New Auburn defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson says last year’s AU team was “a lot better than a three-win team”
LSU defensive coordinator John Chavis says that his rebuilt defense has “got to build depth”
Georgia OL Chris Burnette says the Bulldogs’ offensive line can be one of the greatest in school history
Florida G DeVon Walker has changed his mind and decided not to transfer
Auburn president Jay Gogue has written a letter to Auburn fans supporting AD Jay Jacobs
Tennessee has fired its director of the Office of Student Judicial Affairs after reports surfaced of inappropriate relationships between the director and student-athletes
Tennessee is investigating the situation
Follow SEC football, basketball and recruiting all year long at MrSEC.com

SEC Football

1. Auburn was “a lot better than a three-win team” last year, according to defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson.

2. Nick Saban is bringing out-of-states students to Alabama, which is helping generate millions of dollars.

3. LSU defensive coordinator John Chavis is confident in his defense. “The thing we’ve got to do is build that depth.”

4. Joe Schad reports Tennessee is in the running for transfer QB Wes Lunt. UT should make a run at Lunt, writes Barrett Sallee.

5. From yesterday: Kansas coach Charlie Weis backed Bob Stoops’ recent criticism of the SEC.

6. Florida coach Will Muschamp is a popular man with fans following a successful season in 2012.

7. Georgia’s offensive line can be one of the greatest lines in school history, says lineman Chris Burnette.

8. Jacquese Kirk, who recently transferred from Vanderbilt, admitted to stabbing an ex-teammate in April.

SEC Basketball

9. Swingman DeVon Walker had a change of heart and will return to Florida for his sophomore season.

10. Star prospect Andrew Wiggins will announce his decision today at 12:15 ET. Kentucky is an underdog in the race.

11. Analysts from around the nation weighed in on Wiggins’ pending decision and his potential impact in college.

Extra

12. Auburn president Jay Gogue wrote a letter to fans following an evaluation of Auburn Athletics.

13. Southern Cal coach Lane Kiffin discussed the idea of one day coaching high school football.

14. Matt Hayes writes that Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher shouldn’t release Matthew Thomas without consequence.

Police say suspended LSU RB Jeremy Hill can be seen on cell phone video beating a man at a bar and then celebrating with high-fives
Auburn defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson says DE Dee Ford is the “only pass rusher” who created the pressure he’s looking for this spring
Alabama QB AJ McCarron will be the honorary pace car driver at Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday
Former Rutgers G Eli Carter will transfer onto Florida’s basketball team
Florida G Braxton Ogbueze is transferring away from the school
The city of Atlanta has released renderings for a proposed $1 billion stadium that will house the NFL’s Falcons and the SEC Championship Game
LSU is discussing a pair of neutral-site football games with Wisconsin
Arkansas is discussing a home-and-home football series with old Southwest Conference rival Texas Tech
Follow the SEC all year long at MrSEC.com

SEC Football

1. LSU and Wisconsin in discussions about a neutral-site football game.

2. Quarterbacks Johnny Manziel and AJ McCarron headed to the beach together in May. “We’re either going to Key West or Cancun and will hang out with our other friends.”

3. South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier – 68 years old and still can’t sit still.

4. Auburn defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson on linebacker JaViere Mitchell: ”I think he’s got a shot to be a starter.”

5. What we know now about Auburn’s offensive line, quarterbacks and special teams after spring practice.

SEC/NFL

6. Marcus Lattimore’s support group includes a fraternity of elite running backs.

7. Texas A&M running back Christine Michael was Seattle’s first draft selection.  ”If the Seahawks weren’t so successfully weird, you would overreact now.”

SEC Basketball

8. Turns out Tennessee’s Jarnell Stokes was ready to leave – but then changed his mind.  Stokes’ decision part of a nice weekend for Tennessee sports.

9. According a story related by Missouri coach Frank Haith – don’t expect John Calipari and Kentuck to return to Maui anytime soon.

Extras

10. Looking for a list of all undrafted free agent signings by NFL teams?  Here you go. A list of the best names not drafted includes former Tennessee wide receiver Da’Rick Rogers and several former SEC players.

11. How much money did USC quarterback Matt Barkley lose by staying in college another year?  (A lot).

The biggest trend in college football today is the up-tempo, no-huddle, fast-as-lightning approach to offense made popular — in large part — by the success of Chip Kelly at Oregon and Gus Malzahn at Auburn.  By racing to the line of scrimmage between plays, offenses are able to dictate to defenses their personnel.  Forget sub packages, there’s no time to get guys on the field and get them lined up.

Could it be that a solution to this problem might emerge from one of the school’s best known for its up-tempo style?

New Auburn defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson is building a defense this spring that he hopes can deal with Malzahn’s hurried offense on the practice field… and with offenses like Texas A&M, Ole Miss, and Tennessee this fall.  According to Joel A. Erickson of Al.com, the plan is to put versatile players on the field who can be deployed in different positions based on down and distance.  In other words, there’s no need for substitutions on a play-by-play basis:

“But Johnson’s scheme, which keeps defensive linemen on the same side of the field against all formations, usually places the linebackers inside the formation and uses versatile safeties who can play either the boundary or the field position, matched the offense’s personnel by transforming from base defense to sub-packages while using the same personnel.”

Johnson’s new system also cuts down on the number of assignments for each player, allowing them to fly to the football faster.  Johnson likes what he’s seen so far: “They haven’t gotten a lot of brain lock out there on things that have been a little new that we’re doing or they see something the offense hasn’t done yet, see a new play or a new formation.  I’ve been really pleased with the overall performance of them from an assignment standpoint.”

No doubt, the solution isn’t perfect.  Players can still wear down over the course of a series.  And with fewer assignments, there’s the likelihood for a few more defensive breakdowns when facing an up-tempo option team.

Still, it is is fitting that one of the folks tinkering with a means to de-claw hurry-up offenses is a guy who has to face such an offense each day in practice.

A real problem or a statement made to the press in order to motivate his players?  Or perhaps a bit of both?

That’s what Auburn fans must be wondering after their new defensive coordinator, Ellis Johnson, spilled the beans on what’s troubling him this spring:

“You can keep drawing up all these plays and defenses, but players at some point in time have got to make an impact play.  That’s what I really haven’t seen yet on the field…

Our first unit is way ahead of our second unit.  There’s a huge drop off.  That would be a point of concern right now.  I don’t think we’ve got four tackles.  I don’t think we’ve got four ends who play at a level we’ve got to have.  Hopefully by the end of spring we will.”

Johnson softened those comments a bit by adding: “I haven’t really seen anything that doesn’t look like it belongs on an SEC football field.  But I really haven’t seen a lot of impact players, just dominant, physical, one-on-one plays.  That’s something you want to see.”

Auburn has had a couple of key injuries along its D-line this spring and that must be factored into Johnson’s blunt assessment.  Still, those quotes are hardly what a fan wants to see/hear from his team’s defensive coordinator just 10 days before spring practice closes.

1. Auburn releases Selena Roberts interview request – calls it “gotcha, hide-the-ball journalism at its worst.”

2. Did former Auburn safety Mike McNeil get his grades altered to keep him eligible?  He says yes – a source says no.  

3. Verdict on Texas A&M’s Friday Night Lights scrimmage – defense more than held its own. Kevin Sumlin had a DJ spinning tunes from an 18-wheeler trailer.

4. Arkansas coach Bret Bielema changes his mind – opens today’s scrimmage to the public.

5. Georgia’s spring scrimmage game is an opportunity to get a look at a defense hit hard by graduation and early defections to the NFL.

6. Florida coach Will Muschamp likes where his offense is: “I think we’re much more efficient.”

7. Because Mississippi State returns so many experienced running backs, thousand-yard rusher LaDarius Perkins could actually get fewer carries this season.

8. First scrimmage of the spring this afternoon  for Alabama at Bryant-Denny Stadium It will be a learning opportunity for the Crimson Tide’s seven early enrollees.

9. Former Alabama center Barrett Jones is the SEC’s male scholar-athlete of the year.

10. Auburn defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson wants better tackling at the Tigers first scrimmage.  ”The most disappointing and concerning thing right now is just our tackling.”

11. Second scrimmage of the year for Tennessee – defensive coordinator John Jancek is also focusing on tackling.  “You can’t be a good defense and not be able to tackle.”

12. After a 5-7 season, it’s open competition at Missouri, where three quarterbacks are vying for reps. Some good news for the Tigers regarding Henry Jose.

13. South Carolina assistant coach Shawn Elliott on his offensive line: “We have four returning starters and two other guys that have started at times that are going to be back.”

14. How the tight end position could become a key weapon at Kentucky this fall.

15. Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze on new cornerbacks coach Jason Jones: “He has the same core values that we have.”

16. Balanced attack a focus at Vanderbilt – offensive coordinator John Donovan wants a 50-50 split between passing and running.

SEC Basketball

17. NBA scout on incoming Florida guard Kasey Hill:  ”Florida had a good season, but I felt like at times the guard play held them back. Kasey will help in that area.”

18. Louisville in the Final Four - “If there is such a thing as Big Blue Hell, this weekend is its fiery (red) apex.”

19. Most memorable moment in the history of the NCAA Tournament?  Kentucky fans know what it is – and probably never want to see it again.

20. Three of the top-10 TV markets for the NCAA Tournament are in SEC country.

Tennessee has hired Cincinnati’s Butch Jones as its new head football coach
Auburn has hired Rhett Lashlee from Arkansas State as its new offensive coordinator
Auburn has hired former Southern Miss head coach Ellis Johnson as its defensive coordinator
New coach Gus Malzahn is cleaning house at Auburn replacing all assistants and strength coach
Kentucky has hired former Florida State assistant DJ Eliot as its new defensive coordinator
Texas A&M QB Johnny Manziel has won the Davey O’Brien Award as the nation’s top quarterback
Mississippi State CB Johnthan Banks has won the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation’s best defensive back
Get all your SEC news from MrSEC.com and twitter.com/mrsec

Coaching News/Rumors/Reactions

1. Did Auburn repeat a mistake and skip over more qualified candidates?

2. Stewart Mandel: “Auburn AD Jay Jacobs essentially conceded what many already believed — that Malzahn was the real brains behind Chizik’s 2010 national-title team.”

3. Bo Jackson on Malzahn: “(A)ctually, we were surprised that he was as sharp as he was.”

4. When Auburn phone Bobby Petrino this week, the questions and comments  “all revolved around Petrino’s personal life and why Arkansas fired him in April.”

5. Bret Bielema was a surprise hire at Arkansas to many people, including the state’s governor.  “I never heard him mentioned, so it is a surprise.”

6. Andy Staples on Bielema: If he considered (Urban) Meyer a ruthless foe, wait until he meets Nick Saban and Les Miles.”

7. Dan Wetzel: “There’s hardly any legitimate competition between the Big Ten and the SEC anymore. At least, not on the field. That’s just reality.”

8. Bielema’s deal worth $3.2 million annually over six years.

9. “Both schools found capable coaches, but chose very different approaches.” The challenges the two men will face.

10. Texas A&M offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury a possible candidate to replace Gus Malzahn at Arkansas State?

11. Texas Tech offensive coordinator Neal Brown on rumors linking him to Kentucky.

12. Ellis Johnson reportedly interviewing for defensive coordinator at Auburn. Future plans for Gene Chizik?

13. What does the future hold for Georgia offensive coordinator Mike Bobo?

14. What about former Florida coach Ron Zook for the University of South Florida?

15. For the fifth straight year, the GoDaddy.com Bowl losing a coach who guided team to postseason.  This year, both teams, Arkansas State and Kent State, will be looking for new coaches.

16. Butch Davis to Florida International?

17. All these coaching searches have sparked an Internet feud.

1.  Here are this week’s SEC basketball Players of the Week.

2.  If Florida hires Jeff Dillman — as expected — as its new strength coach, the way the Gators lift weights will change.

3.  All Georgia’s football players are present and accounted for as bowl week preps kick off in Tampa today.

4.  As for next year, this writer says it’s all but certain the Bulldogs won’t face Alabama.

5.  UGA forward Marcus Thornton — the Dawgs’ leading rebounder — is undergoing exploratory knee surgery today.

6.  Joker Phillips wants Kentucky to build next year on its “strong finish” in 2011 (meaning a nine-point loss to Georgia and a win over 5-7 Tennessee).

7.  This writer believes South Carolina’s best possible move might be to promote Lorenzo Ward to replace Ellis Johnson.

8.  Folks in the Volunteer State are looking forward to the mid-season arrival of true freshman hoopster Jarnell Stokes.

9.  This scribe says Tennessee fans should also be paying attention to Vanderbilt’s recruiting class.

10.  Vanderbilt moved its Liberty Bowl practice indoors as rain fell on Memphis.