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
Roll Tide
February 1st, 2011
5:19 pm
Pacific Mutt
News Flash UGA was 6-7 last season so we will get Crowell
Knowall Moreno
February 1st, 2011
5:19 pm
Just kidding he is a Dawg!
BigD
February 1st, 2011
5:20 pm
Who doesn’t want to be close to some Cootie?
kevin
February 1st, 2011
5:20 pm
Knowall Moreno,
I love blog commentators like you who claim to have “inside information”. Yeah, I am sure that you and your source know better than professional journalists/ sportswriters who are completely plugged into the recruiting process. Here is a link to 6 guys whose job it is to study recruiting that paints a very different picture: http://footballrecruiting.rivals.com/content.asp?SID=880&CID=1180322
Herschel Talker
February 1st, 2011
5:21 pm
Hankie Aron:
Yes, I’d rather go 8-5 and suffer for one more year, fire Richt, and then poise ourselves for greater things in the future with a more competent coach than to have a 10 win season but keep that joker for any longer. For the long run, it will be better for us.
HT
Roll Tide
February 1st, 2011
5:22 pm
Just look at this! Everyone knows he is going to Bama
http://recruiting.scout.com/2/1041114.html
http://footballrecruiting.rivals.com/content.asp?SID=880&CID=1180322
Mr. Dawg
February 1st, 2011
5:28 pm
I have no problem with these top flight recruits playing it to the hilt. It’s their first real exposure to the big time opportunity they’ve been dreaming about. Bottom line for is that end the end I really don’t care. I just want to see the UGA get the best players. One thing I believe fans and even most of the media don’t know is how many of these kids who are waiting for signing day have made their decision and have already let the coach know privately. Given the fact that Alabama already has a commitment from a 5 star RB and Georgia has pursued no one else besides Crowell, I think he’s coming to Georgia. GO DAWGS!
Mike Ethridge
February 1st, 2011
5:29 pm
Jeff, you probably didn’t envision tweeting like Tweety bird 30 years ago either. Who could have foreseen this mayhem during the pre-Herschel era? Thanks to instant gratification via the internet, you’re just another victim/prisoner of technology like the rest of us. It’s either ride the wild wave or get washed up on shore. Hang ten, dude.
D A DoubleU G
February 1st, 2011
5:30 pm
Jeff you are aware that the entire Carver-Columbus team is making their announcements together right? It’s not a grand stage ONLY for Crowell.
If you fail to see the importance of recruiting, being that it is the players who will run your team in the coming years, and how each and every one of their decisions effects the way things will be done in every aspect of the game…….
move up North!!!!!
I get sick of you bashing interests of the majority of your readership. How you are still employed by the ajc, is a mystery to most.
Waffle House Dawg
February 1st, 2011
5:30 pm
I hear Pagan could be changing his mind again. Looks like the Butts Mehre fax machine wont run out of paper and ink afterall.
harold
February 1st, 2011
5:31 pm
BAMA IS HIS TICKET TO THE NFL.
FLA DAWG
February 1st, 2011
5:32 pm
Jeff,
Crowell has been waiting for another buddy to come to UGA on a scholarship and now he’s got it with Logan Gray not returning.
Waffle House Dawg
February 1st, 2011
5:33 pm
Looks like Jenkins is gonna be a Gator…….
Mark
February 1st, 2011
5:35 pm
I don’t per say think it’s a bad thing to hold out till signing day, especially if you haven’t quite made up your mind. What I think is a little ridiculous is that CMR and staff has really only recruited Crowell for what is a mediocre running attack at UGA. Why hang your hat on one recruit when he has interest in other programs. If Crowell was dead set on UGA then he would have committed already. Myself, I am more interested in the possibility of Jenkins, and Pagan for the simple fact that the defense was absolutely horrible last year. I am really eager to see Malcome this year. I think this kid has a ton of potential.
Close the deal!
February 1st, 2011
5:35 pm
Finally something you and I can agree on Jeff! I am ready for tomorrow to be over, too! Here’s hoping for a BIG day tomorrow and a BIG announcement this weekend.
the_athenian
February 1st, 2011
5:36 pm
I don’t know jeff? Do we really need to read your blog?
Close the deal!
February 1st, 2011
5:37 pm
Keep dreaming Waffle House Dawg! UGA is gonna do fine this week.
D A DoubleU G
February 1st, 2011
5:40 pm
Waffle House Dawg = Tech fan who’s reality is settling in that they are doomed.
Close the deal!
February 1st, 2011
5:40 pm
@ Harold. You do realize A LOT of Dawgs are in the NFL don’t you? A certain running back that played for UGA got a first round selection a couple of years ago. You might have heard of him – Knowshon Moreno. Even with our awful year there will be 2 Dawgs taken in the first round this year. Haters hate. UGA will be fine.
DostaDawg
February 1st, 2011
5:40 pm
malcom mitchell will have biggest impact as a frosh. rome is highly overrated.
Yuh!!!!
February 1st, 2011
5:42 pm
Put these recruits in order of most likely to sign with UGA tomorrow. Turene, Pagan, Crowell, Richardson. I may be forgetting some, if so add them.
TommyP
February 1st, 2011
5:43 pm
Schultz: Never understood the crowd that hates national signing day. Don’t pay attention if you don’t like it.
Let me get this straight….you are irritated that Crowell hasn’t announced where he’s going? That IRRITATES you? It’s much better than the kid that commits to one team, then de-commits, then commits, etc. That’s a circus.
Crowell is doing this the right way. And look at the time of the signing, Jeff. 1:30. Think it’s because maybe it fits into their school day pretty well? Think it’s because he wants to announce with his teammates?
Close the deal!
February 1st, 2011
5:44 pm
@ Yuh!!!! The first 3 names are highly probable, don’t have as good a feeling about Richardson but our coaches have been working their tails off. You know they would love to flip a Tennessee commit after they got Da-Ricked last year!
D A DoubleU G
February 1st, 2011
5:45 pm
Pagen
Crowell
Turene
Richardson
bill
February 1st, 2011
5:47 pm
I yearn for the old days when the Bear told recruits “Alabama can more for you than you can ever do for Alabama.” Of course he would then sweep up 115 of them so they could not play against him.
SEC FAN>
February 1st, 2011
5:50 pm
Everyone knows Crowell is going to UGA. UGA is recruiting better than ever for this year, has Garner gotten more motivated? Maybe he is scared he might lose his job?
DostaDawg
February 1st, 2011
5:50 pm
Dawgs need D-line help 1st. I think linebacker is in good shape if jarvis jones,Richard Samuel are as good as advertised
Lance Bass
February 1st, 2011
5:54 pm
Go Dawgs!!!
tc
February 1st, 2011
5:55 pm
I am not really all that excited about this. We all now that UGA gets top recruits that have a proven track record of being big time impact players. The problem is not getting a good player, it is coaching a football team in a way that puts the players in a position to have major success. CMR is has a proven track record of not being able to do this. I understand that if CMR has even better players, the team may be able to win 8-10 games instead of 5-6. But at the end of the day we will have an under acheiving team until CMR is gone.
schmeckdawg
February 1st, 2011
6:02 pm
It wasn’t Garner this year, it was Bobo with the exception of Jenkins. And if we land him, I am giving credit to CMR and a little bit to Garner since it took him over a year to even notice this kid!
Who Cares
February 1st, 2011
6:03 pm
Roll, u r typical bama idiot. You were on this blog beating your flat chest about bama getting commitments from Rome & Mitchell. You lost that battle, and you are going to lose two more battles to UGA with Pagan&I.C. You had better hope like hell that Dickson doesn’t switch also. If he does, that will make you and your all mighty coach 0for5 the past 3 weeks against UGA. Also, if i’m not mistaken Auburn is kicking the mighty tide’s ass in Alabama. So you can’t go brag on Auburn’s blogs. anymore, and you are showing your ignorance on this blog. Hey, why don’t you try spewing your pathetic input on Florida’s blog. You can brag there now that Meyer isn’t recruiting anymore.
DostaDawg
February 1st, 2011
6:03 pm
Another 6-7 and we better pray Kirby Smart wont’s to come home.
1eyedJack
February 1st, 2011
6:08 pm
Christmas Eve!!!
Tide Roll, what are you doing here? Somebody must have let on there was free liqour.
If Herschel T is a Dawg fan he should take a header off the back of the bandwagon.
Let these kids have their fun. They are KIDS and just like kids the more candy you give ‘em…the more they want. “Yo baby ‘SPOSED to like Skittles!”
Looks like most of the Tech fans are too depressed to even pretend to be stupid today.
Crowell is a DAWG!!! And Jenkins too. Agnes, put another side of beef on the grill!!
Harold
February 1st, 2011
6:13 pm
BAMA IS HIS TICKET TO THE NFL. Bull!
Bama is his ticket to Satan (I mean Saban).
Big Dawg...
February 1st, 2011
6:15 pm
FWIW… techies UGA found out that A. Richardson is off the board at UGA, We’ve offered 6′4″ 300lb OL Tre Jackson & he’ll be signing with the Dawgs tomorrow… LMAO…get you some…
DostaDawg
February 1st, 2011
6:18 pm
Where is tre j. from?
Big Dawg...
February 1st, 2011
6:20 pm
Jesup Ga….
JB
February 1st, 2011
6:21 pm
None of this helps or effects our economy and this horrible President help anything.But, Go Dawgs.
1eyedJack
February 1st, 2011
6:22 pm
“Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth..”
wreckmaniac
February 1st, 2011
6:23 pm
How did Richt miss out on Dickson, Vaughters, and Tuitt ?
Big Dawg...
February 1st, 2011
6:26 pm
Funny, we sign somebody like Tre for insurance & depth. He wasn’t needed at gt. apparently they’ve got plenty of depth on their team…
Committee on anti Alabama activities
February 1st, 2011
6:27 pm
Crowell most likely goes to Georgia. We already got a 5 star tailback in this year’s class who set the state of Florida record for tds in a single season with 50. Having Crowell would be nice but we don’t need him. Let the dogs have some crumbs. They need em. With Trent “the beast” Richardson, Eddie Lacy- ask Mich state about him, and now 5 star tailback Dee Hart coming in we can afford to not get someone like Crowell. Georgia can’t.
But we got a great shot at the nation’s #1 overall prospect in Clowney, excellent shot at the #1 offensive tackle in the nation in Kuandjio whose brother already plays at Bama, and shots at several other top flight players. We’ll be just fine thank you.
And no. We won’t be suffering through a 6-7 season next year with 9 starters back on D, 4 of 5 O-lineman back, and 7 starters overall back on offense.
The future looks bright once again with a preseason ranking of #2 in ESPN’s 2011 preseason rankings and a preseason ranking of 2-4 in practically every pub out there.
Hope Crowell don’t mind 8-5 or 6-7 seasons with losses to UCF in a bowl game.
JSS
February 1st, 2011
6:29 pm
@ Jeff Schultz…
When the Slug line for a blog uses a word made up by Warren G. Harding (the male equivalent of you-know-who); it must be about the “Stalkers of 18 year old boys!”
How long till some real football is played on Sunday?
Roll Tide
February 1st, 2011
6:29 pm
Who Cares
February 1st, 2011
6:03 pm
Roll, u r typical bama idiot. You were on this blog beating your flat chest about bama getting commitments from Rome & Mitchell. You lost that battle, and you are going to lose two more battles to UGA with Pagan&I.C. You had better hope like hell that Dickson doesn’t switch also. If he does, that will make you and your all mighty coach 0for5 the past 3 weeks against UGA. Also, if i’m not mistaken Auburn is kicking the mighty tide’s ass in Alabama. So you can’t go brag on Auburn’s blogs. anymore, and you are showing your ignorance on this blog. Hey, why don’t you try spewing your pathetic input on Florida’s blog. You can brag there now that Meyer isn’t recruiting anymore
Hey SOB, HOW ABOUT TAKING YOUR 6-7 RECORD, No SEC Title since 05, Fulmer Cup Winning Azz and talk to a Tech fan until your team can beat someone with a winning record you idiot
Committee on anti Alabama activities
February 1st, 2011
6:31 pm
1eyedjack,
Enjoy the crumbs we let you have. And after the Aubies have you polish their bcs trophy come on over and polish ours. After only a year its getting a little dust on it.
hope im wrong
February 1st, 2011
6:31 pm
i sure hope im wrong, but crowell and wright are both team-mates in high school. both of them with offers from alabama, and they are both waiting till wednesday to make their anouncment……..hope my thoughts are wrong, but i beileve both of their choices will be bama. not to mention they are best of friends!
saban
February 1st, 2011
6:32 pm
Doesn`t matter who the dawgs recruit. I will win another national championship and beat Auburn next year in the conference championship and Florida the following two years.
Boise State will be the dawgs new daddy after Central Florida joined to crowd last year.
Sorry dawgs just the natural order of the universe. The Dream Team will become just another sad country song for the Athens trailor park crowd.
Committee on anti Alabama activities
February 1st, 2011
6:33 pm
Who Cares,
Roll Tide does have a point- you did win a championship- the Fulmer Cup for 2010 for having 12 players arrested. Come to think of it we did have player arrested back in the middle of 2009 I think it was. It was soooooooooo looooong ago I’m having a hard time remembering.
jim
February 1st, 2011
6:36 pm
you all sound like a bunch of middle school kids bragging about who has the toughest dad. get a life.
Freddy
February 1st, 2011
6:39 pm
Roll… Why so defensive? Alabama is on the back burner now. Auburn runs your state