Tennessee Volunteers Football

The top-ranked football player in the 2022 recruiting class has narrowed his list of schools to three.

Defensive lineman Walter Nolen said Tuesday that Texas A&M, Tennessee and Georgia are the three programs he is still considering in the recruiting process, per Hayes Fawcett of On 3. Nolen, who checks in at 6'4" and 325 pounds, is a 5-star prospect and the No. 1 overall player from the class of 2022, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

Fawcett noted the Tennessean's top five choices were previously Michigan, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee and Florida.

The biggest development is the inclusion of Texas A&M, but Nolen told Fawcett his visit to the school was "awesome" and convinced him to consider the Aggies.

Whichever program lands Nolen will have an immediate difference-maker along the defensive line.

Gabe Brooks of 247Sports projected him as an eventual first-round pick in the NFL and compared him to current New York Giants defensive lineman Leonard Williams. Brooks highlighted Nolen's quickness with his hands, ability to overpower offensive linemen and tendency to chase down plays while in pursuit.

His "suddenness," especially at his size, figures to help him contribute at the collegiate level as soon as his freshman year.

Khari Thompson of the Memphis Commercial Appeal noted Powell has been on the move during a high school career that started at Olive Branch and included time at IMG Academy in Florida. He never played a game for IMG and enrolled at St. Benedict before moving again to Powell High School.

It is now an SEC race for the highly regarded prospect who will headline the class of either Texas A&M, Georgia or Tennessee.

According to 247Sports' composite rankings, the Bulldogs have the No. 6 overall class for 2022. The Aggies check in at No. 8, while the Volunteers are chasing at No. 29.

The University of Tennessee football team announced Friday former Volunteers defensive back LaDarrell McNeil has died at the age of 27.

We are mourning the loss of VFL LaDarrell McNeil.

Our thoughts and prayers are with him, his family and his teammates. LaDarrell will be dearly missed. pic.twitter.com/CQh2zfusgR

— Tennessee Football (@Vol_Football) July 9, 2021

No further details about McNeil's death were immediately released.

McNeil was a four-year starter for the Vols from 2012 through 2015 following a standout career at Wilmer-Hutchins High School in Dallas that led him to become a 4-star recruit.

The safety recorded 219 total tackles, 14 passes defended, five interceptions and two forced fumbles across 47 appearances for UT. One of his picks came in the Volunteers' victory over Iowa in the Taxslayer Bowl at the end of his junior season in 2014.

Several of McNeil's former teammates and coaches posted condolences on social media:

"Wherever two or three gather as my followers, there I Am among them", says The Lord. Ladarrell was the realest safety I ever played with and an even better person. Although it hurts that you're gone, I find comfort in knowing you are with Our Father. pic.twitter.com/vfKXllqnNF

— Brian Randolph (@Randyboy37) July 9, 2021

Shocked and saddened to hear the news of LaDarrell’s passing. Immediate thoughts are for his family. #RIP @LaDarrellM_33 💔🍊

— Josh Dobbs (@josh_dobbs1) July 9, 2021

I loved coaching LaDarrell McNeil he was a young man of high character, good teammate, one the toughest & most physical players I’ve had the privilege to coach. Thankful & blessed to have been apart of his life. RIP 🙏🏽 pic.twitter.com/CD91zpDX01

— Willie Martinez (@Coach_Nez_) July 9, 2021

Rest In Peace LD💔🙏🏼 https://t.co/3Y0pXG2gi7

— Trevor Daniel (@TrevorDaniel93) July 9, 2021

His accolades while at Tennessee included a selection to the 2012 Freshman All-SEC Team.

McNeil wasn't selected in the 2016 NFL draft and didn't go on to play professionally.

The University of Tennessee football team dismissed freshman quarterback Kaidon Salter from the program Thursday after he was arrested last week. 

ESPN's Alex Scarborough reported Salter, who was suspended in March for a separate on-campus incident, faces charges of simple possession and driving without a license. The Volunteers wished him "all the best in his future endeavors" in a statement.

New UT head coach Josh Heupel discussed the standards of remaining a member of the Vols after Salter was suspended in March.

"There's high expectations, high standards to represent Tennessee football, and at the same time we're going to stay true to those kids and support them as they go through this process, and as we gain information, we'll be able to share that," Heupel told reporters.

Martavius French, Isaac Washington and Aaron Willis were also suspended at the time.

Mike Wilson of the Knoxville News Sentinel reported Salter, who was reinstated earlier this month, and Amari McNeill were arrested Saturday morning by the University of Tennessee Police Department on simple possession charges after marijuana was found in the vehicle they were in.

Salter was rated as a 4-star prospect and ranked as the No. 18 quarterback in the 2021 recruiting class out of Cedar Hill High School in Texas in 247Sports' composite rankings.

Jarrett Guarantano, the Vols' leading passer in 2020, transferred to Washington State during the offseason.

Harrison Bailey leads a group of five quarterbacks on the current Tennessee roster that also includes Hendon Hooker, Spencer Smith, Brian Maurer and Sully McDermott.

The Volunteers open the new campaign Sept. 2 against MAC opponent Bowling Green.

Tennessee suspended linebacker Aaron Beasley following allegations he abused a six-month-old kitten.

"We have received the incident report from the Knoxville Police Department," Tennessee said in a statement about Monday's decision, per GoVols247's Patrick Brown. "Aaron Beasley has been suspended indefinitely from all football team activities as we await further information."

WBIR first reported Saturday the Knoxville Police Department received a report about Beasley allegedly harming a kitten belonging to his girlfriend's roommate. The cat was taken to a medical facility, where it was discovered to have brain damage, a bleeding kidney hemorrhage and "is expected to have difficulty walking."

According to The Athletic's David Ubben, Kaylee Scarbrough entered her apartment last week and found her kitten, Nugget underneath a dresser. She found he was unable to walk due to apparent injuries to his back legs.

Scarbrough explained what happened next to Ubben:

And that’s when my roommate Kinley [Bunting] walked up to me and was like, ‘Hey, I just remembered.' She said that she was in her bed around like 10ish or 11ish. And all she said she heard was my other roommate screaming, ‘No, Aaron, please. You can’t do that. No, Aaron, please.’ And then she started crying and then she heard my cat Nugget squeal like three times. A loud squeal, loud enough for her to hear in her room from the living room.

Bunting also said she received a text from Zoe Phillips, Beasley's girlfriend, in which she said Beasley had put the cat "in the toilet."

Phillips told police she didn't see Beasley abuse the kitten.

Beasley is approaching his junior season at Tennessee. The Franklin, Georgia, native has nine career tackles in 17 appearances.

Per Brown, police have yet to arrest Beasley or charge him with a crime as part of the ongoing investigation.

Tennessee football player Aaron Beasley has been accused of animal abuse after allegedly injuring a six-month-old kitten, per TMZ Sports.

The cat's owner filed a report with the Knoxville Police Department, and the incident is under investigation, according to WBIR.

A GoFundMe page for the cat described the alleged incident in graphic detail.

"When I picked him up he screamed and couldn’t walk, come to find out my roomates boyfriend had hit and kicked him, locked him in the toilet bowl, and held him upside down by his tail," the description said.

The cat reportedly has brain damage, internal bleeding and is currently in an oxygen tank. 

A third roommate described the incident to the police, saying Beasley locked the cat in the bathroom, per WBIR. Beasley's girlfriend reportedly told police she didn't see him hit the cat or put it in the toilet, saying the football player was at practice. 

The linebacker has spent the past two years at Tennessee, playing mostly as a reserve defensively while also seeing action on special teams. He has appeared in 17 total games, tallying nine tackles. 

Beasley was Georgia's Region 5-AA Player of the Year as a senior in high school when he led Heard County to the 2018 state title.

New Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel has reportedly reaffirmed the program's scholarship offer to quarterback Arch Manning. The nephew of former NFL quarterbacks Peyton Manning and Eli Manning is a member of the 2023 college football recruiting class.

Ryan Callahan of 247Sports reported Wednesday the Volunteers, Peyton's alma mater, made an offer under previous head coach Jeremy Pruitt last summer, and the new staff will continue to pursue the coveted prospect.

Manning attracts plenty of attention given his last name and his famous family, but he's shown no trouble handling the spotlight.

He took over the Isidore Newman School (La.) offense as a freshman in 2019, throwing 34 touchdowns in 10 games, per MaxPreps. He completed 71.8 percent of his throws for 1,643 yards with 19 TDs and seven interceptions across eight appearances in 2020, adding eight rushing scores.

His father, Cooper, told 104.5 ESPN Baton Rouge (via 247Sports' Ben Garrett) in June that Tennessee and Ole Miss were making the biggest recruiting pushes along with Duke, Georgia and LSU. Eli Manning and Arch's grandfather Archie Manning both played at Ole Miss.

"I'm still learning how it all works," Cooper said. "It starts earlier than it ever did back when we were exposed to it. At this time, Peyton had probably not even gotten a letter yet. It's a little early, and we've been trying to keep it normal. It can get away from you here."

Arch, who already possesses a 6'3½", 200-pound frame, should see more scholarship offers roll in if his development continues on this trajectory.

He could follow in the footsteps of Peyton or Eli, or he may choose to chart his own path like Peyton did when he joined the Volunteers rather than attend Ole Miss like Archie.

The biggest challenge for the staff at whichever school he chooses will probably be trying to keep expectations under control.

Six times in his introductory press conference as Tennessee's new football coach, Josh Heupel cited the desire to "chase championships." He shared optimism about the immediate future, expressed a desire to develop players on and off the field and recognized the importance of having an elite quarterback.

But as he embraces a program in turmoil and publicly says what he's supposed to say, expectations should be far, far lower.

In the words of former Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon: Try not to suck.

After three successful years at Central Florida, Heupel enters a fickle situation in Knoxville. While he's outwardly hopeful, Tennessee is inwardly preparing for a fight.

The university fired Jeremy Pruitt—who finished 10-16 in the SEC and 16-19 overall in his tenure—after conducting an investigation into "potential recruiting violations within the program," per ESPN's Mark Schlabach and Chris Low.

Because it terminated him for cause, Tennessee won't be responsible for any of his $12.6 million buyout or the compensation otherwise due to fired assistants Brian Niedermeyer and Sheldon Felton.

In a statement to Brett McMurphy of Stadium, Pruitt's attorney accused the university of attempting to "disparage and destroy Coach Pruitt's reputation in an effort to avoid paying his contractual liquidated damages." He said the decision to fire Pruitt appeared to be "preordained and more about financial convenience and expediency than a fair and complete factual determination."

Think about the implications, though.

Pruitt will likely sue Tennessee to receive the buyout. So, for the school to win a legal case, it needs to compile as much evidence of improper recruiting as possible. The more evidence, the likelier Tennessee won't pay $12.6 million. And the more evidence, the likelier the NCAA gets involved.

Welcome to Knoxville, Josh; here are some sanctions. Good luck!

The former UCF head coach isn't ignorant to this possibility. An automatic extension is built into his contract if Tennessee faces a postseason ban or scholarship reduction of eight or more, according to Mike Wilson of the Knoxville News Sentinel.

Because of the likely penalties, Tennessee had a slim field of options despite its financial power and SEC affiliation. Why would a successful coach choose a school that is both headed for sanctions and has proved willing to damage its program's long-term health to save money?

Short answer: Many of them didn't have interest because Tennessee is an unstable situation.

Steven Godfrey of Banner Society noted "eight or so" contacts with other candidates. ESPN's Adam Rittenberg reported the Vols pursued Penn State head coach James Franklin, Cincinnati head coach Luke Fickell, Clemson offensive coordinator Tony Elliott and SMU head coach Sonny Dykes.

Tennessee athletic director Danny White—who was Heupel's boss at UCF a week ago—said he only offered the job to Heupel, his No. 1 candidate. However, that's a matter of semantics. Teams don't offer jobs until the response is a certain yes. Schools hire search firms to determine that answer prior to an official offer.

While Heupel is a fine coach, he wasn't Tennessee's first choice. Still, the Vols are counting on the initial part of that statement carrying over.

Tennessee never had a competent offense in Pruitt's tenure, ending no higher than 67th nationally in yards per play or 97th in scoring. UCF, meanwhile, had top-20 finishes in both categories during all three of Heupel's seasons.

Although his offensive system is quarterback-friendly, there is an ever-growing talent problem on the roster overall.

Since the season ended, Tennessee has lost a wave of key players to the transfer portal. That includes quarterbacks Jarrett Guarantano and JT Shrout, running backs Eric Gray and Ty Chandler, offensive tackles Wanya Morris and Jahmir Johnson, pass-rusher Deandre Johnson, linebackers Henry To'o To'o and Quavaris Crouch, defensive back Key Lawrence and several former 4-star recruits.

Based on those departures alone, expecting Tennessee to chase championships in the immediate future is unrealistic. That can be Heupel's public goal, but it isn't happening.

Factor in the impending NCAA sanctions, and recruiting is certain to be difficult. Plus, Heupel isn't known as an elite recruiter—UCF finished fourth or worse in the AAC alone during the last two cycles, per 247Sports—so he needs to build a staff that can legitimately compete for top talent.

Danny White made it clear that Josh Heupel will get the guys he wants on his #Vols staff.

White said Tennessee's leadership trusts him to run the athletic department, and in turn he’s gonna trust Heupel to run the football program.

— Wes Rucker (@wesrucker247) January 27, 2021

But, again, this is an incredible challenge. Keeping up with Alabama, Florida, Georgia, LSU and Texas A&M, all of which have top-12 classes in 2021, is hard enough. That didn't even include Auburn, Arkansas, Ole Miss or geographical competitors from the ACC such as Clemson. And Tennessee will likely have to do it short-handed in the future.

The Volunteers' perception is guaranteed to take a sizable hit. Heupel's task is preventing it from completely plummeting.

Unsuccessful team. An investigation into recruiting violations. More than a dozen key players leaving. Tough recruiting outlook. If he's sitting on a hot seat in 2024 or 2025 because the program hasn't competed for an SEC title, it won't be surprising. Heupel is starting from an immensely challenging spot.

When Heupel ultimately leaves Knoxville, the administration had better hope the program has shifted from an unappealing job to a recovering, stable opportunity.

So in the meantime, Tennessee: Try not to suck.

            

Follow Bleacher Report CFB Writer David Kenyon on Twitter @Kenyon19_BR.

The University of Tennessee is reportedly set to announce Josh Heupel as its new head football coach.

ESPN's Chris Low reported Wednesday new Volunteers athletic director Danny White, who was hired last week, selected Heupel after they spent the last three years together at UCF. Contract details weren't immediately released.

White worked with the Parker Search Firm to quickly sort through several candidates, led by Penn State's James Franklin, Cincinnati's Luke Fickell, SMU's Sonny Dykes, Minnesota's P.J. Fleck and Clemson's Tony Elliott, per Low.

Heupel will replace Jeremy Pruitt, who was fired for cause after an investigation revealed evidence of multiple Level I and Level II NCAA recruiting rules violations, which also led to the dismissal of assistant coaches Brian Niedermeyer and Shelton Felton as well as seven recruiting staffers.

"Your failure to promote and maintain an atmosphere of compliance and to monitor the activities of the coaches and staff members that report, directly or indirectly, to you has led to the current NCAA investigation and is bringing and will likely continue to bring the University into considerable public disrepute, embarrassment, contempt, scandal, and/or ridicule," the school said in a letter to Pruitt.

Heupel was hired by White as UCF's head coach in 2018. He guided the Knights to a 28-8 record across three seasons, including a 12-1 mark in his debut season that saw the team reach No. 7 in the AP poll.

The 42-year-old South Dakota native was an assistant at Oklahoma, Arizona, Utah State and Missouri before getting his first chance to become a head coach at UCF.

During his playing days, he finished second to Chris Weinke in voting for the 2000 Heisman Trophy while throwing 20 touchdowns and rushing for seven more as a member of the Sooners.

Meanwhile, Tennessee is coming off a 3-7 season during the third and final year of Pruitt's tenure.

The Vols haven't reached double-digit wins since 2007 and last won a national championship in 1998.

College football's coaching carousel never seems to stop, but it is in a brief holding pattern as we all wait to find out who Tennessee will hire to fill its head coach vacancy.

First, the Volunteers needed to hire a new athletic director to replace Phillip Fulmer, and by all accounts, they got a good one in former UCF athletic director Danny White. A year before taking the UCF job in November 2015, he hired Lance Leipold at Buffalo, and he's still there. At UCF, White hired Scott Frost and then Josh Heupel. Both decisions worked out quite well.

Can he work similar magic in Knoxville?

Per FootballScoop.com, the three coaches who have been vetted for the Tennessee opening are Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck, SMU head coach Sonny Dykes and Clemson offensive coordinator Tony Elliott.

Is it a guarantee that one of those three men will get the job? Nope. Not in the slightest.

But those are the top three candidates as things currently stand, so let's consider the pros and cons before closing with a few other nominations.

         

P.J. Fleck, Minnesota HC

Pro: Fleck has the best track record of the bunch, by far.

In his second season at Western Michigan, he had the Broncos in a bowl game. By Year 4, they were in a New Year's Six bowl with 13 wins—the only double-digit-wins season in almost six decades of program history. From there, he went to Minnesota, took over a Power Five program in the middle of a scandal and had the Golden Gophers in the AP Top 10 within three years—their first time in the Top 10 since 1962.

You just know he's going to win over the team and the fans in a hurry. Whether it's "Row the Boat," "Ski-U-Mah" or his constant intensity on the sideline, he's easy to root for and motivates his guys to want to run through a brick wall.

And while Fleck has never signed a recruit rated in the top 200 overall, he has recruited quite well compared to the norms at Western Michigan and Minnesota. The Golden Gophers' classes ranked outside the top 45 in the nation every year from 2010-17, but they have now put together four straight classes in the top 45. It's reasonable to assume he'd thrive in the SEC.

Con: He's arguably the best candidate, but he's also probably the costliest.

Fleck is signed through the 2026 season at Minnesota and had a $4.6 million salary in 2020. Not only would it take a $4.5 million buyout to get him, but they would also need to offer both a raise and a lengthy deal just to get him to the bargaining table. Jeremy Pruitt wasn't even making $4 million per year, but it would probably take something like a five-year, $30 million deal (plus the buyout) to get Fleck.

That's a lot of cheddar to invest in a guy who doesn't have any head coaching experience at a place where the pressure to succeed is this high.

          

Tony Elliott, Clemson OC

Pro: Elliott is a great offensive mind and a mighty fine recruiter. The running backs coach and offensive coordinator has been calling plays for Clemson since 2015, which means he has been instrumental in the Tigers' six consecutive trips to the College Football Playoff.

Sure, he had either Deshaun Watson or Trevor Lawrence as the quarterback for five of those six teams. That makes it a little easier to call plays. But he also had guys like Wayne Gallman, Travis Etienne and Deon Cain, each of whom he was at least partially responsible for recruiting to Clemson.

Luring talent like that to Tennessee—preferably without the use of McDonald's bags—would be huge for the Volunteers. And it's unclear whether Fleck or Dykes can land that type of talent. 

Con: Elliott has undoubtedly learned a lot in his decade with Clemson, but he's never had a head coaching job. Given how poorly things just went for the Vols with a first-time head coach, they might be a little reluctant to dive right back into a similar situation.

         

Sonny Dykes, SMU HC

Pro: If Tennessee wants to compete for an SEC title, it needs to join the literal "arms" race and improve its passing game. The Volunteers have averaged fewer than 205 passing yards per game in four of the past six seasons, and that's not nearly enough to keep pace with the offenses of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, LSU and Ole Miss.

Dykes can turn that around.

The former Mike Leach protege (Dykes was Leach's wide receivers coach for seven years at Texas Tech) still has quite a bit of Air Raid offense in his blood. In his third (and final) year with Louisiana Tech, the Bulldogs ranked third in the nation in passing yards per game. The same goes for his third season at California, and SMU eclipsed 300 passing yards per game with room to spare in each of the past two seasons.

In returning freshman Harrison Bailey and Virginia Tech transfer Hendon Hooker, the Vols have two rock-solid options at quarterback. And in addition to Velus Jones Jr. returning for a sixth year of eligibility, there's a lot of young talent in that receiving corps. Dykes could make this offense potent in short order.

Con: Dykes fared well at Louisiana Tech and has done a remarkable job over the past three years at SMU. But in his only previous head coaching gig at a Power Five school, he went 19-30 at California and was fired after four years.

The bigger concern, though, is that his teams have been awful on defense. The last time a Dykes-led team held the opposition below 30 points per game was in 2011, and Tennessee needs someone who can repair its defense even more than it needs someone to breathe life into the offense.

          

This coming list is not intended to be comprehensive. These are just the five other candidates I like the most.

So as far as other possible candidates go... 

Tom Herman, Former Texas HC

It would be pretty unusual for a coach to get fired from one marquee Power Five job and then get hired at another one less than a month later, but why not Tom Herman?

In six years as a head coach, the man has never had a losing record. And when he took the Texas job four years ago, he was the hottest commodity in the sport. It's hard to comprehend how a .640 winning percentage over the past four seasons and a great deal of success on the recruiting trail would have made him an undesirable option for any team.

        

Gus Malzahn, Former Auburn HC

See: Herman, Tom.

Gus Malzahn went to the national championship in his first year with Auburn and never had a losing record in eight seasons. He always put together a top-10 (or darn close to it) recruiting class and managed to defeat Nick Saban not once, not twice, but three times in the Iron Bowl.

His former defensive coordinator, Kevin Steele, is Tennessee's current interim head coach, which is arguably the biggest reason this is unlikely to happen. Aside from that bit of drama, though, it would make sense.

        

Hugh Freeze, Liberty HC

The guy can clearly coach, and we already know he can do it in the SEC.

Sure, his time at Ole Miss ended with his resignation after "a pattern of personal misconduct inconsistent with the standards we expect from the leader of our football team," per school chancellor Jeffrey Vitter. But he inherited a 2-10 mess after the 2011 season and had the Rebels at No. 3 in the AP Top 25 for multiple weeks in both his third and fourth years with the program.

It also only took him two seasons to turn new-to-the-FBS Liberty into a Top 25 team.

        

Billy Napier, Louisiana HC

Billy Napier is 28-11 in three years as the head coach of the Ragin' Cajuns, and he previously spent five years as an assistant on Nick Saban's staff at Alabama. The 41-year-old has been linked to basically every opening and rumored opening for the past few months, but maybe this is the one that gets him to take the plunge into a higher-paying, higher-stress gig?

Save for one year as an associate head coach at Colorado State and one year as an offensive coordinator at Arizona State, Napier, who was born in Tennessee, has spent his entire life in the Southeastern United States. We've got to believe he'd at least make for a good culture fit at Rocky Top.

        

Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss HC

I mean, we're obligated to put Lane Kiffin on the list, right?

The man is an offensive guru and a human lightning rod for content who has some unfinished business with Tennessee after using the Volunteers as a one-year stopgap between his stints with the Oakland Raiders and the USC Trojans.

Kiffin just re-upped with the Rebels earlier this month on an extension through the 2024 season, so it's unlikely he's going anywhere. The exact buyout figure on his deal is unknown, but it is reportedly "healthy."

There's no question it would be fun, though, and it would give Kiffin a better chance to actually compete for an SEC title in the less-loaded of the two divisions. But I can't see it happening.

The Tennessee Volunteers might be considering a longtime NFL coach as they look to fill their head coaching vacancy.

Former Tennessee Titans and St. Louis Rams head coach Jeff Fisher told The George Plaster Show on Monday he has been contacted about Tennessee's coaching search, although not specifically by the people who would make the hiring decision.

He also said he "is ready to talk if they want to talk" and has "a coaching staff ready."

Fisher served as a head coach from 1994 through 2016 in the NFL ranks and finished with a 173-165-1 record, six playoff appearances and a spot in Super Bowl XXXIV. His Titans lost that Super Bowl to the Rams, but his resume is a testament to his longevity.

The former USC defensive back does not have any coaching experience in the collegiate ranks, but he is a household name who is familiar with the Tennessee area from his time leading the Titans.

Tennessee is in a messy situation despite its historical status as an excellent football program.

Last week, it fired Jeremy Pruitt for cause, along with assistants Shelton Felton and Brian Niedermeyer and seven other staff members. The school wrote a termination letter to Pruitt which said, in part, "Your failures are likely to lead to significant penalties to the University and has jeopardized the eligibility of our student-athletes."

The letter also said, "The University concluded that the NCAA will likely find that you failed to promote an atmosphere of compliance within the football program."

As well, athletic director and former head football coach Phil Fulmer stepped down from his position.

Tennessee went 3-7 in 2020, the team's eighth losing season since its last campaign of double-digit wins in 2007. It has fallen behind the majority of its rivals in the daunting SEC and faces an uphill battle to return to national prominence if the NCAA does levy punishments against the program.

Whether it is Fisher or someone else, the next head coach will be tasked with a significant rebuilding project.