LJ and the Illini

Ok, all of you already know this, but Larry Johnson, Sr. is entertaining Illinois' courtship of him for defensive line coach/recruiter. You also know this: That would mean doom for Penn State. LJS is one of the most valuable coaches on Penn State's staff, along with Ron Vanderlinden (linebackers coach). But LJS has a knack for bringing in the recruits. Remember when LJS single-handedly raped the state of Maryland in 2006? Grabbing guys like JB Walton, AJ Wallace, Bani Gbadyu, Navorro Bowman and Aaron Maybin. Yup, you read that right. If it weren't for LJS, they wouldn't be playing for Penn State. But let's not forget what LJS did in 2004...

David Jones, Patriot News:

"[LJS] was point man on probably the single most important recruit of the new millennium for the Lions -- senior WR Derrick Williams. The recruitment of Williams opened up a vein for PSU that included first-team All-America DE Aaron Maybin.

Johnson, a defensive line coach, is thought to be paid in the $200K range at PSU. But [Illinois DC] Locksley earned $500K in his final year as a coordinator at Illinois."

Dammit, Penn State, pay the man more money. I really, really, REALLY hope Joe and the athletic department get their heads out of their asses in a big hurry. LJS needs to be locked up. Name Tom Bradley the next head man, and give the defense to LJS, bump his salary to half-a-mill and he's here to stay.

Don't be stupid on this one.

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USC update, Dec. 22

Just a quick rundown of issues we're looking at right now, regarding the USC Trojans:

• I just read that USC's versatile fullback, Stanley Havili could be a breakout star in the Rose Bowl.

"A tremendous lead blocker for those runners, he’s also a valuable outlet in the passing game, catching 62 passes for 596 yards and eight touchdowns in his first two seasons. At just about any other school, Havili would warrant a dozen or so carries a game."

Yet, none of that will matter, if this isn't fixed...

Fullback Stanley Havili remains bothered by a sprained ankle.

"He's not moving very well," Carroll said. "Other than that, we're in good shape."

Pete Carroll is an optimist by nature. He's upbeat, fun and generally likable (although many of us hate him for just that reason). So of course he's going to paint a rosy (no pun intended) picture of his team before the bowl game. Remember, this is still an NFL-loaded team.

• Remember back in 2006 when Penn State was going all out to land Vidal Hazelton, only to lose the top receiver to USC? Well, after a great 2007 season (led USC w/50 receptions), things haven't worked out this year for VH. He suffered a high ankle sprain in the opener against Virginia, and wasn't able to overtake the other receivers. But that wasn't the end of his troubles...

"When former USC wide receiver Vidal Hazelton asked for his official release, it occurred just a couple days after a pair of assistant coaches engaged in an argument about Hazelton during halftime of the Notre Dame game.

Hazelton officially transferred two days after the game. He could not be reached for comment."

• In that same article, Carroll also made an interesting observation about Penn State's "Spread HD" offense.

"It's a facet of the offense," Carroll said. "(But) they're very traditional. They do some shotgun but can't run the spread like teams committed to it. They are more of a traditional I-formation team. They move (wide receiver) Derrick Williams all over the field."

Ok, so maybe not everyone in Southern California is dumb. Let's hope that's about as much as Carroll knows about Penn State's offense (...unlikely).

I'll have more updates like this periodically over the next 10 days.

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