The Oklahoman

Alabama lands promising Hawaiian QB

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has found plenty to like about the South, including the fried chicken and the abundance of churches. Other things mystify him, like when Alabama fans already recognize him.

“It’s pretty crazy,” said Tagovailoa, a much talked about quarterbac­k signee from Honolulu, Hawaii. “These people are willing to cross the road while it’s a green light, you know, just to come and say ‘Hi’ to you. So it’s like, whoa.”

It’s what happens when you arrive on the footballma­d Alabama campus as the nation’s top-rated dual-threat quarterbac­k and a five-star prospect. Making the freshman’s arrival more celebrated by ‘Bama fans, before Tagovailoa enrolled in January, starter was the Tide’s only scholarshi­p passer.

Tagovailoa (TAHNG’-ohveye-loh-a) is often called “Tua T.” by folks who can’t pronounce his name.

He has an impressive resume out of

alma mater, Saint Louis School, and could conceivabl­y make a run at the job.” The 6-foot-1, 215-pounder set the Hawaii high school record with 8,158 career passing yards. He passed for 3,932 yards and 43 touchdowns as a senior.

Florida hires WVU assistant Seider

Florida filled one of its two coaching vacancies Friday by officially hiring

as an assistant. Seider spent the last four years as West Virginia’s running backs coach.

The Gators had two openings following the departures of defensive coordinato­r and offensive line coach

Iowa brings back O’Keefe as QB coach

Iowa has brought back former offensive coordinato­r as its quarterbac­ks coach. Hawkeyes coach announced Friday that O’Keefe, who was his coordinato­r and quarterbac­ks coach from 1999-2011, will return next season to work with Iowa’s signal callers.

Dread, Pittman leave Gamecocks

South Carolina coach

says two reserve linebacker­s are leaving the Gamecocks football program. Muschamp said Friday that sophomore and freshman

have chosen to leave. Muschamp says after meeting with both, “We mutually agreed to part ways.”

Auburn trustees approve renovation­s

Auburn trustees have approved a $28 million renovation of Jordan-Hare Stadium, including a new recruiting lounge and home locker room in the southwest corner.

Under the plans approved Friday at a board meeting on the Auburn University-Montgomery campus, Auburn will build a 44,000-square-foot, multi-story facility for hosting recruits in football and other sports. The project is expected to be completed in time for the 2018 season.

Odom hires younger brother

Missouri coach

hired his younger brother as outside linebacker­s coach on Friday in a move the school says doesn’t violate state law against nepotism.

The Missouri Constituti­on bans public employees from hiring family members. Missouri spokesman told The Associated Press that direct supervisor will be the athletic director, not his brother.

FROM WIRE REPORTS

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