NCAA to investigate South Beach party

HOOVER — The South Beach party that jeopardizes the eligibility of several top SEC players sounds like quite a bash, but Georgia’s A.J. Green said he’s never been to Miami.
Georgia was alerted that NCAA investigators would be on campus investigating possible participation in the May party. Green’s name surfaced late Wednesday night, but the All-SEC receiver denied any involvement.

South Carolina’s Weslye Saunders and Alabama’s Marcell Dareus have been connected to the party, which allegedly was thrown by sports agents.

“I guess the question is, who paid for it?” South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier said. “When the investigation is finished, I guess we’ll find out about all the guys. (Saunders) told me he’s done nothing wrong. We’ll let it play out.”

Green, teammates Drew Butler and Shaun Chapas, and head coach Mark Richt were instructed not to comment on the investigation.

North Carolina players Marvin Austin and Greg Little have also been part of the probe.

Auburn lands 11th commitment
Auburn netted its third commitment in less than a week Thursday when little-known University School (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) cornerback Devin Gaulden announced his pledge to the Tigers.
Gaulden, at 5-foot-10 and 175 pounds, is unranked by the major scouting services. He passed up offers from Wisconsin, Wake Forest, Bowling Green, Duke, New Mexico, Marshall, Buffalo, Northern Illinois and Western Michigan, according to AuburnUndercover.com.

Gaulden, who was in Auburn for last weekend’s end-of-summer camp, is the Tigers’ third commitment who plays in the secondary. Izauea Lanier (East Mississippi Community College) and Anthony Swain (Gadsden City) are both expected to play at safety.

Busted
The NCAA will be quick to bust illegal, three-man wedges this season as a way to prevent concussions, SEC coordinator of officials Rogers Redding said Thursday.

Even years typically go without rule changes because it’s a two-year process, Redding said. But the NCAA’s ability to immediately enforce rules that affect players’ safety allowed the new bylaw to come to fruition sooner.

Redding cited unknown studies that suggest the majority of concussions occur on kickoffs.

Players must be about 2 yards apart from each other on wedges, Redding said, and will not be allowed to run in-sync, shoulder-to-shoulder.

“The problem comes when players drop back to form this little wall,” Redding said. “The concussions take place when the kicking team players are coming down trying to bust up that wedge.”

A 15-yard penalty will be whistled from the spot of the foul, whether or not a block is made.
The NFL instituted the rule in 2009 and considered it a success, as it was whistled “about five times all year,” Redding said.

In other, minor changes, players will now have to be cleared by professional medical personnel to return to the field after they sustain injuries that stop the game. Additionally, all of the SEC’s replay booths will have high-definition monitors in 2010.

12th defender
Georgia coach Mark Richt has the country’s best punter coming back for his junior season.

Drew Butler won the Ray Guy Award last season after averaging 48.1 yards per punt.

“He’s a tremendous weapon,” Richt said. “He’s a guy that has nothing to prove other than he can do it again. He’s really worked hard to be great.”

The coach said Butler’s role with the team will be crucial, as the Bulldogs change to the 3-4 defense under new coordinator Todd Grantham. He’s so valuable that Richt brought him as one of the three Bulldog players representing the team at SEC Media Days.

But Richt sure hopes Drew Butler’s average goes down. The struggling Georgia offense padded that average, Richt said.

“When he was punting, there was a whole lot of grass in front of him,” Richt said. “There was a lot of grass in front of him, too much grass. But he changed field position for us in a big way last year.
“This year, my guess is he won’t have quite the average because I think — and hope — he’ll be punting with less grass in front of him. Hopefully, he punts a lot less.”

Butler, the son of former Georgia great and NFL star Kevin Butler, said he was honored to represent other specialists at Media Days.

“I don’t really recall the last time when a specialist came in,” Butler said. “When I found out, I was surprised.”

New QB
The only offensive player returning for Georgia who wasn’t a starter last season is redshirt freshman quarterback Aaron Murray.

Richt noted Murray has been through two springs and one fall season.

“He understands our system well,” the coach said. “He’s got to live the experience of being that quarterback. But because he’s surrounded by a bunch of veterans and a bunch of guys that want to see him succeed, that want him to lead, I think we’re in good shape.”

Fullback Shaun Chapas said Murray is one of the team’s hardest workers.

“He’s always going to be prepared, whether in games or in 7-on-7 drills. He’s got all the physical tools, and he’s one of the smartest guys I’ve been around,” Chapas said.

One of Murray’s biggest playmakers, receiver A.J. Green, said the quarterback has been preparing for the job.

“He’s well above his age limit,” Green said. “He’s a leader. As young as he is, I really look up to him they way he carries himself on and off the field.”

Williams not worried
Arkansas tight end D.J. Williams didn’t have a problem when Ryan Mallett’s passes weren’t zipping in his direction early through the 2009 season.

In fact, it only made him more optimistic about the Arkansas offense heading into the future.

Williams, considered one of the best tight ends in the nation, caught 26 fewer passes for nearly 300 fewer yards in 2009 than he did in 2008. But the Razorbacks offensive attack clicked with efficiency unmatched by most teams in the country, ranking 10th in the nation in passing offense and 20th in total offense.

“Once our younger guys started growing, their talent started skyrocketing and their ability to make plays, not just catching the ball, grew,” Williams said. “When my numbers went down, that just let me know that our whole offense was coming together.”

Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino said the chemistry between Mallett and Williams took longer than expected to bloom. It was certainly there in November against South Carolina, when Williams hauled in seven passes for 137 yards — an effort Petrino expects to see repeated in 2010.

Williams is certainly doing his part off the field.

“I take (Mallett) out to dinner every Wednesday night now,” Williams said. “He likes macaroni and cheese, so I make sure they bring a double.”

Taking the baton
South Carolina defensive end Cliff Matthews said he’s ready to lead the Gamecocks’ defense with the departure of linebacker Eric Norwood.

“He pretty much handed me the crown,” said Matthews, a preseason all-conference pick. “I love it. I love the challenge.”
Matthews, a 6-foot-5, 275-pound senior, said he weighed 235 when he arrived in Columbia, S.C.

“The extra weight is helpful when you’re bull-rushing and penetrating against SEC offenses,” he said.

Baseball’s boost
Several South Carolina Gamecocks said the national championship in baseball gave the entire athletic program a lift.

“I got some text messages saying it’s our turn now,” fullback Patrick DiMarco said. “It’s true. They stepped it up and did something, and now it’s time for us to do something.”

Coach Steve Spurrier said the baseball title proved South Carolina can win big in major sports.

“We believe that will rub off on the other sports — and we’re the next one up,” Spurrier said. “Hopefully we can take a cue from those guys and have a good run as we go through the season.”