Good news for Sumrall: Aaron Chiles and others will be returning

(Photo by Chris Spears)

A few thoughts for Tuesday afternoon:

Jon Sumrall and new defensive coordinator Brad White got a second helping of good news when linebacker Aaron Chiles (51 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 1 pass breakup) announced Tuesday that he will be returning for his junior year. With the announced return of linebacker Jaden Robinson (49 tackles, 2 sacks, 3 pass breakups) on Monday and the announcement a week ago that leading tackler Myles Graham (76 tackles, 2 sacks, 4 pass breakups) is returning, Sumrall and White will have three experienced and very capable linebackers to anchor a defense that expects to improve on last year’s 13^th-place ranking (376.8 yards, 24 points) in the Southeastern Conference.

Also on Tuesday, defensive end/EDGE LJ McCray and center/offensive guard Jason Zandamela announced they will be returning. Wide receiver TJ Abrams (14 catches, 202 yards) announced last week that he’s returning. Expected to return are wide receivers Vernell Brown III (40 catches, 512 yards) and Dallas Wilson (12 catches, 174 yards, 3 TDs).

Gator fans continue to hold their collective breath over the status of running back Jadan Baugh (1,170 yards, 8 TDs), who will be meeting Wednesday in Atlanta (his hometown) with Sumrall and other members of the Florida coaching staff.

Front office/coaching staff so far

General manager: Dave Caldwell (from Philadelphia Eagles)

Chief of staff: Cole Heard (from Tulane)

Director of football operations: Jeremiah Cartwright (from Tulane)

Offensive staff

Coordinator: Buster Faulkner (from Georgia Tech)

Quarterbacks: Joe Craddock (from Tulane)

Wide receivers: Marcus Davis (Auburn)

Running backs: To be determined

O-line: Phil Trautwein (from Penn State)

Defensive staff

Coordinator: Brad White (from Kentucky)

D-line/Assistant head coach: Gerald Chatman (retained from UF)

Outside linebackers/EDGE: Bam Hardmon (from Tulane)

Inside linebackers: Greg Gasparato (from Tulane)

Secondary/nickels: Dae’One Wilkinson (former UF analyst)

Secondary/corners: Brandon Harris (from UCF)

Secondary/safeties: Chris Collins (from Kentucky)

Special teams

Coordinator: Johnathan Galante (from Tulane)

Strength and conditioning

Coordinator: Rusty Whitt (from Tulane)

Associate director player performance: Jesse Ackerman (retained from UF)

Analysts/Coaching support staff

H-backs: Dylan Dockery (from Georgia Tech)

Assistant quarterbacks: A.J. Erdely (from Georgia Tech)

Assistant O-line: Mike Polly (from Georgia Tech)

Quality control/O-line: Emil Ekiyor (from Georgia Tech)

Quality control/assistant running backs: Ryan Goede (from Georgia Tech)

GATORS MOVE UP TO NO. 22 IN AP BASKETBALL POLL

The Gators are the only 4-loss team in the latest Associated Press poll. At 8-4, Florida still has an impressive resume with close call losses to No. 1 Arizona, No. 4 UConn and No. 6 Duke (No. 3 when the Gators played), all of them away from Gainesville. The Gators are off for Christmas and won’t play again until Monday when they host Dartmouth, the last non-conference game of the season. The Gators will open Southeastern Conference play on January 3 at Missouri.

Associated Press top 25 (SEC teams boldface): 1. Arizona 11-0; 2. Michigan 11-0; 3. Iowa State 12-0; 4. UConn 12-1; 5. Purdue 11-1; 6. Duke 11-1; 7. Gonzaga 12-1; 8. Houston 11-1; 9. Michigan State 11-1; 10. BYU 11-1; 11. Vanderbilt 12-0; 12. North Carolina 11-1; 13. Nebraska 12-0; 14. Alabama 9-3; 15. Texas Tech 9-3; 16. Louisville 10-2; 17. Kansas. 9-3; 18. Arkansas 9-3; 19. Tennessee 9-3; 20. Illinois 8-3; 21. Virginia 10-1; 22. FLORIDA 8-4; 23. Georgia 10-1; 24. Southern California 12-1; 25. Iowa 10-2

Coaches top 25: 1. Arizona 11-0; 2. Michigan 11-0; 3. Iowa State 12-0; 4. UConn 12-1; 5. Purdue 11-1; 6. Duke 11-1; 7. Gonzaga 12-1; 8. Houston 11-1; 9. Michigan State 11-1; 10. BYU 11-1; 11. Vanderbilt 12-0;12. North Carolina 11-1; 13. Nebraska 12-0; 14. Alabama 9-3; 15. Texas Tech 9-3; 16. Louisville 10-2; 17. Kansas 9-3; 18. Arkansas 9-3; 19. Tennessee 9-3; 20. Illinois 8-3; 21. Virginia 10-1; 22. FLORIDA 8-4; 23. Georgia 10-1; 24. Southern California 12-1; 25. Iowa 10-2

SEC teams at kenpom.com analytics (December 23): 8. Vanderbilt 12-0; 12. FLORIDA 8-4; 15. Tennessee 9-3; 17. Alabama 9-3; 19. Kentucky 8-4; 24. Georgia 10-1; 27. Arkansas 9-3; 37. Auburn 8-4; 40. LSU 10-1; 47. Texas 8-4; 49. Texas A&M 9-3; 63. Missouri 10-2; 50. Oklahoma 8-3; 60. Ole Miss 7-5; 63. Missouri 10-2; 87. Mississippi State 7-5; 92. South Carolina 7-4

SEC BASKETBALL

Monday’s games

No. 23 Georgia (11-1) 103, West Georgia (6-6) 74: Six Georgia players scored in double figures led by Blue Cain with 20. Georgia outrebounded West Georgia, 55-35.

No. 20 Illinois (9-3) 91, Missouri (10-3) 48: Missouri was outscored by 27 points (45-18) from the 3-point line by Illinois. Sebastian Mack came off the bench to score 17 for Missouri.

LSU (11-1) 104, Prairie View A&M (5-7) 90: Marquel Sutton and Dedan Thomas Jr. each scored 21 in a game that took forever to finish. LSU shot 49 free throws (made 43) and Prairie View was 26-28.

Texas (8-4) 94, Maryland-Eastern Shore (4-12) 71: Matas Vokietaitis scored 22 points and Jordan Pope 21 as the Longhorns won in a rout. Texas was aided by 42 free throws (21 for UMES).

Oklahoma (9-3) 107, Stetson (4-9) 54: All five Oklahoma starters scored in double figures led by Derrion Reid’s 22. The Sooners shot 68 percent from the field overall and 50 percent (12-24) from the 3-point line.

South Carolina (8-4) 95: South Carolina State (1-13) 70: South Carolina outrebounded South Carolina State, 36-22, and outscored the visitors from the MEAC by 22 at the foul line. Five Gamecocks scored in double figures.

AS THE COLLEGE FOOTBALL PORTAL TURNS     

Alabama: WR Aeryn Hampton; TE Josh Ford (from Oklahoma State)

Arkansas: OT Shaq McRoy; CB Keshawn Davila; LB Tavion Wallace; DL Ian Geffrard

Auburn: CB A’mon Lane-Ganus; WR Horatio Fields; WR Perry Thompson; CB Raion Strader; EDGE Antonio Coleman; RB Damari Alston; LB Caleb Wheatland; TE Hollis Davidson; WR Malcolm Simmons; OG DeAndre Carter; OT Favour Edwin; WR Cam’Ron King; OT Seth Wilfred; CB Jay Crawford; DL Amaris Williams; LB Jamonta Walker; DL Malik Blocton; PK Towns McGough; QB Ashton Daniels; CB Kayin Lee

FLORIDA: QB DJ Lagway; S Jordan Castell; TE Amir Jackson; RB KD Daniels; WR Muizz Tounkara; DL Tavorise Brown; S Teddy Foster; WR Aidan Mizell; S Josiah Davis; CB Jameer Grimsley; LB Grayson Howard; WR Tank Hawkins; OT Marcus Mascoll; DT Michai Boireau; TE Hayden Handsen; OT Enoch Wangoy; WR Naeshaun Montgomery; OT Noel Portnjagin

Georgia: TE Pearce Spurlin III; CB Daniel Harris

Kentucky: EDGE Landyn Watson; EDGE Steven Soles; WR David Washington Jr.; WR Preston Bowman

LSU: RB Ju’Juan Johnson; DL Ahmad Breaux; CB Ashton Stamps; WR Jelani Watkins; WR Khylan Billiot; DL Sydir Mitchell; RB Kaleb Jackson; OG Carius Curne; QB Colin Hurley; OG Coen Echols

Mississippi State: S Tony Mitchell; DL Terrance Hibblier Jr.; S Stonka Burnside; OG Brennan Smith; OT Jimothy Lewis Jr.; TE Emeka Lloh; QB Luke Kromenhoek; TE Cam Ball; CB Dwight Lewis III; S Tyler Woodard; DL Ashun Shepphard

Missouri: RB Marquise Davis; RB Brendon Haygood; WR James Madison II; S Caleb Flagg; OG Nick Sharpe; TE Michael Smith; WR Josh Manning; EDGE Javion Hilson; WR Marquis Johnson; OG Henry Fenuku; QB Beau Pribula

Oklahoma: WR Jayden Gibson; CB Kendel Colby; TE Kaden Helms; LB Kobie McKenzie; OG Jacob Sexton

South Carolina: PK Peyton Argent; LB Jaron Willis; WR Emazon Littlejohn; DL Zavion Hardy; LB Jaron Willis; OT Mac Walters; OG Trovon Baugh; OT Cason Henry; WR Brian Rowe; QB Air Noland; OT Tree Babalade

Tennessee: EDGE Kellen Lindstrom; DL Jamal Wallace; S Boo Carter; LB Brenden Anes; S Macus Goree; QB Jake Merklinger; RB Peyton Lewis; OT Trevor Duncan

Texas: OG Connor Stroh; CB Santana Wilson; WR Aaron Butler; RB CJ Baxter; QB Trey Owens; PK Will Stone; RB Jerrick Gibson; S Derek Williams Jr.; CB Wardell Mack; DL Melvin Hills; LB Liona Lefau; RB Rickey Stewart Jr.; WR DeAndre Moore Jr.

Texas A&M: LS Shea Freibaum; LB Tristan Jernigan

Vanderbilt: QB Drew Dickey; TE Maurice Veney; OT Misael Sandoval; QB Jeremy St. Hilaire; OG Cooper Starks; TE Witt Edwards; WR Boski Barrett; EDGE Jailen Ruth

ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: There has to be a better way of dealing with coaching changes, the transfer portal and the College Football Playoff. I’m not at all sure what the answers are, but we have a mess on our hands that needs to be resolved. College football as we know it is barely recognizable due to inept leadership and management. It isn’t all the fault of the NCAA, which, in its infinite wisdom shouldn’t be in charge of anything except running tournaments in sports other than college football. The NCAA does a dandy job of putting on basketball tournaments, the College World Series, and championships for gymnastics, volleyball, softball, track and field, and swimming. Otherwise, the NCAA is completely inept.

We have coaching searches and coaching changes going on that make fired coaches rich and give new coaches a shot at jobs that in many cases they only dreamed about. We have a governor of a state complaining about the amount of money coaches make and their huge buyouts signing off on Lane Kiffin’s 7-year deal worth $91 million at LSU. Meanwhile, the kids who played for Kiffin at Ole Miss think their head coach betrayed them. Some coaches like Jon Sumrall (Tulane to Florida) and Bob Chesney (James Madison) to UCLA left their programs on good terms, but they are the rarity.

We have play for pay. What happens a star wide receiver making $750,000 a year in NIL money threatens to go on strike if the head coach doesn’t fire the assistant who’s supposed to be coaching him up? Don’t think it could happen? Brace yourself because it’s going to if it hasn’t already.

The portal has no guidelines which is why TJ Finley has played six years of college football for five different schools (LSU, Auburn, Texas State, Western Kentucky, Georgia State) and is petitioning to play a seventh year at a sixth school. Don’t bet against him getting a waiver.

Resolving transfer and portal issues shouldn’t be difficult if some common sense is applied, but since when does the NCAA have common sense? I think players should be allowed one transfer, otherwise they have to sit a year. If they transfer and they’re still taking remedial courses or their GPA is less than 2.5, then they should be required to sit a year.

The playoff? Isn’t it time to give the Group of Five their own playoff? Their teams could still play paycheck games during the regular season with the power conferences, but at the end of the year, give them their own playoff. The power conferences need to demand Notre Dame join a conference if it intends to participate in the playoff and share the money.

How about making college football autonomous? Take away all NCAA control and let the football schools make their own rules, hire their own commissioner and enforce them.

Do I think any of this will happen? It’s Christmas. I’m entitled to think wishfully.