The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Smith, Smart get SEC honors
Auburn running back is offensive player of the year.
After meeting in the SEC championship game, Georgia and Auburn split the top awards on The Associated Press All-Southeastern Conference team released Monday.
Auburn running back Kerryon Johnson was picked as the offensive player of the year, while Georgia linebacker Roquan Smith of Macon County High was selected as the top defensive player in media balloting. Smith was MVP of the title game, coming up with two fumble recoveries in the Bulldogs’ 28-7 victory.
Georgia’s Kirby Smart got the nod as SEC coach of the year after leading his team to the College Football Playoff in just his second season between the hedges. Auburn quarterback Jarrett Stidham, a transfer from Baylor, and Georgia freshman quarterback Jake Fromm of Houston County shared the award for newcomer of the year.
Alabama, which also claimed a spot in the fourteam playoff despite failing to win the SEC West, led the way with eight players voted to the first team: receiver Calvin Ridley, offensive tackle Jonah Williams, tackle Ross Pierschbacher, center Bradley Bozeman, defensive tackle Da’Ron Payne, linebacker Rashaan Evans and safeties Minkah Fitzpatrick and Ronnie Harrison.
There were no unanimous selections to the team. Fitzpatrick and Auburn offensive guard Braden Smith came the closest to a sweep, each picked on all but one ballot.
Arizona State: The Wildcats have hired former NFL coach and ESPN analyst Herm Edwards as their football coach.
The Sun Devils fired coach Todd Graham after six seasons on Nov. 26 and wanted to move quickly with the early signing period for high school recruits starting on Dec. 20.
Arizona State made a surprise move by hiring the 63-year-old Edwards, who hasn’t coached since 2008 after being fired by the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs.
Edwards has not coached in college since serving as a San Jose State assistant in 1989 and spent the past nine years as an NFL analyst for ESPN.
Arizona State Athletic Director Ray Anderson previously represented Edwards during his days as an agent.
Nebraska: New coach Scott Frost will bring seven of his assistant coaches from Central Florida to Lincoln.
Frost announced Monday that UCF staffers joining him will be offensive line coach Greg Austin, defensive coordinator Erik Chinander, defensive line coach Mike Dawson, outside linebackers-special teams coach Jovan Dewitt, defensive backs coach Travis Fisher, running backs coach Ryan Held and quarterbacks coach Mario Verduzco.
Texas: Junior cornerback Holton Hill will skip his senior season and enter the NFL draft.
Arkansas: Arkansas ended its nearly three-week search for an athletic director Monday by naming Houston’s Hunter Yurachek as the replacement for Jeff Long.
Yurachek’s first task will be finding a football coach to replace Bret Bielema, who was fired after the season.
Yurachek signed a five-year contract worth $850,000 annually after earning a base salary of $450,000 as athletic director at Houston. Yurachek led Houston for nearly three years after serving as athletic director at Coastal Carolina. He previously worked at Akron and played basketball at Guilford College, from where he graduated in 1990.