five more touchdowns.

4. Alabama sophomore safety Robert Lester: After playing mostly on special teams as a redshirt freshman, Lester was presented with a huge opportunity this season with the Crimson Tide losing just about everybody from their secondary on the 2009 national championship team. He responded by tying for second nationally with eight interceptions.

5. Ole Miss junior offensive tackle Bradley Sowell: Remember Sowell trying to block South Carolina’s Eric Norwood early during the 2009 season? It was a mismatch, but Sowell came back strong later that season and even stronger this season, settling into his left tackle spot and earning second-team All-SEC honors from the Associated Press.

6. LSU junior running back Stevan Ridley: What Ridley really needed was a chance, and he got one this season. He finished with 1,147 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns and was the heart and soul of the LSU offense. That’s after combining for 57 carries and 272 yards in his first two seasons. Ridley entered his name in the NFL draft following the season.

7. Kentucky senior quarterback Mike Hartline: The suspension for the bowl game was unfortunate, but it doesn’t diminish what was a brilliant senior season for Hartline. He’d been plagued by inconsistency throughout much of his career and had the knee injury as a junior, but passed for 3,178 yards and 23 touchdowns while completing 66.2 percent of his passes this season.

8. Kentucky senior receiver Chris Matthews: In his first season at Kentucky after coming over from junior college, Matthews showed flashes. But this season, he emerged as one of the most productive receivers in the league. He was second only to South Carolina’s Alshon Jeffery with six touchdown catches against SEC competition.

9. Tennessee sophomore cornerback Prentiss Waggner: He moved from safety to cornerback midway through the season, developing into one of the best ball hawks in the league. Waggner intercepted five passes, returning three for touchdowns, on his way to second-team, All-SEC honors by the Associated Press. That’s after finishing with six total tackles and no interceptions as a redshirt freshman.

10. Arkansas senior linebacker Anthony Leon: A position change made a world of difference for Leon, who seemed a step slow at safety, but was a disruptive force at outside linebacker. He was one of the chief reasons the Hogs improved so much this season on defense and finished second on the team with 12.5 tackles for loss.

The door just swung open a lot wider for LSU running backs Spencer Ware, Michael Ford and Alfred Blue.

Stevan Ridley has decided to declare for early entry into the NFL draft and won't return for his senior season. He led the Tigers in rushing this season with 1,147 yards and 15 touchdowns.

Ware, a true freshman, had a big AT&T Cotton Bowl with 102 yards on 10 carries. He's one of those guys who could easily be one of the top breakout players in the SEC next season. Ford, a redshirt freshman, and Blue, a true freshman, have also shown a lot of potential.

Here's an updated list of the SEC underclassmen declaring for the NFL draft. The deadline to declare is Saturday:

• Randall Cobb, WR, Kentucky
• Marcell Dareus, DE, Alabama
• A.J. Green, WR, Georgia
• Tori Gurley, WR, South Carolina
• Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama
• Julio Jones, WR, Alabama
• Ryan Mallett, QB, Arkansas
• Patrick Peterson, CB, LSU
• Stevan Ridley, RB, LSU

ARLINGTON, Texas -- LSU knew what it wanted to do, or needed to do, rather.

Texas A&M finished its season as the Big 12's best rush defense, reclaiming the "Wrecking Crew" nickname in the process.

"We had to mix it up," said Tigers offensive coordinator Gary Crowton. "We felt like if we could loosen them up with some big passes, we'd be able to run the football."

Few figured the Tigers would have the kind of success they did doing both, but they did. Quarterback Jordan Jefferson had thrown four touchdown passes in 12 games entering Friday's Cotton Bowl, including just two in his past 11 games.

He threw three on Friday, and two were longer than 40 yards, softening up the Aggies defense exactly as planned to help beat Texas A&M 41-24 in the AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic in front of 83,514 fans at Cowboys Stadium.

"I thought he threw the ball about as good as I've seen him throw on tape," Texas A&M coach Mike Sherman said. "He was decisive, aggressive and accurate."

With Jefferson keeping the Aggies honest, LSU rolled over the Wrecking Crew for 288 rushing yards. Running backs Stevan Ridley and Spencer Ware both topped 100 yards, and Jefferson made a handful of plays with his legs, extending drives on third down on plenty of occasions and finishing with 67 yards on 12 carries.

"For our run game, I thought we were doing a really good job of dominating the line of scrimmage," Crowton said.

Early on, the Aggies were up 10-0, but with one torque of a knee they were down a leader. Senior linebacker Michael Hodges suffered a sprained ACL in the first quarter, and Texas A&M's leading tackler never returned.

"He is the heart and soul of our defense in many ways," Sherman said. "At the same time, you can't use that as a reason why we didn't perform the way we should have been capable of performing. ... One guy gets hurt, another guy has to step in and make the play."

His replacement, Kyle Mangan, managed just four tackles, the same amount Hodges had already accumulated in the first quarter.

"I think Kyle, put in the situation he was in, he played well," defensive end Lucas Patterson said. "You can't replace a player like Hodges."

With Jefferson having one of his best games of the year, and the Aggies patching together a run defense that often looked out of character, there was little expectation after Texas A&M's 10-0 lead had evaporated that chants of "Wrecking Crew" would make an encore in Cowboys Stadium.

Early on, it might have. Jefferson's first deep pass -- and the Tigers first attempt to soften the defense -- was interecepted with one hand by Coryell Judie. But Jefferson's first of three connections in the end zone with senior receiver Terrence Toliver assured an end to the Aggies' six-game winning streak.

"I came back with the next deep ball call when we got in the right situation," Crowton said. "Jordan stood in there, took a big hit, but got the touchdown. I knew we'd be alright from that point on because we were going to run the ball. We pound it in there."

The Aggies had no answer for the majority of the night. Gaps went unfilled and runners sliced through wide lanes. The Tigers ran the ball 55 times, and averaged 5.2 yards per carry.

"Our offensive line came to play," LSU coach Les Miles said. "Our offensive line said this is a challenge they wanted. I think they played to that challenge."

Here are three keys for LSU in its AT&T Cotton Bowl matchup Friday night against Texas A&M:

1. Make the Aggies go the distance: If LSU’s defense could take away a few big plays the Tigers gave up in both the Auburn and Arkansas games, they might be playing in the Tostitos BCS National Championship Game on Monday night. Keeping the Aggies from striking quickly and making them drive the football the length of the field will be critical for LSU in this game. The Tigers struggled in that department at the end of the regular season.

2. Hit some plays in the passing game: Getting leading rusher Stevan Ridley back for this game after he was initially ruled ineligible was a huge win for the Tigers. But he can’t do it by himself. LSU will need to spread out that Texas A&M defense by hitting some plays in the passing game, similar to what the Tigers did in their win against Alabama. The threesome of Terrence Toliver, Rueben Randle and Russell Shepard will all have opportunities to make plays down the field and need to take advantage of them. LSU had just seven touchdown passes and 10 interceptions during the regular season.

3. Play with the lead: The tricky part for the Tigers is throwing the football when they want to, not when they have to. That’s going to entail playing well early and making Texas A&M play from behind. The Tigers’ comfort zone is running the ball, controlling the clock and then loading up and coming after the other team on defense. They’re completely out of their element if Jordan Jefferson is having to throw the ball to make up deficits.

LSU shoots for its fourth 11-win or better season under Les Miles when it takes on Texas A&M on Friday at 8 p.m. ET on FOX.

Here’s a quick preview of the AT&T Cotton Bowl:

WHO TO WATCH: Now that his eligibility has been restored, LSU junior running back Stevan Ridley should be raring to go. He’s been practicing with the Tigers all along and waiting to hear on his appeal. The news came earlier this week that he would be allowed to play. That’s obviously good news for the Tigers, who leaned heavily on Ridley this season. For much of the year, he was their only offense and enters this game with 1,042 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns. He’s a power runner who also has the speed to break away and get yards in chunks. The Tigers will need him to be effective on first down running the ball.

WHAT TO WATCH: LSU finished up the regular season with strong defensive numbers, but the Tigers seemed to lose a little bit of their edge in those final few games and gave up too many big plays. Can they get that edge back against Texas A&M? This will almost certainly be junior cornerback Patrick Peterson’s final game in an LSU uniform. Peterson is expected to declare for the NFL draft after winning several national awards this season. The burden will be on the Tigers’ defense similar to the way it’s been all season. They’re holding teams to an average of 17.8 points per game, which ranks ninth nationally.

WHY TO WATCH: The rumblings about LSU coach Les Miles and Michigan are heating up, even though Miles said he hasn’t been contacted by Michigan and that he doesn’t think anybody at LSU has any reason to be concerned about his possibly returning to his alma mater. It will be interesting to see how the Tigers play with all this shaking about Miles and Michigan. They ended the regular season with a disappointing loss to Arkansas. Texas A&M, meanwhile, has won six in a row. This is a renewal of a longstanding rivalry between the teams, although they last met in 1995.

PREDICTION: LSU 24, Texas A&M 20. Miles had been perfect in bowl games at LSU until last season’s loss to Penn State in the Capital One Bowl. Getting Ridley back for the bowl game was huge for the Tigers. Now, they won’t have to rely as much on their passing game, which was terribly inconsistent this season. The difference will be LSU’s team speed on defense and the Tigers’ ability to create some timely turnovers in the second half.

LSU and Stevan Ridley got the news they were hoping for this week.

Ridley, the Tigers' leading rusher, was cleared by the NCAA to play in Friday's AT&T Cotton Bowl game against Texas A&M.

Ridley had been ruled ineligible because of an academic dishonesty issue, but LSU appealed on Ridley's behalf. The news came down Monday that Ridley's eligibility had been restored for the bowl game and that he wouldn't face any sanctions during the 2011 season.

Getting Ridley back is a huge coup for the Tigers, who struggled all season on offense. In fact, Ridley was the only real constant on offense for LSU, which finished 11th in the SEC in total offense. He rushed for 1,042 yards and 14 touchdowns.

Even though he was ruled ineligible during the pre-Christmas practices, he has continued to practice with the Tigers and should be ready to go in the bowl game.

Making the rounds in the SEC on a Monday:

• Several Arkansas underclassmen have submitted paperwork to the NFL draft advisory board.
• Charlie Weis' family played a role in his decision to take the Florida offensive coordinator's job. Weis' son plans to work as a staff assistant.
• Kentucky's defensive players are adjusting to Rick Minter's no-nonsense style.
• South Carolina receiver Tori Gurley has decided to leave school early and enter his name in the NFL draft.
• LSU is still waiting on a final decision concerning Stevan Ridley's status in the Cotton Bowl.
• With the on-campus preparations for the BCS National Championship Game over, Auburn coach Gene Chizik doesn't want any surprises in Arizona.
• Tony Barnhart of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution outlines what the Bulldog Nation wants to hear from Georgia coach Mark Richt.
• Alabama lands a commitment from running back Dee Hart of Orlando, Fla., for the 2011 signing class. Hart is rated by ESPN as No. 9 running back prospect in the country.

Making the rounds in the SEC:

• Michigan State respects Alabama cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick, but the Spartans plan to challenge him.
• Will this be the final game for Georgia's hard-luck Trinton Sturdivant?
• Tennessee's senior class saved the season for the Vols, writes David Climer of The Tennessean.
• A healthy Denard Robinson will be a handful for Mississippi State, writes Rick Cleveland of The Jackson Clarion-Ledger.
• There hasn't been any kicking back for South Carolina senior kicker/punter and team captain Spencer Lanning.
• LSU is ready to go with a running back by committee approach if Stevan Ridley can't play in the Cotton Bowl.
• Will Florida's offense provide a New Year's Day surprise?

Chris Low looks at LSU's offense if Stevan Ridley can't play in the AT&T Cotton Bowl.

Unless LSU wins an appeal, the Tigers will be without leading rusher Stevan Ridley for the AT&T Cotton Bowl.

LSU coach Les Miles said Wednesday that the matter was academic-related, although Miles declined to be specific. He did say there was an appeal in the works.

Ridley was the centerpiece of the Tigers' offense this season -- and in many cases -- was their only offense. He was fourth in the SEC in rushing with 1,042 yards and scored 14 touchdowns.

LSU's passing game struggled for most of the season, which means a couple of freshman running backs could be counted on to step up against Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl. Redshirt freshman Michael Ford started in two games and rushed for 235 yards, averaging 5.7 yards per carry. True freshman Spencer Ware could also see his role increase after carrying the ball just 14 times this season. Senior Richard Murphy would also be in that backfield rotation.

The Tigers leaned heavily on Ridley down the stretch. He carried the ball 59 times in their last three SEC games and scored six touchdowns.

LSU squares off against Texas A&M in the AT&T Cotton Bowl. The Tigers (10-2) were playing some of the best football in the SEC until ending the regular season with a 31-23 loss at Arkansas, costing them a BCS bowl trip.

A win over the Aggies would give Les Miles his fourth 11-win season in six years as LSU's coach. The Tigers are 4-1 in bowl games under Miles.

Who needs to step up for LSU?

Junior running back Stevan Ridley: For all the criticism about LSU's offense this season, the Tigers did have a 1,000-yard rusher. Ridley was one of the few things the Tigers could bank on this season on the offensive side of the ball. Give him credit, too, for hanging in there after fumbling twice in the opener against North Carolina in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game. Ridley heads into the Cotton Bowl with 1,042 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns. Had it not been for him in some games, the Tigers would have been completely AWOL on offense. A tough, powerful runner, Ridley also showed some burst this season and is one of those guys who just has a way of moving the chains. His ability to run the ball on first and second down will be critical against Texas A&M. The last thing LSU wants to do is be in a bunch of obvious passing situations on third down. The Tigers threw an SEC-low seven touchdown passes this season to go along with 10 interceptions. The better scenario would be leaning on Ridley, shortening the game and keeping Texas A&M's high-powered offense off the field.