DB Reggie Wilkerson, a 6-foot, 175-pounder from Citron, Fla., committed to UGA over South Florida and Clemson.

“I picked Georgia because it feels like family,” Wilkerson told the AJC. “I have great chemistry with the coaches and I’ve bonded well with the players.

“It feels like home to me. I feel this is a place where I can come in and compete for the starting job on first day.”

UGA is off to a blistering start for its 2013 recruiting class with 15 commitments, including five players who may get a look at cornerback — Shaq Wiggins, Steven Nelson, JJ Green and Tramel Terry.

Earlier on Saturday, UGA got a commitment from Sandy Creek WR Demarre Kitt, who is a high school sophomore.

Richt should consider taking one NCAA secondary violation in the name of academics (AJC)

Not only is he one of the nation’s top-rated offensive linemen, he is also a valedictorian candidate at Troup High School. UGA coach Mark Richt told Burnette he was the first valedictorian he had ever recruited. He also said that if Burnette got to speak at graduation, that he would do his best to be there in person to hear it.

Richt’s vow earned Georgia, and college football in general, a wave of good publicity. Then the big and bad NCAA got in the way.

As it turned out, it would be against the rules for Richt to attend the celebration of his recruit’s academic achievements. Richt, being the nice guy he is, felt bad about not being permitted to go but said he would still listen to the speech via a videotaped copy.

That’s where things stand right now. And now is where I think Richt should consider taking a stand … in …

Southern Cal offered Garrison Smith (left), who also likes UGA and Georgia Tech. His older brother played at Georgia Tech (AJC)

Douglass defensive end Garrison Smith, one of the nation’s leaders in early scholarships with around 30, had been offered by all of his dream schools except for one. That was Southern Cal, and Pete Carroll called with the news on Wednesday night.

“[Carroll] said he thinks I’m a good player, that I’d be a good fit, and I ought to come out to the West coast,” Smith said. “I was real excited about talking to him. USC is a legendary team with a legendary coach, and always winning championships. It’s just another blessing.”

The 6-foot-3, 255-pound Smith was offered by Oklahoma last week, and also holds scholarships from Georgia and Georgia Tech. His older brother, Greg Smith, played for Georgia Tech.

He was rumored to be considering making an early decision, but says he is unsure about when he will commit. “I just want to check out all of my options,” …

Bruce Pearl (left) took it off but Lane Kiffin (right) kept it on. (AP photos)

Although new Tennessee football coach Lane Kiffin has gotten the most press from his coaches’ shirt-ripping stunt during an early March Junior Day visit from recruits, in truth it was men’s basketball coach Bruce Pearl who really started the whole Tennessee Topless phenomenon when he showed up shirtless and painted in orange to show support for the Lady Vols in a 2007 game against rival Duke.

Pearl went shirtless again Monday night when he and three Vols athletes performed a rap song during Tennessee’s athletics awards ceremony. The hoops coach sported one of his trademark orange-and-white checkered sport coat, orange tie and… a lot of skin.

For his part, Lane Kiffin remained clothed, performing in a skit with father / defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin.

VIDEO: Tennessee men’s basketball coach Bruce Pearl’s topless rap

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 …

UGA signed one RB last year -- Washaun Ealey, who is "almost there" with meeting college entrance requirements (AJC)

Washaun Ealey, who some say is the state’s most accomplished tailback since Herschel Walker, has to clear one final hurdle before making it to Georgia.

The record-breaking senior from Emanuel County Institute told the AJC that he is close to meeting college entrance requirements.

“I’m almost there. By the time graduation comes around, I should be fine,” Ealey said Tuesday night. “I’m doing good in all my classes. I’ve got the test scores. If I keep my grades where they are now, then my test scores are good enough for me [to be academically qualified]. It’s really looking good now.”

Ealey’s sprint toward graduation is a major storyline over the next two months for UGA. The Bulldogs lost Knowshon Moreno to the NFL, and only signed one running back in this year’s recruiting class, Ealey. Georgia coach Mark Richt, who …

UGA's loss could be Tennessee's gain ... if the Volunteers offer, and Moody accepts it (Tennessee athletics)

Georgia coach Mark Richt granted ex-UGA LB recruit Dexter Moody an “unconditional” release, meaning he could play for any school. Moody told the AJC he could end up playing for Lane Kiffin at Tennessee.

The 6-foot-2, 210-pound Moody said he was invited to Tennessee’s Orange and White game on Saturday by the Volunteers. ”Me and my dad are planning on going up there,” Moody said. “They talked liked they were going to offer me a scholarship. I don’t know. I guess we’ll see. They just want to meet me in person and everything.”

Moody, who earned All-America honors last year at Emanuel County Institute, said he has had contact with several schools, including Florida, Memphis, Central Michigan and Troy, since breaking ties with Georgia last month. Moody said he has been offered by Marshall, and that he is very encouraged by Tennessee’s Lance Thompson, who coaches linebackers …

Over the few weeks, James has traveled from coast to coast. On the west side, he went as far as Nike Country, i.e. the University of Oregon. Somewhere along the way, James also stopped by UGA, Tennessee and Florida.

The 6-foot-7, 305-pound James has a stack of scholarship letters and says his top five are Alabama, UGA, Florida, Tennessee and Oklahoma. And he’s really liking the Gators after spending five days in Florida last week over spring break.

“I got to see [Urban Meyer] every day,” James said. “He said they really like me, and need athletic offensive tackles. He said that don’t have a true tackle-sized person … they didn’t have another lineman on their team that was both as big as me and as athletic as me. They said I was on the top on Florida’s list for …

Gainesville WR Tai-ler Jones has Notre Dame and UGA among his seven finalists, and 32 offers (AJC)

 Gainesville wide receiver Tai-ler Jones, who will announce his college decision on Thursday, has Notre Dame among his finalists.

PHOTOS: Meet WR Tai-Ler Jones and the rest of Gainesville’s ‘Big Four’ prospects

There’s a good reason. His father, Andre Jones, played linebacker and defensive end for Notre Dame. The younger Jones has narrowed down to UGA, North Carolina, Stanford, California, UCLA, Ohio State and the Fighting Irish. He is one of the nation’s leaders in early scholarships offers with 32.

“Notre Dame is a great school … and I know that because my dad says that about every day,” Jones said with a laugh.

“He tells me all the time about his experiences, and how the college life and connections you make at Notre Dame are different than any other school in the country,” Jones said. “It’s like one big brotherhood, and they all help each other out.”

Jones said he feels like …

QB Connor Shaw plays QB for his father, Flowery Branch coach Lee Shaw (right). Connor, one of the nation's top high school quarterbacks, is the younger brother of Georgia Tech's Jaybo Shaw. (AJC)

Big brother played a big factor in one of the nation’s top high school quarterbacks committing to Steve Spurrier and South Carolina over Georgia Tech.

Flowery Branch’s Connor Shaw is the younger brother of Georgia Tech quarterback Jaybo Shaw. Big brother’s presence had its advantages and disadvantages for the Jackets in recruiting.

“Jaybo and I are real close,” Connor told the AJC. “We always talked about how cool it would be to play with each other again after high school. He’s the main reason I wanted to go to Georgia Tech. However, ultimately it came down to us competing for the same job … My parents are excited for me. They are just trying to figure out which games to go to in a couple of years, the games at South Carolina or Georgia Tech.”

Connor picked South Carolina over offers …

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 …

The reigning BCS champions want James Vaughters (Tucker Tigers Football)

Florida coach Urban Meyer jumped into the sweepstakes for Georgia’s No. 1 sophomore.

Tucker LB James Vaughters made an unofficial visit to Florida, and sat down with Meyer for about 45 minutes. Florida is offer No. 8 for Vaughters, who also has scholarships promised from UGA, Georgia Tech, Alabama, Clemson, Stanford, N.C. State and Central Florida.

“It was great to meet Coach Meyer,” Vaughters told the AJC on Friday. “Florida has won two national championships in the last three years. He let me see the rings and everything.”

The 6-foot-2, 220-pound Vaughters claims no early favorites. His eyes got big when he was shown around the campus of the reigning BCS champions. “They definitely put a lot into weightlifting. Florida’s weight room is bigger than gyms I’ve seen. [Meyer] seems very interested in character, which is something else that is very good.”

“[Meyer] was also talking about how the team goes …

Nick and Blake shake on it (Photo submitted by Sims family)

Alabama’s Nick Saban dampened UGA’s national championship hopes last year. Now Saban is returning to the state to inflict more damage.

Gainesville QB Blake Sims is the latest 2010 prospect to pledge to Alabama. Sims picked the Crimson Tide over UGA, Michigan, Tennessee and West Virginia, among others.

Alabama has as many commitments from the state as Georgia Tech (3), and more than UGA (1). The other Tuscaloosa-bound prospects are North Gwinnett OL Austin Shephard and Westside-Macon WR Ronald Carswell.

The big questions are these: Now that Saban is scoring big early in Georgia, will he be able to finish as strong as he started with recruiting? And will he be able to hold on to the commitments he has? So far, so good. 

UGA touched base with Sims this week, asking if he wanted to take another look at the Bulldogs. “[Assistant John Jancek] wanted me to come down there, so they could roll out the red carpet like …

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 …

DT Denzel McCoy committed to Georgia Tech (AJC)

Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson said he felt like he could recruit against any school in the nation for the state’s top prospects.

Northview defensive tackle Denzel McCoy committed to Georgia Tech over 34 offers on Saturday. McCoy picked the Yellow Jackets because “they felt like home and they were close to home, along with great academics.”

The 6-foot-4, 270-pound McCoy said his second choice was Florida State, while he was also heavily considering Auburn, Notre Dame, North Carolina and Tennessee.

“Georgia Tech really cares about you as a football player and a person, they want to get you suited up for life,” McCoy said. “A lot of colleges talk about only ‘football, football and football.’ Georgia Tech talks about academics first, and then football.”

McCoy attended Georgia Tech’s spring practice on Saturday. He had been thinking about holding off with his college decision, but changed his mind after meeting with school officials …

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 …

Lane Kiffin: Pete works out more than me. (AP)

Lane Kiffin finally answered The Question. If his mentor, Southern Cal coach Pete Carroll, went shirtless in front of recruits, then why didn’t Kiffin?

“Pete works out more than me, he’s in better shape,” Kiffin told the AJC, while laughing. [First reported by the AJC, click here for a full recap]

Kiffin and Tennessee recruiting coordinator Ed Orgeron brought the idea along from Southern Cal, where they both worked under Carroll.

However, the LA scene and Rocky Top are two totally different cultures. What gave Kiffin the confidence to try the shirt-ripping stunt in SEC territory? “Players are players no matter where they are. Great players, for the most part, love energetic coaches that are passionate, that make them better, that motivate them out there. We are a very high-energy staff. We want to make sure our players stay at high energy through the day. It wasn’t only that particular [tactic], but the whole Junior Day in …

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 …

Storm Johnson is one of Georgia's top 2010 tailbacks (Rich Addicks/AJC)

The P-word is scaring some of Florida State’s top recruiting targets. “FSU is not as high as they were with me because of probation,” said Newnan safety Alec Ogletree, who is considered Georgia’s No. 1 prospect with 33 early offers. “Florida State was my childhood favorite. I’m still open to them. I’m just not sure about getting involved with any program on probation. We’ll just see how it all plays out.”

Gainesville’s Blake Sims has been offered by FSU as a dual-threat quarterback. “That hurt me a lot when they got on probation because I was so high on them. My feelings have jumped back a little bit. I want to go to a school where I can trust everybody on the coaching staff. If I go to a school that has been put …

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 …

Lane Kiffin is first-year coach at Tennessee (AP)

Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin and his staff made an unforgettable impression on some of the Southeast’s top college prospects on Saturday.

More than 100 high school players, including several of Georgia’s elite prospects, attended Tennessee’s Junior Day. Things started off rather routine. “It was just like your normal Junior Day, with coaches and other people from the college talking,” Brookstone tight end Brian Vogler said. “You could see heads bobbing, with eyes falling a little bit. But the second they split us up from the parents, it got so much more intense.”

The prospects were led to the film room, where Kiffin thanked the recruits for making the trip and considering the Volunteers. “Then this other coach [assistant] got up there and said that Tennessee takes special teams very seriously, that it’s a big key to winning,” recalled Northview defensive lineman Denzel McCoy, who has 31 early scholarship offers.

“That coach …

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 …

Steve Spurrier

South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier told Georgia’s top quarterback prospect he is “nowhere near retiring” from the Gamecocks.

Flowery Branch quarterback Connor Shaw spent around 30 minutes with Spurrier during South Carolina’s Junior Day on Saturday. One of the first things they talked about was Spurrier’s future with the Gamecocks.

“I always hear these rumors, just like everybody else, that Coach Spurrier is going to retire in two years, so I asked him about it,” Shaw said. “He [Spurrier] told me  ’I'm definitely staying until we accomplish more things at South Carolina … [and] I’m nowhere near retiring.’”

Shaw, the younger brother of Georgia Tech quarterback Jaybo Shaw, is one of the state’s top 2010 prospects and has early offers from South Carolina, Tech, Stanford, West Virginia and Wake Forest.

With Spurrier, rumors about his impending retirement are constantly used against South Carolina on the recruiting trail. Even one of Spurrier’s former …

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 …