Georgia recruiting: Waiting on Isaiah Crowell (and normalcy)
Georgia is a slight betting favorite (unofficial odds) to land running back Isaiah Crowell over Alabama. (Jason Getz)
In the interest of full disclosure, two weeks ago I set up a search column on Twitter via my Tweetdeck to keep up on Internet rumors about where a certain high school football player might go to college. And I had I known almost 30 years ago that I would ever type that string of words, I would’ve told my father, “Yes, pops. I would love to sell insurance.”
Thursday is my favorite day of the year. That’s because it’s the day after national letter of intent day, when the creepiness of grown adults — OK, some not so grown — consumed with where 18-year-olds go to school moves back into the shadows.
I get why recruiting has grown to ridunkulous proportions. Our obsession with college football has mushroomed. It follows that the feeder system into college football has blown up with it. Technology like Twitter and Facebook just makes it easier to lurk. When it’s
"Why won't Clowney take my calls? I'm Nick Saban!" (Jason Getz)
all over, I just want to take a shower.
There was a moment two weeks ago — right about the time I was setting up the search column for Isaiah Crowell — when I started feeling some animosity toward some of these high school players. It wasn’t a jealousy thing at all. It was more the thought of teenagers stringing this out on a public stage and in some cases (like Crowell) waiting until signing day to make an announcement.
Then I read this comment from Jadeveon Clowney, a defensive end from Rock Hill, S.C., and considered by most professional dart-throwers as the nation’s top recruit. Clowney, who still hasn’t made his decision, was remarking on the recruiting process when he said: “At first, it’s a big thrill when coaches like Nick Saban and Steve Spurrier call. But by the middle of the year, that feeling wore off. Now I just let the calls go to voice mail.”
Once I stopped laughing over the thought of a groveling Nick Saban leaving a voice mail, I thought: Why wouldn’t these kids milk this for all its worth? The fawning is so extreme and protracted, it would be difficult for anybody to be immune — let alone a teenager.
But to Georgia fans, I’m going to ask you anyway: Are you irritated that Crowell, who’s possibly the biggest key to this recruiting class, has not announced his decision? Logic says he has made up his mind. Does he need to hold a 1:30 p.m. news conference on ESPNU at a Columbus community center on signing day — five to six hours after Georgia will announce most of its class? Just asking.
For what it’s worth, I’ve unofficially set the odds: Georgia is a 3-2 favorite over Alabama.
While you ponder the question, here’s the plan Wednesday:
♦ Chip Towers and Michael Carvell will be blogging from recruiting central. At the end of the day, the rest of us will scoop up their ashes and donate them to the Smithsonian.
♦ Tim Tucker and I will be in Athens. I will be Tweeting the names of the confirmed Bulldogs recruits as they become available. Georgia will only release them as it receives the signed letters, but here’s a link to the verbal commitments. If you follow me on Twitter at @JeffSchultzAJC, I’ll Tweet the confirmations. We’ll also get them posted as quickly as possible.
Via Chip’s blog, two of Georgia’s recruits will not be signing right away: As always, the grand majority of recruits will be signing with their respective schools tomorrow, and most will have done so by noon. But not everybody. Mitchell County wide receiver Justin Scott-Wesley is waiting until Thursday evening at 5:30 p.m. Nose guard John Jenkins of Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College won’t sign until 1 p.m. Saturday so he can return home to Meriden, Conn., to be with his family at Maloney High School.
♦ In the morning, I’ll post a column on Georgia’s recruiting class and how coach Mark Richt still has his most important mission ahead: getting recruits to live up to their “stars.” That column will be updated later in the day after Crowell’s announcement and comments from Richt.
♦ I probably also will post a separate blog when Crowell makes his announcement. He’d be Georgia’s most important recruit because he can make an immediate impact at running back.
That’s it for now. The Georgia column will be posted next, unless word leaks out on Crowell’s decision or something less important, like world peace.
By Jeff Schultz
♦
Earlier posts
– As Braves get started, Fredi Gonzalez looks like Cox 2.0
– Arthur Blank still hasn’t recovered from Falcons’ playoff exit
Follow me on Twitter @JeffSchultzAJC; friend me at Facebook.com/JeffSchultzAJC
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273 comments Add your comment
I bought aj green's jersey
February 1st, 2011
4:31 pm
well that takes away 98%
Hankie Aron
February 1st, 2011
4:32 pm
Including yours I bought
Roll Tide
February 1st, 2011
4:32 pm
Hankie Mutt
I am here because Crowell is going to Bama loser? Anymore questions?
I bought aj green's jersey
February 1st, 2011
4:33 pm
How so Hankie?
Herschel Talker
February 1st, 2011
4:33 pm
Hankie Aron:
Mark Richt needs to be fired ASAP. The faster we make the change, the faster we will rebound with our talent. All these pathetic Mark Richt supporters must really like coaches who lose 7 games a year. They should go cheer for Vandy instead of our Dawgs.
HT
Asheville Dawg
February 1st, 2011
4:34 pm
C’mon man. If adults are going gaga over prospects, why not have fun with it. Like the Rev. Drew did. Some (most?) will never get this much ink again in a life time, or until their first arrest.
Pacific Dawg
February 1st, 2011
4:34 pm
Hankie Aaron
If only intelligent remarks could be posted, this site would be empty.
Pacific Dawg
February 1st, 2011
4:37 pm
Herschel Talker
Mark Richt is the man. He will be head coach at UGA for another 15 years with a string of championships in the bag. When he retires they will rename the stadium RICHT STADIUM.
Nick
February 1st, 2011
4:37 pm
YES, Richt’s recruits living up to their stars is what I’m longing for. Whether it’s two, three, four or five, give me something to be proud of.
GADAWG13
February 1st, 2011
4:39 pm
GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO DAWGS!!!!!!!!! WOOF WOOf
Spelling Patrol
February 1st, 2011
4:40 pm
Hankie Aron if you are so intelligent then please tell me why your grammar is pathetic
GADAWG13
February 1st, 2011
4:40 pm
GOOOOOoo DAWGS!!! DREAM TEAM is for real
Mike
February 1st, 2011
4:41 pm
Go Dawgs Fox Sports reporting that Isiah Crowell the Number 1 RB is }>^}’#Y
nick fairley
February 1st, 2011
4:42 pm
I bet he goes to Alabama. Even after losing a lot of players post their national championship Alabama had a great year. With Saban as your coach everyone will respect you and year after year you’ll be in the NC hunt or given the benefit of the doubt. But if your choice is a floundering UGA with a horrible o-line achored by a chop blocking thug at center and a dimunitive QB or Alabama packed with 5 stars where would you go? Do you want to take 40 snaps for barely 100 yds a game or 20 snaps for 200 yards? UGA is desperate, thats why I think he goes to Bama and be in the mix of the NC talk and prime time SEC west rivalries. Sure beats playing GT on foxsportssouth… or was that on tv this year?
Rodney
February 1st, 2011
4:42 pm
Logan Gray was rated 7th best QB in the nation coming out. What is his QB rating today?
jerry
February 1st, 2011
4:42 pm
Some of these kids don’t need fawning over, they just want it. They may end up like Deion Sanders and think because they were born a great athlete it makes them an Einstein. Or maybe a pagan God.
You've Been DaRicked !
February 1st, 2011
4:44 pm
The “Dream Team” is setting up nicely to be just a dream. What a laughing stock when it becomes the norm as underachievers.
Jeff Schultz
February 1st, 2011
4:44 pm
Herschel Talker — Somehow I knew that’s how you would get this started.
T.O
February 1st, 2011
4:44 pm
How messed up would it be if Crowell takes the UGA hat and right before he puts it on, drops it to the ground and goes with Bama. That would hurt. I think he’s all Dawg but you just never know and these kids like to mess with everyone. Truth is a lot of them are just immature punk kids. We’ll see tomorrow!
Jeff Schultz
February 1st, 2011
4:45 pm
Jarvis — Agreed. The hat game is too much.
Jeff Schultz
February 1st, 2011
4:45 pm
MJ — I copy pasted that from Chip’s blog.
You've Been DaRicked !
February 1st, 2011
4:46 pm
He aint no Marcus Lattimore…..
No more donations to UGA
February 1st, 2011
4:47 pm
Schultz,
Im amazed at the way you can make a stressfull situation such as recruiting be hillarious.Kudo’s as usual-STILL LAUGHING!
P.S-Crowell will be a Dawg! Jenkins will come down to UGA an UF-UF holds the slight lead right now
jerry
February 1st, 2011
4:47 pm
What would be funny is if they wiped their a$$ on a hat.
Jeff Schultz
February 1st, 2011
4:47 pm
Joe Mayo — Haha. I’d love to but half the time I don’t know what I’m doing next! Actually, sometimes I do and I’ll take note of that, thanks. I do preview once in a while.
Jeff Schultz
February 1st, 2011
4:48 pm
Mike — Well said.
Stop the nonsense and just play football.
February 1st, 2011
4:49 pm
Im so sick of these guys playing the jersey swappin and hat trick games. Many of the them dont pan out anyway. Either you wanna be a dawg or not. If not then quit wasting our time.
gadawgs
February 1st, 2011
4:50 pm
Buckeye…You guys are only a perrenial top five team because of the weak a** conference you play in and that is a fact. If the Buckeyes would bring their talents to a real conference (yes the SEC) they would be middle of the pack and that is a fact. So please go back to playing with your “buckeyes” and get off our blog.
Jeff Schultz
February 1st, 2011
4:51 pm
No more donations to UGA — Thanks. I take that as the ultimate compliment.
Jim Doanan as in Doans Pills
February 1st, 2011
4:56 pm
Any rumours about an OL coach?
gadawgs
February 1st, 2011
4:56 pm
No more donations to UGA…..Jenkins is all Dawg my man. UF is not in the lead. He wants to play with Drew and he knows that he will be the cornerstone of our remade 3-4.
Jeff-Good article.
Pacific Dawg
February 1st, 2011
4:59 pm
Who cares about Crowell? Our real need is for a monster NG. Vasi “Tombstone” Papulu is the key to this class and the future of the DAWG Nation.
Clowns Galore
February 1st, 2011
4:59 pm
Mr. Clowney was spotted at The Clempson/ Florida State BB game in an orange hoodie this past weekend. Go figure…..
WIN WITH RICHT
February 1st, 2011
5:02 pm
Jeff
Are you ready to start concentrating on the Class of 2012. They say that big 360 lbs lineman from Lanier County is a BEAST!!!
Hankie Aron
February 1st, 2011
5:03 pm
Only kidding I bought
kevin
February 1st, 2011
5:03 pm
Buckeye,
Clearly, you need to be reminded that you are 1-9 vs SEC in bowl games; otherwise, why would you be talking OSU up on this blog. You are a perennial top 5 team, b/c you are consistently over-ranked and play in the Big 10. Then, sans this past season, you go to a bowl game and face and SEC team and get pummled.
Hankie Aron
February 1st, 2011
5:04 pm
HT- I guess it doesn’t matter but I want results like yourself but you didn’t answer the question I posed to you.
Hankie Aron
February 1st, 2011
5:05 pm
Roll Tide- Be prepared for the bad news tomorrow chump
Pacific Dawg
February 1st, 2011
5:05 pm
Vasi “tombstone” Papulu was just spotted wearing a red cap and driving a brand new Trans Am. Any thoughts?
tim
February 1st, 2011
5:06 pm
It doesn’t matter Crowell is not as good as people assume, he is undersized and overrated because of the lack of running back talent. I mean even the Dogs land him it won’t really matter because he probably will be kicked out or terminated from the team after a year or so. UGGAY will never be a power house and it is quite comical that people think they someday will or ever have. Auburn Nation is taking over for years to come. Gene Chizick and Company can’t be mantained
Knowall Moreno
February 1st, 2011
5:08 pm
I have an inside source that works at Bama, Crowell is going to roll with the elephants, GUARANTEED! Hate It!!! Go Dawgs!!!
Roll Tide
February 1st, 2011
5:08 pm
Hankie Aron
February 1st, 2011
5:05 pm
Roll Tide- Be prepared for the bad news tomorrow chump
Loser how about beating a real team first
Sugg Id
February 1st, 2011
5:10 pm
Agree, Shultz. This stuff is ridiculous. But, I love it..
fan
February 1st, 2011
5:11 pm
hey nick fairley,
Your calling Ben Jones cheap? So spearing a QB from behind after he threw the ball isn’t a cheap shot? Auburn fans enjoy your success that costed yall 180k, cause next year you’ll be 7-5 or worse. Thinking this kid will pick from Bama and UGA based on who had the better team the past two years is ridiculous. Why get maybe 5 carries a game at the max at bama when you can get between 10-18 at UGA. that is what this kid is looking at, playing time. Stop speaking out of your azzes. It makes sense for him to go to UGA if he wants to PLAY MORE. Bama has Trent R.(5star), Dee hart(5star) and some others that i don’t know cause i don’t like bama but i m sure they are good. UGA has washuan who likes to fumble and caleb king who has been a big bust. ken malcome hasn’t played so i can’t say anything about him. Tell me what team looks like the place where IC could get more playing time?? sorry real CFB fans, these morons needed to be straightened out.
Worm
February 1st, 2011
5:12 pm
I’d rather follow recruiting than Hockey or the NBA.
Pacific Dawg
February 1st, 2011
5:12 pm
Toilet Roll
Everyone knows that Crowell will be joining Harrow at UGA. The guy wants to be close to his Cootie.
Sparticus
February 1st, 2011
5:13 pm
I love this stuff. The more ridiculous it gets the better……
82Dawg
February 1st, 2011
5:14 pm
@tim …you really show your maturity with comments like this “UGGAY”…grow up kid or even better go over to Auburn’s blog…
Pacific Dawg
February 1st, 2011
5:14 pm
Until I was 16 I thought hockey was something you created in an outhouse.
RTR
February 1st, 2011
5:18 pm
Doesn’t matter if Crowell comes to Title Town in Tuscaloosa or not. Alabama is going to be better than fine. I hope Crowell and the Dream Team have nice NFL careers because their college career will be a string of wait ’til next years. Bigger. Faster. Stronger. Roll Tide.