You can now count LSU’s “Alexander the Great” among college football’s all-time greats.

Charles Alexander, the two-time All-American running back and Heisman Trophy finalist was named Tuesday to the College Football Hall of Fame, the National Football Foundation announced.

One of the greatest running backs in Southeastern Conference annals, Alexander etched his name in college football history during a four-year career from 1975-78.

Known to Tiger fans as “Alexander the Great,” he earned All-America honors in 1977 and 1978 while finishing ninth in the Heisman Trophy race as a junior and fifth as a senior.

“This is an important recognition for one of the legendary figures in LSU athletics history,” LSU athletic director Joe Alleva said in a university statement. “This honor is one of the most significant and prestigious honors in all of sports and one which is well-deserved.  Charlie played an important role in LSU football history and the University congratulates him on this tremendous honor.”

Alexander’s formal induction into the hall won’t come until Dec. 4 during ceremonies in New York. He will be enshrined during ceremonies in summer 2013.

The Missouri City, Texas, native becomes just the eighth LSU player ever elected into the College Football Hall of Fame. Five coaches whose careers included stints at LSU are also in the hall.

Named SEC MVP in 1977, Alexander set nine SEC records and tied another. By the time he completed his LSU career he held 27 school records.

Alexander still holds the school records for most rushes in a game (43), most yards in a season (1,686) and most yards gained per game in a season (153.3).  He was selected with the 12th pick in the first round of the 1979 NFL Draft by Cincinnati and played in Super Bowl XVI.

Alexander was previously named to the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame, the LSU Athletic Hall of Fame and is a member of LSU’s Modern Day Team of the Century.

After his playing days, Alexander later served as a development officer for LSU’s Tiger Athletic Foundation. He is now in private business in Houston.

Others named Tuesday to the College Football Hall of Fame include former Texas A&M coach R.C. Slocum, an Oakdale native and former player at McNeese State; former Tennessee coach and player R.C. Slocum; former Miami, Oklahoma State and Dallas Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson; former California and Atlanta Falcons quarterback Steve Bartkowski; former Syracuse and Washington Redskins receiver Art Monk; former Notre Dame and Oakland Raiders tight end Dave Casper; and former Rice and Minnesota Vikings quarterback Tommy Kramer.

LSU COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES

PLAYERS

• Charles Alexander, 2012
• Jerry Stovall, 2010*
• Billy Cannon, 2008
• Tommy Casanova, 1995
• G.E. “Doc” Fenton, 1971
• Abe Mickal, 1967
• Ken Kavanaugh, 1963
• Gaynell “Gus” Tinsley, 1956*

COACHES

• Dana X. Bible, 1951
• Mike Donahue, 1951
• Lawrence “Biff” Jones, 1954
• Bernie Moore, 1954
• Charles McClendon, 1986

*-Also served as head coach at LSU

Jordan Jefferson’s pro football career may be over almost before it began.

The former LSU quarterback was waived Thursday by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, just three days after the NFC South team signed Jefferson to a free agent contract.

The Buccaneers announced Jefferson’s release via their Twitter page.

Jefferson was one of eight LSU players to sign free agent contracts or be invited to a free agent tryout after the NFL draft. Among them was fellow quarterback Jarrett Lee, who signed with the San Diego Chargers and remains with that team.

Thursday, the New Orleans Saints announced that former LSU linebacker Ryan Baker was on their list of free agent tryouts for their mini camp which begins Friday in Metairie.

Baker was originally signed to a free agent contract by Tampa Bay, but was cut by the Bucs on Monday, the same day the Bucs signed Jefferson.

Four other former Tigers have been signed to free agent contracts and remained with their respective teams as of Thursday afternoon: defensive end Kendrick Adams with the Jacksonville Jaguars, offensive guard Will Blackwell with the Carolina Panthers, and offensive lineman T-Bob Hebert and tight end Deangelo Peterson with the St. Louis Rams.

Three other ex-LSU players were invited to free agent tryouts but have not been signed by any teams: deep snapper Alex Russian (invited by the Pittsburgh Steelers), offensive tackle Greg Shaw (Detroit Lions) and fullback James Stampley (Seattle Seahawks).

Five LSU players were drafted: Morris Claiborne (first round, Dallas Cowboys), Michael Brockers (first, St. Louis Rams), Rueben Randle (second, New York Giants), Brandon Taylor (third, San Diego) and Ron Brooks (fourth, Buffalo Bills).

Advocate staff photo by BILL FEIG

ESPN’s Todd McShay has posted his first projection of first round picks in the 2013 NFL draft. Utilizing player projected player rankings of draft eligible players f0r 2013 from STATS Inc. and basing the drafting position off of teams’ 2011 record mapped out the first round.

His draft projects three LSU defensive players as first round picks, projecting DE Barkevious Mingo at #9, DE Sam Montgomery at #10 and Safety Eric Reid at #22.

See the ESPN moc draft. (Must be an ESPN Insider)

Advocate staff photo by TRAVIS SPRADLING

CBS and LSU officials announced Wednesday that this season’s LSU-Arkansas game will be played Friday, Nov. 23 at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark.

Kickoff will be at 1:30 p.m. and the game will be televised nationally on CBS.

It’s been known for months now that the Tigers and Razorbacks would meet in Fayetteville instead of Little Rock, where the teams have squared off every other year since 1994. Whether the game would be played on Friday or Saturday was the question.

The only other time LSU has played Arkansas in Fayetteville since the Razorbacks joined the SEC in 1992 was 20 years ago. Arkansas mopped the field with the Tigers that day in a 30-6 romp that put a dismal footnote on a 2-9 season, LSU’s worst ever.

As with most schools around the SEC, Arkansas has made big improvements to its home stadium since then. DWRRS (that’s what Arkansas’ website calls it) underwent a $110 million renovation in 2001 – with a generous $20 million donation from Donald W. Reynolds, hence his name on the place – that increased its capacity from 51,000 to 72,000.

AP Photo by Bill Haber

Seven former LSU football players have signed free agent contracts with NFL teams after going undrafted last week.

They include:

• QB Jarrett Lee (San Diego Chargers)
• QB Jordan Jefferson, LB Ryan Baker (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
• DE Kendrick Adams (Jacksonville Jaguars)
• OG Will Blackwell (Carolina Panthers)
• TE Deangelo Peterson, OL T-Bob Hebert (St. Louis Rams)

In addition, three Tigers have been invited to free agent tryout camps: fullback James Stampley (Seattle Seahawks), deep snapper Alex Russian (Pittsburgh Steelers), offensive lineman Greg Shaw (Detroit Lions).

LSU sports information director Michael Bonnette tweeted Monday afternoon that deep snapper Joey Crappell and tight end Mitch Joseph were in talks with teams but have no deals signed yet.

Five LSU players were drafted last week:

• CB Morris Claiborne, first round, Dallas Cowboys
• DT Michael Brockers, first round, St. Louis Rams
• WR Rueben Randle, second round, New York Giants
• SS Brandon Taylor, third round, San Diego Chargers
• CB Ron Brooks, fourth round, Buffalo Bills

Below is the full text of the BCS news release from Thursday.

It takes a bit of reading, but the meat of the statement is in the fourth paragraph where it says the BCS will present “a very small number of four-team options” to its conferences for them to consider.

There will be no 8- or 16-team playoff. In addition, BCS exec Bill Hancock told reporters at Thursday’s meeting the possibility of having two semifinal games plus the Rose Bowl between the Pac-12 and Big Ten, then determining the two teams for the championship game, is also dead.

There’s a lot of work to be done – starting with how to determine the four teams for the playoff and how to divide the cash bonanza a college football playoff is sure to provide. But it is now apparent, perhaps even surprisingly so, that college football will have a playoff. BCS officials say they hope to have a plan finalized as early as July 4.

Remember, though, the current BCS system will still be in place for the next two seasons, which is through the January 2014 BCS bowls. That’s because of TV contracts currently in place.

Bowl Championship Series

Every Game Counts

Bill Hancock, Executive Director

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 26, 2012

Statement by the Eleven Conference Commissioners and the Notre Dame Athletics Director

“As part of our deliberations, we have carefully considered a number of concepts concerning the post-season structure for the BCS.  From the start, we set out to protect college football’s unique regular season which we see as the best regular season in sports.  We are also mindful of the bowl tradition and seek to create a structure that continues to reward student-athletes with meaningful bowl appearances.

“Having carefully reviewed calendars and schedules, we believe that either an 8-team or a 16-team playoff would diminish the regular season and harm the bowls.  College football’s regular season is too important to diminish and we do not believe it’s in the best interest of student-athletes, fans, or alumni to harm the regular season.

“Accordingly, as we proceed to review our options for improving the post-season, we have taken off the table both an 8-team and a 16-team playoff.

“We will continue to meet and review the exact structure for what a new post-season could look like.  We are making substantial progress.  We will present to our conferences a very small number of four-team options, each of which could be carried out in a number of ways.

“We have discussed in detail the advantages and disadvantages of in-bowl or out-of-bowl games.

We have discussed in detail the advantages and disadvantages of campus sites or neutral sites.  We have discussed in detail the advantages and disadvantages of various ways to rank or qualify teams.

“Our process is proceeding as we have planned and we look forward to further conversations.”

[statement ends]

LSU has at last released renderings and official plans for its south end zone expansion of Tiger Stadium.

Athletic department officials will present their proposal to the LSU Board of Supervisors at their April 27 meeting.

As was reported in The Advocate on March 1, the addition would include 60 suites (capacity of 24 people in each) and a 1,500-seat upper deck. The LSU plan now calls for about 3,000 club seats as compared to about 4,000 as was first reported in March.

An unspecified number of standing-room only tickets will also be part of the plan, as will be two new large video boards in the southeast and southwest corners of the stadium above the south end zone’s existing rim.

According to LSU, Tiger Stadium’s capacity would increase from 92,560 to just above or below 100,000. Back in March, we pegged the new capacity of Tiger Stadium at about 99,500.

If approved, construction would begin this fall with a target of completing the addition in time for the 2014 season. The existing scoreboard in the south end zone will be removed before the 2013 season, though the one in the north end zone will remain in place.

Tiger Athletic Foundation (TAF) will seek a $100 million bond issue to fund the expansion project plus some additional facility needs for tennis, track and field and gymnastics, according to LSU athletic director Joe Alleva.

To see a photo gallery of the Tiger Stadium expansion project, click here.

LSU will fill the school’s basketball vacancy with North Texas coach Johnny Jones, a source close to the hiring process told The Advocate. The source said an official announcement about the hiring is forthcoming.

Jones was a candidate for the job in 2008, after John Brady was fired and before Trent Johnson was hired.

Johnson went 67-64 at LSU before leaving Sunday for TCU.

LSU Athletic Director Joe Alleva met Tuesday night with Jones, who played guard for the Tigers in the early 1980s and later served 13 seasons as a Dale Brown assistant.

Jones, 51, recently finished his 11th season at North Texas, which he has made into a perennial Sun Belt Conference power. The Mean Green is 190-146 during his tenure with two trips to the NCAA tournament.

He signed a seven-year extension in April 2011 worth more than $400,000 annually, according to the Dallas Morning News.

Jones led North Texas to NCAA tournament appearances after winning the Sun Belt Conference tournament in 2007 and 2010. The Mean Green went 18-14 with a young roster this past season, but found its way to the Sun Belt title game for the third year in a row.

Jones was a controversial figure late in his tenure as an LSU assistant, when he was alleged to have funneled payments to star recruit Lester Earl. However, the NCAA eventually cleared Jones of any wrongdoing.

Zach Mettenberger got the biggest ovation from the crowd when he was introduced before Saturday’s Spring Game in Tiger Stadium.

A few imperfections aside, he did not disappoint.

Mettenberger completed 14-of-25 passes for 270 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions, frequently airing the ball out deep as he led the White Team to a 24-17 victory over the Purple.

Mettenberger threw touchdown passes of 49 yards to Odell Beckham Jr. and 19 yards to Russell Shepard. Safety Eric Reid also picked off Purple quarterback Stephen Rivers and returned it 55 yards for a touchdown.

Mettenberger has three passes of 49, 53 and 54 yards, but did get picked off in the end zone by sophomore Ronald Martin when he under-lobbed a pass for Shepard. An obviously irritated Mett then raced 40 yards downfield to make the shoestring tackle, a moment that certainly had to give LSU coach Les Miles a fear-induced lump in his throat.

“In a game, certainly,” Miles said. “In practice, he’d better not.

“But he’s fiery. That’s who he is.”

Late in the game, freshman linebacker Lamar Louis (a midterm enrollee in January) grabbed a pass from Mettenberger that hit tight end Tyler Edwards in the hands, pulling it out of midair and racing 74 yards for the game’s final score.

Drew Alleman – working both sides of the field – kicked a 43-yard field goal for the Purple and a 47-yarder for the White after missing from 44 yards for the Purple earlier.

Stephen Rivers, quarterbacking the Purple Team, was 6-of-17 for 75 yards going against the No. 1 defense with an interception by safety Eric Reid. Fellow redshirt freshman Jerrard Randall played in the second half with clock running, completing 3-of-4 passes for 24 yards and rushing four times for a net 27 yards.

The White Team’s Alfred Blue led all rushers with nine carries for 73 yards, while teammate Spencer Ware had eight carries for 51. Kenny Hilliard led the Purple Team with eight carries for 40 yards, followed by freshman Jeremy Hill with six for 37.

Jarvis Landry had a big day receiving for the White team with a game-high six catches for 120 yards, while Beckham had three for 115. Armand Williams led the Purple Team with four catches for 43 yards.

And, just in case you’re already looking ahead, LSU opens the regular season five months from Sunday, Sept. 1 against North Texas right back in Tiger Stadium.

We reached halftime 48 seconds early at Tiger Stadium in the LSU Spring Game, with the White Team (mostly starters and third-stringers) leading the Purple (second string) 24-3.

If you wanted to see LSU air the ball out offensively, the Tigers didn’t disappoint. Zach Mettenberger completed 10 of 18 passes for 242 yards with touchdown passes of 49 yards to Odell Beckham Jr. and 19 yards to Russell Shepard. Safety Eric Reid also picked off Purple quarterback Stephen Rivers and returned it 55 yards for a touchdown.

Mettenberger has three passes of 49 yards or more, but did get picked off in the end zone by sophomore Ronald Martin when he under-lobbed a pass for Shepard. An obviously irritated Mett then raced 40 yards downfield to make the shoestring tackle, a moment that certainly had to give LSU coach Les Miles a fear-induced lump in his throat.

Drew Alleman – working both sides of the field – kicked a 43-yard field goal for the Purple and a 47-yarder for the White after missing from 44 yards for the Purple earlier.

Rivers is 6 of 17 for 75 yards and has been “sacked” three times. Kenny Hilliard and Jeremy Hill have looked good running the ball with 7 carries for 36 yards and 6 carries for 37 yards, respectively. Alfred Blue leads the White team with 5 carries for 23 yards, while Spencer Ware has 5 for 19.

More after the game. The second half will be played with a running clock, so hopefully it’ll all be wrapped up by 3:30 or so.