Everyone, it seems, has an opinion on looming deregulation in recruiting.  Georgia A.D. Greg McGarity, Georgia basketball coach Mark Fox and Tennessee football coach Butch Jones have all come out in recent days voicing concern on that proposals that would lift restrictions on communicating with recruits and allow schools to hire as many people to help with on-campus recruiting as they like.

And then there’s the 800-pound gorilla in the room – Alabama.  South Carolina recruiting coordinator Steve Spurrier, Jr. specifically mentioned the Crimson Tide when asked about recruiting changes earlier this month.  Nick Saban’s decision to bring in Kevin Steele as director of player personnel and bring in an army of experienced heavyweight recruiters has caught the attention of competitors – in and out of the conference.

Texas coach Mack Brown is the latest to take note.  The Longhorns football coach said Thursday he’ll create a director of player personnel that will oversee recruiting.  Like Spurrier, Jr., he specifically mentioned one SEC team in his decision-making process.

“Alabama is ahead of all of us with the number of personnel they’ve hired, and that’s something everybody’s looking very closely at…

“I can’t blame Alabama for doing what they need to do to be successful. The thing you’ve got to look at, if you’re looking at college football, is can everybody do that? And is that fair? It’s fair for Alabama because they’ve made it work for them. I would not be critical of them at all.”

Brown adds he expects that analyst/quality control positions will eventually be restricted by the NCAA.   ” I don’t think we’ll have unlimited numbers this time next year.”

Day after day, week after week, more coaches, more athletic directors, and more conferences are speaking out against the NCAA’s decision to deregulate recruiting.  After years of complaining about the NCAA’s rulebook being too thick, the complaint now is that college sports’ governing body is ripping out way too many pages.

Somewhere NCAA prez Mark Emmert sits in a dark room mumbling to himself, “I can’t win.”

This summer, dead periods will become a thing of the past.  Coaches can contact prospects whenever and however they like.  They can mail anything they like, too.  Take it from South Carolina recruiting coordinator and receivers coach Steve Spurrier Jr.:

“I think there’s going to be some more stuff this summer that the SEC is deciding on (about the rule changes). But you can mail out anything. I’ll start mailing out Fatheads (wall stickers) of our best players. I’m going to mail them to everybody. It’s perfectly legal. You can mail out whatever you want. Because we’ve got to think about what Alabama’s doing, and they will absolutely press the envelope, regardless of calls. You can send out whatever you want. Last year, you couldn’t mail out media guides. You can send out anything now.”

Ah, yes.  Alabama.

In addition to the anything-goes policies now on the way, colleges will also be allowed to hire as many people to help with on-campus recruiting as they like.  Alabama has already employed former Baylor head coach Kevin Steele as its director of player personnel, a czar of sorts to oversee the 28-man Bama bunch that can text, call, and mail recruits as often as it likes.

Other schools with cash aplenty will surely follow Alabama’s lead.  So those schools trying to build programs or climb past football’s reigning juggernauts, well, good luck.  The bullies on the block will be able to call in reinforcements.  Good ones.  Lots of them.

But that’s if the NCAA’s planned rulebook burning begins on July 1st as scheduled.  The chorus of figures against the plan is growing by the hour.

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Coaching News

1. LSU is introducing new offensive coordinator Cam Cameron.  Greg Studrawa will return to strictly focusing on the offensive line.

2. Is Alabama interested in South Carolina offensive line coach Shawn Elliott?  Steve Spurrier seems to think so. Has reportedly interviewed.

3. Elliott is a candidate along with University of Central Florida offensive line coach Brent Key.

4. Nick Saban’s first defensive coordinator at Alabama, Kevin Steele, is now the team’s Director of Player Personnel.  Looming deregulation in college football will allow him to recruit on the same level as the team’s nine coaches.

5. Alabama now lists 28 people under the heading “recruiting.”

6. Sports Illustrated on Tennessee coach Butch Jones: He “understands the importance of tapping into the resource of former players.”

SEC Football

7. Jadeveon Clowney’s mother.  ”I don’t think he has it in him to sit out. He loves to play football. I know I want him to play.” Steve Spurrier agrees.

8. Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel redshirted his first year – meaning he’s eligible for the NFL draft next year. Offensive coordinator Clarence McKinney: “With the uncertainty of Johnny’s situation because of the way the NFL is going — his stock is rising.”

9. Nine quarterbacks selected for Jon Gruden’s QB Camp on ESPN.  Two of them from the SEC – Tennessee’s Tyler Bray and Tyler Wilson from Arkansas. (Some non-QB’s also will be featured – including South Carolina’s Marcus Lattimore and Texas A&M’s Luke Joeckel).

10. Mississippi State wants to target the tight end more this fall. Tight ends coach Tim Brewster: “I think Malcolm Johnson has a chance to truly be one of the best tight ends in the nation…”

11. Bulldogs want to find a backup to leading rusher LaDarious Perkins.

12. Ole Miss projects Jeff Scott to get 15-20 carries this fall -leaving plenty of  room for someone else to step up.

13. Auburn has two quarterbacks, three running backs and six receivers on scholarship heading into spring practice.  Offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee: “We do have depth issues.”

14. This preseason top 25 has Alabama at No. 1, seven SEC teams make the cut.

15. Bryant-Denny Stadium ranked No. 1 stadium experience by magazine.  SEC stadiums get six of the top 11 spots.

Crime/Legal Beat

16. The NCAA revealed its relationship with the attorney for the man at the center of the Miami investigation to lawyers in mid-January, according to CBSSports.com. That’s about a week before the NCAA went public with the information.

17. Eddie Williams, one of the four Alabama players arrested Monday, wants permission to return to his hometown while out on bond. Here’s our story from this morning on the Alabama players and Charles Barkley’s comments.

18, Harvey Updyke’s wife was asked if she knew if her husband poisoned the oak trees at Toomer’s Corner in Auburn: “I’ll be honest with you, I never asked him, because I don’t want to know the answer.”

SEC Basketball

19. In light of the Nerlens Noel torn ACL, The New Yorker asks, “Is College Basketball Doomed?”

20. “Should the NBA abolish its age minimum’s? Absolutely not.”

21. With Noel out, will Tennessee go with its small lineup again tomorrow?  Cuonzo Martin after the Vanderbilt win this week: ”I felt like our best lineup is four guards.”

22. For Alabama guard Trevor Lacy, basketball wasn’t his first love.  ”Growing up, I was a football guy.”

23. Florida led the nation in three-pointers last year.  This season, they’re making almost as many. Making 38.9 percent – best in the SEC.

24. Florida goes to Auburn tomorrow where the Tigers are struggling - lost eight of their last nine SEC games.

25. Texas A&M travels to Vanderbilt Saturday.  Aggies still focused on the postseason. Elston Turner: “Ultimately our goal is to make the NCAA tournament.”

26. So did Arkansas coach Mike Anderson intentionally not wear a tie the other night at Auburn or did he forget to pack one?  ”Any other questions?”

27. Anderson will meet his old team Saturday when Missouri comes to Fayetteville: “It’s kind of like a full circle, really.”

28. Headline after last night’s LSU victory over South Carolina.

Extras

29. The battle for the future of American sports gambling.

30. That stranded Carnival cruise ship that finally docked apparently had some Arkansas fans on-board.

1.  Florida’s Erik Murphy should be able to play in the Gators’ SEC opener tomorrow despite needing stitches over his eye after a collision in practice yesterday.

2.  Orson Charles and several other Georgia players are still deciding whether to stay in Athens or head to the NFL early.

3.  Kentucky will try to stop two-sport star Bruce Ellington when South Carolina visits tomorrow.

4.  Carolina’s football team will lose four starters on offense (including three on the line) and seven on defense.

5.  Kevin Steele has denied any connection to Tennessee, but he reportedly remains a viable candidate for the Vols’ defensive coordinator slot.

6.  A healthy Festus Ezeli makes Vanderbilt a much more complete team.

Alabama defensive line coach Bo Davis has accepted an offer from Texas to coach the Longhorns’ defensive tackles.  No reason to fear, Tide fans, it seems Nick Saban already has his replacement lined up.

Clemson assistant Chris Rumph has informed Dabo Swinney that he’s leaving the Tigers’ staff for the Tide’s.  Rumph has served on Clemson’s staff for five years as their defensive ends coach.  The last two seasons he worked under former Saban aide Kevin Steele.

The Tuscaloosa News suggests that Rumph might not directly replace Davis if Saban decides instead to reassign some members of his defensive staff.  Either way, the Tide was down an assistant coach for just the blink of an eye.