Fortunes of Georgia, Richt can turn on recruiting Crowell
Carver-Columbus High's Isaiah Crowell can be a difference-maker at Georgia. (Jason Getz/AJC)
Those of you who’ve read me around college football recruiting time are familiar with my feelings about it. I’ve mostly mocked it — not because I think it’s not important but because the importance is so often overstated
We’ve seen enough in college football to know that it’s less important how highly a player — or entire recruiting class — is ranked by DraftSuperGeek.com than it is what happens to that player when he arrives on campus. Most significant is whether players are coached up, down or not at all.
How many top 10 recruiting classes you think TCU has pulled in the last 100 years? I’ll speculate: zero.
OK, that said, the fortunes of Georgia next season — and, it follows, coach Mark Richt — could swing on the potential recruitment of one player. I know. I’m contradicting myself. But by all accounts, running back Isaiah Crowell of Carver High School in Columbus, Ga., is that special of a player and, most importantly, he plays the right position.
The Dogs need to improve in a lot of areas but mostly they need a running back they can count on from week to week, on and off the field (read: not Caleb King).
What did Marcus Lattimore do for South Carolina this season? What did a guy named Herschel Walker do for Georgia?
Nobody can guarantee Crowell will be in that category as a freshman, but most seem to believe he’s a game-changer. Richt’s issue is he may not have the luxury of time so he needs an immediate-impact player in 2011. Crowell would pair nicely with quarterback Aaron Murray. The expected loss of A.J. Green will hurt the offense but Murray is good enough — his Liberty Bowl performance notwithstanding — that the Dogs should still have a solid passing attack.
Our recruiting monster, Chip Towers, is down in Florida at the high school All-American game at Disney’s Wide World of Sports. Here’s a link to his latest blog about recruits saying they’re not spooked by Georgia’s 6-7 record this year. Here’s an excerpt, which quotes Crowell:
The general consensus among some of the state’s highest-profile college football prospects is that Georgia’s 6-7 record this past season is not necessarily a deal-killer with regard to their recruitment. Most notably, that is the opinion of Carver-Columbus running back Isaiah Crowell. He is generally considered Georgia’s highest-ranked recruit and is, quite clearly, the Bulldogs’ No. 1 target from the Class of 2011.
“Really, I don’t how they’re going to be when I get there,” Crowell said, speaking metaphorically of the possibility of enrolling at UGA before next season. “I try not to think about it like that. One year South Carolina’s down, then Marcus Lattimore went there and the program’s up. So you never know how it will be when you get there. And I feel like I’ll be a difference maker wherever I go.”
Hey, he stole the Lattimore example from me.
For what it’s worth, Georgia’s in a recruiting battle with Alabama and Auburn for Crowell.
So what do you think? Can one player like Crowell make that big of a difference?
This might help you make your decision. It’s a near four-minute highlight video of Crowell from Scout.com, via YouTube. (Sorry, no audio. But you can provide your own screaming.)
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Earlier post: Our first coach rankings (and a poll about Richt, Hewitt)
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601 comments Add your comment
JDawg
January 4th, 2011
8:20 am
Maybe Crowell could bring his O-line coach with him . . .
papadawg
January 4th, 2011
8:20 am
Reader of Morons I’m sure you’ve already blown your nose and had your BM. Is your trailer drafty this morning
JB
January 4th, 2011
8:22 am
Saw Paul Johnson yesterday at Maddy’s Fish Market on Piedmont Cleaning fish yesterday..What’s that about?
What's a d a w g?
January 4th, 2011
8:22 am
AJ Greene couldn’t save him, why would anyone think Crowell could?
Dwayne
January 4th, 2011
8:22 am
Why would he go to UGA? To sit behind who ever our dumb A$$ coach is loyal too???
MattMD
January 4th, 2011
8:23 am
The Dream Team? Good God, how lame can UGA get?
How about they paint the field red or something; I think they are just about out of parlor tricks.
Also, there is something very creepy about how grown men so closely follow what teenagers are going to do. Find a hobby or something.
Enter your comments here
January 4th, 2011
8:23 am
My guess is that Crowell will sign with the dawgs, redshirt as a freshman because he struggles to learn all his blocking assignments, sit out 4 games his sophomore year due to off field issues, and either move on down the depth chart like Figgins or have a good junior season followed by a great Papa John’s Bowl game vs. Florida Gulf Coast College and declare for the NFL while we sit here with a straight face and blog about who’s the next Hershal Walker to come from some small time high school in some small town Georgia town in 2014.
tc
January 4th, 2011
8:23 am
JB. Maybe it was coaching at FL that lacked this year. Obvioiusly Meyer had his head somewhere else and is leaving the program. regardless, the last game against Penn State was well coached compared to our last game.
Jasper Sanks
January 4th, 2011
8:24 am
Hey JB, is it embarrassing to keep reading the truth about your sleazy UGAy team?
JB
January 4th, 2011
8:25 am
Any LSU fans on here? What’s the word on the Michigan Job with Miles? You know he’s gotta be on the list…….You know he knows he’s not loved At LSU
Nick
January 4th, 2011
8:25 am
Marlon Brown had a very impressive highlight video…
JB
January 4th, 2011
8:26 am
Takes so little bait to get a Techie to bite
tc
January 4th, 2011
8:26 am
Enter your comments here, Then he will go undrafted and be picked up by an NFL team and quickly become their starting running back
Enter your comments here
January 4th, 2011
8:28 am
JB
My guess is that Crowell will sign with the dawgs, redshirt as a freshman because he struggles to learn all his blocking assignments, sit out 4 games his sophomore year due to off field issues, and either move on down the depth chart like Figgins or have a good junior season followed by a great Papa John’s Bowl game vs. Florida Gulf Coast College and declare for the NFL while we sit here with a straight face and blog about who’s the next Hershal Walker to come from some small time high school in some small town Georgia town in 2014.
Enter your comments here
January 4th, 2011
8:29 am
tc
January 4th, 2011
8:26 am
Enter your comments here, Then he will go undrafted and be picked up by an NFL team and quickly become their starting running back
SAME SHAT DIFFERENT DAY AINT IT?
JB
January 4th, 2011
8:29 am
Saw Paul Johnson at the Downtown Greyhound station yesterday ( Groh was driving….(going real slow)
punch the guy in the ticket booth in the face…..What’s that about?
Vixzilla del Vdawg
January 4th, 2011
8:29 am
No doubt Crowell can improve our running game if his character will allow him to stay out of trouble. But even he will require someone to block for him. Hopefully we have some of that covered with S&C and Watts Danzler.
Still I feel Ray Drew is the more in line of what we need. We scored lots of points this year. Unfortunately, so did our opponents. Even more so, to my knowledge we don’t yet have the beast needed at the nose guard position which pretty much HAS to be filled from a JuCo to have any impact in 2011.
So can Crowell be a Savior? Not without solid coaching, S&C, and some fresh defensive man-childs ready to make an impact. It’s a tall order.
GO DAWGS!
JDawg
January 4th, 2011
8:30 am
Harbaugh will probably get to turn Michigan first. In fact, Harbaugh will have dibs on any job he wants for the next month.
DawginLex
January 4th, 2011
8:30 am
Am I considered crazy because I would like us to sign 3 running backs like those big white stanford kids last night that ran all over VT?
Crowell looks like he is ok, he may be great. But, I want somebody who can slobberknock a defensive back and make him think twice about tackling him. I also want someone who is smart in the classroom and has football IQ( like knowing to fall down short of the goal line when the other team is letting you score so they can get the ball back).
Crowell looks like Ealey and King and that just does not excite me or give me reason for optimism.
I alos disagree with our running game being stopped against UCF. I went back and watched again and I truly believe we could have won the game by playing Vince Dooley ball. And our QB now is a heck of a lot more accurate than Buck.
My $.02
JDawg
January 4th, 2011
8:30 am
. . .turn down Michigan . . .
papadawg
January 4th, 2011
8:31 am
JB Miles is not going anywhere, he just signed the greatest QB to play in College
JB
January 4th, 2011
8:31 am
Just like Moreno……Sat on the scout team for a year learning our massive 12 play offensive package.
JB
January 4th, 2011
8:35 am
Crowell at Bama……Second team, spot play………………….Georgia…..25 carries a game for a 76.7 yard average…………………..It’s all about the OL
tc
January 4th, 2011
8:35 am
You all forget that CMR and Bobo don’t like to run the ball unless it is 2 and 25 or 3 and 9. You don;t get a good running back to have a running game, you create a running game with the players you have.
MRBIGUNS
January 4th, 2011
8:35 am
Jeff you are a freakin IDIOT!!!! This guy couldn’t help win his team, that was clearly a hand picked all-star team, a state title. He will not help UGA!!!! The only thing that will help UGA is a total overhaul of the coaching staff including a NEW HEAD COACH!!!! Richt ain’t that good a coach and the sooner everyone realizes that the better off UGA will be and they can move on to where UGA is suppose to be…at the top of the SEC East!!!!
Jerry
January 4th, 2011
8:35 am
Richt has Caleb King, ranked #1 RB in nation out of high school, and Washaun Ealey, ranked #4 RB coming out of high school. Both averaged over 5 a carry this season. Richt & Bobo just don’t run the ball enough times per game, Bobo, the ex-QB, is in love with the passing game, even when that philosophy leads to just 6 wins. I thought he’d give Ealey 25 carries in the Bowl game, but no, let’s have freshman Murray try and throw it to win.
BG
January 4th, 2011
8:35 am
Mr. Crowell come to UGA and represent your home state. Don’t sell out and go to Alabama. The state of Georgia will always be behind you while you play and when your playing days are over. GO DAWGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
JDawg
January 4th, 2011
8:35 am
Wasn’t it nice last night to see a coach make adjustments at halftime?
I had heard that happens at some schools.
JB
January 4th, 2011
8:37 am
Who did Muschamp hire as DC at Florida?
JB
January 4th, 2011
8:39 am
east there BIGUNS
JB
January 4th, 2011
8:39 am
s/b easy there…..
JDawg
January 4th, 2011
8:40 am
Jerry, did Knowshon ever get 25 carries in a game? Richt/Bobo usually like to get a back into a groove with a half-dozen carries, then sit him for a quarter while bringing in a midget (C Thomas) to get yanked down by his shirt sleeves . . .
Jerry
January 4th, 2011
8:42 am
Knowshon got a lot of carries, ONLY because the other back got injured.
bobo averaged less than 100 yards rushing a game in 2008, about 110 in 2009, and only 140 in 2010.
UGA went downhill after 2007, wheh UGA averaged 180 yards a game rushing.
Vinings DAWG
January 4th, 2011
8:43 am
Crowell is no Lattimore or fo that matter Dyer. He has a history of being hurt. We have been burned before by super great backs from Columbus. BEWARE!
Jerry
January 4th, 2011
8:44 am
Name 1 RB from UGA in the last 3 years that got an average of at least 20 carries a game.
Jerry
January 4th, 2011
8:44 am
ealey ran for 133 td’s and 8000 yards in high school, how does Crowell’s stats compare?
Buckeye
January 4th, 2011
8:45 am
Jesus has already “saved” Richt.
Carver08
January 4th, 2011
8:45 am
Isaiah might be the “missing link” that UGA is looking for, but he favors the “missing link” analogy far beyond his athletic skills. But he’s a hometown phenom here and will be one in Athens if he can stay in school.
Recruiting | MrSEC.com
January 4th, 2011
8:46 am
[...] running back and 29th best prospect overall by Rivals, is considering Alabama, Auburn and Georgia. He’s considered the No. 1 priority for Georgia’s 2011 class.Crowell plans to visit Alabama on Jan. 14, Georgia on Jan. 21 and [...]
Jerry
January 4th, 2011
8:48 am
UGA ranks around 60-80 in rushing per game, just not priority to Bobo, UGA is all about the passing game baby! Need to get a go to receiver, forget Crowell.
unbiased fan
January 4th, 2011
8:49 am
Crowell is overrated…He played behind a massive OL against inferior competition. He also has an attitude problem. He was shut down agianst Calhoun in AA semifinals. Unless you have blazing speed, strenthg and/or great size it is a different world in college football. I don’t think Crowell has the speed or attitude to be a great SEC back. He will be average like Ealy who was all everything coming out of high school.
Jerry
January 4th, 2011
8:50 am
Bobo is so smart, he gets to a #2 ranking by going with his best back for the bulk of carries. Then, moves to rotating his best back 50% with a mediocre back. And hasn’t finished in the top 25 for the last 2 years.
SEC CHAMPS 2010
January 4th, 2011
8:51 am
“So what do you think? Can one player like Crowell make that big of a difference?”
Depends. Will CMR use him as a running back or will he use him as a tight end?
Jerry
January 4th, 2011
8:51 am
If you think Ealey’s average, you must not like Lattimore, Ealey averages more yards a carry, than Lattimore.
A Tech Fan Forever
January 4th, 2011
8:52 am
You’d better hope he’s smarter than the last savior, Caleb King, who by the way, hasn’t worked out too well, has he? UGA folks, I know GT has it’s own share of problems; however, good coaching isn’t one of them. CMR is absolutely the worst coach (using that word very loosely here) in the SEC. He should be fired now so as to not cause the great State of Georgia any more embarrassment
SEC CHAMPS 2010
January 4th, 2011
8:53 am
“For what it’s worth, Georgia’s in a recruiting battle with Alabama and Auburn for Crowell.”
Hmmmmmmmmm, so it’s between a school that won the national championship last year, one that is in the championship this year and one that lost the Liberty Bowl this year.
Gonna be a tough choice for this young man. LOL
SEC CHAMPS 2010
January 4th, 2011
8:53 am
“Ealey averages more yards a carry, than Lattimore.”
So what you’re saying is Ealey is better?
Jerry
January 4th, 2011
8:54 am
SEC leaders are up around 280 rushing yards a game right now, Bobo’s still throwing the ball, can’t even hit 150 yards rushing a game. Doesn’t control the game, time of possession, isn’t doing what the SEC winners for the last 3 years do so well, run the football for 250 a game.
SEC CHAMPS 2010
January 4th, 2011
8:55 am
“What did Marcus Lattimore do for South Carolina this season?”
He helped USC get stomped by Auburn.
Chi Town
January 4th, 2011
8:55 am
Bama bound.