McKenzie is ready to go

[Big Spear 73FSU]

I saw Tyrone Mckenzie today and he is already enrolled in class and ready to join the off season program next week. I sure hope we can get that wavier to let him play next year. He will be a huge addition to our linebacking core.

[tampaboi07]

All man I thought you were going say he got the waiver.

[Guest JulmisteForPrez]

Judging by your screen name there, Big Spear, you are probably kind of bummed he didn't choose FSU.  :

[Big Spear 73FSU]

Yah it would be nice in FSU got him. You can never have enough good linebackers. I think he made a good choice going to USF

[E.T.]

Good Luck to McKenzie !

Go BULLS !!!

[Bull Martin]

Was he the Iowa State Linbacker?

[BullAdrian]

can't he play this year?  next year = 2008 ?

[Guest BasketBull.]

Times sportswriter Greg Auman

December 12, 2006

McKenzie transfer: The plot thickens

Some fun developments Tuesday in the possible transfer to USF of Riverview and Iowa State star linebacker Tyrone McKenzie. The Iowa newspapers picked up on the story in Tuesday's Times, and by mid-afternoon, newly hired Cyclones coach Gene Chizik issued a statement through Iowa State's sports information department:

"I met with Tyrone today and we had a great discussion. Tyrone had requested and received his release to contact other schools after Dan McCarney's resignation. After talking with him, I feel confident he will be with us next season."

McKenzie, in effect, becomes Chizik's first recruit as Iowa State's coach, and he's an important one, though I find it surprising that it took him two weeks to sit down with a 129-tackle all-conference linebacker who had requested a transfer. In talking with people on both sides of this tug-o-war Tuesday, it seems one of Iowa State's main arguments to him staying in Ames is that they feel he's unlikely to get a hardship waiver that will allow him to play in the fall of 2007, with two years of eligibility at USF. The Bulls have had good luck with such waivers, getting an incredible three this season in linebacker Marvin Peoples (Maryland), offensive guard Ryan Schmidt (Kansas State) and defensive tackle Julian Riley (Florida). None of those three had transferred before, as McKenzie has, so it's hard to know how much that will mitigate his case for a hardship waiver. To get a sense of how interested McKenzie is in coming home to Tampa, consider this: I learned Tuesday that he would join the Bulls as a walk-on, not as a scholarship athlete.

What's interesting is that McKenzie has a longer relationship with USF's coaches than he does with Chizik. McKenzie considered USF out of high school, and again a year later when he transferred from Michigan State. And exams end at Iowa State on Friday, so when McKenzie heads home, he basically has the rest of his holiday break to give USF a closer look before making a decision as classes resume in January. I'm still verifying a few things, but in multiple conversations Tuesday night, I was told not to put too much stock in Chizik's statement. McKenzie could change his mind any number of times between now and the start of spring classes, so we likely won't have a definitive answer one way or another until January. Stay tuned. ...

(As an aside, it's notable that Chizik has all sorts of ties to Florida -- played at Clearwater High, graduated from Florida, coached as defensive coordinator at Central Florida. Iowa State already was an occasional recruiting rival to USF, plucking prospects from the Bay area (there were nine Floridians on the 2006 roster), but I'm sure that will be much more so with Chizik leading the Cyclones.) I did parentheses inside parentheses there. Sorry.

[Guest BasketBull.]

Iowa State

Linebacker - LB  

Height:  6-2   Weight:  230  

Hometown  Tampa, Fla.  

McKenzie at ISU: Awards and Honors ... Was 2005 ISU defensive scout team player of the year, sitting out after transferring.

At Michigan State: Played in 11 games as a true freshman, making three tackles.

High School: Ranked among Florida’s top 50 prospects by the Tampa Tribune ... first-team All-Hillsborough County selection by the Tampa Tribune ... second-team all-county pick by the St. Petersburg Times ... played in the Dec. 6 Hillsborough County All-Star Game in Raymond James Stadium ... rushed for more than 1,400 yards and 16 touchdowns as a senior for coach Dan O’Regan at Riverview (Fla.) High School ... averaged 7.7 yards per carry in 2003 ... produced four 200-yard rushing games as a senior, including an 80-yard TD run ... picked up 230 yards vs. Jefferson ... rushed 20 times for 205 yards and four TDs vs. Brandon ... had 165 yards and three TDs vs. King, scoring on runs of 4, 45 and 19 yards ... suffered a broken leg in the second game of his junior year and missed the remainder of the 2002 season ... qualified for the 2004 state 4A track championships in the 110 hurdles.

Personal: Born Dec. 11, 1985, in Queens, N.Y. ... son of Rupert and Ruth McKenzie ... business major.

-----------------------------------

Courtesy: Iowa State University Release: 11/30/2006

Tyrone McKenzie earned second-team honors on the AP all-Big 12 team.

AMES, Iowa -- Iowa State outside linebacker Alvin Bowen, whose 12.92 tackles per game as a junior leads NCAA Division I-A, was named to the first team of The Associated Press all-Big 12 football squad released Thursday. Cyclone Tyrone McKenzie, who ranks tied for eighth nationally at 10.75 tackles per game at middle linebacker, made the second team.

Bowen, a junior,  finished the season with 155 tackles, ranking sixth on the all-time ISU single-season list. McKenzie, a sophomore, made 129 tackles, had 9.5 tackles for loss and forced four fumbles. Both Cyclones had one interception.

Earning honorable mention were center Scott Stephenson, offensive tackle Aaron Brant, defensive end Shawn Moorehead, linebacker Jon Banks and defensive tackle Brent Curvey.

[Velcro]

holy crap... his neck is the size of an oak tree trunk...