Sunday morning links aplenty ...

So much to still get to -- haven't gone through all the new walk-ons, haven't really touched on the huge recruiting haul USF football had last weekend, netting six firm commitments for the class of 2009. I've got lots of links to offer up, and then we'll get back to newsy stuff on Monday ...

-- Before the links, thought I'd share that USF coach Jim Leavitt is not in favor of an early signing period for football, as has been proposed by SEC coaches. Leavitt, like most coaches, doesn't like the NCAA's decision to keep head coaches off high school campuses in the spring, keeping him from making key evaluations in person. Given that, he doesn't want to see the recruiting process sped up even more by having a fall signing period, which would force colleges to make decisions about which players best fit their needs before their seasons had ended. Leavitt said if the spring ban were lifted, he'd be more amenable to an earlier signing date, but until then, that's as rushed as he wants to be. USF is far ahead of its usual timeframe for piling up commitments as it is ...

-- Odd that I haven't been to an "Around the Horns" booster gathering, in that I usually sit in at a few to hear the stump speeches from Leavitt, Stan Heath, etc., but I haven't yet. I should be at Monday's at Tampa Palms, and here's a report from the Fort Myers gathering last week.

-- Lots of bloggers writing up previews, and rarely do you learn more than their quick thoughts on who'll finish where, but there's a decent Big East rundown from "The Shwag." Lost me a little bit when he started talking about "running back Larry Ford." He has USF picked second ...

-- For a while now, USF has had a football site geared toward recruits, theusfbulls.com. You can register for free, and there's an unintentionally funny collection of "tours of Tampa Bay" videos, with coaches standing in front of Tampa landmarks to show newcomers all the great things in the area. Some of the coaches are very polished in a short 30-second reading, while others ... are clearly ... reading from ... cue cards. Can't tell who's cooler -- Mike Canales hanging out in Ybor or Larry Scott at International Plaza. Fun stuff ...

-- Georgia State is the latest startup football program, and new coach Bill Curry has been very complimentary of USF, mentioning Jim Leavitt in nearly every article I've seen. Here's one, from the Effingham Herald. Then again, I've seen UAB's Watson Brown referenced a lot, too ...

-- Ryan Boyd with the Bradenton Herald has a new Q&A with Leavitt -- no major revelations, but lots of his thoughts on Matt Grothe, George Selvie and company. ...

-- I'll get around to catching up with the new commits from last week, but there's a good writeup at ESPN.com, running through the basics. Leavitt told me the "Super Bull" event at Raymond James Stadium, backed by Under Armour, was the best recruiting event he's had at USF, and he wants it even bigger next summer. He wants to call it "Saturday Night Live" -- if I'd gotten five or six commits on one night, I don't know that I'd change anything about the event just right away ...

-- The Louisville Courier-Journal's Rick Bozich, writing about college football, tabs USF as the team "Most Likely To Be the Next Louisville." Honestly, after last season, I took that to mean "the Big East team most likely to suffer an unexpected and thorough collapse from high expectations." I think he means it in a more positive way. I'm curious to see how Hunter Cantwell can step in for Louisville -- I've seen him rated as high as the No. 2 quarterback in the conference. Seems like folks expect the transition to be as seamless as it was when Brian Brohm came in three years ago, but I'd be impressed if that happens twice in a row. Cantwell only threw 14 passes last season ...

-- Sounds like there's another preferred walk-on coming to USF in Joe Onorato, a kicker from Glassboro, N.J. ... this story from NJ.com writes that if he comes out of camp as one of the top two kickers, he'll go on scholarship. He might have said that, and he might have been told that, but as long I've dealt with USF, the general timeframe for walk-ons earning a scholarship is two full seasons. There's a long list who have done it that way, but I can't think of one who earned it his first August. We'll get more on Onorato and other walk-ons as we get confirmation ...

Comments

[smooth]

Referring to the writeup in "The Schwag" Mike Ford may have a run a 4.37 40 in High School but now he runs close to a high 4.5 or low 4.6

[Jim]

Mike Ford will have a lot to prove this season. I think you will see big changes.

[Ari Hinkelberger]

Another kicker.

Great news!

[marc]

one person that earned his scholarship over summer was tyrone mckenzie (different situation but just pointing it out)

[G.A.]

McKenzie had 129 major-college tackles on his resume when he got to campus. Only reason he didn't have a scholarship right away was Leavitt had seen him leave two other programs and wanted him to prove himself.

If a walk-on has been enrolled for two years, he can go on scholarship without counting against a year's limit of 25 initial scholarships. That's why it rarely happens in the first two years.

[Brian]

Greg,

Any word yet on Zach Hanson? You had said that he would be making his decision today. Which would make sense with another Summer session beginning tomorrow at USF.

[Dave W]

Saw that Huey Whittaker made the All-AFL first team: http://sports.espn.go.com/extra/afl/news/story?id=3460465

[G.A.]

Calls in to Hanson, will get an answer posted as soon as I get one. Thanks on Huey, Dave ...

looks like no decision until tomorrow

[Brian]

Well, he does live in California, so there are a few more hours for him to announce his decision.

[G.A.]

Hanson has told Josh and Larry over at USFnation.com he needs until Monday to decide. ...

[Brian]

Is it true that George Selvie is signing a custom cover of NCAA 09 this year? I saw it posted on Facebook.

[Nick Lachey]

C'mon, Zach...please sign with USF.

Allow me to use the brilliant lyrics of your most recognizable hit song, "Mmmbop" to explain why you need to come here:

--------------

"You have so many relationships in this life,
But only one or two will last.
You go through all the pain and strife,
Then you turn your back and they're gone so fast.

Oh yeah. And They're gone so fast. yeah

Oh, so hold on to the ones who really care,
In the end they'll be the only ones there.
When you get old and start losing your hair,
Can you tell me who will still care?
Can you tell me who will still care?"

-----------------

As you and your two brothers said, you only have one or two relationships in this life that last, and you need to hold on to the ones that really care. Coach Leavitt really cares, Zach. And then, ehwn you get old and start losing your hair, do you think the KSU fans will remember you? Not a chance, Zach. It's a well documented fact that KSU alumni are biased and prejudiced against anyone who goes bald.

But, back to the lyrics of the song. The second stanza says...

----------------

Plant a seed, plant a flower, Plant a rose,
You can plant any one of those.
Keep planting to find out which one grows.
It's a secret no one knows.
It's a secret no one knows.
Oh, 'oes no one knows.

MMMbop tick a ta ba do ba
dubi da ba do ba
tick a ta ba doo
yeah eh yeah
MMMbop tick a ta ba do ba
dubi da ba do ba
tick a ta ba doo
yeah eh yeah

in an MMMbop theyre gone,
In an MMMbop there not there
in an MMMbop theyre gone,
In an MMMbop there not there

Until you lose your hair,
oh oh, But ya dont care

yeah yeh

-----------------

The secret of which one grows (i.e. a seed, a flower, or a rose) is that the soil in Tampa is much more fertile than in Manhattan, Kansas. The brothers Hanson were so determined to find the secret...well here it is...you need to move to Tampa to plant your seeds, flowers, and roses. And when you lose your hair, those Wildcat fans are gone in an mmmbop. I'm telling you...in an mmmbop, they're not there!!

So you see, Zach, your hit single really shows how easy of a decision this should be.

To recap...

Kansas State -- they won't care when you lose your hair...in an mmbop they're not there!

USF -- plant a seed, plant a flower, plant a rose, you can plant any one of those...keep planting to find out which one grows...it's a secret you will now know! They all grow in Tampa...but not in Manhattan, KS.

Thanks for the time, Zach. And we look forward to seeing you in GREEN & GOLD in just about an mmbop's time.

[DELdaBULL]

That was great!

[Mike Lakeland]

Great write-up, dude! I really REALLY hope that Zach decides to be a Bull.

And about the longest post in the history of this blog - sorry Greg, but I think Nick Lachey has just taken your spot at the top of my "Personal Heroes" list.

[DELdaBULL]

GA,

You have not addressed the double post. Come on "You're better than that"

[DELdaBULL]

The Nick Lachey post is an all-time GA blog classic.

[DELdaBULL]

GA, disregard my last comment addressed to you. You are a slick one. Can you delete my nonsense post?

[VOR]

The trully sick part is someone on this blog may actually OWN a Hanson album.

[ucf rocks]

Hanson are UCF Alums

[Mike Lakeland]

The first time I saw Hanson on TV, I remember thinking "wow, the middle chick is HOT!"

[G.A.]

1. I do not own a Hanson CD.
2. Heartfelt congrats to DELdaBULL for noticing the double-post last night. I could respond to his comment on a post that no longer exists, but it's kind in the "tree falling in an empty forest" line of thinking.
3. I'm hoping that by enduring a ton of "Hanson" and "mmm-bop" references now, there will be next over the next three years. It's okay to remember "Hanson" existed, but it's bad to remember any of the kids' first names. Much cooler in blog-commentary terms if you play dumb and say "wasn't he in 'Slapstick'" or something along those lines.
4. Just in full disclosure, I'm pretty sure one of the other Hanson kids was a Taylor, or Tyler. Again, I'm ashamed I even almost remember this.

[G.A.]

Yep, Taylor. I had to Google it. Thing is, the band kid was "Zac." This is "Zach." Wrong spelling, so it's ineligible for the joke.

This reminded me of a middle-school gym teacher I had, Mike Hanlin. Was quarterback at Morehead State after Phil Simms was there. Just checked Morehead's football media guide, and sure enough, he's still in the record books.

[Nick Lachey]

Inasmuch as I am a close personal friend of the Hansons, I can tell you "Zac" dropped the "h" from his name at the behest of their agent, Herman Hinkelberger.

This is the same kid, I'm telling you. Hinkelberger has been notorious for making child stars alter their names. For example...

Britney Spears' real name is actually Britney Spearsofsky.

Country phenom Billy Gilman, who tugged on all our heartstrings until they snapped, has the name William Gilmoroff on his birth certificate.

And Lil' Bow-wow's real name is Little Bow-wow.

[DELdaBULL]

Lachey, please do NOT stop posting!