There has been a lot of speculation about whether UGA would try to bring in some Penn State players, now that the NCAA has basically delivered them the death penalty while still allowing them to play football. I have read/heard that Lane Kiffen flew across the country yesterday to meet with Silas Redd, probably the best player on the PSU roster, a running back that could come in and start for many schools in the country. Redd might be headed to SoCal for a visit this weekend and if so, look for him to be the first of the PSU players to officially leave the school and take advantage of their opportunity granted by the NCAA, free to transfer to any school and be eligible IMMEDIATELY, instead of the normal transfer rule of sitting out a year. Now, back to UGA and who they might be interested in. My first thought is OL, potentially guys from the secondary, and also PSU has a pretty good and reliable PK. Yes, we signed a great kicker in the class of 2012 but a veteran kicker might be someone to take a look at. Also you have to keep in mind, one HUGE advantage UGA has in this process is we just hired John Thomas, a guy that spent the last 20 years working as strength coach at Penn State. So, other than incoming FR players, this guy KNOWS every player in that program and thus can advise our coaches which kid(s) might be the best to go after. Course you have to factor in whether a kid would want to come so far south to play, as just like UGA, Penn State tends to recruit its own state and bordering states primarily. But, as Coach Richt has said, they are at least going to explore the opportunties out there, as we have space to take some kids. Since Coach Richt said he and staff have looked at the PSU two deep depth chart, here is a list of some players I could see us expressing interest in. Now, I have no idea if these kids would be interested nor do I know if the NCAA has placed a restriction on how many players a school can take. I have read that any school could only take 2 max but I am not sure that is accurate at all. It is also true that all players actually have until 2013 to transfer and still play immediately so many people believe that most the Penn State kids will stay and rally around each other for this year-especially the senior players that have invested so much time into that program. That being said, here are the kids I think we might be looking at-
Khairi Fortt-LB, UGA recruited him hard and he was down to UGA/Penn State. He is from Stamford, CT. We have depth at LB for sure but this kid is good enough to go after.
Adrian Amos-CB, this kid is only a soph but has the size at corner we need and we are short there with suspensions. He is from Baltimore, MD.
Matt Stankiewitch-C, David Andrews is a going to be a good player for us but this particular kid would be an upgrade on the OL for this year-this is unlikely to happen as this kid is a SR and is from in state.
Anthony Fera-kid made 14 FG's last year, decent kicker but again is a SR but he is from Texas.
In looking at the Penn State two deep, what is amazing is the experience they have-which to me means I think less players will transfer than most might have thought-out of 44 on the two deep, here is how it breaks down by class-
SR-26
JR-11
Soph-7
So after initially being excited about UGA potentially getting some kids to help us for 2012, I am having more doubt that much of anything will happen. However, if we could grab a couple of defenders for NEXT year, I think certainly that would be beneficial since we stand to lose so many defensive players after this year is over. We are going to sign a big recruiting class for 2013, so again we have numbers on our side whether we add the PSU kids this year or next year.
Players report to camp August 1st (I read today it is actually July 30th so I will have to dig deeper to find out the exact date), first practice is August 2nd. In case you don't have a calendar handy, that is NEXT WEEK, less than a week until the first practice. Football season is just around the corner folks. Now we have to hope that fall camp will be successful on the injury front. With our numbers down as it is, with some suspensions looming, we can ill afford to lose kids to injury during preseason practice. Let's just hope that we can get some hitting/physical work in but not have any serious injuries.
On a personal note, my son's 8 year old team has started football practice already. Wow, is it HOT out there for the boys, and for us that are coaching them. I am not quite sure why they start football so early but let's be honest, July and August in Georgia, it is just plain HOT so unless they push it back to Sept, there is no way to avoid the heat. Happy to report we have had very little issue with the heat, we give them water, we work them hard but the boys have been troopers and there has been very little complaining about the hot weather. I hope everyone has a great weeekend and as always, GO DOGS!
Friday, July 27, 2012
Friday, July 20, 2012
Happy Friday, SEC media days over and UGA picked 1st in East
Granted, I can see why we were picked first in the SECE, based on returning players (especially on defense although it might be until game 5 before all our returning players are playing together-more on suspensions later), and also our schedule. We also have a very solid QB and some quality players at both RB and WR. The OL of course is the big question as is the kicking game/special teams. I read yesterday that Coach Richt is still not sure about the status of Kolton Houston?? He sat out all of last year but had worked his way in spring to be 1st string on the OL. My question is, if there is any doubt about the kid regaining his playing status, why even let him go through spring practice? Seems that is waste to me and thus I have to believe he will be eligible to play come September. Coach Richt also said that incoming freshman RB Todd Gurley is up to 215 or 220. I have read also that Keith Marshall is up to nearly 210. Richt said Marshall is probably the fastest kid on the team. Yes, Crowell was certainly a talented kid as we could all see last year but I am not so sure it will not be addition by subtraction in this case. Remember, Marshall went through spring practice with us so he will NOT be coming in like Crowell did, and like Gurley this year-trying to learn everything over the summer and fall camp. Course you also have Ken Malcome that is a capable back and Richard Samuel will split time at TB and FB most likely. Richard Samuel is a beast, he is up to about 240 and still runs a 4.4 time, put it this way, I am not really concerned about our RB position. I continue to be most concerned about how the OL shakes out.
As for the suspensions, Richt said he knows what they will be but will not announce until he has to let it be known. What we do know for sure is that CB Sanders Commings is out for the first two games. That loss alone led the coaches to move our best WR Malcolm Mitchell to corner in the spring. Since then of course you have had the arrest of Branden Smith, also Rambo and Ogletree snacked on some pot filled brownies on a spring break trip. There have been rumors swirling about the suspensions-how many games, if the UGA drug policy has changed to match the rest of the SEC, the players appealed and won, you name it and I have read it on various UGA blogs/websites. Here is what I feel the most secure in saying, Rambo it is known tested positive after a spring break trip, in which per his HS coach he ate brownies with a pot thrown in the mix. Because he was suspended last year for what was believed to be a drug related issue, the policy would be for him to be out 4 games. Now, I have heard that the deal last year was he was in a car with someone and pot was found. If that is the case, this SHOULD be a first offense for him and the fact he is appealing the drug test finding based on he had no idea the pot was in the brownies, there seems to be some wiggle room from the 4 games most everyone has speculated. Branden Smith was stopped in Alabama on his way to the beach, pot was found in the car. If you just read what I said about Rambo last year, he got ONE game for that. I expect Smith to sit out the first game and play against Missouri. As for Ogletree, you might remember that the first summer he was on campus, he took someones motorcycle helmet and made it his own-the only problem, this was a personalized helmet. I have heard the charges were later dismissed but I can't confirm that. In any event, that was NOT drug related and thus based on previous drug related suspensions (Crowell last year for example), he should get no more than 1 game so I predict Alec is back for Missouri.
To sum up, the Haney prediction for suspensions would go like this-
Commings-2 games
Smith-1 game
Ogletree-1 game
Rambo-2 games
Considering that Missouri has a mobile QB, they run a spread type offense with 4-5 WR's on the field at a given time, I do believe having Smith and 'Tree back for that game is a big deal. We still have Shawn Williams to play one safety, we moved Mitchell over and from all reports he might be a better corner than he is a WR-and we all know all good he was last year at WR, Damian Swann is a good corner and of course getting Smith back also is big. Another factor we all have to remember here is that our front 7 is REALLY good. I heard Jarvis Jones on the radio yesterday saying Cornelius Washington is now 6-5 and about 270 and runs a legit 4.4 to 4.5, ok, that is SICK. We have two HUGE nose tackles, we have a SR stud at DE in Abry Jones, we have Washington at DE, also a kid that played really well last year in Garrison Smith, Ray Drew is also going to be a stud. At LB, if Tree is back, we have him, Jarvis, Gilliard, Herrera, Vasser, Ramik Wilson looks to be a player, of course Christian Robinson as well. Bottom line, our front 7 SHOULD be so outstanding it makes the job of the secondary much easier. That being said, I am a bit concerned about the fact we have in the past couple years had trouble handling QB's that can move and escape the pocked. This kid for Missouri, Franklin, he is elusive and then can throw. He reminds me a lot of the QB for Tampa Bay, Josh Freeman.
Dawg Night was last Friday, and we did pick up two commitments, and then got another one this week from a kid from my alma mater. First, last Friday night we picked up safety prospect Quincy Mauger from Kell HS, also MLB Tim Kimbrough from up in Indiana. Kimbrough is a great pickup in the fact that Reuben Foster DID switch his commitment from Alabama as most predicted he would, but instead of picking UGA, he picked AU. Long story short, family played a big part in Foster flipping to AU. Foster is ranked the #1 MLB prospect in the nation, Kimbrough is ranked #3 so yes we lost a great one in Foster but we gained a really good one as well. On Monday of this week, Brookwood LB Shaun McGee picked UGA over Bama, he also had offers from UF, Michigan State, UK and others. The kid plays on the DL for Brookwood at 6'3 and 233. He will be a good LB prospect for us though.
The recruiting class sits at 22 right now, with 14 or 15 of those kids being defensive players. From most indications, we will sign as many as 34 kids in this class but defense is certainly a need considering all the SR's we have on defense this year, and underclassmen that could leave school early for the NFL. There are still a lot of elite players that are strongly considering us and if we can get some of them, this class could be one of the best in the history of UGA. We need to stock up, I know I am tired of being so far under number of kids we can have on scholarship, about time we fill our slots and quit essentially being like a program/team that is on probation.
All for now, thanks for reading my opinions and comments. Remember, if anyone ever wants to ask me any questions or have me research something, you should be able to easily post a comment on this blog. I would welcome any feedback. Fall practice starts August 1st, just around the corner. Have a great weekend and as always, Go Dogs!
As for the suspensions, Richt said he knows what they will be but will not announce until he has to let it be known. What we do know for sure is that CB Sanders Commings is out for the first two games. That loss alone led the coaches to move our best WR Malcolm Mitchell to corner in the spring. Since then of course you have had the arrest of Branden Smith, also Rambo and Ogletree snacked on some pot filled brownies on a spring break trip. There have been rumors swirling about the suspensions-how many games, if the UGA drug policy has changed to match the rest of the SEC, the players appealed and won, you name it and I have read it on various UGA blogs/websites. Here is what I feel the most secure in saying, Rambo it is known tested positive after a spring break trip, in which per his HS coach he ate brownies with a pot thrown in the mix. Because he was suspended last year for what was believed to be a drug related issue, the policy would be for him to be out 4 games. Now, I have heard that the deal last year was he was in a car with someone and pot was found. If that is the case, this SHOULD be a first offense for him and the fact he is appealing the drug test finding based on he had no idea the pot was in the brownies, there seems to be some wiggle room from the 4 games most everyone has speculated. Branden Smith was stopped in Alabama on his way to the beach, pot was found in the car. If you just read what I said about Rambo last year, he got ONE game for that. I expect Smith to sit out the first game and play against Missouri. As for Ogletree, you might remember that the first summer he was on campus, he took someones motorcycle helmet and made it his own-the only problem, this was a personalized helmet. I have heard the charges were later dismissed but I can't confirm that. In any event, that was NOT drug related and thus based on previous drug related suspensions (Crowell last year for example), he should get no more than 1 game so I predict Alec is back for Missouri.
To sum up, the Haney prediction for suspensions would go like this-
Commings-2 games
Smith-1 game
Ogletree-1 game
Rambo-2 games
Considering that Missouri has a mobile QB, they run a spread type offense with 4-5 WR's on the field at a given time, I do believe having Smith and 'Tree back for that game is a big deal. We still have Shawn Williams to play one safety, we moved Mitchell over and from all reports he might be a better corner than he is a WR-and we all know all good he was last year at WR, Damian Swann is a good corner and of course getting Smith back also is big. Another factor we all have to remember here is that our front 7 is REALLY good. I heard Jarvis Jones on the radio yesterday saying Cornelius Washington is now 6-5 and about 270 and runs a legit 4.4 to 4.5, ok, that is SICK. We have two HUGE nose tackles, we have a SR stud at DE in Abry Jones, we have Washington at DE, also a kid that played really well last year in Garrison Smith, Ray Drew is also going to be a stud. At LB, if Tree is back, we have him, Jarvis, Gilliard, Herrera, Vasser, Ramik Wilson looks to be a player, of course Christian Robinson as well. Bottom line, our front 7 SHOULD be so outstanding it makes the job of the secondary much easier. That being said, I am a bit concerned about the fact we have in the past couple years had trouble handling QB's that can move and escape the pocked. This kid for Missouri, Franklin, he is elusive and then can throw. He reminds me a lot of the QB for Tampa Bay, Josh Freeman.
Dawg Night was last Friday, and we did pick up two commitments, and then got another one this week from a kid from my alma mater. First, last Friday night we picked up safety prospect Quincy Mauger from Kell HS, also MLB Tim Kimbrough from up in Indiana. Kimbrough is a great pickup in the fact that Reuben Foster DID switch his commitment from Alabama as most predicted he would, but instead of picking UGA, he picked AU. Long story short, family played a big part in Foster flipping to AU. Foster is ranked the #1 MLB prospect in the nation, Kimbrough is ranked #3 so yes we lost a great one in Foster but we gained a really good one as well. On Monday of this week, Brookwood LB Shaun McGee picked UGA over Bama, he also had offers from UF, Michigan State, UK and others. The kid plays on the DL for Brookwood at 6'3 and 233. He will be a good LB prospect for us though.
The recruiting class sits at 22 right now, with 14 or 15 of those kids being defensive players. From most indications, we will sign as many as 34 kids in this class but defense is certainly a need considering all the SR's we have on defense this year, and underclassmen that could leave school early for the NFL. There are still a lot of elite players that are strongly considering us and if we can get some of them, this class could be one of the best in the history of UGA. We need to stock up, I know I am tired of being so far under number of kids we can have on scholarship, about time we fill our slots and quit essentially being like a program/team that is on probation.
All for now, thanks for reading my opinions and comments. Remember, if anyone ever wants to ask me any questions or have me research something, you should be able to easily post a comment on this blog. I would welcome any feedback. Fall practice starts August 1st, just around the corner. Have a great weekend and as always, Go Dogs!
Friday, July 13, 2012
Dawg Night is tonight, a few tidbits and notes
For those that read my blog regularly, you know that I am NOT a fan of the calling the Bulldogs DAWGS-I know most UGA faithful love that but I don't, call me different. But, since UGA football officially hosts what they call Dawg Night this evening, I will use it in this blog-well, I have already used it and will now stop. As my title points out, tonight is a night when a LOT of top talent visits Athens, a night that in previous years has yielded big recruiting results, last year John Theus committed for class of 2012, Brice Ramsey, Tramel Terry, and Derrick Henry committed for class of 2013, and Stanley Williams for class of 2014. Course everyone knows that soon after Terry backed off his pledge, only to firm that back up earlier this years. Henry has recently backed off his pledge and now lists Bama as his leader. Good news is, Henry, Ramsey and Terry will all be back again tonight. Most of the other committed players will be there as well, but one prospect that will not be there is Reuben Foster. Yesterday he switched his commitment from Bama to the Barn. WOW, most thought he would switch but would instead say UGA. But, the kid did move to Auburn HS to play his SR year of HS after his coach at Troup County was booted from his job. Course Troup County/Lagrange GA is just across the border from Alabama anyway, VERY close to the Auburn campus. Rumor has it as Adele would sing, Foster's Mom now has a nice job working in Auburn-I have even heard she has a job working on campus but again, just rumor I don't have facts. Also, Reuben has a 3 year old daughter, yes, he became a Dad at 15, so he would like to stay close to her while attending college. I am fine with Foster making a change for family reasons-I believe family is THE most important thing in your life so I can't blame him for doing what is best for his family. That being said, two of our top recruits have said they want to play together with Foster, Trey Mathews and Shaq Wiggins. Those two have always been two kids that I felt were 100% solid to UGA and would never break their verbal pledge-but that could be in jeopardy now. I hope these two kids will enjoy the night in Athens tonight and decide to stick together but rumor is they will be visiting AU tomorrow with Foster?? Anyway, tonight is a big night and here is a list of kids that should be attending per various sources-Bigredballer from Scout's UGA site also has a blog where you can check out who is coming or who has already arrived-
http://bigredballerblog.weebly.com/brb-dawg-forum.html#/brb-dawg-forum/
Alvin Kamara
Derrick Henry
Shaq Wiggins
Brice Ramsey
Tray Mathews
Kelsey Griffin
Trey Johnson
Tim Kimbrough
Josh McNeil
Brendan Langley
Tyrone Crowder
Taj Williams
Quincy Mauger
Tramel Terry
and many more. Check out the link above, I think you will like it. I have no idea who bigred is but he obviously is on campus and knows his stuff.
In player news, Brandon Burrows decided to leave UGA but now has decided to come back-much the same as Marc Deas and Ken Malcome last year. Heck, with Malcome, now that Crowell is gone I am thinking he is a VERY glad he stuck around. I hope the same can be true for Burrows. From all accounts, a great kid and solid player, just still waiting to make his mark. Also, recruit Leonard Floyd will not qualify and is heading to prep school so that he can return to Athens in January. So, out of the 19 kids signed last year, Floyd and Atkins both didn't make it in. Considering our numbers, roughly 69-70 kids on scholarship, we can use all the bodies we can get. The limit of course is 85!! I know attrition happens but we should never be this low. I think that is why Richt and company plan to sign as many as 34 kids this year, course that doesn't help us for this year. Depth and injuries certainly COULD play a role in this season-I am hoping we can make it through. Course the suspensions early, especially for the Missouri game could be tough.
I found it interesting that the SEC coaches selected 8 UGA players to the preseason ALL SEC teams-course there are 3 teams. UGA had only two players selected first team, LB Jarvis Jones and S Bacarri Rambo. Aaron Murray is second team QB as is NG John Jenkins, with third team selections being WR-DB Malcolm Mitchell, DE Abry Jones, LB Alec Ogletree and CB Sanders Commings. What I find interesting is that last year UGA had 9 players selected, yet this year we only have 8? LSU and Bama led with 11 selections apiece, Arkansas had 10. I would think Gates would make it on the OL somewhere perhaps, I sure think Shawn Williams deserves a shot as well. But, 8 is 4th most in the conference and most folks believe the SECW has 3 teams better than any team in the SECE so guessing this makes sense-just not to me.
Also, a note about UGA, this from the Savannah morning news-seems Russ will continue for at least the beginning of the season and he will now have a link to all future UGA puppies, which to me means he will be buried at Sanford Stadium-I am a big fan of Russ!
Hope you all have a great weekend, thanks for reading and I will blog again next week. Go Dogs!
http://bigredballerblog.weebly.com/brb-dawg-forum.html#/brb-dawg-forum/
Alvin Kamara
Derrick Henry
Shaq Wiggins
Brice Ramsey
Tray Mathews
Kelsey Griffin
Trey Johnson
Tim Kimbrough
Josh McNeil
Brendan Langley
Tyrone Crowder
Taj Williams
Quincy Mauger
Tramel Terry
and many more. Check out the link above, I think you will like it. I have no idea who bigred is but he obviously is on campus and knows his stuff.
In player news, Brandon Burrows decided to leave UGA but now has decided to come back-much the same as Marc Deas and Ken Malcome last year. Heck, with Malcome, now that Crowell is gone I am thinking he is a VERY glad he stuck around. I hope the same can be true for Burrows. From all accounts, a great kid and solid player, just still waiting to make his mark. Also, recruit Leonard Floyd will not qualify and is heading to prep school so that he can return to Athens in January. So, out of the 19 kids signed last year, Floyd and Atkins both didn't make it in. Considering our numbers, roughly 69-70 kids on scholarship, we can use all the bodies we can get. The limit of course is 85!! I know attrition happens but we should never be this low. I think that is why Richt and company plan to sign as many as 34 kids this year, course that doesn't help us for this year. Depth and injuries certainly COULD play a role in this season-I am hoping we can make it through. Course the suspensions early, especially for the Missouri game could be tough.
I found it interesting that the SEC coaches selected 8 UGA players to the preseason ALL SEC teams-course there are 3 teams. UGA had only two players selected first team, LB Jarvis Jones and S Bacarri Rambo. Aaron Murray is second team QB as is NG John Jenkins, with third team selections being WR-DB Malcolm Mitchell, DE Abry Jones, LB Alec Ogletree and CB Sanders Commings. What I find interesting is that last year UGA had 9 players selected, yet this year we only have 8? LSU and Bama led with 11 selections apiece, Arkansas had 10. I would think Gates would make it on the OL somewhere perhaps, I sure think Shawn Williams deserves a shot as well. But, 8 is 4th most in the conference and most folks believe the SECW has 3 teams better than any team in the SECE so guessing this makes sense-just not to me.
Also, a note about UGA, this from the Savannah morning news-seems Russ will continue for at least the beginning of the season and he will now have a link to all future UGA puppies, which to me means he will be buried at Sanford Stadium-I am a big fan of Russ!
Russ the bulldog, the University of Georgia’s long-time stand-in at mascot, will remain in his interim role when the Bulldogs open the 2012 season against Buffalo on Sept. 1, according to a member of the Seiler family, who care for the dog.
The Seilers offered no other details about the family’s plans or timetable in naming the next Uga, Uga IX. The mascot’s main caretaker, Charles Seiler, expressed concerns late last year about subjecting a puppy to the early September heat and hinted the family might wait until late September to install a successor to Uga VIII, which died in December 2010.
Russ is the longest-serving sub since Sonny and Cecilia Seiler first brought Uga I to Sanford Stadium to root on the Bulldogs in 1956. The dog was a wedding gift for the then co-eds and quickly became the team’s mascot at the behest of then football coach Wally Butts.
Russ is currently in his second stint as interim mascot — he took over for his half-brother, Uga VII, following the dog’s death in 2009 — and he boasts a 14-10 record. He served the entirety of the 2011 season that saw the Bulldogs win the Southeastern Conference’s East Division title and play for the SEC championship.
The Dawgs lost that game to LSU.
Russ is charged with perpetuating the Uga line. Uga VIII was 17 months old when he died, and his illness was so sudden the Seilers did not breed him. Russ has sired several puppies over the last year-and-a-half, and one of those dogs will be the successor.
The Seilers offered no other details about the family’s plans or timetable in naming the next Uga, Uga IX. The mascot’s main caretaker, Charles Seiler, expressed concerns late last year about subjecting a puppy to the early September heat and hinted the family might wait until late September to install a successor to Uga VIII, which died in December 2010.
Russ is the longest-serving sub since Sonny and Cecilia Seiler first brought Uga I to Sanford Stadium to root on the Bulldogs in 1956. The dog was a wedding gift for the then co-eds and quickly became the team’s mascot at the behest of then football coach Wally Butts.
Russ is currently in his second stint as interim mascot — he took over for his half-brother, Uga VII, following the dog’s death in 2009 — and he boasts a 14-10 record. He served the entirety of the 2011 season that saw the Bulldogs win the Southeastern Conference’s East Division title and play for the SEC championship.
The Dawgs lost that game to LSU.
Russ is charged with perpetuating the Uga line. Uga VIII was 17 months old when he died, and his illness was so sudden the Seilers did not breed him. Russ has sired several puppies over the last year-and-a-half, and one of those dogs will be the successor.
Hope you all have a great weekend, thanks for reading and I will blog again next week. Go Dogs!
Friday, July 6, 2012
They are dropping like flies in Athens but everyone needs to calm down
Ok, since I am now back from the Bahamas, I can finally chime in on the departure of Mr. Crowell. I heard about his arrest the day I arrived in Nassau, a week ago today. When I saw it I was like, WHAT??? but honestly I was not very surprised at all. The kid has a boatload of talent but just simply couldn't avoid injuries AND doing STUPID things. First failing a drug test, having players question his work ethic (althought recently I had heard only good things about IC) and finally the felony weapon charges-I think IC is exactly where he belongs now, at Alabama State. In case you were wondering about ASU, it is a predominately black (African-American) university located in Montgomery, Alabama. Enrollment is 5,800 and they have a pretty good football program and tradition. A couple of players have made it to the NFL and had good careers, including head coach Reggie Barlow and Seahawks current QB Tarvaris Jackson. So, Crowell truly has a chance to start over and still get that shot at the NFL. Do I think he can make it, YES based on his talent but he has some strikes against him already so he is going to have to work hard in the classroom and on the field to get his character back to a respectable level. I will keep track of him best I can, I don't wish him anything but the best of luck but I am GLAD he is no longer a Bulldog. Mark Richt did the absolute correct thing by immediately dismissing him from the team, even if his talented lawyer gets his charges reduced or even dismissed, he was a cancer to our football program and he forced Richt's hand. So, best for both parties to move along without each other.
Today I read that another player left the team, LB Brandon Burrows. Of course also earlier this week Crowell's former Carver HS teammate and UGA teammate, Q. Harrow left the team due to academics. So, with all these kids leaving before fall camp has even started, without knowing the suspensions for several of our top defensive players, it is easy to see why a lot of fans in the Bulldog nation are a little bit concerned. I admit, I am also a bit concerned. (Oh yeah, throw in the fact that our of our 19 signees, one has already been denied admission, John Atkins the big DL, while Leonard Floyd the LB/DE prospect still has not cleared the NCAA clearinghouse-whatever the heck that is). So, with all the doom and gloom and worrying about our numbers etc, I wanted to throw together my quick predicted starting two deep roster. Yes, we have some holes here and there but I think when folks look at the depth chart, they realize that sure, we don't have a ton of depth but I do think we have enough to make it. Also keep in mind, besides that enourmous game in week 2, our first 4 games should provide us with time to easy our young pups into place and get them some very valuable game experience while we wait on the suspended kids to come back. Remember, none of our suspensions should last more than 4 games and here again is our first 4 games-
Three home games, yes Vandy gave us fits last year, but I expect a pretty dominating effort this year-playing at home, the CROWD will certainly be fired up for Vandy which might be a first. I think the players, especially defensive, will be really fired up. Missouri is really a huge test and I think that is the game that we are really going to have to hope our young offensive line can step it up and help us score some points. I fully expect that out of the first four games, that trip to Columbia will be a game where our defense has the potential to give up some yardage and points, so our offense needs to be ready. Let's first take a look at our defensive depth chart and I have plugged in some true FR in some spots where I think they have a legit shot to get some serious PT. I think our coaches, realizing that we have some many players that will leave after this 2012 season, are going to get a lot of kids playing time on the defensive side.
DE
Abry Jones SR
Garrison Smith JR
Jonathan Taylor FR
DE
Cornelius Washington SR
Ray Drew Soph
Sterling Bailey RFR
NT
John Jenkins SR
Kwame Geathers JR
Mike Thornton Soph
LB
Chase Vasser JR/Ramik Wilson Soph
Jordan Jenkins FR
Josh Harvey Clemons (this kid could move to safety considering lack of depth there and him being so skinny-undersized for LB at this point in his development)
LB
Jarvis Jones JR
TJ Stripling JR
Reuben Faloughi JR
Dexter Morant Soph
LB
Alec Ogletree JR (faces one or two game suspension)
Christian Robinson SR
LB
Mike Gilliard SR
Amarlo Herrera Soph
CB
Sanders Commings SR (faces two game suspension)
Malcolm Mitchell Soph
Devin Bowman RFR
Sheldon Dawson FR (this kid WILL play, just matter of where??)
CB
Branden Smith SR (faces possible one or more game suspension-best guess is one game)
Damian Swann Soph
S
Shawn Williams SR
Corey Moore Soph
S
Bacarri Rambo SR (faces as much as a 4 game suspension)
Connor Norman JR
Marc Deas Soph
The only defensive players in this class I see getting redshirted, or potentially redshirted would be Floyd (if he makes it in), Deloach, and Josh Dawson.
If you look ahead to next year, you see a reason for concern. I really like Garrison Smith at DE, I also think Ray Drew will be a monster coming back next year, but I would be willing to bet we have a hole at NT for next year-thus why the loss of Atkins could be a big blow. We also will have some concerns at LB-Jarvis and Alec more than likely leave, Robinson and Gilliard also leave, same with the secondary where all 4 starters WILL leave as they are all seniors. I think this depth chart is why we are making such a strong push for Reuben Foster, also have a few other elite defensive players we are going strong after. I doubt many defensives will have as many spots open in their two deep as we will next year. That being said, I am excited about the future of Drew, Jonathan Taylor, Jordan Jenkins, Josh Harvey Clemons, Damain Swann, Corey Moore and Sheldon Dawson. We will have a good amount of talent kids returning next year but depth wise it could be a little scary-thus why I hope our coaches do let pretty much every possible kid play this year, and then of course the kids coming in the class of 2013 need to be ready to play.
Now looking at our offense, I think you could make a case that besides our QB, our future might look brighter than our current. Reason being, we have a lot of youth on this side of the ball, now especially at RB, and the OL. I personally feel like this group of RB's and OL will be better than what we had last year. I am also very comfortable and confident in our WR core, even with Mitchell splitting time. I was very impressed with TKing's play most of last year, I think he is ready to step up big this year. Also very impressed with the play of Michael Bennett and Chris Conley. Factor in a returning big target in Marlon Brown-who is playing for his potential future this last year, I am really encouraged. I also was really impressed with the speed and athletic ability I saw out of Justin Scott-Wesley in the spring game. He appears ready to really help out with depth. We lost Orson Charles at TE but we have two really solid players returning Arthur Lynch and Jay Rome-another star of the spring game. The OL of course is the big concern and now that Crowell is not around any longer, we again will turn to FR running backs to help us out. Here is a look at the depth chart-
QB
Aaron Murray JR
Hutson Mason JR or Christian LeMay RFR
TB
Ken Malcome Soph
Keith Marshall FR
Todd Gurley FR
FB
Richard Samuel SR (could move back to TB)
Zander Olgetree JR
Quayvon Hicks FR (I think this kid could start by mid season)
Merritt Hall FR (currently listed as starter but can't see him playing except mop up duty)
WR
Tavarres King SR
Chris Conley Soph
R. Wooten JR
J. Scott-Wesley RFR (watch out for this kid with his blazing speed)
WR
Marlon Brown SR
Michael Bennett Soph
Blake Tibbs FR (could possibly redshirt but if Mitchell stays at DB more than expected, he should get some PT)
TE
Arthur Lynch JR
Jay Rome RFR
Ty Smith FR
OT
Kenarious Gates JR
Austin Long JR
Xzavier Ward RFR
OT
Kolton Houston Soph
John Theus FR
Watts Dantzler Soph
OG
Dallas Lee JR
Mark Beard Soph
OG
Chris Burnette JR
Hunter Long Soph
C
David Andrews Soph
Chris Burnette JR
Also potentially getting PT on the OL would be Zach Debell, and potentially the other OL in the class of 2012 Greg Pyke although I think he is headed for a redshirt personally. The ONLY offensive recruits I can see getting redshirted would be Pyke, Tibbs and Faton Bauta-the Tebow clone QB that I still personally believe could be an impact at either TE or LB. The kid currently is 6-3 225lbs and runs a 4.5, I can see him putting on about 10-15 lbs and being a great looking player at OLB with that speed and at 6-3 240, WOW.
Also of course Marshall Morgan and Colin Barber, K and P respectively, will be relied on to win the starting jobs as kickers and hopefully do a decent job there. We had two SR kickers last year and both struggled at times, I would imagine the results we see this year would be very similar so we have to hope we rely on especially our K less than we did last year-change that mindset when calling plays and not settle for FG's. I expect the punter will do an adequate enough job IF he can get the snap and kick QUICKLY enough-we did have several blocked last year with a veteran kicker-VANDY game anyone.
So, even with the losses last week and this week, we still have enough talent to win a lot of games this year and really the losses we have had to this point, do not impact us as much as many fear. The loss of IC is a big loss just based on his talent alone but we have two highly touted RB's coming in-one even went through spring practice and is ready to roll in Marshall, also in limited duty Malcome didn't do so bad, and of course Samuel is always there as an insurance policy.
Last little bit is about recruiting for the class of 2013. We have 19 verbal commitments, which as we all know mean NOTHING until the kid signs in Feb. That being said, with a chance to sign over 30 kids, there are a LOT of elite level kids we are still very much in the running for. Check out this list of prospects that UGA is still VERY much in line to sign-this from Rivals 250 list.
yes, committed to Bama for now but many now feel he will flip to UGA-has a lot of friends that already have pledged to UGA and the kid continues to visit the campus time after time. He of course moved from LaGrange, GA over to Auburn, AL to play his last year of HS football.
This kid recently visited UGA and LOVED it, as did his Mom. Once thought to be a heavy Gator lean, now it appears UGA has a big lead for him. Let's hope so as we need more elite OL in our program.
At one time said he would leave the state but has visited and likes UGA now. But, we need to get him and Mom back to campus ASAP because now that Nkemdiche is off to Clemson, we need to land this kid badly. Ironically, Clemson might be his leader right now.
We might be a long shot with this kid but we have room for another WR in this class and we are recruiting this kid hard. We do have the two RB's out of NC and LeMay already pledged from NC so maybe we can pull in another.
One time verbal to UGA now has Bama as his leader?? They already have pledges from two elite level RB's including #53 on the list Tenpenny from Ark. With Crowell gone, he might give UGA a second look now?
This kid supposedly really likes us, hard to imagine getting a kid from Big10 country but we are in the running.
This is a big kid, has been interested in UGA for a while but might be leaning out of state.
Same HS as current UGA DB Devin Bowman but this kid loves UT and Ohio State, UGA probably 3rd but we could use him.
This kid might give us a look now that Crowell is gone, same for next on this list.
This kid is very good friends with a lot of current verbal comittments, some believe he will ultimately say yes to the red and black.
There are few other kids that are not on the Rivals lists we are going after strong as well, and stand a good shot to get but you can see there are still a lot of elite level talent kids looking at us. I hope this year provides them a great example of the type of program UGA can and will be if we have the best players, to go along with a good group of coaches that are not only good coaches but quality men. I know our fan base just like any others will always have doubts about certain coaches and players as well, but I really do like our coaching staff and I think they sell our program/university very well. They might not win as much as we want but we win with class and dignity, our head coach truly does care about the kids he brings into the program and I honestly don't see that at many of the schools within our own conference.
All for now, hope everyone has a great weekend and stays nice and cool. This heat is really intense and you have to believe this is only the beginning of what will be a long HOT summer. Go Dogs.
Today I read that another player left the team, LB Brandon Burrows. Of course also earlier this week Crowell's former Carver HS teammate and UGA teammate, Q. Harrow left the team due to academics. So, with all these kids leaving before fall camp has even started, without knowing the suspensions for several of our top defensive players, it is easy to see why a lot of fans in the Bulldog nation are a little bit concerned. I admit, I am also a bit concerned. (Oh yeah, throw in the fact that our of our 19 signees, one has already been denied admission, John Atkins the big DL, while Leonard Floyd the LB/DE prospect still has not cleared the NCAA clearinghouse-whatever the heck that is). So, with all the doom and gloom and worrying about our numbers etc, I wanted to throw together my quick predicted starting two deep roster. Yes, we have some holes here and there but I think when folks look at the depth chart, they realize that sure, we don't have a ton of depth but I do think we have enough to make it. Also keep in mind, besides that enourmous game in week 2, our first 4 games should provide us with time to easy our young pups into place and get them some very valuable game experience while we wait on the suspended kids to come back. Remember, none of our suspensions should last more than 4 games and here again is our first 4 games-
| Sep. 1 | Buffalo | ||
| Sep. 8 | at Missouri | ||
| Sep. 15 | Florida Atlantic | ||
| Sep. 22 | Vanderbilt |
Three home games, yes Vandy gave us fits last year, but I expect a pretty dominating effort this year-playing at home, the CROWD will certainly be fired up for Vandy which might be a first. I think the players, especially defensive, will be really fired up. Missouri is really a huge test and I think that is the game that we are really going to have to hope our young offensive line can step it up and help us score some points. I fully expect that out of the first four games, that trip to Columbia will be a game where our defense has the potential to give up some yardage and points, so our offense needs to be ready. Let's first take a look at our defensive depth chart and I have plugged in some true FR in some spots where I think they have a legit shot to get some serious PT. I think our coaches, realizing that we have some many players that will leave after this 2012 season, are going to get a lot of kids playing time on the defensive side.
DE
Abry Jones SR
Garrison Smith JR
Jonathan Taylor FR
DE
Cornelius Washington SR
Ray Drew Soph
Sterling Bailey RFR
NT
John Jenkins SR
Kwame Geathers JR
Mike Thornton Soph
LB
Chase Vasser JR/Ramik Wilson Soph
Jordan Jenkins FR
Josh Harvey Clemons (this kid could move to safety considering lack of depth there and him being so skinny-undersized for LB at this point in his development)
LB
Jarvis Jones JR
TJ Stripling JR
Reuben Faloughi JR
Dexter Morant Soph
LB
Alec Ogletree JR (faces one or two game suspension)
Christian Robinson SR
LB
Mike Gilliard SR
Amarlo Herrera Soph
CB
Sanders Commings SR (faces two game suspension)
Malcolm Mitchell Soph
Devin Bowman RFR
Sheldon Dawson FR (this kid WILL play, just matter of where??)
CB
Branden Smith SR (faces possible one or more game suspension-best guess is one game)
Damian Swann Soph
S
Shawn Williams SR
Corey Moore Soph
S
Bacarri Rambo SR (faces as much as a 4 game suspension)
Connor Norman JR
Marc Deas Soph
The only defensive players in this class I see getting redshirted, or potentially redshirted would be Floyd (if he makes it in), Deloach, and Josh Dawson.
If you look ahead to next year, you see a reason for concern. I really like Garrison Smith at DE, I also think Ray Drew will be a monster coming back next year, but I would be willing to bet we have a hole at NT for next year-thus why the loss of Atkins could be a big blow. We also will have some concerns at LB-Jarvis and Alec more than likely leave, Robinson and Gilliard also leave, same with the secondary where all 4 starters WILL leave as they are all seniors. I think this depth chart is why we are making such a strong push for Reuben Foster, also have a few other elite defensive players we are going strong after. I doubt many defensives will have as many spots open in their two deep as we will next year. That being said, I am excited about the future of Drew, Jonathan Taylor, Jordan Jenkins, Josh Harvey Clemons, Damain Swann, Corey Moore and Sheldon Dawson. We will have a good amount of talent kids returning next year but depth wise it could be a little scary-thus why I hope our coaches do let pretty much every possible kid play this year, and then of course the kids coming in the class of 2013 need to be ready to play.
Now looking at our offense, I think you could make a case that besides our QB, our future might look brighter than our current. Reason being, we have a lot of youth on this side of the ball, now especially at RB, and the OL. I personally feel like this group of RB's and OL will be better than what we had last year. I am also very comfortable and confident in our WR core, even with Mitchell splitting time. I was very impressed with TKing's play most of last year, I think he is ready to step up big this year. Also very impressed with the play of Michael Bennett and Chris Conley. Factor in a returning big target in Marlon Brown-who is playing for his potential future this last year, I am really encouraged. I also was really impressed with the speed and athletic ability I saw out of Justin Scott-Wesley in the spring game. He appears ready to really help out with depth. We lost Orson Charles at TE but we have two really solid players returning Arthur Lynch and Jay Rome-another star of the spring game. The OL of course is the big concern and now that Crowell is not around any longer, we again will turn to FR running backs to help us out. Here is a look at the depth chart-
QB
Aaron Murray JR
Hutson Mason JR or Christian LeMay RFR
TB
Ken Malcome Soph
Keith Marshall FR
Todd Gurley FR
FB
Richard Samuel SR (could move back to TB)
Zander Olgetree JR
Quayvon Hicks FR (I think this kid could start by mid season)
Merritt Hall FR (currently listed as starter but can't see him playing except mop up duty)
WR
Tavarres King SR
Chris Conley Soph
R. Wooten JR
J. Scott-Wesley RFR (watch out for this kid with his blazing speed)
WR
Marlon Brown SR
Michael Bennett Soph
Blake Tibbs FR (could possibly redshirt but if Mitchell stays at DB more than expected, he should get some PT)
TE
Arthur Lynch JR
Jay Rome RFR
Ty Smith FR
OT
Kenarious Gates JR
Austin Long JR
Xzavier Ward RFR
OT
Kolton Houston Soph
John Theus FR
Watts Dantzler Soph
OG
Dallas Lee JR
Mark Beard Soph
OG
Chris Burnette JR
Hunter Long Soph
C
David Andrews Soph
Chris Burnette JR
Also potentially getting PT on the OL would be Zach Debell, and potentially the other OL in the class of 2012 Greg Pyke although I think he is headed for a redshirt personally. The ONLY offensive recruits I can see getting redshirted would be Pyke, Tibbs and Faton Bauta-the Tebow clone QB that I still personally believe could be an impact at either TE or LB. The kid currently is 6-3 225lbs and runs a 4.5, I can see him putting on about 10-15 lbs and being a great looking player at OLB with that speed and at 6-3 240, WOW.
Also of course Marshall Morgan and Colin Barber, K and P respectively, will be relied on to win the starting jobs as kickers and hopefully do a decent job there. We had two SR kickers last year and both struggled at times, I would imagine the results we see this year would be very similar so we have to hope we rely on especially our K less than we did last year-change that mindset when calling plays and not settle for FG's. I expect the punter will do an adequate enough job IF he can get the snap and kick QUICKLY enough-we did have several blocked last year with a veteran kicker-VANDY game anyone.
So, even with the losses last week and this week, we still have enough talent to win a lot of games this year and really the losses we have had to this point, do not impact us as much as many fear. The loss of IC is a big loss just based on his talent alone but we have two highly touted RB's coming in-one even went through spring practice and is ready to roll in Marshall, also in limited duty Malcome didn't do so bad, and of course Samuel is always there as an insurance policy.
Last little bit is about recruiting for the class of 2013. We have 19 verbal commitments, which as we all know mean NOTHING until the kid signs in Feb. That being said, with a chance to sign over 30 kids, there are a LOT of elite level kids we are still very much in the running for. Check out this list of prospects that UGA is still VERY much in line to sign-this from Rivals 250 list.
#2
|
LB
|
Auburn, ALAuburn Foster recorded 185 tackles with 14 sacks during his junior season.
|
5 stars
|
6'2"
|
228
|
yes, committed to Bama for now but many now feel he will flip to UGA-has a lot of friends that already have pledged to UGA and the kid continues to visit the campus time after time. He of course moved from LaGrange, GA over to Auburn, AL to play his last year of HS football.
#7
|
OL
|
Lake City, FLColumbia Tunsil is an incredibly athletic offensive tackle prospect with a great frame to add bulk. He has been an all-area player the past two years.
|
5 stars
|
6'6"
|
295
|
This kid recently visited UGA and LOVED it, as did his Mom. Once thought to be a heavy Gator lean, now it appears UGA has a big lead for him. Let's hope so as we need more elite OL in our program.
#10
|
DT
|
Vienna, GADooly County Adams registered 45 tackles for loss and 10 sacks as a junior.
|
5 stars
|
6'3"
|
290
|
At one time said he would leave the state but has visited and likes UGA now. But, we need to get him and Mom back to campus ASAP because now that Nkemdiche is off to Clemson, we need to land this kid badly. Ironically, Clemson might be his leader right now.
#31
|
WR
|
Charlotte, NCMallard Creek North had 39 receptions for 1,000-plus yards and 19 touchdowns in 2011.
|
4 stars
|
6'3"
|
205
|
We might be a long shot with this kid but we have room for another WR in this class and we are recruiting this kid hard. We do have the two RB's out of NC and LeMay already pledged from NC so maybe we can pull in another.
#38
|
ATH
|
Yulee, FLYulee Henry rushed for 2,610 yards and 33 touchdowns as a junior.
|
4 stars
|
6'3"
|
241
|
One time verbal to UGA now has Bama as his leader?? They already have pledges from two elite level RB's including #53 on the list Tenpenny from Ark. With Crowell gone, he might give UGA a second look now?
#137
|
LB
|
Indianapolis, INWarren Central Kimbrough finished 2011 with 179 tackles, 27 tackles for loss and eight sacks.
|
4 stars
|
6'1"
|
226
|
This kid supposedly really likes us, hard to imagine getting a kid from Big10 country but we are in the running.
#138
|
DT
|
Hoschton, GAMill Creek Griffin was chosen to play in the 2011 Georgia Junior Bowl.
|
4 stars
|
6'1"
|
289
|
This is a big kid, has been interested in UGA for a while but might be leaning out of state.
#155
|
DB
|
Rossville, GARidgeland Bell recorded 180 total tackles with 119 solo stops in 2011.
|
4 stars
|
6'1"
|
190
|
Same HS as current UGA DB Devin Bowman but this kid loves UT and Ohio State, UGA probably 3rd but we could use him.
#204
|
RB
|
Elberton, GAElbert County Dye finished his junior season with 212 carries for 1,561 yards and 21 touchdowwns.
|
4 stars
|
6'0"
|
200
|
This kid might give us a look now that Crowell is gone, same for next on this list.
#216
|
RB
|
Norcross, GANorcross The speedy Kamara rushed for 1,300-plus yards with 17 touchdowns as a junior.
|
4 stars
|
5'10"
|
190
|
This kid is very good friends with a lot of current verbal comittments, some believe he will ultimately say yes to the red and black.
There are few other kids that are not on the Rivals lists we are going after strong as well, and stand a good shot to get but you can see there are still a lot of elite level talent kids looking at us. I hope this year provides them a great example of the type of program UGA can and will be if we have the best players, to go along with a good group of coaches that are not only good coaches but quality men. I know our fan base just like any others will always have doubts about certain coaches and players as well, but I really do like our coaching staff and I think they sell our program/university very well. They might not win as much as we want but we win with class and dignity, our head coach truly does care about the kids he brings into the program and I honestly don't see that at many of the schools within our own conference.
All for now, hope everyone has a great weekend and stays nice and cool. This heat is really intense and you have to believe this is only the beginning of what will be a long HOT summer. Go Dogs.
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