Freshmen made their presence felt—in a big way—in the Pac-12 last season. Whether it was Marcus Mariota with the legs, Kevin Hogan with the arm or Brett Hundley with both, the first-year quarterbacks made waves wherever they went. And beyond that, trench warriors like UCLA's Jake Brendel, Oregon's Tyler Johnstone and USC's Leonard Williams all made the FWAA's Freshman All-American team. After a year that saw four Pac-12 teams—USC, UCLA, Washington and Oregon—finish in the top 20 of ...

Embattled former Texas wide receiver Cayleb Jones will become an Arizona Wildcat. Mike Berman of YNN Austin first reported the news: Due to NCAA eligibility rules regarding transfers, Jones will be forced to sit out the 2013 season. He can participate with the Wildcats' team activities during that time, and can make his debut for the school in 2014. It's highly likely that Jones will use his redshirt distinction, allowing him to retain the final three years ...

Fans of the NFL draft know all the hot names entering the 2013 season by now, but inevitably a number of under-the-radar prospects will rise up throughout the season.  Much of the rise and fall of draft prospects is related to injuries and playing time, making it difficult to predict, but the following slide show features eight prospects who are in position to potentially make a leap during the 2013 season. Begin Slideshow

Drip, drip, drip. The faucet that has been pouring out information related to Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel's autograph scandal over the last week and a half dropped another bombshell on Monday night, when ESPN.com's Darren Rovell and Justine Gubar reported that Manziel participated in two more autograph sessions in January—one in Florida after the BCS National Championship Game and another in Houston later that month. The report states that Manziel signed at least 1,500 items in ...

Conference realignment has had a major impact on college sports over the past few years. Despite college football receiving the bulk of the media attention, many new conferences will also have a new look when the 2013-14 college basketball season begins. How has realignment affected the balance of power among the conferences? Are certain conferences climbing the ladder with new members while others take a step back and deal with attrition? The following list is a power ranking ...

About a year ago, I wrote about SEC football scheduling. Frustrated by this non-stop chorus of whines, I investigated the previous year to see how the conference matched up. Pretty well, it turns out. I never had a chance to post that article, so I'm doing that now. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you’re an SEC football fan, chances are high that you’re a little sick of fans of other conferences—and the national media—talking about the weak scheduling of SEC programs. ...

The heat is on Johnny Manziel in College Station, Texas, as the autograph for cash scandal continues to dominate the off the field headlines on the collegiate landscape. The NCAA, not the most expeditious group, has made no ruling on the case, and the Aggies' first game is quickly approaching. With that in mind, as Manziel's future hangs in the balance, it is wise to take a look at Texas A&M's backup, Matt Joeckel. Joeckel is ...

As the 2013 season approaches, one question remains: Can anyone in the SEC dethrone Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide? While I do not believe Saban is losing sleep over any team he will face, I do believe there is one team he fears and that is the South Carolina Gamecocks. Texas A&M has Johnny Manziel. The University of Georgia might have the most complete offense in college football. LSU is loaded with talent. However, the ...

Comeback Player of the Year isn't an official award in college football—there are no bronze-plated figurines given out—but it's still a fun hypothetical distinction. Every year some of the best players in the nation go down with serious and unfortunate injuries. And every year some, though not all, of them fight their way through rehab and return to peak form. When they don't—when those injuries compound themselves—it's one of the saddest things a fan (or even an ...

With the status of Texas A&M's starting quarterback Johnny Manziel uncertain due to an alleged NCAA investigation, the attention turns to his backups at the position. The Aggies currently have three scholarship quarterbacks on their roster besides Manziel.  If Manziel is held out of games due to the alleged investigation or injury, then one of the three quarterbacks is going to have to step up and make plays for the Ags. It is a diverse group ...