Mosley received 70 points, followed by Buffalo’s Khalil Mack (52), UCLA’s Anthony Barr (44) and Ohio State’s Ryan Shazier (22).

Mosley, who finished the regular season with 102 tackles and nine tackles for loss, is the third Alabama player to receive the award. Derrick Thomas (1988) and Rolando McClain (2009) were the Crimson Tide’s previous winners.

Alabama finished third in the final BCS standings and will play Oklahoma in the BCS Sugar Bowl on Jan. 2.


IRISH’S NIX SIGNS WITH AGENT


Notre Dame nose guard Louis Nix III has signed with an agent and will forego his final year of eligibility to enter the NFL draft, where he is projected by many to be a first-round draft pick.

Coach Brian Kelly also said at a news conference Sunday that defensive lineman Stephon Tuitt, a junior, has submitted paperwork to get an evaluation where he likely would be selected if he entered the draft. He also has been projected as a possible first-round pick.

Kelly said he's talked some with Tuitt about his decision, but not in depth.

"I've had some preliminary conversations about his academic work. He still has some work to do academically. But we haven't really delved into the depth of that," Kelly said.

Kelly said he believes Tuitt should stay and earn his degree before entering the draft.

"I think you come to Notre Dame to get a degree, and I think getting a degree is very important in this whole process," he said.

He pointed to wide receiver Michael Floyd, linebacker Manti Te'o and tight end Tyler Eifert as players who returned to Notre Dame when they could have left early as examples of players doing well in the NFL. Kelly said Nix's situation is different.

Nix, who is academically a senior, said last month he was taking 19 hours of classes this semester so he could earn his degree. When asked whether he thought Nix made the right choice, Kelly said he believes the best decision Nix made was to attend Notre Dame and get his degree.


RUTGERS FIRES ASSISTANTS


Rutgers has fired defensive coordinator Dave Cohen, quarterbacks coach Rob Spence and offensive line coach Damian Wroblewski.

Scarlet Knights coach Kyle Flood says in a statement released Sunday that the three will not coach in the Pinstripe bowl against Notre Dame on Dec. 28 at Yankee Stadium.

Special teams coach Joe Rossi will run the defense on an interim basis and offensive coordinator Ron Prince will handle quarterback coach duties.

The Scarlet Knights (6-6) finished a disappointing regular season with a 31-6 victory over USF on Saturday.

Athletic director Julie Hermann says she supports the moves and Flood's "leadership" as the school transitions to the Big Ten next year.

Cohen's defense allowed a school-record 3,737 yards passing. Also, a former Rutgers player accused Cohen of mistreating him.


WYOMING HIRES NDSU COACH


Craig Bohl isn't leaving behind the cold and snow in taking over the Wyoming football program after 11 years at North Dakota State. He is moving up a level in the college football hierarchy and likes the idea of undertaking a new coaching challenge.

"I've always admired Wyoming football," Bohl said. "... I knew also that there's a certain number of jobs that I'm going to be the right fit for. I'm a hard-nosed Midwest guy and, when I look at Cowboy football, that's what I would think the trademark would be. And so it just seemed like the right fit."

Bohl was introduced Sunday as Wyoming's coach to media and fans while inside a stadium suite overlooking snow-covered Jonah Field at War Memorial Stadium, where the temperature was 5 degrees with a 16 below wind chill — nearly identical to the conditions at the time in Fargo, N.D.

"It's going to be a great ride, folks, and strap it on because you're going to like what you see," he vowed.

Bohl comes to Wyoming after 11 years at North Dakota State, where he has won the late two Football Championship Subdivision titles and is in the process of seeking a third.

Bohl will remain North Dakota State's coach through the end of its playoff run.

When Bohl takes over at Wyoming, he will be paid a base salary of $750,000 a year at the start with the opportunity to earn up to $1.2 million with incentives. His contract is for five years.

He replaces Dave Christensen, who was fired Dec. 1 after five seasons.

Contributors: Ken Bradley, The Associated Press