Whopping 123 players included on Lombardi watch list

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Another day, another watch list — and a ridiculously big one, size-wise, at that.

The Rotary Lombardi Award announced its watch list Monday morning, with a whopping 123 players and 76 universities as a part of the initial group.  In other words, there’s a fairly decent chance that just about anyone, including yourself, will be featured on the list.

For those unaware of what actually qualifies a player for consideration for this particular trophy, here you go: “[e]ligibility for the Rotary Lombardi Award is limited to down linemen, end-to-end, either on offense or defense, who set up no farther than 10 yards to the left or right of the ball, or linebackers who set up no farther than five yards deep from the line of scrimmage.”

The positional breakdown for this year’s watch list is as follows: 48 offensive linemen — 19 guards, 16 tackles, 11 centers and two listed as “offensive lineman” — 38 linebackers, 21 defensive ends, 14 defensive tackles and one “defensive lineman.”

Last year’s winner was Pittsburgh’s Aaron Donald.

If you have a half hour or so, below is the complete 2014 Lombardi Award preseason watch list for your reading pleasure:

Henry Anderson, DE, Sr. – Stanford
Stephone Anthony, LB, Sr. – Clemson
Chi Chi Ariguzo, LB, Sr. – Northwestern
T.T. Barber, LB, Jr. – Middle Tennessee State
Jamaal Bass, LB, Sr. – Northern Illinois
Vic Beasley, DE, Sr. – Clemson
Michael Bennett, DT, Sr. – Ohio State
Austin Blythe, C, Jr. – Iowa
Joey Bosa, DE, So. – Ohio State
Brett Boyko, T, Sr. – UNLV
Kelby Brown, LB, Sr. – Duke
Brandin Bryant, DT, Jr. – Florida Atlantic
Shilique Calhoun, DE, Jr. – Michigan State
AJ Cann, G, Sr. – South Carolina
Justin Cherocci, LB, Sr. – Central Michigan
Le’Raven Clark, T, Jr. – Texas Tech
Ben Clarke, C, Jr. – Hawaii
La’El Collins, T, Sr. – LSU
Christian Covington, DT, Jr. – Rice
Carl Davis, DT, Sr. – Iowa
Tyeler Davison, DT, Sr. – Fresno State
Reese Dismukes, C, Sr. – Auburn
Jamil Douglas, G, Sr. – Arizona State
Spencer Drango, T, Jr. – Baylor
Ejiro Ederaine, LB, Jr. – Fresno State
Steve Edmond, LB, Sr. – Texas
Mario Edwards, DE, Jr. – Florida State
Cameron Erving, T, Sr. Florida State
Dominic Espinsoa, C, Sr. – Texas
Kyler Frackrell, LB, Jr. – Utah State
Devonte Fields, DE, So. – TCU
BJ Finney, C, Sr. – Kansas State
Trey Flowers, DE, Sr. – Arkansas
Leonard Floyd, LB, So. – Georgia
Alani Fau, LB, Sr. – BYU
Bryce Giddens, C, Jr. – Arkansas State
Hroniss Grasu, C, Sr. Oregon
Randy Gregory, DE, Jr. – Nebraska
Bryce Hager, LB, Sr. – Baylor
Justin Hamilton, DT, Sr. – UL-Lafayette
Lincoln Hansen, T, Sr. – Eastern Michigan
Rob Havenstein, T, Sr. – Wisconsin
Brock Hekking, DE, Sr. – Nevada
Ben Henney- LB, Sr. – Kansas
Treyvon Hester, DT, So. – Toledo
Sean Hickey, T, Sr. – Syracuse
Jermaine Holmes, LB, Sr. – Marshall
Chucky Hunter, DT, Sr. – TCU
Martin Ifedi, DE, Sr. – Memphis
Scott Inskeep, G, Sr. – UTEP
Myles Jack, LB, So. – UCLA
Tre Jackson, G, Sr. – Florida State
Grady Jarrett, DT, Sr. – Clemson
Chris Jasperse, C, Sr. – Marshall
Cameron Jefferson, G, Sr. – UNLV
Chris Johnson, LB, Sr. – Navy
Kaleb Johnson, G, Sr. – Rutgers
A.J. Johnson, LB, Sr. – Tennessee
Gerrand Johnson, DT, Jr. – UL-Monroe
Tyler Johnstone , T, Jr. – Oregon
Chris Jones, DT, So. – Mississippi State
Bronson Kaufusi, LB, Jr. – BYU
Eric Kendricks, LB, Sr. – UCLA
Andrae Kirk, LB, Sr. – Florida Atlantic
Arie Kouandjio, G, Sr. – Alabama
Qushaun Lee, LB, Sr. – Arkansas State
Cyril Lemon, G, Sr. – North Texas
Braden Lyons, T, Sr. – Florida Atlantic
Luther Maddy, DT, Sr. – Virginia Tech
Derrick Malone, LB, Sr. – Oregon
Greg Mancz, G, Sr. – Toledo
Nick Martin, OL, Sr. – Notre Dame
Shaquille Mason, G, Sr. – Georgia Tech
Tyler Matakevich, LB, Jr . – Temple
Josue Matias, G, Sr. – Florida State
Derrick Mathews, LB, Sr. – Houston
David Mayo, LB, Sr. – Texas State
Benardrick McKinney, LB, Jr. – Mississippi State
Silverberry Mouhon, DE, Jr. – Cincinnati
Ryan Mueller, DE, Sr. – Kansas State
Robert Nkemdiche, DT, So. – Ole Miss
Shawn Oakman, DE, Jr. – Baylor
Cedric Ogbuehi. T, Sr. – Texas A&M
Andrus Peat, T, Jr. – Stanford
Remington Peck, DL, Jr. – BYU
Denzel Perryman, LB, Sr. – Miami
Andy Phillips, G, Sr. – Central Michigan
Terrance Plummer, LB, Sr. – UCF
Hayes Pullard, LB, Sr. – USC
Mykhael Quave, T, Jr. – UL-Lafayette
Daniel Quave, G, Sr. – UL-Lafayette
Cedric Reed, DE, Sr. –Texas
Jacob Richard, C, Jr. – Ball State
Tyler Roberts, DE, Jr. – Troy
A’Shawn Robinson, DE, So. – Alabama
Jake Ryan, LB, Sr. – Michigan
Ty Sambrailo, T, Sr. – Colorado State
Brandon Scherff, T, Sr. – Iowa
Isaac Seumalo, C, Jr. – Oregon State
Danny Shelton, DT, Jr. – Washington
Steve Shumaker, OL, Sr. – Army
Robert Singletary, DE, Sr. – UTSA
Jake Smith, C, Sr. – Louisville
Jaylon Smith, LB, So. – Notre Da
Quinton Spain, G, Sr. – West Virginia
Eric Striker, LB, Jr. – Oklahoma
Junior Sylvestre, LB, Sr. – Toledo
AJ Tarpley, LB, Sr. – Stanford
Shaq Thompson, LB, Jr. – Washington
Laken Tomlinson, G, Sr. – Duke
Dominique Tovell, DE, Jr. – UL-Lafayette
Max Tuerk,G, Jr. – USC
Clint Van Horn, T, Jr. – Marshall
Zach Virgil, LB, Sr. – Utah State
Diaheem Watkins, DE, Sr. – UAB
Cody Whitehair,G, Sr. – Kansas State
Cody Wichmann, G, Sr. – Fresno State
Ucambre Williams, T, Sr. – South Alabama
Leonard Williams, DE, Jr. – USC
Ramick Wilson, LB, Sr. – Georgia
Eddie Yarbrough, DE, Jr. – Wyoming
Mason Y’Barbo, G, Sr. – North Texas

Georgia extends contract for AD Josh Brooks, plans two new football practice fields

Joshua L. Jones / USA TODAY NETWORK
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ATHENS, Ga. – On the heels of a second straight national football championship, Georgia has rewarded athletic director Josh Brooks a contract extension that ties him to the Bulldogs through at least 2029.

The athletic association board, wrapping up its annual spring meeting Friday at a resort on Lake Oconee, also announced plans for a new track and field facility that will free up space for two more football practice fields.

Brooks’ new contract will increase his salary to $1.025 million a year, with annual raises of $100,000.

The 42-year-old Brooks, who took over the athletic department in 2021 after Greg McGarity retired, called the Georgia job “a dream for me” and said he hopes to spend the rest of his career in Athens.

“I am extremely grateful,” Brooks said. “I got into this business 20-plus years ago as a student equipment manager. My first job at Louisiana-Monroe was making $20,000 a year in football operations.”

The Georgia board approved a fiscal 2024 budget of $175.2 million, a nearly 8% increase from the most recent budget of $162.2 million and the sign of a prosperous program that is flush with money after its success on the gridiron.

The school received approval to move forward with its preliminary plans for a new track and field facility, which will be built across the street from the complex hosting the soccer and and softball teams.

The current track stadium is located adjacent to the Butts-Mehre athletic facility, which hosts the practice fields and training facilities for the football program.

Georgia lost a chunk of its outdoor fields when it built a new indoor practice facility. After the new track and field stadium is completed, the current space will be converted to two full-length, grass football practice fields at the request of coach Kirby Smart.

“He wants to find efficient ways to practice, and there is a lot of truth to the issues we’ve had with our current practice fields,” Brooks said. “There is a lot of strain on our turf facilities staff to keep that field in great shape when half the day it is getting shade, so that has been a challenge as well. For our football program, it is better to practice on grass fields than (artificial) turf, so to be able to have two side-by-side grass fields is huge. It makes for a much more efficient practice.”

The new track and field complex, which will continue to be named Spec Towns Track, will also include an indoor facility, the first of its kind in the state of Georgia.

Iowa AD Gary Barta announces retirement after 17 years at Big Ten school

Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK
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IOWA CITY, Iowa – Iowa athletic director Gary Barta will retire on August 1 after 17 years at the university, the school announced Friday.

Barta, 59, is one of the longest-tenured athletic directors in a Power Five conference. He was hired by Iowa in 2006 after being the AD at Wyoming.

An interim director will be announced next week, Iowa said.

In September, Iowa hired former Ball State athletic director Beth Goetz to be deputy director of athletics and chief operating officer, putting her in position to possibly succeed Barta.

“It has been an absolute privilege and honor to serve in this role the past 17 years,” Barta said in a statement. “This decision didn’t come suddenly, nor did it come without significant thought, discussion, and prayer.”

“That said, I’m confident this is the right time for me and for my family.”

Iowa won four NCAA national team titles and 27 Big Ten team titles during Barta’s tenure. The women’s basketball team is coming off an appearance in the national championship game and the wrestling team is coming off a second-place finish at the NCAA championships.

Barta served as the chairman of the College Football Playoff committee in 2020 and 2021.

He faced heavy criticism over more than $11 million in settlements for lawsuits in recent years alleging racial and sexual discrimination within the athletic department.

Lawsuits filed by former field hockey coach Tracey Griesbaum and associate athletics director Jane Meyer led to a $6.5 million payout.

Iowa had to pay $400,000 as part of a Title IX lawsuit brought by athletes after it cut four sports in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of the agreement, Iowa reinstated the women’s swimming and diving program and add another women’s sport.

Iowa added women’s wrestling, the first among Power Five schools to compete this year.

A lawsuit brought by former football players alleging racial discrimination within the program was settled for $4.2 million last March, which prompted state auditor Rob Sand to call for Barta’s ouster.

“Gary Barta’s departure is a long time coming given the four different lawsuits for discrimination that cost Iowa more than $11 million,” Sand posted on Twitter.

The university did not allow taxpayer money to be used for the settlement with the former players.

Barta led Iowa through $380 million of facility upgrades, including renovation of Kinnick Stadium, the construction of a new football facility, a basketball practice facility and a training center for the wrestling teams.

Under Barta, Iowa has had just one head football coach (Kirk Ferentz), women’s basketball coach (Lisa Bluder) and wrestling coach (Tom Brands). All were in place when he arrived.

Barta has also come under scrutiny for allowing Ferentz to employee his son, Brian Ferentz, as offensive coordinator. To comply with the university’s nepotism policy, Brian Ferentz reports to Barta.