CB Reggie Smith becomes third Oklahoma junior to declare for NFL draft
NORMAN, Okla. (AP) -- Oklahoma cornerback Reggie Smith became the third Sooners junior to declare for the NFL draft.
Sooners coach Bob Stoops confirmed Tuesday that Smith, who ranked fourth on the team with 78 tackles, was joining teammates Malcolm Kelly, a receiver, and Curtis Lofton, a linebacker, in deciding to enter the NFL draft.
Smith, who missed the Fiesta Bowl with a toe injury, started 13 games in 2007 and had three interceptions and one fumble recovery, which he returned 61 yards for a touchdown against Miami.
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
LB Geno Hayes withdraws from Florida State to turn pro
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) -- Florida State linebacker Geno Hayes will forgo his senior season to enter the NFL draft in April.
Hayes, a junior, called it a tough decision and thanked coach Bobby Bowden and the coaching staff.
I know he has the ability to play at that level," Bowden said. "It is just a matter of time."
Hayes was second on the team in tackles and an Atlantic Coast Conference first-team pick in 2007.
He is the second Florida State linebacker in as many years to leave early. Lawrence Timmons was a first-round pick in 2007 by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Hayes is not projected as high and Bowden had said earlier that he hoped the player would come back to improve his draft stock.
Hayes also made news off the field. He was stunned with a Taser by Tallahassee police in September after a 2 a.m. altercation outside a bar.
In November, he predicted Florida quarterback "Tim Tebow's going down" four days before the Seminoles were beaten 45-12 by the Gators. Hayes made only one tackle late in the game.
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
LSU's Jean-Francois boosts LSU defense in for biggest games
BATON ROUGE, La. -- How does this deal sound? Improve your school work and you get a chance to play in two of the biggest games in LSU history.
For Tigers defensive lineman Ricky Jean-Francois, that is essentially how it worked out.
He played for the first time this season in LSU's Southeastern Conference championship game triumph over Tennessee and now is slated to suit up when LSU plays Ohio State for the national championship on Jan. 7.
LSU, meanwhile, is grateful for the return of a player who was developing into a force before academic trouble sidelined him for nearly a year.
"He was in a very unfortunate situation and fought through it and really was a man's man through the whole thing," defensive coordinator Bo Pelini recalled after a recent practice. "He stayed positive, was a team guy and prepared himself for when he was able to play again. He's a heck of a football player and he's an important part of what we're doing."
During the heart of the 2006 season, Jean-Francois, who grew up in Miami, was becoming very comfortable with his decision to leave his home state to play for LSU.
He sometimes joked that he knew it was a good fit because it was the first place he had been where no one seemed to have any trouble pronouncing his French last name. He also fit in nicely on the field as a redshirt freshman.
He played in 12 games, starting once. He had 10 solo tackles, assisted on 17 others and was credited with 5½ tackles for losses with three sacks.
The Tigers went 10-2 during that stretch, earning a berth in the Sugar Bowl against Notre Dame, but Jean-Francois never got to suit up for the victory over the Irish.
Just days before the game, head coach Les Miles told Jean-Francois academic trouble left him ineligible, not only for the Sugar Bowl but possibly for much of 2007.
"I felt sorry for myself at one point, but I had to start becoming a grown man," Jean-Francois said. "I had to start paying my dues for what I did."
Jean-Francois declined to discuss his academic trouble in detail. He initially appealed to be reinstated for this season, but was denied.
Some advised him to continue fighting with appeals, but Jean-Francois said he ultimately decided his suspension could serve a useful purpose -- namely, making him a better student.
"I feel better off for it. It made me appreciate the things around me, my coaches, my family, everybody around me," Jean-Francois said. "I appreciate the game more. It made me a better student. It gave me more time to stick to academics and at times I felt really good, because I said, 'I'm in the classroom, I'm making good grades, I have time to do the assignments.' ... And when may academic adviser came to me and said I was on track to graduate, I was excited."
Jean-Francois is listed as a defensive end. At 290 pounds, he also can play defensive tackle. He said he feels comfortable at both and would be happy to play wherever the coaches put him.
That's not just because he's thankful to be back on the field after sitting out for a year. He's been praised before for his willingness to do whatever the team needed.
Even though he couldn't play in games, he was permitted to practice throughout the fall. He often worked with the scout team, sometimes at defensive end or tackle, and sometimes even at linebacker.
"I just stood by my teammates," Jean-Francois said. "I was on the sideline every home game, cheering them on, giving them motivation, trying to keep their heads up if we were down, trying to make sure they did everything to perfection."
During LSU's victory in the SEC championship game, Jean-Francois made two solo tackles and assisted on another while helping the Tigers limit Tennessee to 97 yards rushing. Although a little behind on his conditioning, his relative good health and freshness was needed on a line that had been increasingly hampered by nagging injuries.
"It's great," Pelini said of Jean-Francois' return. "You get Ricky in there it just gives you one more experienced guy who's a heck of a football player, so it made us better really quick."
Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press
Buckeyes, Tigers both wearing home uniforms for BCS national championship game
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- Ohio State and LSU will both wear their preferred home uniforms when they square off on Jan. 7 in the BCS national championship game.
As the higher-ranked team in the game at the Louisiana Superdome, No. 1 Ohio State (11-1) got first choice in selecting its jersey color. The Buckeyes opted for their usual home color of scarlet. They will wear gray pants, the school confirmed in an e-mail on Wednesday.
With Ohio State picking the dark jersey color, the Tigers (11-2) were permitted to go with their traditional white home jerseys in the game.
The Buckeyes wore white jerseys a year ago when they were beaten 41-14 by Florida in the BCS championship game in Glendale, Ariz.
LSU has worn white jerseys in seven consecutive bowl games, including all three of its Sugar Bowl appearances this decade. The last time LSU wore a color other than white in a bowl game came in 2000 when the purple-clad Tigers posted a 28-14 win over Georgia Tech in the Peach Bowl.
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
OL making a name for himself at Shrine Bowl
Monroe (N.C.) Sun Valley offensive lineman Alex Johnson is currently not ranked by Rivals.com, but after two strong days worth of practices at the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas he definitely has shown he's a solid Division I prospect.
"I play tackle at Sun Valley, but I'll be moving down to guard for this game," Johnson said.
"Pulling and taking on the linebacker are my biggest strengths. I think I've had a good week so far, and I'm making a lot of friends. R.J. Mattes really sticks out he is a cool guy."
Johnson said at this point he's only getting interest from smaller schools.
"North Carolina A&T and UNC Pembroke are the heaviest recruiting me," Johnson said. "I didn't really grow up a fan of one school, but I'd say Miami is probably the biggest college I rooted for. I will stick with them to the end."
Copyright 2007 Rivals.com. All Rights Reserved.
Ball State's Hoke talks with Michigan AD about coaching job
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) -- Ball State coach Brady Hoke said he and Michigan athletic director Bill Martin have discussed the Wolverines' open coaching job, but it wasn't a formal interview.
Hoke was an assistant to Michigan coach Lloyd Carr in 1995-2001. Carr announced Nov. 19 that he was retiring after 13 seasons.
I did have a conversation with Bill a couple of weeks ago of substance about interest on both ends of it, but that's as far as it's gone," Hoke told The Ann Arbor News for a story on its Web site Wednesday.
Hoke said he also has had some contact with Washington State, where coach Bill Doba resigned at season's end. Hoke and Doba are Ball State alumni.
Others coaches whose names have been mentioned for the Michigan job include Wake Forest's Jim Grobe, California's Jeff Tedford, Missouri's Gary Pinkel and North Carolina State's Tom O'Brien.
Rutgers coach Greg Schiano, widely rumored to be on Martin's list, said he is not talking to anyone about job openings.
Carr's final game comes New Year's Day, when Michigan (8-4) faces No. 9 Florida (9-3) in the Capital One Bowl in Orlando, Fla.
Carr is 121-40 for a .752 winning percentage, seventh among active coaches.
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Backyard Maul: Pitt still hasn't slowed WVU's White, Slaton
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Since Pat White and Steve Slaton arrived at West Virginia, the Backyard Brawl rivalry against Pitt has become a two-punch knockout.
Slaton's and White's two-game numbers against Pitt appear to have been accumulated on some unrealistic video game: White, 440 yards rushing (220 in each game), four touchdown runs, three touchdown passes; Slaton, 394 yards, four touchdown runs, three touchdown catches.
And Pittsburgh (4-7, 2-4 Big East), one loss way from its worst season in nine years, must stop these two to prevent No. 2 West Virginia (10-1, 5-1) from advancing to the national championship game?
"Containing, controlling and stopping hasn't even been brought up this week," defensive coordinator Paul Rhoads said.
Translation: Shutting down both White and Slaton might be too much to ask, especially considering Pitt's previous struggles against spread or option-type offenses. Navy ran for 331 yards and totaled 497 yards in a 48-45 upset at Heinz Field on Oct. 10; South Florida hung up 38 points in the second half of last week's 48-37 win at Pitt.
Pitt has yet another worry, too; freshman Noel Devine ran for 118 yards against Connecticut during West Virginia's 66-21 rout last week.
The Panthers' only real chance of pulling off an upset that would be as monumental as any in the 100-game series would appear to be catching a few breaks, such as West Virginia turning the ball over repeatedly, and shaking freshman star LeSean McCoy loose for some long runs.
West Virginia's only loss, 21-13 to South Florida, resulted from six turnovers.
"I'd like to force them to go three-and-out as many times as I can," Rhoads said. "The killer is big-play touchdowns, and that's what you've got to eliminate against West Virginia."
Or exactly what Pitt didn't do last season, when West Virginia scored on plays of 67, 64 and 55 yards while winning 45-27 at Heinz Field.
This season, White has run for 1,220 yards and 14 touchdowns and thrown for 1,498 yards and 12 scores; Slaton has 1,086 yards rushing and 17 touchdowns.
"Pat's going to be tough to stop, and I've been dreaming about getting a shot at both him and Slaton," defensive lineman Joe Clermond said. "They're two good backs and they're going to be hard to stop. But it's fun to get out there and give it a shot."
McCoy's progress has been the one major positive of Pitt's season, as the former Pennsylvania all-stater has run for 1,180 yards -- 82 short of the Big East freshman record -- and 14 touchdowns. Few outside the Big East may realize he has outrushed Slaton by nearly 100 yards.
Nobody at Pitt is comparing McCoy to Heisman Trophy winner Tony Dorsett, at least not until McCoy gains another 5,000 yards or so, but McCoy last week broke Dorsett's school freshman record of 13 TD runs.
Still, coach Dave Wannstedt's biggest worry -- besides Slaton and White -- might be how McCoy and quarterback Pat Bostick handle so big a stage so early in their careers. Bostick was in high school last season, McCoy was in prep school, and this game represents a major jump in quality of opponent and visibility.
Nobody has to tell Wannstedt that Pitt rooters are becoming unhappy with the recent lack of competitiveness in the Backyard Brawl, with West Virginia scoring 45 points in each of the last two games. The Mountaineers won 45-13 in Morgantown in 2005.
Despite the two recent routs, Wannstedt was irked this week when former West Virginia coach Don Nehlen suggested the Panthers can't recruit against the Mountaineers like they once could.
"I played in this game before Don Nehlen got there, and it was a rivalry then," Wannstedt said. "And that's all I'll say. ... We have competed with them in recruiting and we will continue to do that. They've got it going right now, but we know where we've got to go."
Saturday, the Panthers must go to Morgantown, and Wannstedt knows what a challenge that will be. Pitt must win to avoid having its worst season since going 2-9 in 1998.
"We're going to go down there and play loose," Wannstedt said. "We're going to have fun with this thing and we're going to enjoy this night."
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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