Stephen Alli, Solomon Patton, and Travon Van Become Gators

While I was gone the Florida recruiting train kept rolling. The Gators picked up three more commitments â€" all from out of state â€" in the form of two wide receivers and an athlete.

Proctor Academy (Andover, NH) receiver Stephen Alli chose Florida over Boston College, UConn, and yes, Harvard (he hopes to go to med school one day). Alli felt the combination of academics and athletics was best for him at Florida. The 6’5”, 210 lb. receiver will likely be asked to add some weight to his frame and could become a red-zone threat for the Gators.

Although smaller in stature, the 5’10”, 175 lb. Solomon Patton makes up for his lack of size with his speed. Patton ran a 10.3 100-meter dash in high school. For comparison purposes, Reggie Bush ran a 10.42 and Adrian Peterson ran a 10.42. The Rivals.com four-star receiver from Mobile, AL also had offers from Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, FSU, Ole Miss, and Tennessee.

Travon Van was originally a part of the class of 2009, but always knew he would be spending a semester in prep school. Van will spend the fall at Milford Academy after finishing his high school career at Helix (San Diego, CA). The same Helix that produced Bush and Alex Smith. Miami and USC had also offered Van, but primarily as a defensive back.

College Football Preview: Best Running Backs

With College Football rapidly approaching, KSJ will look at the players, coaches, teams, and issues surrounding college football.

Today KSJ looks at the best running backs in the country. With the proliferation of the spread offense, the running back position has become more and more important. Not only do teams today need their running back to rush for over 1,000 yards, but they also have to be able to catch the ball out of the backfield and have to be able to block.

The spread offense calls for running backs to be the last line of defense for the offense. So running backs have to be able to pick up key blocks on passing plays. Also with the spread offense, running backs are called upon to run different variations of routes. The bubble screen is one of the most important routes of the spread offense. The running back must run the bubble screen to perfection for it can be unstoppable.

So who are the best running backs in the nation? Let's take a look.

Jahvid Best, California: Best is the returning leader in college in rushing yards with 1,580. He average 8.1 yards per carry. He will be the main key for Cal's offense this season. With Cal looking for a starting quarterback and a proven deep threat, Best will be called upon for the offense. He had 27 catches and 246 receiving yards last year. Watch his receiving production go up next season for Cal.

Kendall Hunter, Oklahoma St: Hunte! r wa s the best running back in the Big 12 last season by a full 30 yards. Hunter is a little smaller than most running backs (5-8) but he is quick and elusive, almost like a former OK St. running back named Barry Sanders. He makes up a part of a strong trio with Zac Robinson and Dez Bryant. I expect him to have another huge year.

Jonathon Dwyer, Georgia Tech: Dwyer was the perfect running for Paul Johnson's flexbone offense. Last season Dwyer rushed for 1,395 yards and 12 touchdowns. Dwyer has a rare blend of power and speed. He will be the the main offensive weapon in Tech's run-happy schemes. Also Dwyer should be more dangerous next season because he is lighter on his feet. He dropped ten pounds and has improved his footwork and agility.

C.J. Spiller, Clemson: Spiller doesn't have to split carries anymore with James Davis and will look to have a big year. He will be running behind an veteran offensive line. Spiller will be look upon to carry the ball significant amounts of time, since Clemson is breaking in a new quarterback.

Jacquiss Rodgers, Oregon St: Rodgers was one of the nicest surprises last college football season. He shredded the great USC offense for over 185 yards last season. At just 5-7, Rodgers is one of the toughest running backs to conta! in. His low center of gravity running and his ability to find gaps to run in, make him the most dangerous running back in the nation. And lucky for Oregon St., he's only a sophomore.

LeGarrette Blount, Oregon: Blount is just the opposite of his Oregon counterpart Rodgers. Blout is 6-2 and runs like a runaway freight train. The one problem with Blount is that he does wear down easily and Oregon has continued their search for a compliment to Blount.

Charles Scott, LSU: LSU will be a contender in the SEC because Scott returned for his senior season in Baton Rouge. Scott is the SEC's returning rusher with 1,174 yards. With Jordan Jefferson starting at quarterback and Scott returning, LSU will be one of the favorites in the SEC. I can't wait till Florida visits Baton Rouge on October 10th.

College Hockey realignment fodder.

I saw the link to this article when I was perusing the College Hockey News. Seriously, I came to UND in 1993 and Gopher fans were talking about the Big Ten hockey conference. Fast forward 16 years and this discussion of a Big Ten Hockey Conference still comes up every year with no Big Ten Conference in site. I say let the Big Ten Schools have their Big Ten Hockey conference, I mean talk is cheap. Even if there was a Big Ten Hockey Conference; guess what? The WCHA would still be here and would still be viable, the CCHA wouldn't look as good. If that day ever comes I am sure there would be some serious realignment in college hockey.

In the ever changing world of college athletics who knows how the landscape will look for the 59 Division I hockey schools as soon as 16 months from now.

Will the CCHA still have 12 members (Nebraska Omaha is likely to switch to the WCHA)? Will the three Big Ten schools - Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State - still be in the league or will they be a part of a modified conference including Minnesota, Wisconsin and maybe even Notre Dame? Such a Big Ten hockey set up would provide more programming for the Big Ten Network and the idea is reportedly being pushed by Wisconsin and others. Would a CCHA still exist with the other eight teams? Will Alabama Huntsville still have a team if it doesn't find a new league and its application to the CCHA is iffy at best. Where will the two Alaska schools end up? Will Bowling Green and others finally succumb to the economics of their sport? These and more are all issues to determine after the coming season.
[Lansing State Journal]