Coffee DB Pernell Williams

Coffee defensive back Pernell Williams said he committed to the Florida Gators, but it appears that the reigning BCS champions have not yet accepted his commitment.

Here’s a quick recap: Williams said he got on the phone on Thursday morning with Florida assistants Vance Bedford and Brian White, and told them he was committing to the Gators. Then Williams texted reporters, saying he was excited about picking the Gators.

However, word later got back to Williams and his family that maybe the Gators hadn’t accepted the commitment just yet. Apparently, there was some miscommunication. Former UGA player Reggie Weeks, who is the brother-in-law of Williams, said he called Bedford late Thursday to clarify the matter.

“[Bedford] said ‘We definitely want Pernell and he has an offer from Florida,’” Weeks said. “He said they (Florida) didn’t want Pernell to rush into it so soon with committing where he might change his mind later on. So Florida is coming to …

Buford offensive lineman Kolton Houston committed to Georgia before Saturday’s G-Day, following in the footsteps of his father, former UGA football player Shane Houston. “Yes, I did,” Houston told the AJC. “Georgia is the right fit for me and I can’t wait to get here.”

“It’s a great honor to be a Bulldog and I can’t wait to play in front of 92,000 people ‘Between the Hedges.’”

The 6-foot-5, 270-pound Houston selected Georgia over around 15 offers, including Tennessee, Georgia Tech, Clemson, Auburn, Florida State, and Michigan State. 

Houston has a lot of red and black in his blood. His father was a backup linebacker at Georgia in the late 1980s. Both of Kolton’s parents attended UGA.

Despite the family connections, Houston was a good catch for the Bulldogs. Kolton had started looking seriously at other schools because Georgia was taking longer than competing colleges with his evaluation. However, everything changed when Georgia’s Mark Richt finally …

Derrick Favors will make it official with Georgia Tech on April 15. Favors committed to Tech over UGA, Memphis, and N.C. State. (AJC)

Derrick Favors, who is ranked as the nation’s No. 1 basketball prospect by several recruiting services, said there’s no reason for Georgia Tech fans to worry over the next 10 days. Favors has been committed to the Yellow Jackets since January, and will officially sign the scholarship papers on April 15.

“There’s always rumors going around, but I’m 100-percent committed to Georgia Tech,” Favors told the AJC on Sunday night. “When I made my commitment, that was it. There haven’t been any reasons to change things. Georgia Tech hasn’t had a coaching change, and I’m real cool with the team, so I’m staying with them.”

The rumor mill for college basketball recruiting is at its peak. John Calipari was named Kentucky’s coach, and high-profile prospects committed or signed elswhere may follow him. If you recall, Calipari’s former school, Memphis, was a …

Paul Johnson already has two in-state prospects committed to sign with Georgia Tech next year (AJC)

Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson and UGA’s Mark Richt say they expect to battle it out more this year over the state’s top prospects.

Westlake linebacker Michael Taylor is the latest homegrown talent to be recruited by the archrivals. Georgia Tech offered Taylor on Thursday; UGA extended the scholarship papers on his 17th birthday in February.

“It means a lot to get offered by both Georgia and Georgia Tech,” Taylor said. “Both are great schools. Georgia is one of the top teams in the SEC, while Georgia Tech is one of the best in the ACC. It doesn’t seem to happen a lot, when [an in-state] player gets offered by both of them.”

It’s still early in recruiting for the 2010 prospects, but at least a dozen of the state’s top names have dual offers from the rivals. Some of the headliners are M.L. King tailback Mack Brown, Booker T. Washington wide receiver Antonio Goodwin, Gainesville …

Buford OL Kolton Houston has UGA and Georgia Tech offers (Photo by Brandi King)

Shane Houston tried his best to hide the excitement over his son, Buford’s Kolton Houston, being offered a football scholarship by Georgia. Shane played at UGA, and there’s just something special when your son is offered by your former team. It’s one of those father-son things. Shane tried to put on his best “game face” but it wasn’t really working.

“It definitely means a lot for Georgia to offer,” Shane said on Monday evening. “Any father would think that. It was honor. It felt special. Now it’s in Kolton’s hands on what to do with the recruiting process.”

The son is not sure what to do just yet. For Kolton, Georgia is offer No. 13, including Georgia Tech, Tennessee, Clemson, Auburn and Michigan State. The 6-foot-5, 270-pound offensive lineman said the lack of a Georgia offer, especially with the family connections, created an uneasy situation.

“It started getting a little discouraging,” Houston …

Nick Montana is considering UGA among his dozen offers. His father, NFL Hall of Famer Joe Montana, accompanied Nick. (Jay Christensen/WizOfOdds)

UPDATE: Montana reflects on UGA visit

Nick Montana, son of NFL Hall of Famer Joe Montana, says he is serious about Georgia. He told the AJC he wouldn’t be flying halfway across the country if he wasn’t.

The 6-foot-2, 177-pound Montana is one of the nation’s top college prospects and plays football at California’s Oaks Christian High. Montana and his legendary father toured the campuses of Alabama and Georgia this weekend.

He has a dozen scholarship offers, including South Carolina, Stanford, LSU, Ohio State, Florida State, Nebraska, Notre Dame, North Carolina, Georgia, Maryland, Alabama, and Arizona. He also has serious interest from Tennessee, Southern Cal, and Oklahoma, among others.

Montana spoke with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution about the recruiting process:

Q. How was your visit to …

Joe Montana with his two boys at the 1995 ceremony to retire his San Francisco 49ers jersey. Where's future QB prospect Nick Montana? Showing his calm and cool demeanor, even as an infant. Young Nick is sleeping soundly in his mother's arms to the left (San Jose Mercury News)

Nick Montana, son of NFL Hall of Famer Joe Montana, will visit Alabama and Georgia this weekend. The 6-foot-2, 177-pound quarterback is scheduled to be at Alabama on Friday, and then tour Georgia on Saturday.

Montana claims no favorites and says his famous father’s ties to Notre Dame will not impact his college decision, according to TotalUGA.com. Montana also says distance won’t affect his recruiting process.

Montana is one of six QBs offered by Georgia, including Blake Bell of Wichita, Kan., and Gainesville High’s Blake Sims. Montana sports offers from South Carolina, Stanford, LSU, Ohio State, Florida State, …

Alec Ogletree is ranked as the nation's No. 1 safety by Rivals with 35 scholarship offers, but he says his twin brother may be more talented than him (AJC)

Newnan High’s Alec Ogletree is considered the state’s No. 1 college prospect and holds 35 early scholarship offers. He says his twin brother, Zander Ogletree, may be better than he is, and Zander has been mostly ignored by college scouts.

“The only reason I can think that I have all these offers and [my twin brother] doesn’t is because of height … because he can play, I mean, he’s really, really good ,” said Alec, who was heavily courted by Georgia coach Mark Richt during UGA’s Junior Day. His five early favorites are Miami, FSU, Alabama, UGA and Florida.

The football stars were born two minutes apart on Sept. 25, 1991. Alec has grown to 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, plays safety in high school, and has college coaches drooling with his presence. Zander (the older twin) stands 5-11 and 205 pounds, plays some mean linebacker, and …

Lane Kiffin has already publicly apologized to Florida, Urban Meyer and SEC. He told the AJC he "figured that was enough" (AP)

Lane Kiffin said he is through apologizing to Florida.

Kiffin issued a public apology for wrongly accusing the reigning BCS football champions and coach Urban Meyer of cheating while recruiting. Kiffin said that he felt like that was enough, and he didn’t plan to contact Meyer personally to say he was sorry.

“I already apologized to [Meyer] and anybody at the University of Florida that I may have offended, and I figured that was enough,” Kiffin told the AJC in an interview on Tuesday.

It has become one of college football biggest controversies. It started at a recruiting breakfast with Tennessee supporters on Feb. 5, the day after National Signing Day. Wide receiver prospect Nu’Keese Richardson switched at the last minute from Florida to Tennessee.

“I love the fact Urban had to cheat and still didn’t get …

Several Florida football players say that photos of Kiffin are hanging in the team’s locker room because they are angry about the lack of respect for Gators coach Urban Meyer, according to a published report.

What does Kiffin think of it all? He was asked about the situation during an interview with the AJC on Tuesday. “I think it’s pretty neat that the Tennessee ‘T’ is in the Florida locker room,” Kiffin said. “As recruits go through there visiting, they get to see our Tennessee ‘T.’ So I guess you call it free advertising.”

On Feb. 5, the day after National Signing Day, Kiffin told Tennessee fans at a breakfast that Meyer and the Gators had cheated in recruiting while trying to sign Nu’Keese Richardson. Meyer called Richardson while he was visiting Tennessee, which is not a violation. Richardson switched from Florida to Tennessee near the end of the recruiting process. Kiffin was reprimanded by …

UGA's most famous football player, Herschel Walker, was the trendsetter for lengthy recruiting decisions almost 30 years ago (AJC)

Georgia coaching legend Vince Dooley had to laugh when asked about several of nation’s elite prospects holding out until far beyond signing day this year to announce college decisions. Dooley was a central figure in the lengthy recruiting battle that was the trendsetter nearly 30 years ago, when Herschel Walker delayed until April to sign with UGA.

“These young men didn’t wait as long as Herschel did,” Dooley said with a chuckle. “He signed on Easter and I’ll never forget that because I made a commitment to my wife to go see her brother in Boston and take all the children.”

“We were going to leave on a Thursday since the kids were out of school. But when the time came, I couldn’t leave. My wife said, ‘What do you mean you can’t leave?’ I told her Herschel hasn’t signed. She said ‘To heck with Herschel. Who does he think he is?’ I told her I don’t …

Who is No. 1 for Georgia's 2010 recruiting class? It's Dalton DE Jalen Fields, who hinted to the AJC that he intended to commit to the Bulldogs.

Georgia finally got its first commitment for 2010 when Dalton defensive end Jalen Fields committed to the Bulldogs during UGA’s Junior Day on Saturday.

“I told [Mark Richt] and he was hugging me and my family,” Fields told the AJC. “Georgia is the place I want to be. I believe in [Richt] and Georgia. Coach Richt has already done so many great things at Georgia. I’m a hometown guy, so there was no need for me to look around anywhere else. Georgia is where I want to be, and it’s an honor to be the first [commitment] for next year.”

The 6-foot-5, 245-pound Fields picked UGA among seven offers, including Tennessee, Alabama, and FSU. Had Fields waited longer, he was expected to double or triple his scholarship offers.

“I like ‘Coach O’ a lot [Tennessee recruiting coordinator Ed Orgeron], but Georgia was my first offer and my first …

Kiffin (KNS/S. Young)

Lane Kiffin says Tennessee’s infamous shirt-ripping stunt on Junior Day was “the best story you could ever have” for recruiting football players to Rocky Top.

The topless tactic was perhaps the most creative and most bizarre recruiting strategy in SEC football history. Tennessee had many of the nation’s top 2010 prospects on campus, and the Volunteers went to extreme measures to make sure they remembered the trip, as reported by the AJC. [Click here for a full recap].

Kiffin talked extensively about the benefits of the controversial method to CBSsports. ”It’s the best story you could ever have. You can’t get all these recruits on your campus. You’ve got to convince them to take an official visit. What better way when they read about this.”

“We had numerous kids the next day [say] this was the best junior day I was ever at. They had a blast. They said, ‘These coaches are so intense, so high energy. You can tell they’re going to win here. Tennessee is at …

Mark Richt gave ex-UGA recruit Dexter Moody an unconditional release (AJC)

Georgia coach Mark Richt was generous with his terms on cutting loose Dexter Moody. Richt confirmed with the AJC that the prized prospect who signed with UGA last month was given an “unconditional” release. There are no strings attached, which means Moody could end up playing against Bulldogs in the future.

“You always want the best for people. If it doesn’t work out for someone here at Georgia, then you want them to be successful somewhere else,” Richt told the AJC on Wednesday evening. Richt declined to comment specifically on Moody, citing NCAA rules.

Unconditional releases are unpopular across the college football landscape these days. Miami quarterback Robert Marve was granted permission to transfer from the Hurricanes, as long as he didn’t suit up for a teams in the SEC, ACC and state of Florida. Later Miami eased up a little on the restrictions, saying Marve could play anywhere except for ACC …

Mike Gundy boosted his Q rating among recruits with his rant. Georgia plays at Oklahoma State to open the 2009 football season (OSU athletics)

Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy, who became an instant celebrity with his “I’m a Man, I’m 40″ rant on YouTube, said his famous tirade to defend one of his former players is helping the Cowboys with recruiting future players. Even Gundy admits he never anticipated the recruiting benefits from the emotional outburst which got so popular it was the punchline for jokes.

“No, I didn’t expect it, in any way, shape, form or fashion,” Gundy told the AJC. “It’s interesting since that day, which happened on impulse in my opinion, to protect and take care of one of our players, I didn’t have any idea that it would take off like this. From that point on, for good or bad, I’ve become very recognizable across the country.”

“In turn, what has has happened in the last couple of years in recruiting, it has helped us tremendously. I think the parents …

Douglass DE Garrison Smith likes Georgia, and his brother played at archrival Georgia Tech (AJC)

Who will be UGA’s first commitment for 2010?

Somebody has got to be first. Who will it be? How much longer will it take before one of the highly-regarded juniors coveted by Georgia finally pledges to sign with the Bulldogs?

Juniors are committing to colleges all over the country. Texas has 20 early commitments, while Florida has seven, according to Rivals. South Carolina has three, as does Alabama, including North Gwinnett’s Austin Shepherd. Georgia Tech has one 2010 commitment, Collins Hill tailback Charles Perkins.

What about Georgia? Last year by signing day, the Bulldogs had five early commitments, all in-state players. UGA recruiting coordinator Rodney Garner was asked why he didn’t think the Bulldogs had any juniors committed this year by signing day.

“That’s not true,” the poker-faced Garner said. 

Garner could’ve been teasing. But more than likely, one of Georgia’s …

Georgia Tech's Paul Johnson (AJC)

It’s one thing to sign a heralded recruiting class. It’s another to see if they all make it through college admissions to football practice in the summer.

Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson feels really good about his 21 recruits, led by Flowery Branch’s Izaan Cross. ”As long as everybody finishes with the grades they have now, I think everybody is good,” Johnson said last week. “As long as they maintain in school what they have and get there. It’s a sliding scale with test scores and GPAs, as far as NCAA qualifiers go. If everybody we have stays with what they have, then we should be OK.” 

UGA wrapped up its 2009 class with recruit No. 20, tight end Orson Charles of Tampa. At least six Georgia recruits have told reporters over the last few months that they were “close to meeting college entrance requirements,” with the biggest names being ECI teammates Washaun Ealey and Dexter Moody, along with defensive end Montez Robinson of …

Orson Charles got on the hotline to speak directly with the head coaches of Georgia, Tennessee and Southern Cal before making his long-awaited college announcement (Tampa Tribune).

When you’re one of the nation’s top college prospects involved in a high-stakes recruiting sweepstakes, the easy thing to do is picking a winner among several offers. The hard thing is informing the runners-up that you are going elsewhere.

Many elite prospects avoid this gut-wrenching aspect of recruiting altogether. Some will have their high school coaches deliver the bad news to the losing schools. Some will have their parents call. Some will send a quick text or email, or call the college and pray it goes directly to voice mail. Some won’t do anything, letting the runner-up schools find out at the signing ceremony with everyone else.

“That was very hard, one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do in my life,” said Orson Charles, who signed with Georgia over Southern Cal and Tennessee on …

Stephen Hill

Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson said Tech’s 45-42 win over Georgia, snapping a seven-game losing streak, has had an impact on the recruiting trail.  ”Certainly, it doesn’t hurt when you can beat your in-state rival. It’s got to help. It gives you more credibility within the state. But it can’t be an one-time deal. We’ve got to be able to repeat it.”

“Georgia has a lot of advantages in the state, from perception or whatever. And a lot of it they created themselves. They’ve done a nice job. You try to find guys that fit your system, and there are good enough players in the state of Georgia that both schools can get good players.”

Johnson and Georgia coach Mark Richt have both said they expect to compete against each other more often for the state’s top 2010 prospects. “Have we got to come head-to-head sometimes? Sure we will,” Johnson said. “We did last year. Not a lot, but some.”

Stephen Hill was the state's only player deciding between offers from Georgia …

This guy rules.

UPDATE: Click here for AJC Photo Gallery of Charles signing with Georgia at his signing ceremony on March 6, 2009.

Tight end Orson Charles of Tampa, one of the nation’s top unsigned seniors, was scheduled to pick March 6, 2009, between Georgia, Tennessee and Southern Cal at 4:30 p.m. EST. Here are 10 reasons we here at the AJC thought O.C. just might pick UGA. (And we turned out to be right on.)

10. Be Like Herschel (Just Sign Earlier) — The most famous Georgia Bulldog also waited until after signing day. Herschel Walker, the 1982 Heisman Trophy winner, signed his college papers in April. APRIL.

9. You Can’t Spell “Superior College Football” without “SEC” — The Southeastern Conference is considered by many to be the country’s best for college football, and home to the last three BCS champions. Georgia began last season ranked No. 1 in the nation.

8. TE + UGA = NFL — Georgia has an established reputation for sending tight ends to the NFL (see: former …

Orson Charles (Tampa Tribune)

Georgia will close the books on its 2009 recruiting class after Friday’s announcement by tight end Orson Charles of Tampa. Charles is one of nation’s top unsigned seniors and deciding between Georgia, Tennessee and Southern Cal. Here are 15 questions with Charles:

Q. Where do you stand at this moment with picking a college on Friday? A. “Really, at this point, I’m not really sure. I’m talking to [members of my church], and they say, ‘Orson, keep praying about it, and keep reading Proverbs. God is going to help you with this.’”

Q. If you had to pick a school [on Wednesday night], could you do it? A. “No sir, I sure couldn’t. I’m still not sure. I’m in the process of praying about it, and I have a few more meetings. I know I want to sit down with [NFL wide receiver] Michael Clayton, and he has me set up to talk to some of his friends. I still have to talk with my high school coach. I’ll probably have one more meeting with my family and take it …

Georgia coach Mark Richt revealed his secret on handling the rigors and stresses of recruiting: He prays.

“I put a lot of things to prayer, and this is one thing I put to prayer. I ask the Lord to ‘Give us the guys that belong at Georgia. The ones that don’t belong, work it out.’ I don’t get too bent out of shape with [recruiting], one way or the other. We’re going to get what we need. We’re going to get the right guys here.”

More than a month after signing day, UGA is still trying to put the finishing touches on its 2009 recruiting class. On Friday, tight end Orson Charles of Tampa will decide between the Bulldogs, Tennessee and Southern Cal. On signing day, Richt displayed a calm and cool demeanor in front of Georgia supporters eager for some last-minute drama. The Bulldogs missed on several high-profile prospects, including Carver-Columbus linebacker Jarvis Jones (signed with Southern Cal) and safety Jawanza Starling (Southern Cal) of Tallahassee, Fla., before …

“The state is very important,” Johnson said. “We wanted to try to make an emphasis on that, and we have. There’s a chance we may take everybody in-state this year [with our 2010 scholarships]. We may take them all from Georgia.”

Georgia Tech expects to sign between 12-15 players next year, and already has its first commitment with Collins Hill tailback Charles Perkins. “I think there’s a lot of good players in Georgia, there’s some great high school coaches, and football is important,” Johnson said. “We’re one of the two bigger in-state schools and we need to make sure that we are very thorough here.”

“Now does that mean we won’t go outside? No. But if we are going outside of the state, those guys need to be remarkably better than the guys we can find in the …

Urban Meyer has won two BCS titles at Florida (AP photo)

A Florida high school football coach says his friendship is a little strained with Urban Meyer these days. It has everything to do with recruiting.

Robert Weiner directs Tampa’s Plant High, the Florida powerhouse which has won two out of the last three state championships. Plant High also boasts two prospects ranked among the nation’s top 100, quarterback Aaron Murray and tight end Orson Charles. Both are headed across the state line for college ball, which isn’t sitting too well with fans of the reigning BCS champions. Weiner counts Urban Meyer as a friend.

“I’m sure, at least for a short period of time, there will be strained relations with Urban and the Florida coaches,” Weiner told the AJC on Wednesday. “But eventually we’ll be back to business. I’ll have other players that the University of Florida will want in future years, and I’d love to get players to the University of Florida. Anytime you have two …

Tucker sophomore James Vaughters

Why waste any time talking about the state’s top juniors? That group, those 15 and 16-year olds, they are old news. The sophomores are stealing the spotlight. And that’s correct for all of you keeping score at home: These kids will graduate in 2011. They won’t take the field in college (best-case scenario) for three more years. Maybe the economy will be back by then.

Tucker’s James Vaughters is the latest member of the 2011 club, joining others such as Gainesville linebacker A.J. Johnson (Tennessee offer) and Valdosta tight end Jay Rome (UGA, Alabama). Vaughters is 6-foot-3 and 220 pounds, sports a 4.0 GPA, and boasts extra early offers from N.C. State and Central Florida.

Since when did Central Florida start offering 2011 kids in Georgia? That’s a good question. I had to ask that to Tucker coach Franklin Stephens. “As you know, [Tucker senior] Jonathan Davis signed with Central Florida. The Central Florida assistant is David Kelley, who …

UGA coach Mark Richt was recently asked what “commitment means.” 

“When we offer a kid, we don’t ever want to renege that offer,” Richt said. “If we offer a QB, and we’ve assigned one scholarship to that position, and we offer five or six, we tell each one of them that ‘We’re looking to sign one.’ When one gets committed, and we trust that he’s solid, then we let everybody know we’re full. I don’t really look at that as reneging an offer. I think everybody offered has the chance to take that one. It one of those ‘whomever takes it first, gets it’ type of things.”

“That’s why I tell our coaches ‘Don’t be quick to offer. If you offer him, and he commits, he’s ours. We’re not backing off that. So, at times, we probably offer a little bit slower, in some cases, than other schools.”

“You hope that a young man is going to stand firm with his …

Chris Burnette

Georgia coach Mark Richt made a promise last month to Troup County offensive lineman Chris Burnette: If you’re the valedictorian, then I’ll be at your graduation to hear your speech.

However, as it turns out, NCAA rules will prevent Richt from attending the high school graduation. But he still plans on hearing Burnette’s speech.

“If Chris is the man and he gives the speech, hopefully they will tape it … I would absolutely watch it, I’d be excited to watch it,” Richt said. “I’ll make sure to check with compliance, but I can’t imagine that being [an NCAA] violation.”

Burnette, who signed with Georgia, said he is fine with the altered plans. “Everybody around here was excited about Coach Richt showing up at graduation. But he can’t do anything about the rules … I understand, it’s no big deal.”

“It really means a lot to me that [Richt] wanted to be there to support me. I knew there a chance he couldn’t make because of [NCAA rules], football practices, or the …

Could this apply to Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin? Is this his “secret” recruiting strategy? In the end, will Kiffin get the last laugh on his detractors?  It sounds ridiculous, until you look at everything strictly from the standpoint of recruiting.

Brief recap: Kiffin has appeared to set a Guinness world record for “ticking off the most SEC coaches in the shortest span.” Barely two months on the job at Rocky Top, Kiffin has taken shots at Florida, Alabama and Georgia. He made the biggest news with “cheating accusations” toward Florida’s Urban Meyer, coach of the reigning BCS champions.

One could say (and many are outside of the Orange Nation) that “never before has a coach been this brash, this bold, this quickly … without coaching his first college game.” And that was the PG-13 version of summing up public opinion. Kiffin’s moves appear to be reckless and out of control.

However, from a recruiting …

Georgia Tech's Giff Smith

And you thought all the recruiting fun ended for a while with last week’s signing day.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Behind the scenes, Georgia recruiting coordinator Rodney Garner and his counterpart, Georgia Tech’s Giff Smith, are arguably under more pressure now.

January and February are THE most important months of the year for making inroads with the state’s top prospects for the following year. You know, Georgia’s top juniors, which will make up the 2010 recruiting classes for colleges. Both schools have sent out a flurry of early offers, and more will be on the way.

Now what we’re talking about here is UGA and Tech, with regards to high school prospects in Georgia (not other states). And we’re talking about the elite guys, the state’s top 10-20 juniors. If UGA and Tech really want them, they have a short “window of opportunity” to let it be clearly known before the intense invasion of out-of-state colleges begins later in the …

Paul Johnson

The AJC posted more than 200 recruiting articles, columns, profiles, videos and photo galleries on Wednesday. There was so much at such a dizzying pace that I decided to pick out some of the best ones for you to read in case you missed them:

UGA recruiting coordinator Rodney Garner makes public apology to wife. This revisits what many say is one of the funniest recruiting press conferences they’ve ever seen, and it was all caught on tape.

One Valdosta player signs with Georgia, another with Georgia Tech. Whenever Antonio Foster says “45-42, 45-42, 45-42, 45-42, 45-,42, 45-42″, Mike Gilliard reminds him UGA won seven out of eight meetings.

Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson addresses what “commitment means.” Here we go with the philosophical debate. This could get pretty deep with the posts underneath.

Marlon Brown pulls prank on UGA players. That speedy and sneaky Marlon. He had UGA’s players thinking he was headed to Ohio State.

South Carolina reveals its …

Lowndes DB Greg Reid

What will Greg Reid do on Tuesday night?

The state and (gulp) nation awaits, as Reid has transformed himself into arguably the county’s “hottest” college football prospect over the last month.

Reid, the AJC’s Player of the Year, will choose between Alabama, Florida State and Georgia between 6-8 p.m. on a local radio station that also broadcasts over the Internet.

Love him or hate him, Reid is nothing short of greatness on the football field. He is considered the rarest of prospects, someone who has the potential to improve a college team’s football fortunes from the very moment he arrives on campus. What will Greg Reid do?

The 5-foot-8 Reid had a dominating senior season at Lowndes High. If that wasn’t convincing enough, he played in Georgia’s North-South all-star classic and scored the game’s only two touchdowns on punt returns of 89 and 77 yards. If more proof was needed, Reid won MVP honors with two interceptions in the ESPN-televised Under Armour …

Take your best guess on where five high-profile recruits will sign on Wednesday …

Greg Reid, DB, Lowndes. It’s Florida State, UGA, and Alabama. His Lowndes teammate and cousin, Gerald Demps, is headed to Florida State, and some family members would like him to play a little closer to home (Tallahassee is 85 miles away, while Athens is 240). Reid admits with Georgia being his final official visit, they are in great position to make the biggest influence before signing day. Will it be enough?

Carver-Columbus LB Jarvis Jones

Jarvis Jones, LB, Carver-Columbus. The poker-faced Jones lists Florida, Southern Cal, UGA, LSU and Texas. There’s an “80-percent chance” he’ll go out of state. Mark Richt spent six hours with Jones on Wednesday. Was that enough to make Jones think about staying around home to play?

Darren Myles, DB, Carver-Atlanta. He is taking an …

I’m not saying that Favors would’ve “saved” Dennis Felton’s job in the long run. But he would’ve bought Felton at least one more year. College ADs don’t tend to pull the trigger on the “fire button” as quickly when you have the nation’s No. 1 recruit arriving the following season. There are countless examples of basketball coaches on the “hotseat” who were able to buy a little more time by landing a big-timer.

Anyways, this is a moot point because Favors picked Tech, not UGA. But it does remind you the high stakes of recruiting, and its rippling effects.

One last thing: South Atlanta coach Michael Reddick said on Thursday that Favors will sign with Georgia Tech on April 15, the first day of the “late” signing period. However, Favors hasn’t signed any paperwork yet, only given a verbal commitment. I expect him to sign with Georgia Tech. But what if UGA …

Miller Grove WR Stephen Hill

We all know who won the football game. Someone posts “45-42″ at the bottom of nearly every recruiting article, even if it has nothing to do with Georgia Tech or Georgia.  

But who will win the head-to-head recruiting battle between the two archrivals? That has been really hard to say so far because Georgia Tech and Georgia haven’t really fought it out with recruits this year. Now both have offered the same player, i.e. Alabama lineman William Ming (committed to Alabama), Norcross defensive back Prince Kent (Miami), Buford lineman Dallas Lee (UGA), etc. But Georgia and Georgia Tech have yet to be the two finalists for any in-state prospect, which is bizarre when you look around and see classic recruiting wars between Auburn and Alabama, South Carolina and Clemson, and all the Florida schools. It’s like comparing apples to oranges.

However, we may finally have some “apples to apples” after Georgia offered Miller Grove wide receiver Stephen Hill …

Massie is ranked as the nation’s No. 1 prospect out of prep schools, according to Rivals. He plays at Virginia’s Hargrave Military and is also considering Alabama, North Carolina, Ole Miss, and Miami.

Last year, he did something very interesting as a high school senior. He turned heads when he didn’t commit or pick a college by signing day. He had plenty of major-college offers, and had backed off a commitment to Virginia Tech only a month before signing day.

Why did Massie do it? He got some good advice from a family friend, Hargrave coach Robert Prunty. “If a player knows he is going to a prep school or junior college, and commits to a college as a [high school senior], then he is pretty much tied to that particular college,” Prunty said.

In other words, if you commit to a school as a …

Chris Burnette

Georgia coach Mark Richt made a promise to Troup offensive lineman Chris Burnette: If you’re the valedictorian, then I’ll be at your graduation to hear your speech.

“[Richt] said he was proud of me, and if it happens, he’ll be there,” Burnette said. “I was honored he said that to me, especially with all the [coaching responsibilities] he has.”

“That would cool to have [Richt] at graduation. He is like a celebrity, and it would be a wild atmosphere with him there.”

Burnette decided against enrolling early at Georgia so he could stay at Troup to compete for the No. 1 academic honor. Burnette has a 5.012 GPA and slight lead over two others in the valedictorian race. He has made straight A’s since kindergarten.

“I was already very motivated, but [Richt saying that] gives me even more,” Burnette said.

Richt told Burnette he has never recruited a valedictorian during his coaching career.

UGA fans get excited about the possibility of a defensive secondary featuring Branden Smith and Greg Reid.

Smith likes the idea, too.

“I don’t know Greg very well, but his performance (two interceptions) in the all-star game speaks for itself,” Smith said. “All he does is make plays.”

“I’d love for Greg to come to Georgia with me. It would great to have two Georgia boys back there locking down wide receivers and helping the Bulldogs win championships.”

Smith, from Atlanta’s Booker T. Washington High, is the state’s top prospect and has committed to Georgia.

Reid played at Lowndes and is arguably the state’s hottest prospect after winning MVP honors at the Under Armour All-America game. Reid backed off his longtime commitment to Florida and is now considering the Gators, Georgia, Florida State and Alabama.

Smith denied rumors that he would consider other schools if Reid, who plays the same position, committed to Georgia. “Not true, at all. When I picked Georgia, I picked …

Tight end Orson Charles of Tampa

Georgia’s recruiting strategy for the rest of the year looked so simple back in August. That’s when the Bulldogs had 15 early commitments, and when UGA coach Mark Richt admitted “We probably could have a few more than that [15] right now if we really wanted.” At the time, Georgia expected to sign no more than 20 players in February. The five remaining scholarships? The Bulldogs, riding a wave of momentum with the No. 1 ranking and more importantly already securing commitments at key positions, decided to go all-out for some of the nation’s top prospects, mostly from out of state.

It was a great decision then and a good decision now, as the Bulldogs are finalists for around a half-dozen of the nation’s elite players at their positions, including wide receiver Marlon Brown of Memphis, offensive tackle Bobby Massie of Hargrave, Va., and tight end Orson Charles of Tampa.

However, Georgia’s recruiting strategy has been altered by the NFL draft. The …

It’s when a senior signs with a college in February but does not enroll during the summer with the rest of his recruiting classmates because of a scholarship overload. Instead, the player delays his start in college until January, allowing the school to count him toward the following year’s scholarship total.

Georgia coach Mark Richt brought up the “grayshirt” issue with Paulsen when making an in-home visit on Monday. It is a creative way to try to get Paulsen to play in Athens.

The 6-foot-3, 240-pound Paulsen is a lifelong Georgia fan. But when he didn’t have an offer last month, he committed to Oklahoma State. But Richt concluded recently that he wanted to sign a fullback, and Paulsen was the No. 1 target.

Georgia has less than the normal 25 scholarships this year because of a large senior class. The Bulldogs are expected to sign no …

Chris Burnette decided against enrolling early at UGA so he could try to be Troup's valedictorian

How serious is Burnette about his schoolwork? He changed his plans about enrolling early at Georgia this month so he could stay in high school to compete for the No. 1 academic honor among his senior class of 250 students.

Georgia supported Burnette’s decision.

“Coach Richt said that as long as he has been in coaching, even at Florida State, he couldn’t remember recruiting another valedictorian,” said the player’s father, Anthony Burnette.

“[Richt] said while initially he felt it would be good for Chris to come to Georgia …

Kenney

However, Stafford decided on Wednesday to exit for the NFL, along with Knowshon Moreno. So how do UGA’s top two remaining recruiting targets at wide receiver feel about it?

“I’m happy for him [Stafford], I think he made the right decision,” said Marlon Brown of Memphis, who is deciding between Tennessee, Georgia, Ohio State and LSU.

“I kind of figured that Stafford would go … and why wouldn’t he go if he is projected to be drafted so high?” said former Dacula standout Cameron Kenney. He plays at Garden City Junior College and is mulling over offers from Auburn, UGA, South Carolina and Kansas State. “He did what he felt like he needed to do.”

The more important question is this: How will Stafford’s departure affect how …

Greg Reid is considering the Gators, UGA, Florida State, Mississippi State, and Texas and probably six more colleges that called by the time you read this caption.

Greg Reid, Lowndes: He may be the nation’s hottest prospect after his MVP performance in the Under Armour All-America game, intercepting two passes and nearly picking off another. Only a few days earlier, the 5-foot-9, 185-pound Reid made the surprising move to back off his longtime commitment to Florida, saying he rushed his initial decision. UGA has reminded Reid it still has a scholarship available for him. He will make recruiting trips to Florida on Jan. 16, Mississippi State …