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
Committee on anti Alabama activities
February 1st, 2011
6:41 pm
Go Tech!
Big Dawg...
February 1st, 2011
6:42 pm
Heard the nerds just lost another recruit to the University of Phoenix…LMAO…
Roll Tide
February 1st, 2011
6:42 pm
Freddy
February 1st, 2011
6:39 pm
Roll… Why so defensive? Alabama is on the back burner now. Auburn runs your state
Georgia State will beat the mutts in a couple of years with all the convicts leaving the program
Freddy
February 1st, 2011
6:45 pm
Georgia State will beat the mutts in a couple of years with all the convicts leaving the program
“In a couple years” Convicts leaving is a good thing.
Committee on anti Alabama activities
February 1st, 2011
7:07 pm
AU runs the state? Hmmm. I guess they did in 2010. Apparently they run Georgia too. But AU loses 4 of 5 starting O-lineman, lose Cam and Fairley and Darvin Adams, and lost 24 seniors on top of their 3 top jrs. We won’t be hearing from them for a few years. One and done.
BiggdawgK
February 1st, 2011
7:12 pm
schult I would think you and your fellow blog boys at the AJC would be kissing the feet of these kids you pretend to be angry about. Then again you and mark bradley are too busy kissing paul’s johnson but I digress.
Why should we be irritated at these teens for doing what so many posting here do everyday, which is beg for attention. chip at least trys to just report the latest rumours etc… on who is going where, but even he can’t resist going the cheap route with blogs like “What if Crowell doesn’t become a Dog?” or his question to Crowell’s mom that was designed to illicit her sell my son’s soul to the devil remark.
Regardless thursday will be here soon and hits on AJC blogs will plummet. You can eke out readers until saturday when Jenkins announces, but rest assured by this time next week your blog will have the 20 to 30 readers bi weekly you are used to and deserve.
blueboy
February 1st, 2011
7:27 pm
Antonio Richardson ALL VOL!
Big Dawg...
February 1st, 2011
7:31 pm
no doubt blueboy…great get… we offered Tre Jackson as a backup. AR will be a goodun’
blueboy
February 1st, 2011
7:35 pm
Hey wreckmaniac. He missed out on AJ Johnson,Justin Coleman, Brian Randolph etc…. because CMR is star gazing instead of evaluating talent.
bamaguy
February 1st, 2011
7:38 pm
Crowell will choose Georgia for the simple reason that he will start at Georgia but would be Trent Richardson’s backup at Alabama.
Herschel Talker
February 1st, 2011
7:45 pm
Coach Johnson is the wishing somebody will want to play for him other than out-of-staters who don’t realize what is really going on at Tech!
woebegong
February 1st, 2011
7:45 pm
Seems kind of strange that all these Alabama, Auburn, Tech. and god knows why even ohio state people come on here to write negative comments about UGA. I guess, in spite of you peoples assinine comments, you are really quite concerned that UGA is going to lay waste to your schools in the future. All of your comments are probably from just a few people using multiple stupid names, to write your dribble. Say what you want, but your comments prove you are worried to death, because UGA along with CMR, are going to feed your butts to the wolves in the future.
GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO DAWGSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
Zoli
February 1st, 2011
7:46 pm
Buckeye….seriously go home. I’m Sick of all your minivans driving around here. Nobody cares for Ohio State besides Ohians! Go talk through your nose somewhere else.
Who Cares about Georgia Really!!
February 1st, 2011
7:46 pm
Who Cares
Lee
February 1st, 2011
7:49 pm
I hope we sign Crowell and the others. Dawg fans could use some good news after the debacle of last season. These players can impact the program in a major way, and I foresee positive changes for the program IF they play to their potential. With that said, I am more than amused to see an OSU fan bragging on this blog. The Buckeyes play in the Big Ten, that about sums it up folks. Auburn fans, do you really think you have a chance in **** of repeating? Bama, you need to worry about LSU and Miss.State in the West before touting yourself as SEC or national champs. In the East, Florida will not be a contender this season and SC will return to their usual irrelevence. Things are looking up for the Dawgs.
Prince of Alabama
February 1st, 2011
7:49 pm
No smart kid will want to play for those hillbillies in Tennesse or those road kill dead gators in Florida! One has a puppet coach and the other left school for probation issues!
woebegong
February 1st, 2011
7:49 pm
zoli,
wonder if ohio state will have his football field cleared of all the snow and ice in time for spring practice. Oh, wait, he has enough convicts on the team to shovel it all off.
Tech Stinger
February 1st, 2011
7:53 pm
I will the AJC would stop reporting about this garbarge news about uga because their program is nothing but a gang of future convicts with no future
Don
February 1st, 2011
7:57 pm
Who Cares about Georgia Really!!
February 1st, 2011
7:46 pm
“Who Cares”
Uh genius, apparently you do since you took the time to post on a Georgia recruiting blog. Ride the short bus much?
Knowall Moreno
February 1st, 2011
8:05 pm
Kevin, I have a relative that works in the recruiting dept. with Saban, so stfu you douche, you dont know jack, wait till tomorrow & then look in the mirror & say yes I am a douche!!! IDIOT ur mama is calling you dumb azz donkey HEE HAW lmao
The Dude Abides
February 1st, 2011
8:07 pm
I dunno if Antonio Richardson is going to be a Vol he seemed to shrug them off in this vid
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbiEEePzDPw
woebegong
February 1st, 2011
8:18 pm
I have been reading a lot of these blogs the last few months, and it appears a lot of these negative comments have been coming from relative/friends of the coach/the coaches sister/ the coach himself, and all sorts of in the know relatives. Why would anyone have the need to ever leave the blogs for UGA, when all of these so called, well informed people come on here from the different teams and tell us how bad the UGA team and head coach really are. Wow, I feel I am among royalty on here. Not so sure if these folks mentioned are as well informed as they boast since most are likely, nerds, teenagers, with nothing better to do, or as said before, folks that are really worried about getting their lunch handed to them, for the next few years by the DAWGS.
bitter red-in-black
February 1st, 2011
8:19 pm
all bammer fans are gay and revolt me that there state cannot produce there on talent, saban only has 4 in-state comments from alabamma
PS blows to play high school football in bammer land
stay in your on yard, our sign reads “all dogs and bammer fans keep off grass!!!
Nick Fairley
February 1st, 2011
8:20 pm
Here is Crowell’s choices: Go to Alabama, preseason #2, coach Saban currently regarded as the best coach in CFB, a blow out bowl win against the best really the Big 10 had to offer, a chance for a lot of tv time in 2011 and years after, play with a talent loaded team and compete for the national championship. Also, you get to play in the Iron Bowl. For the last two years whoever wins the Iron Bowl has automatically won the SEC Championship the next week and win the National Title. So for two years in a row Alabama and rival Auburn have gone undefeated, won the Heisman, the SEC and the National Championship.
Or UGA… preseason…. not sure. But Georgia is coming off a 7-6 season with a great win over UCF. The team is not loaded with talent but has been ranked years after years of top recruiting classes which has won a lot of national championships on signing day. The team has no receiving corps anymore so going there as a RB will give Crowell plenty of opportunity to face SEC defenses that stack the line and tackle him in the backfield. That’s what every RB wants.
This is kind of a lose lose for UGA. If he comes to UGA because Alabama has too many RB’s then that means he’s not good enough to compete and knows it now. If he goes to Bama he’s willing to compete for the job.
Hey Fan, quick question, who did the SEC suspend for a dirty near career ending hit against a Mississippi St player? Me or Ben Jones? Ben. Who couldn’t block me and resorted to multiple chop blocks before I got pissed and beat your shrimpy QB down? Me.
Nick Fairley
February 1st, 2011
8:22 pm
Oh crap. Did I say 7-6? I meant 6-7. I was just reading off of UGA’s season ending celebration trophies. Silly me, I forgot UGA got beat down by UCF. Not sure why they got any trophies? Guess its all lollipops and good moral victories that UGA lives for these days. I bet Crowell goes there.
Either way, if he goes to Bama I’m impressed by how smart he is. If he goes to UGA, not bright.
I'ma tech fan
February 1st, 2011
8:23 pm
blah blah blah thugs blah blah blah always top 10 recruits blah blah blah can’t coach em up blah blah blah everything I know bout UGA I learned from schultz and bradley
I'ma bamer fan
February 1st, 2011
8:26 pm
we gonnu be goods and all next year even tho we wuz forth in sec west dis yer. saban aint levin fo nfl we live on blawgs bout UGA cuz we bedder dm not cuz we skirt
Trupert
February 1st, 2011
8:27 pm
All of these kids have their eyes set on the NFL and while vanity plays a part in the recruit stringing things out, the more exposure these kids get the better their chances are to be noticed by the NFL. I don’t blame them. Go Dawgs!!!
Nick Fairley
February 1st, 2011
8:28 pm
Just as a reminder:
2010 Auburn, 14-0, SEC Champion, Heisman, National Championship
2009 Alabama, 14-0, SEC Champion, Heisman, National Championship
2010 Georgia, 6-7.
2010 GT, 5-7.
The Dude Abides
February 1st, 2011
8:29 pm
Marlon Brown was in Green’s shadows, now that hes out he can let loose and be a star. Also Tavarres King is a solid #2 and Wooten needs more PT with that speed. Also dont forget about Branden Smith possibly playing offense and being like Onterrio Mccaleb from Auburn. Georgia has the best TE in the country and another solid one behind him in Jay Rome.
Gatormeat
February 1st, 2011
8:29 pm
Crowell is headed for Bama. The mutts won’t have anyone to run the ball or catch it and their line is going to very thin and weak this year. Murray is going to see a lot of sky in Jacksonville, he will be spending most of the game on his back. It is doubtful he will finish the game, then you mutts can send someone else in and the Gators will smack him around to. Just like most every year, the dog fans will be talking smack before the game and whining and making excuses after the game. Again
Nick Fairley
February 1st, 2011
8:30 pm
Also, why go to a school where 2/3s of the posters on AJC.com want the coach fired yesterday versus a school where the man regarded as the best coach currently in college football is considered by nearly every fan as the second best coach in school history?
But hey, Georgia had Herschel Walker and won a national championship 31 years ago.
BiggdawgK
February 1st, 2011
8:30 pm
I never thought I would be giving props to UF’s President but he raked alabama and saban over the coals today.
I guess all the kissing and love gaytors and bama boys profess for each other on AJC msg boards doesn’t exist outside the AJC.
DOGGIE IN NC
February 1st, 2011
8:30 pm
Come on Guys! On Roll Tide – No Bama fan hates the DAWGS that much. This guy is a Techturd and just wants to get under your skin. GO DOGGIES!
BiggdawgK
February 1st, 2011
8:34 pm
nick fairley stupid.
Yet more proof the AJC is some weird alternate universe for sports buggery among rivals elsewhere. You are smooching bama’s bottom here when not one single UA fan would tinkle on you if you were on fire.
I guess you are so pathetic and stupid that you forgot no one hates barners more than bama boys do huh?
Columbus War Eagle Dawg Family
February 1st, 2011
8:35 pm
Just wanted to share something interesting that just took place a few minutes ago. While working tonight in a chain Sporting Goods store here in Columbus, I noticed a family shopping for hats. The funny thing was they intentionally were not wanting to get noticed. As I walked over to ask them for help the man or father came over and asked for a bag to place the hats in and I did as requested. I asked him he was doing this for a special reason and he said yes. They purchased 5 hats. He paid for them with cash and asked me not to mention anything or if I recognized his son. I said yes and he placed his finger to his mouth and he and his family exited out the parking lot door away from the other foot traffic.
In case you wanted to know what kind of hats they were, I will come back after midnight and share them with you. Does it mean anything? No. But they were definitely buying hats for his entire family as each of them picked up other fitted hats to get their each right size before picking up the 5 team hats and the older lady did that portion of the shopping.
Valdostan in South Georgia with nothing to do
February 1st, 2011
8:38 pm
At an auction a couple of years ago for VSU football,
one of the items auctioned was a Bama helmet with
all the Alabama Heisman winners autographs. A
couple of dumb arse Bama fans bid this sucker up to
over $500, with the winner discovering at that time Bama
never had a Heisman winner.
BiggdawgK
February 1st, 2011
8:41 pm
I understand why all the barners are stinking up msg boards bleating about 14-0, bcs champs etc… The clock is ticking away and they won’t be able to brag about those wins and title once it’s been stripped away from them.
At best these sad little blowhards have 6-8 months to puff their tiny scrawny chests out and squawk. I just hope they don’t get the death penalty because of how it will make the SEC look. Also they are so much fun laugh at too.
BiggdawgK
February 1st, 2011
8:44 pm
An auburn grad that works as a cashier in a sporting goods store. Sorry buddy thats not a surprise to anyone.
PaleRider
February 1st, 2011
8:48 pm
For heaven’s sake. Be a Man. If you have made a decision, state it and live with it.
This cat and mouse recruiting crap does not help these kids in their image. They hurt the team they want to play for in a few months. How does that compute?
Valdostan in South Georgia with nothing to do
February 1st, 2011
8:50 pm
Birmingham News 15 of 17 sports teams at Bama are on probation.
Saban finished 4th in the West last season.
Saban is 2-2 against their arch rival last four seasons.
Georgia is 4-1 against Auburn last five seasons.
Cam Newton will not be eligible for rookie of the year in
the NFL next year, because it will be his second season
as a paid professional athlete.
Ha Ha Ha = Go Dawgs
Columbus War Eagle Dawg Family
February 1st, 2011
8:50 pm
Never said I was a Cashier. I am a regional manager for a major Sporting good chain. Oh by the way I am a UGA Grad and my Wife is the Auburn Grad, with a daughter at Columbus St and a son at Georgia.
boots
February 1st, 2011
8:58 pm
Let the Big Dawg Tweet!
BiggdawgK
February 1st, 2011
8:59 pm
columbus war etc….
Let me guess it was Crowell’s family and it was bama hats. The fact you are a UGA grad and your wife went to the barn proves you have no reason to lie.
FAIL
PaleRider
February 1st, 2011
9:02 pm
We hold our breath to wait on these 18 year old Show Boaters to put on the hat we want. Then they show up and are about as spectacular as a fat girl at midnight on prom night. Sanks and Sterling Boyd. Where are they now? Wal-Mart?
boots
February 1st, 2011
9:03 pm
We Georgia fans are passionate about our sports programs, yes. We Georgia grads are equally passionate about everything UGA. Yet it seems on these blogs, everyone hates us and there are more Tech / Gator / Bama / Auburn guys complaining about UGA and telling us how much we suck. Listen, it has been a couple of rough years, yes, but don’t you guys have anything better to do than sit around insulting a 6-7 program that you claim to not worry about? Pretty lame if you ask me…
Rolls Tied
February 1st, 2011
9:11 pm
“But AU loses 4 of 5 starting O-lineman, lose Cam and Fairley and Darvin Adams, and lost 24 seniors on top of their 3 top jrs. We won’t be hearing from them for a few years. One and done.”
What an incredibly naive and stupid comment. Have you not been paying attention to AU recruiting? They’ll sign ANOTHER top 5 class and will be just fine. Alabama has to replace their starting quarterback.
Good luck, mullets. Oh, and please buy up all of the leftover Bammer crap at Walmart that is now on sale 28-27% off.
Herschel Talker (Tranvestite Tech Fan)
February 1st, 2011
9:11 pm
I bitch because i’m a bitch. I come on here every day beating a dead horse..All i can say if fire Mark Richt and next year will be a disaster. The truth is that i don’t like CMR because he’s against gay marriage and it hurt my boyfriend Stan’s feelings.
Nick Fairley
February 1st, 2011
9:11 pm
biggdawgk… just wanted to point out ‘nick fairley stupid’ is not a sentence. So shall I just lump you in with most of the other dawg fans that’ve never attended UGA?
The conversation is about Alabama vs Georgia for one small RB out of Columbus. I’m just here to make Georgia fans miserable, nothing else. As to Alabama, 28-27 comes to mind and reminding everyone that those in the know think Saban is currently the best coach in the nation gives me the opportunity to point out he’s 50/50 vs Auburn while at Bama and overall has a losing record against us when you include his time at LSU. Speaking of LSU,
LSU won the BCS national championship, twice. Probably is going to be smoked by Oregon but that’s a different story. But twice they won. Twice Florida won the BCS, the team that just has beaten the snot out of Georgia. Alabama once. Tennessee once. Auburn once. Now where is Georgia? The team that thinks because of 1980 they’re equal to Alabama, USC, Ohio St, Nebraska and so forth but when you look at their body of work they’re really maybe the 6th best team in the SEC. They come behind all of their major rivals (UT, UF and AUB) and Alabama and LSU.
I’m just here to point out that right now is not a good time to be a UGA fan and I say that out of the upmost disrespect for the team who tried to cheap shot their way against Auburn and still got beat down. I wish we had gotten over 50 just to rub it in but instead we had to watch UGA take a knee because of the thuggery of Ben Jones and company. Really Georgia should be ashamed of the state of their team.
Rolls Tied
February 1st, 2011
9:12 pm
“AU runs the state? Hmmm. I guess they did in 2010.”
7-3 against Bammer in the last ten years. You must have missed SIX in a row, Forrest.