Say What?
Ole Miss recruiting success is tainted by Laremy Tunsil
When Hugh Freeze, coach of the Mississipppi Rebels, accumulated what some regarded as the best recruiting class of 2013, eyebrows were raised. There was innuendo spread by the competition that Ole Miss was cheating. Freeze challenged the accusers to produce evidence. Now, a couple of years later, they have. All-America tackle Laremy Tunsil had an altercation last summer with his mother’s estranged husband, Lindsey Miller. Both filed domestic violence charges, and Miller claims Tunsil had been riding around with agents and had accepted improper benefits from them as well as from university staff and wealthy alumni. Tunsil, 6-5, 305-pound junior, was held out of the Rebs’ first three games while the NCAA has been investigating. A specific issue, according to ESPN.com, is a loaner car Tunsil received from Cannon Motors in Oxford, while his car was being repaired. The 6-5, 305-pound junior allegedly kept the loaner car longer than rules allow.
Ex-Bronc lineman Schlereth calls current O-line ‘horrendous’
After watching the Denver Broncos’ first two games of the season, retired Broncos tackle Mark Schlereth does not see much hope of protection for QB Peyton Manning. Schlereth, now an analyst for ESPN, said the Broncos’ offensive line “is absolutely horrendous. . . at pretty much everything.” The Broncos lost their best lineman of last season, guard Orlando Franklin, to free agency. Their starting left tackle, blindside protector Ryan Clady, was lost for the season with a training camp injury.
Big business: high schools turning into football factories
The most prized football recruit for 2016, QB Shea Patterson, spent his high school years in constant pursuit of improving his prospects for athletic success. He has attended three high schools and has thrown for 104 touchdowns with just 8 interceptions. He’s planning to finish his prep career with IMG Academy, a for-profit sports boarding school in Bradenton, Fla. “We’re the best team in the country,” said the 6-2, 192-pound senior. Patterson last week announced his commitment to the University of Mississippi for next year. High school football is getting more serious – and expensive – all the time. High schools in Houston are spending $60 million for stadiums. Some schools are openly recruiting players. Chip McCarthy, co-director of IMG Academy, told The New York Times: “We call it sales and marketing. Some people call it recruiting.”
Red Raiders’ Kingsbury talks smack with Arkansas coach
Texas Tech coach Cliff Kingsbury enjoyed gloating over his team’s 35-31 victory over Arkansas, whose coach, Bret Bielema, has long been a critic of the spread offense that Kingsbury and many other coaches use. Bielema is a traditionalist, pound-the-ball type of coach. Speaking at a clinic for Texas football coaches last summer, Bielema was quoted by Kingsbury saying, “If you don’t throw to the fullback, we’ll kick your ass. And if you throw it 70 times a game, we’ll kick your ass.” After the Raiders’ victory Saturday, Kingsbury observed: “He just got his ass kicked twice in a row (the previous week by Toledo) and probably next week by A&M as well. So that did feel good.” Asked if he intended to speak with Kingsbury, Bielema said: “We weren’t talking before, and we probably won’t talk now.” But he did some tweeting: “Come on, brother. Don’t be so sensitive. We’re talking football here. Not about you in particular.” In another tweet, Bielema reminded Kingsbury that Arkansas routed Tech 49-28 last year. “If that was an ass-kicking, I’d love to know what last year’s was.”