It's fair to say that Gene Chizik's hiring at Auburn didn't go over really well.

I mean, remember that mess? It wasn't pretty. And Chizik certainly has a lot of work to do if he wants to win over the Auburn faithful.

But give the guy credit: He's trying pretty hard to do just that.

Even though Auburn, coming off a rough 5-7 season that ended coach Tommy Tuberville's tenure, clearly lacks the buzz that other top programs (like, for instance, Alabama) have working in their favor during this recruiting season, Chizik seems undaunted. In fact, he's hitting the recruiting trail with lofty ambitions.

According to the Montgomery Advisor, Chizik and his staff have been going hard after two of the nation's most sought-after prospects: Tailback Bryce Brown from Kansas and receiver Rueben Randle of Louisiana.

Brown, ranked by both Scout.com and Rivals.com as the nation's top high school player, had originally committed to Miami, but has since wavered on his commitment. He now seems to be considering not only the 'Canes, but also Oregon, Kansas State and a few other schools—maybe even Auburn. Randle, meanwhile, is ranked the No. 1 receiver in the country by both services, and lists Auburn among his favorites, along with Alabama, Florida, LSU and others.

Now, it just might be that Auburn got into the game too late to land these guys. In fact, I doubt Chizik has much of a chance to sign up either of them.

But Chizik's effort here—his dogged determination to bring in the best players available, no matter the odds—bodes well for Auburn's future. In fact, it's worth noting that Auburn's class is currently ranked No. 20 in the nation by Scout.com.

Besides, there is no secret to recruiting success: At the end of the day, it's all about hard work.

And right now, nobody can say Chizik isn't working hard.

Photo: If Auburn is going to return to glory, recruiting will be key. (Doug Benc/Getty Images)

OK, let’s just go ahead and say this now: Florida is going to be good next year.

Really good.

Gators fans learned last weekend that superstar quarterback Tim Tebow would be returning for another season in Gainesville. Today, they got even more good news—and just a little bit of bad news.

Star linebacker Brandon Spikes, one of the most dominant defenders in the SEC, announced on Thursday that he would return to Florida for the 2009 season. A two-time All-SEC selection, Spikes will anchor a Gators defense that figures to be very strong, very fast and very stout once again in 2009.

As for the bad news? Well, it wasn’t completely unexpected. On the same day that Spikes announced his plans to return next season, star wideout Percy Harvin said he would move on to the NFL. Harvin has been one of the most exciting players in the country since his arrival at Florida three years ago, but has struggled of late with nagging injuries. Apparently, Harvin feels he can’t risk more injuries with another year in college ball.

No matter. Even with the loss of Harvin, Florida figures to be the favorite in 2009 to not only win the SEC Championship, but the national championship as well.

Three national titles in four seasons?

It’s possible, folks. Very possible.

As for other news from around college football, here's the latest:

• After some conflicting reports of late, Pitt tailback LeSean McCoy finally made it official—he’s off to the NFL.
• Coming off a remarkable performance in the Rose Bowl, USC quarterback Mark Sanchez also says he'll move on to the NFL. And Trojans coach Pete Carroll isn't happy about it.
• Penn State defensive line coach and ace recruiter Larry Johnson Sr. has reportedly turned down an offer to join Ron Zook's staff at Illinois and will stay in Happy Valley, according to the Harrisburg Patriot-News.

Photo: Fresh off a national championship, Florida linebacker Brandon Spikes says he'll return to the Gators in 2009. (Eliot J. Schechter/Getty Images)

Just a few days after Florida's Tim Tebow announced he would bypass the NFL for another year in college, the guy who beat Tebow out for the Heisman Trophy said he would do the same.

Oklahoma's Sam Bradford, coming off a remarkable sophomore season that saw him throw for more than 4,700 yards and 50 touchdowns, says he'll return to the Sooners in 2009. The Heisman winner is considered by many scouts to be one of the top quarterbacks in the nation, and would have been an early pick in this spring's NFL Draft.

In announcing his decision, Bradford told reporters: "I've dreamed about playing at Oklahoma since I was little, and my three years here have been probably three of the best years of my life, and I really feel that there's no need to cut this experience short."

Bradford's announcement means that each of the top three finishers in this year's Heisman race—Bradford, Tebow and Texas' Colt McCoy—will be back in college next season. It's a great thing for college football.

And, obviously, a great thing for fans of the Sooners, Gators and Longhorns, too.

Photo: Oklahoma's Sam Bradford will bypass the NFL to return to the Sooners in 2009. (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Way back in May, coaches from the powerful Southeastern Conference proposed that college football adopt an early signing period for recruiting.

It was a good idea. And it had the backing of nine of the league's 12 coaches.

As Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt explained at the time: "If a kid knows what he wants to do, then let him sign early. … When he signs, it’s one less worry. He’s on the dotted line and he’s done, instead of a coach trying to guard the chicken and make sure nobody steals the eggs.”

Of course, the endorsements from Nutt and others didn't matter one bit: The idea was shot down by conference officials just a couple days later.

But it seems college football coaches—who are tired of seeing recruits they've worked so hard to attract change their minds at the last minute—aren't giving up on this common-sense idea. ESPN.com reports that the American Football Coaches Association has drawn up a nationwide proposal for an early signing period. And the AFCA proposal will be discussed by conference commissioners on Thursday.

Under the AFCA proposal, recruits could sign with their prospective schools as early as the third week of December. Currently, they cannot sign until early February.

Photo: Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt is among those who support an early signing period in college football. (Chris Graythen/Getty Images)