By Zac Ellis

Former Penn State quarterback Steven Bench is transferring to South Florida, Bench announced on his Twitter account on Thursday.

I’ve decided to attend the University of South Florida and become a bull!! #DoSomething—
Steven Bench (@SBench12) May 23, 2013

Bench, who left Penn State largely because of a crowded quarterback competition with juco transfer Tyler Ferguson and incoming freshman Christian Hackenberg, opted to transfer from the Nittany Lions last month. Given the ongoing NCAA sanctions at Penn State, Bench is eligible to play immediately and will have three years of eligibility remaining.

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By Holly Anderson

I'm used to strange mail, but this one is this year's leader in the clubhouse twitpic.com/cqhc6v—
Bob Ley (@BobLeyESPN) May 14, 2013

This is way better than the guy in our inbox who wants to make sure we know we can divine Wes Lunt’s transfer destination by realizing we cannot spell “Lunt” without “UT.”

Ex-PSU president Graham Spanier made the most of any public college executive in the 2011-12 fiscal year. (AP)

By Zac Ellis

Universities may experience budget cuts and other belt-tightening initiatives in the face of economic hardships, but many college presidents seem to be doing just fine.

According to an annual report released by the Chronicle of Higher Education, former Penn State president Graham Spanier received the highest total compensation of any executive from a public college in the 2011-12 fiscal year

Spanier, who was forced out at Penn State in November 2011 following the Jerry Sandusky child abuse scandal, pocketed $2.9 million during the 2011-12 fiscal year. The amount included $1.2 million in severance pay and $1.2 million in deferred pay on top of his $350,959 base salary.

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Safety Tray Matthews seems ready to become a key contributor for Georgia’s defense. (Dale Zanine/USA Today Sports)

By Zac Ellis

While many top recruits wait until late in the summer to arrive on campus each year, the practice of enrolling early is becoming more and more popular across college football. By adapting to school and taking part in spring practice, incoming freshmen and juco transfers are able start learning a system  — and working their way up the depth chart.

According to a USA Today report, 162 high school prospects in BCS automatic-qualifying conferences opted to enroll early in 2013, the highest total since 2002. In all, 61 of the 73 AQ-conference schools brought in at least one early enrollee.

Skipping senior prom in lieu of helmets and pads can have its advantages. Here are 10 early enrollees, listed alphabetically, who raised eyebrows across the nation:

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After deciding to transfer from PSU, Steven Bench is considering Mississippi State. (Matthew Holst/Getty Images)

By Zac Ellis

A former Penn State quarterback could be making his way to the SEC. Steven Bench, who announced his decision to transfer from Penn State on April 24, is considering heading to Mississippi State, The Dispatch in Columbus, Miss., reports.

Last week, ESPN reported Bench was looking into a handful of destinations, particularly USF and Mississippi State. But national reports have since focused on the Bulldogs, and Bench told The Dispatch that speculation surrounding his interest in Mississippi State is “very accurate.”

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State College and Dublin are approximately 3,333 miles apart, which should make for a nice pregame warmup for Bill O’Brien and company. (Centre Daily Times/MCT/Getty Images)

By Zac Ellis

Another college football season opener in Ireland could be in the works. After Notre Dame and Navy squared off in Dublin last fall, Penn State and Central Florida are discussing the option of opening the 2014 season against one another in Ireland, the Orlando Sentinel reports.

Nittany Lions coach Bill O’Brien and Knights coach George O’Leary are both of Irish heritage and have talked about the possibility of a matchup across the pond for months. The game would serve as the second half of a previously scheduled home-and-home, with the first meeting taking place this Sept. 14 in State College.

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Steven Bench telling QB coach Charlie Fisher how excited he is about the Christian Hackenberg era, probably. (AP)

By Zac Ellis

Sophomore quarterback Steven Bench has been granted his release from Penn State, the school announced on Wednesday. Bench will complete the spring semester at the university before transferring elsewhere.

“I have been meeting with all the players this week with my evaluation of where they are at related to football and academics and to discuss what they need to work on this summer,” Penn State coach Bill O’Brien said. “After meeting with Steven, he informed me he wants to play elsewhere. We want what is best for Steven. I want to thank him for his contributions to the program. We wish Steven the best in the future and will assist him anyway we can.”

Bench saw action in two games as a true freshman in 2012, finishing 2-of-8 passing for 12 yards while backing up Matt McGloin. O’Brien said sophomore Tyler Ferguson and freshmen Christian Hackenberg, D.J. Crook and Austin Whipple will compete for the starting job this fall.

I've decided to leave Penn State and go to a school that will give me the opportunity to compete for the QB spot and reach my full potential—
Steven Bench (@SBench12) April 24, 2013

Notre Dame defender Louis Nix stole the spotlight Saturday with this rumbling two-point conversion play. (USA Today)

By Zac Ellis

After yet another weekend full of spring football games, here’s a rundown of the latest news and notes from across the nation:

• Notre Dame: The Irish defense came to play in the annual Blue-Gold game on Saturday, accounting for 10 sacks, two interceptions and a safety in the scrimmage. The offense, however, failed to find its groove, with second-year quarterback Everett Golson finishing 6-of-13 passing for 98 yards with one interception. He was also sacked three times. Coach Brian Kelly said he wasn’t concerned with the offense’s struggles, admitting he’d seen improvement on that side of the ball throughout spring. But the offense did find a spark late in the game when nose guard Louis Nix III took a goal-line snap and rumbled in for a two-point conversion. Perhaps Kelly should consider that package for the fall.

• Alabama: The Crimson Tide were anything but streamlined in Saturday’s A-Day game. The Crimson and White teams combined for nine turnovers — six interceptions and three fumbles — in the contest, leaving coach Nick Saban understandably upset. “The biggest thing I was concerned about was how the team would go out there and what would be their energy, their enthusiasm, and their attention to detail,” Saban said. “I don’t think that there were enough guys that answered that question in a positive way to my liking. But I’m never satisfied.” SI.com’s Lars Anderson reported on the game from Tuscaloosa. Oh, and AJ McCarron’s famous female companion Katherine Webb also made an appearance.

• Penn State: Around 28,000 fans ventured to Happy Valley for the Nittany Lions’ spring game this weekend, braving the icy elements in State College. But there wasn’t much closure for fans hoping to get a feel for Penn State’s quarterback situation, in which Steven Bench and Tyler Ferguson are battling for the starting job. Coach Bill O’Brien was non-committal when discussing both passers after the game, but the competition may become more heated when five-star recruit Christian Hackenberg arrives on campus this summer.

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One more counterfeiting scheme uncovered and this Nittany Lion will turn this car right around, do you hear it? (Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images)

The Big Ten, we are often told by Big Ten types, just Expects More out of its member schools, as do the schools themselves from their student athletes. So since Penn State is an academically well-regarded member of the Leaders Division, it should come as no surprise that it attracts the kind of prospective student who’s hardwired for overachieving — even when it comes to criminal acts.

Where your average recruit making the police blotter in a conference of lesser renown would turn up there for unpaid parking tickets or underage beer purchases, Nittany Lions prospect Zayd Issah is facing felony forgery and misdemeanor theft charges for “an alleged scheme to pass counterfeit money at a local McDonald’s restaurant,” is what we’re saying. As of this writing, there has been no public comment by Bill O’Brien regarding Issah’s future, if any, with the Nittany Lions.

For those of you scoring at home, this makes the second time this offseason that felonies have been committed by current or future college football players in the name of free snacks.

Monday on TODAY…Jerry Sandusky speaks out, for the first time since he went to prison.—
TODAY (@todayshow) March 22, 2013

Right. Here is a whole bunch of stuff you can watch on Monday morning instead of this:

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