Making the morning rounds.
? Meet the new boss. Confirming the growing buzz out of Missouri's spring practice, redshirt freshman Tyler Gabbert ?�younger brother of outgoing Tiger quarterback Blaine Gabbert, soon-to-be No. 1 overall pick in next month's NFL Draft ?�has officially joined heir apparent James Franklin as a co-starter on Mizzou's quarterback depth chart. The younger Gabbert doesn't come with quite the recruiting hype of his older brother (a former five-star prospect in 2008) or Franklin, the top backup last year as a true freshman, but he did clearly outplay Franklin in a weekend scrimmage and has the proverbial momentum at his back. [Kansas City Star]
? In other depth chart news… Notre Dame has wasted no time erasing all evidence of suspended star Michael Floyd from the program, mentioning him just once ?�under the "talent lost" section ?�in the 13-page spring practice prospectus handed out to reporters on Tuesday. There's no timetable for Floyd's return following a weekend arrest for drunk driving (the Associated Press headline in that link should read "Indefinite suspension is indefinite"), but the Irish are moving forward as if one of the nation's deadliest downfield threat won't be back at all ? and with his fate in the hands of the university's Office of Residence Life, he may not be. "Whether there is an injury or somebody is not with us, our focus is strictly on the guys that are here," said coach Brian Kelly. "We're preparing our football team through skill development and unit consistency around the guys that are here." [Chicago Tribune]
In Miami, some semblance of order has been restored with senior Jacory Harris' reascension to the top of the depth chart at quarterback, replacing career backup Spencer Whipple, who was listed as the starter to open the spring as a kind of motivational ploy by new head coach Al Golden. Temporarily demoted 2010 starters have also been reinstalled at wide receiver (Travis Benjamin and LaRon Byrd) and safety (Ray Ray Armstrong). [HurricaneSports.com]
Meanwhile, USC is struggling just to fill a depth chart: The Trojans kicked off their first spring session Tuesday with 19 injured and otherwise absent players, and quickly lost a 20th, tailback Marc Tyler, who pulled up during drills with a hamstring injury. With two scholarship linemen out and another limited to snapping the ball on 7-on-7 passing drills, SC will essentially be working with six bodies up front when it puts on pads later this week. [Orange County Register]
? The truth comes out. Iowa has completed its internal investigation into the heavy workouts that sent 13 Hawkeye players to the hospital with a potentially serious muscle disorder (rhabdomyolysis) in January, with no particular surprises for anyone who's followed the story. Among the committee's findings:
? The committee is "as certain as possible" that the rhabdo symptoms were in fact the result of a "strenuous squat-lifting workout" on Jan. 20, which also led to "serious muscle injuries" in players who weren't hospitalized.
? The 13 players "were in no way responsible for their own injuries," i.e. had not made them susceptible with any variety of risky substances.
? The heavy workout regimen on Jan. 20 had been used before, specifically in June 2004 and December 2007, with no ill effects. (Though, unlike the January incident, neither of those cases came on the heels of a three-week break.) The workouts were also not intended to "punish" anyone, though a strength coach did say at a Jan. 18 meeting that they would determine "who wants to be here."
Among the committee's recommendations to the program: Reaffirm a commitment to abandon the workout in question; "develop effective timing mechanisms" for determining when a player has been pushed too far; and implement testing for the entire team in any case where multiple players are experiencing complications. [Des Moines Register]
Quickly… The NCAA hires a new CFO. … The much-loved Joe Posnanski is writing a book about "the life and impact" of Joe Paterno. … Up-and-coming Texas linebacker Jordan Hicks is out for the rest of the spring with a broken foot. … Matt Barkley has a spring to-do list exactly two items long. … Dont'a Hightower is feeling like his old self. … As Jerrell Powe prepares to leave Ole Miss, Dexter McCluster is back in class. … Pitt adjusts to the no-huddle offense. … Mike Bianchi trolls hard, even for Mike Bianchi. … And SEC rivalries follow Mark Richt all the way to Jamaica.
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Matt Hinton is on Twitter: Follow him @DrSaturday.
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