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
SEC East = Big East
January 4th, 2011
8:56 am
Lattimore also helped FSU stomp USC’s @ss.
RHall55
January 4th, 2011
8:56 am
1A): Johnathan Jenkins
1B): Isaiah Crowell
2A): Xavier Dickson
2B); Ray Drew
3A) Damian Swann
3B): Malcolm Mitchell
4A): Jay Rome
4B): LB’s
Steve Superior
January 4th, 2011
8:57 am
This kid is no Marcus Latimore…. 17 – 6 and 10 – 6. UGA cant score a TD !
Vince Doooley
January 4th, 2011
8:57 am
Why didn’t CMR dismiss Marcus Dowtin the minute he learned of his arrest for felony assault?
SEC CHAMPS 2010
January 4th, 2011
8:57 am
“Nobody expected Auburn to be good this year……”
Herbstreit and Phil Steele did. Herby picked Auburn to win the SEC West. Phil picked Auburn to go undefeated.
Are all UGA fans as ignorant as you?
Jerry
January 4th, 2011
8:57 am
Yeah, Ealey’s a better back than Lattimore, gets a higher per yard carry, and has higher carry per touchdown average than Latitmore. Not even close. Ealey’s about 20% better than Lattimore in both areas.
SEC East = Big East
January 4th, 2011
8:58 am
Isaiah is a joke like most UGA recruits as of late.
He’ll fit right in.
SEC CHAMPS 2010
January 4th, 2011
8:58 am
“Lattimore also helped FSU stomp USC’s @ss.”
FSU didn’t stomp USC. Beating a team by 11 points isn’t a stomping. Beating a team by 39 points is.
the real Old Gold
January 4th, 2011
8:59 am
He’ll fit it since he’s got a terrible attitude. Richt just better be glad he doesn’t have to play Calhoun High School.
Steve Superior
January 4th, 2011
8:59 am
Marcus Latimore has a valid Drivers License.
SEC CHAMPS 2010
January 4th, 2011
9:00 am
Jerry
I’m not going to argue about whether or not Ealey is better than Lattimore simply because to me, it’s like arguing if UGA is better than Vandy.
SEC East = Big East
January 4th, 2011
9:00 am
USC was beat down Friday night. Period. Just like the other SEC East teams in 2010.
SEC CHAMPS 2010
January 4th, 2011
9:01 am
The only way Crowell picks UGA is if he knows CMR will bail him out of jail.
SEC CHAMPS 2010
January 4th, 2011
9:02 am
“Just like the other SEC East teams in 2010.”
Florida won their bowl game, ma’am.
SEC CHAMPS 2010
January 4th, 2011
9:02 am
“USC was beat down Friday night. Period. ”
27-16 is not a beat down. Period.
SEC CHAMPS 2010
January 4th, 2011
9:04 am
“1 player changed ALL of that. Same with South Carolina.”
There is only one Cam Newton.
“It was only 2 years ago that Auburn did not reach a bowl game, and their fans showed up at the airport to boo and heckle Gene Chizik upon arrival.”
And since that day Chizek is 22-5.
jerry
January 4th, 2011
9:04 am
Crowell will be interested in going where he will be most successful in regards to the NFL draft. He will not want to play behind a poor offensive line so that is a negative for UGA. And Saban usually get who he wants, e.g. Kirby Smart.
SEC East = Big East
January 4th, 2011
9:04 am
Want to use Florida as a beat down example huh? How about a 31-7 @ss rogering by FSU?
Jerry
January 4th, 2011
9:05 am
How many td’s did Crowell get in high school? 133 like Ealey? If not, it’s like comparing Herschel Walker to Ealey, oops, Ealey averages a higher per yard carry average than Herschel too.
Jerry
January 4th, 2011
9:06 am
I’m sure Ealey has to be frustrated. He averages over 5 yards a carry, has 11 td’s on only 170 carries, and still, Bobo won’t get him more than 12 carries a game. It’s just bizarre.
SEC CHAMPS 2010
January 4th, 2011
9:06 am
Chris Matthews
Does Obozo still give you a thrill up your fat legs?
SEC CHAMPS 2010
January 4th, 2011
9:07 am
“Want to use Florida as a beat down example huh?”
Can you not read? I simply stated that Florida won their bowl game after you said the SEC East got stomped in theirs.
Make sense, Forrest?
Dr. Phil
January 4th, 2011
9:07 am
Crowell has already demonstrated that he is an entitled gift to whichever school he should attend. These kinds of players don’t usually work out, particularly for Richt. Richt should be looking for some hard-working linemen who will stay out of jail.
Jerry
January 4th, 2011
9:08 am
What does Crowell bring that Georgia doesn’t already have between King & Ealey?
SEC East = Big East
January 4th, 2011
9:09 am
When did I say the SEC East got beat down in their collective bowl games?
tc
January 4th, 2011
9:11 am
All these comparisons are a waste of time. A good running back well coached and behaind a well coached OL will be be productive. A superior running back poorly coached and behind a poorly coached OL will not be very productive. We need to have more focus on fundamentals at uga, not trying to get some star program saving player player.
Jerry
January 4th, 2011
9:11 am
If Herschel Walker came onto Bobo’s team, Bobo would rotate him with his 2nd best RB, and wait until Herschel could block like Ben Jones. Disagree? Ealey averages more yards a carry than Walker in college, and broke Walker’s high school records in high school, and Bobo gets him 12 carries a game.
MRBIGUNS
January 4th, 2011
9:11 am
Crowell will fit right into CMR’s system. Just another thug who can run a football but will have off the field problems and after it is all said and done, he will be just a mediocre running back. Its COACHING folks!!!!!!! CMR has to go and after next year all of you will be crying about “WE SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN RID OF HIM LAST YEAR!!!!” NOW WE HAVE WASTED ANOTHER YEAR ONLY WINNING 6 GAMES AND FINISHING 4TH IN THE SEC EAST!!” Mark my words, it is only going to get worse at UGA as long as CMR is there. Buy lots of Kleenex for next year because the Dawg nation will need it!!!
SEC CHAMPS 2010
January 4th, 2011
9:12 am
For all the pathetic loser UGA fans who say that Auburn is a one man show.
Here are the following players who made Auburn great this year: Nick Fairly( you should remember him because he gives you nightmares and makes you wet your beds.), Darvin Adams, Onterio McCalleb, Michael Dyer, Mario Fannin, Terrell Zachery, Lee Ziemba, Aairon Savage, Antonio Goodwin, Quindarius Carr, Josh Bynes, Wes Byrum, Kodi Burns, Craig Stevens……………………………………ANNNNNNNNNNNNNNND Philip Lutzenkirchen!!!!!!!!
But please, continue to talk about how Auburn is a one man team. Idiots.
SEC CHAMPS 2010
January 4th, 2011
9:13 am
“USC was beat down Friday night. Period. Just like the other SEC East teams in 2010.”
Gee, maybe I got it from that.
unbiased fan
January 4th, 2011
9:14 am
Ealy is a average SEC back. He runs a 4.5 40, not the kind of speed that makes one great, doesn’t run over people, or consistently break tackles, isn’t particularly shifty, like a barry sanders, and tends to fumble in crucial situations. On the other hand, I could be describing Emmit Smith who was one of the greatest. Sometimes it’s just a matter of desire, work ethic, and the ability to step it up when the game is on the line. I’m skeptical of Crowell on both of those.
Jerry
January 4th, 2011
9:15 am
Better than Latitmore and Herschel Walker and he’s aaverage. I guess that makes Crowell below average.
GT
January 4th, 2011
9:15 am
I ask is he really that good? I think Richt lets others do his recruiting and judging of talent. Is this hype or is it the real deal? Carver is not a big school divisionally, however the fact that Auburn and Alabama is after this guy tells you something. Dyer was suppose to be this good last year at Auburn, I don’t think he has been that good, Latimore has been better than advertised. I think the difference is football IQ. Hasn’t there been some flops coming out of Columbus in the past?
SEC East = Big East
January 4th, 2011
9:16 am
“USC was beat down Friday night. Period. Just like the other SEC East teams in 2010.”
Gee, maybe I got it from that.
——————-
How does “in 2010″ correlate to Bowl games? 2010 is a season. A bowl game is a single game. The SEC East collectively sucked @ss in the 2010 season.
SEC CHAMPS 2010
January 4th, 2011
9:17 am
To all UGA fans,
In 2008, UGA fans famously screamed ” THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GOES THROUGH ATHENS” without ONE game played. In the end UGA lost 3 games and did not win the SEC East let alone the SEC. You guys have to learn that winning doesn’t come with how loud you proclaim how great you are before you play a game.
Auburn in 2004/2010 played their games, won big and proved it on the field.
jaxdawg
January 4th, 2011
9:18 am
Schultz, I wish all you so called experts would stop using the TCU’s and Boise’s of the world as your measuring stick. Yeah, they pop up every now and then and beat a Big 10 or an ACC team, but give me a break. They play in weak conferences and until they step up and play the BIG BOYS week in and week out then please spare us.
SEC CHAMPS 2010
January 4th, 2011
9:18 am
“Dyer was suppose to be this good last year at Auburn, I don’t think he has been that good”
He broke Bo Jackson’s freshman rushing record. He’s a freshman. Meaning he has 3 more years to play. Do you really think Auburn would run him all day long when they have THREE great running backs?
Jerry
January 4th, 2011
9:19 am
Murray tends to rhwo interceptions in crucial situations like Florida & UCF. Threw 5 in those 2 games alone, lot mroe mistakes than Ealey made.
JB
January 4th, 2011
9:20 am
How good is Crowell…………..Saban jumped on another back as soon as he said yes and left Crowell at the bus station…..
SEC CHAMPS 2010
January 4th, 2011
9:20 am
SEC East = Big East
I took what you said about USC getting beat up on Friday and ran with it. You were talking about bowl games and I simply stated that Florida beat Penn State in their bowl game.
Florida IS the SEC EAST.
If Auburn wins next week, the SEC West will have three schools win the title. That is unheard of.
Jerry
January 4th, 2011
9:20 am
All school went after Ealey & Caleb King too, means nothing.
SEC CHAMPS 2010
January 4th, 2011
9:22 am
“All school went after Ealey & Caleb King too, means nothing.”
True, it all comes down to coaching. UGA lacks in that department.
SEC CHAMPS 2010
January 4th, 2011
9:23 am
“If Herschel Walker came onto Bobo’s team”
CMR would use him as a punter.
Jerry
January 4th, 2011
9:23 am
Mark Ingram fumbled aganst Auburn, guess he’s not a good back either?
Jerry
January 4th, 2011
9:25 am
Lattimore fumbled in the Bowl game, guess he ain’t a good back either.
Mobile Dawg
January 4th, 2011
9:27 am
Looks like the bottom line is that Richt is going to take that one more year, so the more talent he brings to Athens the better for the next guy.
I don’t care who he brings in, just look at history. He has created a culture in Athens where people come in, relax, and never develop or play to their potential. I’ve illustrated it before, take a mediocre to low performer and put them in an environment of high producers and the performance of the low performer will rise. Take a marquee talent and put them in with a bunch of deadbeats and they will descend to the level of those around them.
It’s attitude, it’s environment, it’s culture, it’s CMR, sorry, no kool aid here. Just looking at solid, factual, real time, information. It’s what I do for a living, I don’t have the luxury of living in a dream world.
Jerry
January 4th, 2011
9:27 am
Crowell didn’t look good against Calhoun when the UGA coaches were all there, I don’t see the fuss. Didn’t even get a 100 yards rushing.
Jeff Schultz
January 4th, 2011
9:28 am
Jaxdawg — You’re missing the point. Both school take “low level” recruits and turn them into smart, winning players. You’re overstating the “weak conference” aspect of this.
VA.dawg
January 4th, 2011
9:29 am
this guy looks real good on the video clip………Having players at the skilled postions that are good is a blessing. HOWEVER!!!!!!!!! the games are generally won in the trenches and uga has not been coached up on the offensive line. This is where Championships are won on the O and D lines.
time for personel changes
go dawgs
just a fan
January 4th, 2011
9:31 am
Lattimore made the difference between USC and florduh winning the SECeast this year he had over 40 carries and 200 yards in that game he is a difference maker on that team not garcia or jeffery’s it was Lattimore that led them to there first SEC championship game and that is what Crowell can do for UGA