UGA’s “Dream Team” recruiting pitch gets mixed reviews from state’s top football prospects — Is it a dream? Or reality?
Georgia’s “Dream Team” recruiting approach is getting mixed reviews from the state’s top uncommitted football prospects.
Loading ...The “Dream Team” is the phrase borrowed by Georgia coach Mark Richt for his in-state recruiting efforts. It will be another strong year for talent among the state’s top rising high school seniors, with more than 200 expected to sign major-college scholarships in February.
Richt and his assistant have been using the “Dream Team” sales pitch since early spring, telling the state’s elite that if they join together and sign with Georgia next February, the Bulldogs will contend for future SEC and national championships.
“Georgia has a dream in recruiting, but it may not be my dream, too,” said Thomas County Central defensive tackle Ray Drew, who is considering the Bulldogs among his 27 scholarship offers.
“I’m not saying that for people to read too much into it, either way. It’s just that the dream of [Carver-Columbus tailback] Isaiah Crowell may be different than Georgia’s dream, or the same thing with Valdosta [tight end] Jay Rome.
“What I’m saying is that, in the end, I have to do what’s best for me and my family, like every recruit. If I sign with Georgia, it would be because it was the best fit for me … and not to be part of the ‘Dream Team.’”
Georgia has 11 early commitments for its 2011 recruiting class, including 10 from the state. East Hall defensive end Sterling Bailey, North Clayton linebacker Amarlo Herrera and Mitchell County wide receiver Justin Scott-Wesley are considered among the state’s best prospects at their respective positions.
Bailey said he is using the “Dream Team” approach with several uncommitted prospects, including Crowell and Dalton offensive lineman Watts Dantzler, who will announce between Georgia and Auburn on Sunday.
Mark Richt (left) has 11 UGA commitments for 2011 recruiting class, including 10 from state (AJC)
“When I talked to other guys, I am like come on and hop aboard the ‘Dream Team’ — we’re going to make this the No. 1 recruiting class in the nation,” Bailey said. “This is going to be the class that gets Georgia back up to the top where it needs to be.”
When Bailey was asked if the “Dream Team” idea lured him to the Bulldogs, he said, “I committed to Georgia because it was best for me. It was close to home, and then Coach Richt and [defensive coordinator Todd Grantham] said some things that made everything very clear to me.
“I like the ‘Dream Team’ thing, though. It’s a cool name. Besides, who wouldn’t want to be part of a ‘Dream Team?’”
The “Dream Team” concept is nothing new in recruiting, where every school tries to develop an innovative sales pitch. Drew has heard most of them during his travels.
“Auburn talks about family, that’s what they use to try to get their players,” he said. “With Florida, they have a pretty good record at home. They talked about ‘Protect this house, protect this house.’ Everybody has their own little slogan that they try to sell you on.”
Dantzler said he first learned about the “Dream Team” when Georgia’s coaches visited his school in the spring. They pulled out big piece of paper that had the map of Georgia on it, with around 10 stars denoting the team’s top targets. Monroe Area defensive end Stephon Tuitt, who lists Georgia Tech and Miami as his favorites, said Georgia coaches “showed me around 10 or 12 guys on iPad.”
However, neither Dantzler nor Truitt, along with Bailey and Drew, could remember all the prospects on the “Dream Team.” NCAA rules prevent Georgia from commenting on prospective-student athletes.
The Bulldogs could land two more in-state prospects this week who said they were told they were on Georgia’s “Dream Team” — Dantzler and Tucker linebacker James Vaughters. Vaughters will choose between Georgia and Georgia Tech, among three others, at 11 a.m. Thursday.
“James likes what he has heard about it the ‘Dream Team’ and I think it positively affects his decision,” said his father, Jonathan Vaughters. “But I don’t know if it is the sole criteria he uses when evaluating his top five schools and, ultimately, his final one.”
UPDATE: Dantzler committed to UGA, while Vaughters selected Stanford
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160 comments Add your comment
track dawg
June 16th, 2010
9:54 pm
BD stop hating
Dr. Dave
June 16th, 2010
9:56 pm
What all of you Dawg bashers don’t get is that CMR and his staff are letting all of the top recruits in the state know that if they stay in state, the team should be able to compete with anyone. GTax, you are the last person to be talking smack, when UGA has essentially owned Tech for the past 10 years. Vol1, let’s recall that Lane Kiffen was feeding a bunch of garbage to your recruits, and had call girls escorting recruits around before he jumped ship to another NCAA violator.
DAWG07
June 16th, 2010
10:04 pm
Some of the most significant accomplishments in life start with someones dream. A significant part of this dream is to emphasis reaching out to our local talent. Certainly there are other factors to consider but the fact we are talking about the dream team validates the point.
AltamahaDawg
June 16th, 2010
10:07 pm
I believe you were thinking about Brat Zekowski.
AltamahaDawg
June 16th, 2010
10:14 pm
Yea, falling for a recruiting slogan takes a pure idiot compared to boys who really looked deep inside themselves before opting for the down home straight talk from that rock solid Kiffin.
tenn.DAWG
June 16th, 2010
10:17 pm
Looks like alot of nervous rival fans on this site.You hillbillys should know this kind of marketing works.The bare chested “Wild Boyz” picked up Brown,the no.1 prospect in the nation.Of course you lost him to k.state or some other soon to be former Big 12 team.
Bullgator
June 16th, 2010
10:29 pm
I wonder how many dream players will sign after a 4 loss season? Typical dogs dreams in June.
Pacer
June 16th, 2010
10:31 pm
You have to recruit some guys like Tom Brady who love team and can’t stand losing.
CrackDaddy
June 16th, 2010
10:33 pm
And the UGa ego grows even larger. As does form over substance.
Soulja Boy
June 16th, 2010
10:36 pm
The “dream team” is just another gimmick, like blackouts and end-zone dancing, by a coach who is not very smart. Richt has never had any trouble getting good athletes to UGA. He has a great deal of trouble keeping them out of jail. Perhaps Richt should dream about not leading the country in penalties and arrests.
JRW7
June 16th, 2010
10:38 pm
I thought this was a UGA blog. Do you UT, GT, UF, fans have a website u can go to. Good bye. GO DOGS!!!!!!!!!
cpj
June 16th, 2010
10:41 pm
recruiting slogan from north avenue:
“you’ll never beat georgia but you can always beat your me@t!”
Scott
June 16th, 2010
10:55 pm
Most of these guys want to know the head coach will be there for the long haul.
Urban Meyer and Nick Saban have never stayed at the same school more than 5 or 6 years.
Richt’s a long haul guy. 16 years at FSU, already 9 at Georgia, the most loyal coach to his university in the country in the SEC. His extended family lives in Athens. He’s all in for the long haul.
I’d be driving that home all day long, Meyer & Saban have Championships, but lack any loyalty to friends, family, or university.
Here today, gone tomorrow. That’s Meyer & Saban.
Richt’s gonna be around at Georgia for the long haul. Saban & Meyer won’t be at Alabama or Florida for the long haul, they never are, they always split for the greener grass on the other side of the septic tank.
Meyer might quit before the season ever starts, you never really know with that guy.
Here today, here tomorrow, that’s Richt.
GTax
June 16th, 2010
11:01 pm
GT was ranked at the end of last year and was top 10 for a good part of the season…
The dawgs barely sniffed being ranked…well….they weren’t ranked at all to end the year so….nationally….the Dawgs were pretty irrelevant last year.
You guys hold on to your superbowl season saving win against GT…we like that we give you the feeling.
Timmy Dog
June 16th, 2010
11:05 pm
I’m getting the feeling this Dream Team thing is starting to backfire. And it sounds very, very stupid.
Pacer
June 16th, 2010
11:20 pm
Richt’s sent more guys to the NFL than any other SEC coach.
UGA = NFL PIPELINE.
Flo-Ri-Duh!
June 16th, 2010
11:24 pm
Deegan- Bama has only been good since Saban came back a couple of years ago and UGA beat them in Saban’s first year so don’t act Bama has been dominating the last 10-15 years because UGA has had a much better record during that time.
Flo-Ri-Duh!
June 16th, 2010
11:26 pm
Gtax – UGA soundly whipped Tech last year so don’t relate Tech with UGA when talking about relevancy…. this showed the sueriority of the SEC over the “better” ACC teams.
AlpharettaBulldog
June 16th, 2010
11:29 pm
GTax you’re a joke. You play in the ACC, which is also a joke. You run a Wing-T, which worked at Southern for a while and it worked at Tech for a year. That is also a joke that everyone has figured out. Our down year last year and we beat you at home HAD to be sickening to you. I will be the first to admit that I would like a couple more wins every year but we are consistent and Richt runs a solid program. You are always going to have a few bad eggs and when something happens other than alcohol related (college kids) he boots them.
You guys had rings made after you beat Georgia at home two years ago. That could be your new recruiting slogan: “Beat UGA once a decade and get a shiny ring.” Total joke.
AlpharettaBulldog
June 16th, 2010
11:31 pm
Deegan you do you pull for?
AlpharettaBulldog
June 16th, 2010
11:31 pm
Who*
Whopper Dawg
June 16th, 2010
11:39 pm
It is just a slogan, like the ones other teams use. Unfortunately, ours is being publicized and that can swing both ways. I don’t think that anyone expects kids to commit to UGA based on a slogan. It is just part of the pitch.
kb
June 16th, 2010
11:40 pm
Tech phd , do they give a ring to losers of the bowl game? If they do ,only a loser would wear it. 15 wins in 50 years.
Dumb Dream
June 16th, 2010
11:41 pm
Let’s call our recruits the dream team and maybe let’s wear all black for one game next year. I’m Saint Richt and I’m an idea man. Hey wait, maybe I’ll hire a new DC. Who would my fifth choice be?? Maybe only 3 scholly QB’s is a bad position to be in. It’s OK, do you think the red shoes look good with the silver pants?
Dumb Dream
June 16th, 2010
11:44 pm
The football fans of the state enjoyed UGA down year last year, but we realize it’s the new norm for you. Only you don’t get it, yet! Tailgating at the Sheveport Shoney’s is what we’re all about.
AlpharettaBulldog
June 16th, 2010
11:49 pm
Dumb Dream…total tool. One bad year for us. Who do you like so I can torch you.
Top Dawg
June 16th, 2010
11:56 pm
Hey Gtax, hate all you want but it doesn’t change a thing. UGA worst team in 20 years beat gt best team in 20 years.
(((30-24))) Still hurts? And it really wasn’t that close!
9 out of 10 – Ouch!
How did that BCS Bowl work out for gt? LOL
RED DOG 77
June 16th, 2010
11:56 pm
Oh Hell yes it’s working, ” Dream Team ” that is…………..Just look who has already decided they want to be a part of this UGA earthquake !!!!!………….CMR, is no doubt the smartest Xs and Os head coach in the country……….Now, with the addition of Todd Grantham and co. you have some real fire burning in Athens !!! No more smoke, there is a fire burning out of control in Athens, Georgia and it is called the GEEEEOOOOOORRRRGIA BULLDOGS !!!! SIC’ ‘EM WOOF……..WOOF……….WOOF !!!!!!!!!
tampadawg
June 16th, 2010
11:59 pm
i read somewhere that arron murray said he fell in love with georgia the first time he stepped on campus. im sure this kid is gonna give uga everything hes got weather hes from ga or fla!!
DP
June 17th, 2010
12:39 am
I don’t blame Richt and UGA for the Dream Team gimmick. It goes along with other gimmicks like Blackouts and the whole team storming on to the field after the first touchdown and black helmets and black britches. But I do blame the AJC reporters who constantly reference the term as if they’re part of UGA’s marketing department instead of journalists.
I suspect some recruits don’t like the concept because it’s like an implied loyalty oath, if they decide to go somewhere else it’s some kind of betrayal. If that loyalty runs in both directions, why did Mark Richt recruit Christian LeMay over the top high school QB in Georgia?
Gators!
June 17th, 2010
1:12 am
Well, after UGA’s disappointing last season and sup-par recruiting, I think they needed to come up with something. Bama and Florida have been recruiting like gangbusters and I’m sure the UGA coaching staff can just see the train leaving the station. They seem to be putting alot more emphasis on recruiting Georgia instead of spending so many resources trying to go into Florida etc. They got stung on that last year as many talented Georgia players went elsewhere. There is so much talent in Georgia nowadays and I think that’s a smart strategy and the “Dream Team’ concept is probably all about trying to keep those in state players.
1dawgfan
June 17th, 2010
1:14 am
It is what it is. It’s a pitch to try to have the best in state talent stay home and play for the Dawgs. CTG and Richt are right. If the best Ga has to offer stays home, we win. Did I read GTax asking where are BCS rings are? Guarantee that they don’t have a silly score stamped on them. And that GT likes giving us the feeling of a win over them? Really? please stay off the blogs, GTax. Better yet, read your posts and you probably wouldn’t post at all.
1dawgfan
June 17th, 2010
1:16 am
Thanks AJC for putting a negative spin on this concept. Thanks alot.
ReddJonn68
June 17th, 2010
1:48 am
Who cares what they call it as long as we keep our talent in state. All these guys from Tech & UGA keep bashing each on the blog, just take a look at Florida & Alabama rosters. Recruiters raid this state every year & most of those players end up being impact players. Call them in-bred, hillbilly, or whatever you like. The bottom line is that if either school can land our top recuits in mass numbers somebody’s gonna bring home a Sear’s Trophy !!!!!!!!
GaDawgsdominatewreckandalltherest
June 17th, 2010
2:06 am
God blessed us to be Americans, by God’s grace we are Georgians, by the free will our God gave us we are Georgia Bulldawgs, The “G”, The Go Dawgs Nation!! This Dream Team theme is nothing new. True Dawg fans know we want and attempt to sign the 20 to 25 best Georgia athletes each and every year. If Georgia athletes were loyal to their state and by free will choose to join our Dawgs Nation, Dawg fans with 100% confidence say, “Georgia will play anybody, anywhere, anytime. Bring Your Best and We Dawgs will whip you, Period…. Georgia High Schoolers I am calling all Good Georgians to wear The “G” and with pride, play hard and mount up the victories and the titles. Georgia Bulldawgs have not, are not now, and never will fear any of our competitors. We are in The SEC, SEC East, the toughest conference and division in the world. We are a great Athletic Institution. Our Athletics program is second to none. Coach Richt is the best role model Football Coach on the planet. The Nation has faith in our coach and coaches. Coach Fox proved he can outcoach our opponents’ coaches last year. If The Best 3 to 5 Georgia players put The “G” on their chest each year, Titles will be there to be cherished. At Georgia we take on all comers in any sport you want to name. Thanks to our Softball program for a great year. Next year we bring home The Trophy. All the other teams know it, just go out and do it. May God bless us all and bring us Godly Men and Women to wear our honored “G”. Dawgs Let’s Do It.
GaDawgsdominatewreck/rest
June 17th, 2010
2:20 am
I met Danny Ford in Sam’s one day. I told him he had 45 check it out, 45 Georgians on the 1981 championship team.. Coach Ford said diplomatically he was proud of them and they were all great young men. I pressed him on the issue and he admitted Clemson had to get Georgia players to be successful. I never met Coach Jerk from Tennessee, but the vols won the championship with 4 Georgia All Americans and 1st rounders to NFL. I am sure they had more than 4 on the team. Put a fence around Georgia and all our competition suffers, as we stay strong. Dawgs Let’s Do It!
Froggy the Gremlin
June 17th, 2010
2:36 am
“The Dream Team”.
Haw Haw Haw Heh Heh Heh. Delusional!
How about “League of Extraordinary Gentlemen”?
And then for 2013, “Jesus & the 24 Disciples”?
Does the fun ever stop?
The Doctor
June 17th, 2010
4:00 am
Perhaps Georgia should start with some type of “Dream Coaching” slogan? According to Scout Georgia has had (since 2005) the #4, #4, #17, #5, #4, and #21 ranked recruiting classes. Over that period Georgia is one of the top-3 recruiters in the SEC and had only one year where they were even competitive (2007). Of course that year involved an idiotic losses to USC(fake) and Tennessee. UT went on to play in a great SECCG game. I bet Georgia fans thought so too, watching it from home.
Georgia is always going to be a good to mediocre program but it just isn’t an elite program and it never has been. The competition in the SEC has become much more difficult than in the mediocre years when Georgia was actually able to win something.
Cut the bible study and start some film study.
hi there
June 17th, 2010
4:31 am
people keep mentioning black outs………….we are 2-1 in blackouts…………Auburn W, Hawaii, W ALA L (but richt is 3-1 against ALA they were bound to win one sooner or later.
turkeycaller
June 17th, 2010
4:49 am
Will be anxious to see what the defensive coaches instill and do for us. I hope we are headhunters and gritty up and down the line. Not trying to find fault but Richt let too many things run amuck without correction or response during the season last year. Now that some very apparent concerns have been addressed ,this team should be ready to meet the challenges ahead. I like it when a head coach takes control and knows the pulse of the team from week to week. Not saying Richt won’t. I hope he sees things differently than before. CEO be damned, a head coach can be an effective promo if they actually coach. Let some of the AD bunch earn their keep if they want to run everything like a business and boys that is what they are trying to run it like. I understand that college football equates money and the harborings that follow but grooming young men to be a responsible part of society and become a top flight college team demand a lot of a head coaches attention.
76-Dawg
June 17th, 2010
5:15 am
Dream Team , family, home wins or whatever gimmicks being used in recruiting are lame and dumb. If this would get a recruit to come here over somewhere else by all means use it but I hope most of the recruits that pick UGA will do it for same reason I did in the early 70’s which was after walking the entire campus you just know you are home. That when you leave, you feel empty and that you are forgetting something. I want these recruits to love being here. Tim Tebo stayed at Florida an extra year because money meant nothing to him, he just hated leaving Florida that bad.A lot of the top schools have kids who leave early and being truthful , I can’t blame them. But, it is great when a recruit comes to UGA because it would break their heart to imagine going anywhere else and you have to run them out of town when they no longer are eligible they love being here so much.
DAWGFOOD FEVER
June 17th, 2010
6:28 am
ONCE AGAIN WITH THE UGLY SPIN ON SOMETHING COMPLETELY HARMLESS ! THANKS MC AND AJC………THANKS FOR NOT SUPPORTING US DAWG FANS !
Carroll Dawg
June 17th, 2010
6:31 am
Pacer, to ease your mind a little bit about a Georgia boy quarterbacking the Dawgs to an SEC Championship you have to look ALL the way back to —2005. Come on man, how in the world could you forget about D.J. Shockley? He was a great football player and a better person. And while we are at it Pacer, Greene was from Georgia as well. So know your Georgia football before getting on here and spouting off at the mouth about something you have no clue about
Spike
June 17th, 2010
7:06 am
Carroll Dawg.. GATA!!
Fast Eddie
June 17th, 2010
7:14 am
Dawg mane @ 7:56 p.m. on 6/16, you misspelled your name. Shouldn’t it be Dawg Manure?
Steve Spurrier
June 17th, 2010
7:24 am
But Sept. 11 it will be a nightmare.
Paddy
June 17th, 2010
7:26 am
Spike and H. Talker got it right. Win something then talk, not the other way around. Thats ole school and it still rings true. Go Dawgs and keep your mouth shut!
Fast Eddie
June 17th, 2010
7:35 am
Scott @1055 pm, UF, UA, and UGA are all “destination” jobs. Where couild Meyer, Saban, or Richt go that would be a better opportunity to be successful than their current location? Personally, I think both Meyer and Saban are better coaches than Richt. Your attempt to make Richt a better coach because he started at UGA before Meyer and Saban started at UF and US is laughable. The ones who win it on the field, not those with a little more longevity at his current school, are the best!
Fast Eddie
June 17th, 2010
7:36 am
Sorry. I meant “UA” and not “US”.
GA Soldier
June 17th, 2010
8:11 am
Michael Carvell you are wrong for this article, getting down on the Dawgs! This is the Atlanta’s newspaper, and your talking down on the home team for doing a good job??? Must be a GA Tech graduate and your jealous!