college football roundup News and notes

Alabama: All-American linebacker Rolando McClain is skipping his senior season to enter the NFL draft. McClain anchored for the national champion Crimson Tide’s defense and is projected as a first-round pick. In other news, defensive coordinator Kirby Smart will remain with the team. Smart was offered the same position at Georgia.

Florida: The Gators have two more underclassmen headed to the NFL and one junior sticking around another season. Defensive end Carlos Dunlap and center Maurkice Pouncey announced their intentions to leave for the NFL, joining cornerback Joe Haden and tight end Aaron Hernandez in leaving school early. Guard Mike Pouncey, however, plans to return for his senior year. His decision should give the Gators four returning starters along the offensive line.

Georgia Tech: Atlantic Coast Conference champion Georgia Tech lost three more stars to the NFL. All-America defensive end Derrick Morgan, 1,300-yard rusher Jonathan Dwyer and hard-hitting safety Morgan Burnett held a joint campus news conference to announce they’ll enter the draft with a year of college eligibility remaining. They followed the course set by Georgia Tech’s leading receiver, Demaryius Thomas, who said Friday he’ll enter the draft rather than return to the Yellow Jackets for his senior season.

Oregon State: Coach Mike Riley has agreed to a three-year contract extension through 2019. The extension, announced by the university late Sunday, effectively quashes rumors that Riley might be a candidate for the Southern California job. Pete Carroll will leave the Trojans to coach the Seahawks.

Washington: Steve Sarkisian appears perfectly content in the Pacific Northwest. Despite rumors in Los Angeles that Sarkisian might be a potential successor to Carroll at Southern California, the Washington coach says he’s has not heard from the Trojans.

USC: SI.com is reporting a former Southern California assistant football coach stated in legal documents that he received prescriptions from team and university doctors he used to feed his addiction to painkillers. The Web site reports Dave Watson says in a deposition he told then-Trojans coach Pete Carroll of his addiction in February 2008, but was allowed to keep his job and use a vehicle provided by USC. Watson was involved in a car accident in May 2008, in which he pleaded no contest to DUI charges and received three years’ probation.

Arizona: The Wildcats hired Colorado assistant Greg Brown as their co-defensive coordinator. The 52-year-old Brown will run the Wildcats’ defense with linebackers coach Tim Kish. Brown and Kish will take over for Mooney High graduate Mark Stoops, who left to take the coordinator’s role at Florida State after Arizona played in the Holiday Bowl.

Associated Press