SEC football notebook: Patriots have 13 former SEC players

If you’re looking for more evidence of the SEC’s football superiority, check out the New England Patriots.

Thirteen members of the Patriots, who will face the New York Giants in next Sunday’s Super Bowl, played college football in the SEC. That includes former University of Tennessee wide receivers Kelley Washington and Donté Stallworth, and former UT defensive tackle Rashad Moore.

LSU leads the way with four Patriots — linebacker Eric Alexander, running back Kevin Faulk, cornerback Randall Gay, and defensive end Jarvis Green.

Nine players from the New York Giants played in the SEC. That includes running back Brandon Jacobs, who played a year at Auburn before transferring.

Safety Gibril Wilson is the only ex-Vol on the Giants roster.

In-State Dominance: LSU continues to dominate the state’s recruiting under Les Miles just as it did under former coach Nick Saban.

Nine of the Baton Rouge Morning Advocate’s top 12 prospects already have committed to LSU. The Tigers also are in the running for defensive end Lavar Edwards. He is considering Tennessee, Oklahoma, Alabama and North Carolina as well.

The only member of the top dozen who has committed elsewhere is linebacker Michael Mauti. He committed to Penn State, where his father — former New Orleans Saints wide receiver Rich Mauti — played.

Mum’s The Word: Wide receiver Julio Jones, the hotshot recruiting prospect from Foley, Ala., isn’t talking to the media about his recruiting. But he’s still making headlines.

Last week, the Gainesville Sun incorrectly reported that Jones was “sent home” on his official visit to Florida because he was recruiting prospects to Oklahoma. The newspaper later printed a correction.

Jones is visiting Oklahoma this weekend. Alabama is still a leading contender to sign him.

Another Dixon: Rashun Dixon, the younger brother of Mississippi State running back Anthony Dixon, has committed to play football with the Bulldogs. But the Bulldogs still have to compete with professional baseball.

Rashun Dixon, who is a wide receiver and defensive back, is a star catcher in baseball. If he’s drafted high, he might forgo college football for pro baseball.

Moped Mayhem: South Carolina tight end Nick Prochak suffered a broken leg and will miss spring practice after being injured in a moped accident. Prochak was hit by a car.

He’s one of 30 South Carolina players who drive mopeds, according to The State. And he’s not the only one who has had an accident.

Last week, reserve fullback Clark Gaston was struck by a car backing out of a driveway but wasn’t seriously injured. He had minor hip and knee injuries.

Extra Points: Saturday was the 25th anniversary of the death of Alabama coach Paul “Bear” Bryant. … SEC football players won a league-record 12 national awards in 2007. … Eleven of Auburn’s 23 football commitments are from Florida. … Freddie Smooth, a 300-pound lineman from Baton Rouge, has committed to Auburn after narrowing his choices to Auburn and Oklahoma. … Offensive lineman Josh Tatum and defensive end Justin Smith, who earlier committed to Arkansas, now say they will join former Arkansas coach Houston Nutt at Ole Miss.

Sports editor John Adams may be reached at 865-342-6284 or adamsj@knews.com.