College football notes: Neal Brown loses defensive coordinator at West Virginia
A compilation of college football notes over the last few days:
▪ Former Kentucky wide receiver and offensive coordinator Neal Brown has lost his defensive coordinator at West Virginia. Entering his second year at WVU, Brown must find a replacement for Vic Koenning, who parted ways with the university on Wednesday after being placed on administrative leave.
Last month, Koenning was accused of making insensitive remarks during practices and in meetings. Koenning had worked with Brown at Troy. WBOY reports he will be paid $591,451 over the next 19 months after having two years left on his contract.
▪ Louisville has added a few veteran players to its roster. The Cardinals have signed cornerback Kei’Trel Clark, a transfer from Liberty and Roscoe Johnson, a grad transfer wide receiver from North Carolina. The Cardinals also have a commitment from junior college outside linebacker KJ Cloyd, who will be part of the 2020 class and eligible to play this season.
▪ The powers-that-be at the Chick-fil-A Kickoff games are trying desperately to save all three games in Atlanta: Florida State-West Virginia on Sept. 5; Georgia-Virginia on Sept. 7; Auburn-North Carolina is Sept. 12. Peach Bowl CEO Gary Stokan estimates a loss of $100 million in economic impact for Atlanta if the games are canceled.
▪ New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo says there will be no fans at college sports in New York. There are three FBS programs in the state: Army, Buffalo and Syracuse. “Major college athletics conferences across the country and schools throughout the state, including Syracuse University, are in various stages of planning for games when students return. The games can take place and they can be televised, but fans won’t be allowed in stadiums, Cuomo said during a conference call with reporters.”
▪ The College Football Playoff is not yet discussing contingencies, reports Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports. “When you’re in the middle of a blizzard, you think it’s going to snow forever,” said director Bill Hancock. “But it’s not. August will get here.”
[Phil Steele is bullish on Kentucky and a college football season this fall]
▪ Texas is delaying high school football in 5A and 6A classes by five weeks. The state wants to stagger its high school football schedules.
▪ The University of Texas is reportedly aiming for 50% capacity for home football games. AD Chris Del Conte sent a letter to fans. “In Monday’s letter, Del Conte says he expects all season ticket holders to have a seat for each game during the 2020 season — if UT is allowed to fill the stadium to 50%. Additionally, Del Conte says any season ticket holder can opt out of tickets for the 2020 season and they will not lose their seating location or loyalty points for the 2021 season.”
▪ Texas says it will keep “Eyes of Texas” as its alma mater, and will rename its field after Heisman Trophy winners Earl Campbell and Ricky Williams.
▪ Texas cornerback Kobe Boyce steps away from football, citing mental health issues.
▪ Michigan announced it will not sell season tickets for 2020, all games will be sold individually.
▪ Rutgers will limit attendance to 500 for home football games in accordance with executive orders issued by New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy.
▪ High school football in California has been moved to spring 2021. That caused Texas A&M defensive tackle commit Victory Vaka to say he will enroll at A&M in January.
▪ The SWAC is moving its football season to the spring.
▪ The Ohio Valley Conference says that as of now there is no plan to cancel fall sports.
▪ Austin Peay Coach Mark Hudspeth was suspended for “unacceptable conduct” before resigning as coach, the Tennesseean reports. He was serving a 20-day suspension without pay.
▪ Navy AD Chet Gladchuk on the Paul Finebaum Show: “Even in WWII, we found a way to play the Army-Navy game . . . The nation can be assured that, at least, Army-Navy will prevail.”
▪ Air Force quarterback Donald Hammond could miss the 2020 season after falling out of good standing with the academy.
▪ North Carolina Coach Mac Brown on Finebaum: ““I really wish we’d have a commissioner of college football. We wouldn’t have different leagues doing different things and so much uncertainty. If we were more uniform and all on the same page ... then we wouldn’t be in the position we are in right now.”
▪ Brown has also said his understanding is that if a head coach gets sick, the NCAA will allow a short-term replacement to be named.
▪ North Carolina coaches will wear face shields at practices, at least during the early season.
▪ North Carolina 2021 commit defensive back Tony Grimes plans to reclassify to 2020.
▪ Virginia Coach Bronco Mendenhall said he favors an eight-game ACC-only schedule.
▪ Former Louisville offensive coordinator Garrick McGee has joined Florida as a defensive analyst under Todd Grantham. Grantham and McGee worked together at Louisville under Bobby Petrino.
▪ Florida has hired former Syracuse and UConn head coach Paul Pasqualoni to be off-field special assistant coach. Pasqualoni was the Syracuse coach when the Orange defeated Kentucky in the 1999 Music City Bowl.
▪ Cornerback Clinton Burdon, No. 74-ranked recruit, commits to Boston College, flipping from Florida.
▪ Boston College wide receiver Jaelen Gill receives a waiver to play right away after transferring from Ohio State.
▪ Alabama’s locker room now has a napping recliner in each locker.
▪ Tommy Brockermeyer, considered the nation’s No. 1 offensive tackle prospect, has committed to Alabama. Brother James Brockermeyer also committed to Alabama. He’s considered a four-star recruit. The Crimson Tide’s recruiting class, ranked 55th just two months ago, is now ranked sixth.
▪ Former Boston College head coach Jeff Jagodzinski is joining Division III Wisconsin-Whitewater’s staff as an assistant.
▪ Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence got engaged to his longtime girlfriend Marissa Mowry at Clemson Stadium.
▪ Georgia sophomore defensive back Divaad Wilson has entered the transfer portal.
▪ Texas A&M offensive lineman Marcus Jenkins has entered transfer portal.
▪ Auburn running back Malik Miller will not return for 2020 season.
▪ Auburn wide receiver Zach Farrar has entered transfer portal.
▪ Pro Football Focus rates Minnesota quarterback Tanner Morgan as the highest-graded returning player in 2019 Big Ten play. Morgan played his high school football at Ryle in Kentucky.
▪ Report shows that Iowa was aware of a “serious racial bias” in football program before this summer.
▪ Tennessee defensive lineman Emmit Gooden was dismissed from team following felony domestic assault charge.
▪ Tennessee tight end Austin Pope has surgery for herniated disk.
▪ LSU linebacker Marcel Brooks is transferring to TCU.
▪ Wake Forest tight end Dreyln Ford enters transfer portal
▪ The Florida State-Notre Dame game in 2021 moved up to Labor Day Sunday.
▪ Missouri has a commitment from top junior college defensive end Daniel Robledo for 2021.
▪ Four-star quarterback Shedeur Sanders, son of Deion Sanders, has committed to Florida Atlantic.
▪ Nebraska wide receiver JD Spielman is reportedly transferring to TCU.
This story was originally published July 22, 2020 at 10:21 AM.
