CFB notebook: WR Hemphill-Mapps leaving Texas

Texas wide receiver Reggie Hemphill-Mapps, who was the Longhorns' second-leading receiver last season, announced he has decided to transfer out of the Texas football program. "It's disappointing," Texas head coach Tom Herman said Wednesday, according to 247Sports.com. "We wish Reggie the best and hope he finds what he's looking for out there. But next man up." After redshirting his first year at Texas, Hemphill-Mapps finished tied for second on the team in receptions with 37. His 402 receiving yards were third best on the team. Hemphill-Mapps also had eight carries for 31 yards, and he returned a punt 91 yards for a touchdown in the opener against Maryland. Hemphill-Mapps averaged 10.6 yards per punt return, ranking second in the Big 12. --Clemson running back C.J. Fuller, who began last season as the starting tailback but lost his job, is leaving the school, head coach Dabo Swinney said . Swinney said Fuller, a redshirt junior, will graduate this spring and then find a new school to finish his college career. Fuller, who has rushed for a total of 599 yards and four touchdowns for the Tigers, was passed on the depth chart by freshman Travis Etienne and junior Tavien Feaster last season. --USC extended the contract of coach Clay Helton through the 2023 season, the school announced. Financial terms of the deal were not announced for Helton, who has posted a 21-6 mark in two full seasons as head coach. He owns a win in the Rose Bowl to complete the 2016 season and a Pac-12 title in 2017. --Quarterback Deondre Francois, who started Florida State's opener against Alabama last season before being sidelined for the rest of the season because of a knee injury, is not healthy enough to participate completely in spring practice, coach Willie Taggart told ESPN. Taggart added that Francois will have to battle sophomore James Blackman and redshirt freshman Bailey Hockman for the starting job in the fall. "(Francois is) going to have an opportunity when he comes into training camp. In spring ball, he might be able to do 7-on-7, he just won't be able to run around as much as we'd like him to," Taggart said. "But he can still get some work in, which will be big for him." --Alabama head coach Nick Saban apparently has decided to promote from within to fill a key coaching vacancy. Al.com reported that co-defensive coordinator and outside linebackers coach Tosh Lupoi is expected to be promoted to defensive coordinator and play-caller. Lupoi, 36, would replace Jeremy Pruitt, who left Alabama to become Tennessee's head coach. --Despite the reports that Ohio State Greg Schiano might take a job elsewhere, it appears he will remain as the Buckeyes' defensive coordinator. "We had many, many discussions and he's informed me that he's 100 percent staying at Ohio State University," Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer said, according to nj.com. "So that's done and he's here." Schiano was most recently considered a potential replacement for New England Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia, who left to take the Detroit Lions head coaching job this week. In November, Schiano agreed to become Tennessee's head coach, but that transaction was aborted due to a fan protest because of allegations of Schiano's possible knowledge in the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal at Penn State. --Nebraska fans, hoping new head coach Scott Frost can return the Cornhuskers to national prominence, bought all the tickets for the team's spring game in under 26 hours. The tickets went on sale to season-ticket holders only on Tuesday morning and 57,342 were sold on the first day. Nebraska announced the game was sold out 90 minutes after tickets went on sale to the general public on Wednesday morning. Tickets cost $10 for adults and were free for Nebraska students and children.