Four-star 2014 prospect Drew Barker says he’ll play his college football at  Kentucky.  Barker, a quarterback from Hebron, Kentucky, made the announcement just moments ago. Barker’s decision came down to Kentucky or South Carolina, with Tennessee also in the mix (those three hats were on the table) and even some whispers about Ohio State.  Regardless, Barker says he’s headed to Lexington and that’s good news for coach Mark Stoops.

Kentucky had made Barker its No. 1 priority since Stoops was hired as coach.  He’s considered a top contender for Mr. Football in Kentucky next season.

How can the Georgia Bulldogs beat South Carolina this year?  By channeling their inner “Mean Machine” and drawing inspiration from Paul “Wrecking” Crewe, of course.  That’s the word from Georgia offensive coordinator Mike Bobo, asked Thursday night, how best to handle South Carolina star defensive lineman Jadeveon Clowney. But beyond the reference to the “The Longest Yard”, it’s clear the man in charge of Georgia’s offense is thinking about the potential havoc Clowney can wreak.

“I think we’re gonna do the ol’ Burt Reynolds-Longest Yard, not block and let (Aaron) Murray throw it.

“The guy’s gonna get his. We can’t throw the ball backwards if he’s about to sack us, and we’ve gotta hold on to the ball and not turn a bad play into a catastrophe. That’s what’s gotta happen. Because he’s a great player. He’s one of those guys you sit there and try to (decide): Can you do this, can you do that. … I don’t know. We gotta play hard, and realize that he’s gonna make some plays. And we’ll do some things to hopefully try to discourage him.

“And maybe he’ll change his mind, and maybe decide he’s gotta sit out and go pro. He’s a great player. He’s gonna make plays. But we’ve got good players too. And when we’ve got opportunities to make plays against them, we’ve gotta make plays.”

South Carolina has defeated Georgia three straight years.  ”We’ll be ready for that game. I promise you,” Bobo said.

This fall, South Carolina will open the 2013 football season against North Carolina in Columbia.  The two teams will also meet to open up the 2015 season, but that game will take on a more special feel.

The Charlotte Observer reports that the Gamecocks and Tar Heels will butt heads in Charlotte at the NFL Panthers’ Bank of America Stadium.  An official announcement is expected to come tomorrow.

The explosion in the number of neutral site games across the college football landscape is something we discussed way back in July of 2009.  In a piece focusing on the future of the SEC, we sat down with a sports marketing expert and tried to imagine what might come next in the world of college sports.  “Keeping The SEC On Top: What’s The Next Big Thing” provides a snapshot into a world when the SEC’s twin TV deals were still wowing folks and the overall US economy was still frightening them.

Now four years on, it’s a pretty interesting read.

Georgia’s Mark Richt knows that it won’t be long before the 2013 football season kicks off.  For Georgia, that means a first-month slate that includes games against Clemson (on the road), South Carolina and LSU is just around the corner.  Richt hopes his players will act accordingly this summer:

“I hope they would have the same commitment every year.  But they are human and they’re going to be hearing about it and thinking about it all year and they know that we can’t wait ’til midseason to be in midseason form.  We’ve got to be there Game One.  So that means you’ve got to be prepared.”

Or not.

Hey, we get what Richt is saying but it was just two years ago — facing a hot seat type of year — that Richt opened up against Boise State and South Carolina.  A pair of losses later and many Dawg fans were howling for the head coach’s job.

By December, Georgia had righted its ship, rolled off 10 wins in a row and secured an East Division championship.

So, yeah, it’s important to be ready early, but the game’s at the end of the schedule count just as much as the games at the start of it.

SEC Football

1. Texas A&M signed quarterback Kohl Stewart in its last class but he may never make it to College Station.  That’s because he’s also quite the pitching prospect and has been invited to New York for this year’s Major League Baseball draft.  Just how good a pitching prospect is he?  Good enough to be ranked the 8th best overall prospect by one MLB analyst.

2. Georgia has as many 13 players that could be selected in this year’s NFL draft – and that’s good for recruiting, says coach Mark Richt.  ”I haven’t recruited many guys that didn’t think or weren’t at least dreaming about the NFL or hoping to be or expecting to be (drafted).”

3. Charlotte, North Carolina’s Jeb Blazevich is ranked as a top 10 tight end in the country.  He’s heading to Georgia to play for Mark Richt next year.  Blazevich committed to the Bulldogs Tuesday. “I love what they’re doing there and they’re having a lot of success.” He’s Georgia’s fourth commitment of the 2014 class.

4. Tennessee is stocking up on tight ends.  Barring attrition, the Vols could have seven tight ends on their 2014 roster.  Ethan Wolf and Daniel Helm are tight end commitments for this next year’s class on the heels of Tennessee adding two tight ends in its 2013 class.

5. Alabama’s fifth commitment of its 2014 class is Opelika cornerback Stephen Roberts.  The four-star defensive back committed after defensive coordinator Kirby Smart paid a visit, even though he grew up an Auburn fan.  ”I have always rooted for Auburn as a fan but when it comes time to making the decision about what’s best for me as a player going forward, you can’t think about those things.”

6. Kentucky landed four-star running back Mikel Horton over the weekend.  Horton, from the Cincinnati area, chose the Wildcats over Florida State and Vanderbilt. New Kentucky coach Mark Stoops has made recruiting Ohio a priority.

7. Nine players from the state of Alabama have been nominated for the 2014 U.S. Army All-American Bowl.

SEC Basketball

8. 6-foot 8 power forward Demetrius Henry is headed to South Carolina to play for Frank Martin next season..  The Brandon, Florida senior  chose the Gamecocks over Miami.  Here’s a look at all the newcomers headed to South Carolina for the 2013-2014 season.

SEC Football

1. Fan to South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier: “We need to change it to the University that Spurrier Changed.”

2. Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze trying to temper expectations.  “As spring revealed, we’re not where we need to be depth-wise.”

3. Tennessee has a new director of player personnel. Bob Welton spent the last nine years as a scout for the Cleveland Browns.

4. What’s the status of Auburn safety Demetruce McNeal?  ”Still up in the air.” Off-field issues.

5. What’s the status of the Kiehl Frazier/Jonathan Wallace quarterback battle at Auburn? “There’s not a lot of separation coming out of spring at this point.”

6. Kevin Scarbinsky on Harvey Updyke: He killed Auburn’s trees and made Auburn stronger.

7. Arkansas quarterback Brandon Allen captured the headlines, but other names have emerged on the Razorbacks’ depth chart following spring practice.

8. Mississippi State quarterback Tyler Russell on the Bulldogs’ struggles in the last half of the season.  It “motivated me to watch more film and work so much harder. Everybody has a bad game, but in the end I have to be that guy to perform every game.”

SEC/College News

9. SEC Network announcement rescheduled for May 2.

10. Matt Hayes on college football playoffs.  ”You win, Joe Sixpack.”

SEC/NFL Draft

11. By the end of the weekend, Georgia’s draft totals could hit double digits.  Player projections by round.

12. Combine Georgia and Alabama and you could end up with 20 draft picks.

13. Over the past ten years, only Georgia has had more players drafted than LSU - 57 to 56.

14. 2013 NFL draft expected to be Texas A&M’s best class in years.

15. ESPN’s Mel Kiper has 10 SEC players among his top 25 prospects.

16. “It’s insane how much talent is spilling out of the SEC.”

17. Former Tennessee wide receivers Justin Hunter and Cordarrelle Patterson considered two of top 10 receivers in this year’s draft. But questions remain. Breakdown of NFL talent in the state of Tennessee.

18.State of Florida could have six first-round picks.

19. Strengths, weaknesses and stats on former Florida defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd.

20. Former Alabama offensive lineman D.J. Fluker has had official pre-draft visits with 11 NFL teams.

21. Former Alabama center Barrett Jones projected as a third-round pick. “To be honest, I don’t really get caught up too much in the rounds.”

22. If Sheldon Richardon’s name gets called Thursday, Missouri coach Gary Pinkel will have six first-round picks in the last five years.

23 What are draft experts saying about former Arkansas quarterback Tyler Wilson?

24. Oddsmakers have former South Carolina running back Marcus Lattimore slotted for the third round. Capsules of all potential South Carolina draft picks.

25. Kentucky lineman Larry Warford is hearing he could go anywhere from second to fourth round.

26. Questions about Texas A&M’s DaMontre Moore - “teams are really nervous about him.”

27. How NFL draft prospects were ranked as recruits coming out of high school.

SEC Basketball

28. Trevor Lacey’s decision to transfer leaves Alabama with 10 available scholarship players for next season.

29. Former Rutgers guard Eli Carter considers Florida - Billy Donovan reportedly visited.

30. Former LSU forward Jalen Courtney is headed to Morehead State. Expectations are increasing at LSU under Johnny Jones.

31. NBA-bound Nerlens Noel on his knee: “I’ve been working hard in rehab, and my physical therapist is telling me I’m way ahead of schedule and coming along really well.”

32. So Kentucky fans, just how likely is 40-0?

33. Tennessee assistant coach Houston Fancher reuniting with former Tennessee coach Buzz Peterson at  North Carolina-Wilmington.

Extras

34. Jon Bon Jovi’s son will walk on the football team at Notre Dame.

Pssst.

Got 55 seconds?  If so, the University of South Carolina athletic department has posted a quickie video of All-American defensive end Jadeveon Clowney’s greatest hits.  As in literally… hits:

One word: Beast.

1. South Carolina landed linebacker Bryson Allen-Williams on Monday, edging out Alabama, Georgia and UCLA.

2. Two schools stand out to Tampa, Fla., linebacker Vincent Jackson. “Alabama and Auburn are my favorites,” he said.

3. Offensive lineman Christian Williams from Wetumpka, Ala., is starting to receive some SEC interest.

4. 2015 linebacker Justin Hilliard received plenty of attention during his recent trip to Arkansas.

5. Eighth-grade star Dylan Moses has two more offers: Florida and Ole Miss.

6. The evaluation period is underway for football coaches. Here’s a look at Florida’s plan.

7. Goose Creek, S.C., tight end Kalan Ritchie was impressed during his visit to South Carolina.

8. So was athlete Jalen Christian, who has plenty of time to make his decision.

9. 247Sports has some Crystal Ball predictions on the futures of several 2014 quarterbacks.

SEC Football

1. President Barack Obama on Alabama: “I expect I just might see these guys again before I leave.”

2. Alabama’s defensive linemen are gaining experience and working on trust.

3.  (UPDATE) Tide freshman running back Derrick Henry will miss Saturday’s spring game after suffering a broken tibia in last weekend’s scrimmage.

4. How good is Auburn’s group of wide receivers? It’s the best, according to Sammie Coates.

5. Auburn’s Kenneth Carter has performed well since moving from defensive tackle to end.

6. Who’s the No. 1 player to watch this year in the SEC? Johnny Manziel, according to SI.com.

7. ESPN.com’s Chris Low asks, “Where’s the respect for LSU’s Les Miles?”

8. Young players stepped up at South Carolina this spring.

9. Mississippi State is hoping redshirt freshman Beniquez Brown will make an impact this fall.

10. Seth Emerson makes his best projection of Georgia’s defensive depth chart.

11. Mark Story has 10 quick takeaways from Kentucky’s spring football game.

12. Here are some answers that were discovered during South Carolina’s spring practice.

13. Tennessee’s Jordan McRae wants to get to the NBA but knows it’s a challenging process.

14. Tennessee cornerback Justin Coleman is improving as he prepares for his junior season.

15. Dave Matter inspects Missouri’s offense as the Tigers enter their final week of spring practice.

Extras

16. From earlier: ESPN and the SEC made the right call to postpone their network announcement.

17. How will Florida’s former players fare in next week’s NFL draft? Here’s a look.

18. A recent study shows players respond poorly to verbally aggressive coaches.

19. Here’s a profile of Richard Cross and Matt Wyatt, the co-hosts of “Head to Head” radio in Mississippi.

SEC Football

1. Spring game record crowd of 45, 212 at Kyle Field watch Johnny Manziel give fans a scare with a head first block. “I immediately regretted it. It was a mistake, but it was just my competitive nature.”

2. “When Manziel got up and jogged off, you could hear the sighs of relief from the Aggie sideline to Alabama’s football offices.”

3. Estimated 50,831 fans at Kentucky’s spring game.  One year ago – 4,500. Coach Mark Stoops: ”It was a great night for the program.”

4. Did quarterback Jalen Whitlow emerge from the pack Saturday?

5. He was wearing shorts and no pads, but Jadeveon Clowney scored a touchdown at South Carolina’s spring game.

6. Mike Davis wins the running back job at South Carolina and Steve Spurrier likes his tight ends. “I think you can tell we’ve got some tight ends that can really play,”

7. True freshman quarterback Johnny McCrary played in Vanderbilt’s spring game- his dad died of a heart attack on Tuesday.

8. Vandy’s projected starters barely beat the second team Saturday.

9. Crowd of 28,000 on hand at the Grove Bowl. But Ole Miss spring game really just another practice because of injuries.

10. Rebels unveil new uniforms.

11. Status of Marlin Lane clouds the running back situation at Tennessee – away for “disciplinary reasons.” Don’t expect the Vols quarterback competition to be settled anytime soon.

12. Missouri coach Gary Pinkel on wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham.  ”I think we’re starting to see really how good he can be.”

13. Arkansas coach Bret Bielema likes the way his offensive line has progressed: “If there’s a group from when we started to where we are that had to change the most and have done that, it’s been the offensive line.”

14. Timed at a sub 4.3 4o-yard dash, Mississippi State redshirt freshman wide receiver Brandon Holloway has speed to burn.

15. Alabama’s defense is banged up but coach Nick Saban still didn’t sound enthusiastic about their performance Saturday. “We definitely have a lot of things that we can correct on that side of the ball.”

16. Star of Auburn’s Saturday scrimmage - running back Corey Grant. Grant one of five Tigers turning heads this spring.

17. Columnist on Auburn’s recent troubles: “I don’t know which is higher: The touchdowns Cam Newton accounted for or the number of issues surrounding that team.”

18. Quarterback Zach Mettenberger dominates LSU’s second scrimmage Saturday.

19. When John Chavis was hired as defensive coordinator at LSU, his first request was to hire Brick Haley as defensive line coach.

SEC Basketball

20. Ricky Tarrant is transferring to Alabama.  The 2012 Conference USA Newcomer of the Year at Tulane will have to sit out 2013-2014 season.

21. Tennessee’s Jordan McRae won’t be leaving for the NBA.  “I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to be a part of next year’s team, because I think we have a chance to have a great season.”

22. This preseason projection has Tennessee at No. 16, Florida at No. 8 and Kentucky No. 1.

23. Possible off-season knee surgery for Florida’s Will Yegeute.

24. With Phil Pressey leaving campus, Tulsa transfer Jordan Clarkson has an opportunity to shine at point guard for Missouri next year.