Isaiah Crowell: From recruit to key to Georgia’s season?
Two young Bulldogs (one human): Isaiah Crowell of Georgia and his little pal. (AP photo)
(Updated with Mark Richt comments.)
ATHENS — Isaiah Crowell just signed his letter of intent to attend Georgia. So is it too early to assume he’s the key to next season? I don’t think so.
Crowell is a 5-star recruit. He’s the nation’s consensus top running back. Highlights and statistics from Carver-Columbus project possible greatness. But we’ve seen too much to assume anything. Most recently, we’ve seen Caleb King, a former 5-star recruit who has been a huge disappointment.
But if Crowell lives up to the hype, he will become something even more important than the best player in Georgia’s recruiting class. He’ll be the most important player on the Bulldogs’ roster next season.
When asked how he sees Crowell contributing, coach Mark Richt said, “Heavily. … I wouldn’t be shocked to see him running that rock in the Dome against Boise State on the opening play if he does what he’s supposed to do.”
The Bulldogs have lacked a lot of things lately, but a solid running game tops the list. Poor offensive line play is part of the reason. The other is that the Dogs haven’t found a consistent — or even above-average — replacement for Knowshon Moreno. Last season the team ranked 10th in the SEC in rushing (ahead of only Vanderbilt and Tennessee) and 73rd in the nation. The passing game was fifth in the SEC, 40th in the nation. The onus was on a freshman quarterback, Aaron Murray, and A.J. Green.
King has struggled. Washaun Ealey has been inconsistent and generally a disappointment.
Crowell can make a difference. Great running backs can cover up for deficiencies on a team, particularly on the offensive line. A great running back in college can have at least as big an impact on an offense as a great quarterback. Look what Marcus Lattimore did for South Carolina.
Georgia needs Crowell to be their Lattimore next season. He’ll certainly get the opportunity. Coach Mark Richt is not going to come out with a depth chart Friday that lists Crowell first but the freshman will be given every opportunity to win the starting job.
“I’m gonna be a Dog,” Crowell said after putting on a Georgia hat. For the perfect touch, somebody then handed him a bulldog puppy, and the newest Bulldog held him up in the air.
He was the Dogs’ 25th recruit to sign his letter of intent — and easily the most important one of all.
♦
Earlier posts
– Georgia recruiting: Now Richt must turn stars into wins
– Georgia recruiting: Waiting on Isaiah Crowell (and normalcy)
– As Braves get started, Fredi Gonzalez looks like Cox 2.0
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321 comments Add your comment
WIN WITH RICHT
February 2nd, 2011
4:10 pm
Boise State Fan
Do you remember your last trip to Georgia?
Cletus Dooley Earnhardt SR.
February 2nd, 2011
4:10 pm
Thanks yue Marks Rick! Thhanks oh Jeesus for sendin the Bowldog Naytion youur dreadloced son! My emppty life now has meening agaiyn!!!!!!!
-GO UGA! GO Nafan Deel! GO Sara Paylin! 2012 willl be our yeer!!!!
Cyrus Kouandjio Is A Hot Topic Today
February 2nd, 2011
4:12 pm
[...] Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) [...]
Not so fast
February 2nd, 2011
4:13 pm
Anyone who is a fan of a team should go in with the expectations that this is the year. I mean realistically no team is going to win the championship every year but if you can’t get excited about the possibility why even be a fan of sports in general? I mean Cubs fans no realistically they aren’t going to win the World Series but every year they think they are and have that glimmer if hope. It’s called being a fan! It’s nice to dream, but just because you dream doesn’t mean you actually believe it’s going to happen. But it always is interesting how people can come on other teams boards or sites and talk smack about their fans and how great there team is/was. Wasn’t it not to long ago when Alabama was in the crapper? Didn’t UGA own Florida at one time? Didn’t GT have UGA’s number at one type. Sports goes in cycles and I for one know that any given day or season can yield shocking results. And I for one will always believe in my team whoever that may be until they give me reason not too. For example, like losing to Colorado!
WIN WITH RICHT
February 2nd, 2011
4:13 pm
Cletus
Thanks for your insightful observations. You sound like a swave and deboner gentleman.
ManDroid
February 2nd, 2011
4:16 pm
What’s the over/under for arrests before the first game of the 2011 season?
BiggdawgK
February 2nd, 2011
4:19 pm
“Headley Lamar is your typical welfare recipient. The guy is an Obamabot who hates whitey”.
@rolls tied
See what I mean about you having no understanding of logic? You make an inflamatory racist comment about Headley Lamar and when I call you out on it, you tell me to go burn some crosses. I understand alabammy is light years behind the rest of the country when it comes to race relations, but try to keep the racism to every third comment at least.
Are you running for grand wizard or something? Let me guess you will inherit the position, right?
Walker 2011
February 2nd, 2011
4:20 pm
I just heard from my cousin’s sister’s friend who knows someone who is friends with the cousin of the brother of a guy who is friend’s with a janitor at a restaurant who had a guy eating dinner that was friend’s with a women who knew a cousin of a guy who saw David Pollack who said that he has it on good authority that Herschel Walker has scrapped the NFL comeback idea and is instead petitioning the NCAA to allow him to have and added year of eligibility so he can come back and save UGA. He is petitioning the NCAA using the argument that since he never really contributed to the NFL it should be as if his career never existed. Therefore, he should be able to use his last year of eligibility. Only I can save UGA!
84dawg
February 2nd, 2011
4:21 pm
whatever fairly, we will see you in a couple of years when you’ve blown through your dirty wad,end up bankrupt and driving a truck for some third rate moving company. we’ll see how relevant you and your spewing mouth is then douchbag. your a dirty player, someone is gonna knock your fat arse out in the NFL. word to ya momma.
Not so fast
February 2nd, 2011
4:24 pm
84dawg you do know that isn’t the real Fairley right? Wow craziness abound. I bleed red and black but people at the end of the day it is only a “GAME”.
raymond
February 2nd, 2011
4:28 pm
The most important players of the year are on the defensive side of the ball. We have offense now we need defense.
Cletus Dooley Earnhardt SR.
February 2nd, 2011
4:30 pm
Win with richt.
thanks forr the komploment. Butt i hav to corect youu on one miner detale. Hiis name is Marks Rick. Iff yourr gona be a fan at leest learrn how to be intiligent and spell th e mands nayme rite.
-GO UGA
Truly study the game of football, the trends, and what's going on
February 2nd, 2011
4:32 pm
`
Dream Class my A$$.
WIN WITH RICHT
February 2nd, 2011
4:36 pm
Cletus
Were you a transfer student from somewhere in Alabammie? From your righting, I detect a distink Bammie accent.
the real Old Gold
February 2nd, 2011
4:37 pm
Good thing Calhoun High School isn’t in the SEC….
Rolls Tied
February 2nd, 2011
4:38 pm
“I have yet to see a Bulldog fan say that, but honesty and logic are obviously not your strong suit.’
You don’t get sarcasm do you.
Rolls Tied
February 2nd, 2011
4:39 pm
“You make an inflamatory racist comment about Headley Lamar ”
Spell check, klanner. Use it. As for Headly, no I’m spot on and if you read his remarks this morning you’d understand how I came to that conclusion.
“Are you running for grand wizard or something?”
No, I’m not a Democrat.
Tideman
February 2nd, 2011
4:41 pm
Congrats to UGA and fans for signing a great class. I think I saw where you have 25 new signees. For all those bashing Sabin for oversigning, we have 22 signees. Obviously, we hope to have a few more. How about giving the oversigning issue a rest now since you have signed more than Bama. FYI, chances are all of them from both schools want get in. Hence, the reason to oversign. Duh.
Zeke
February 2nd, 2011
4:42 pm
This kid is over rated. Calhoun shut him down in the playoffs to where he didn’t even want the ball.
john o.
February 2nd, 2011
4:42 pm
Jeff, how will Crowell be given a chance in the spring when he will still be in high school?
Rolls Tied's Girlfriend
February 2nd, 2011
4:42 pm
I left him because he always pissed in the bed and loves watching little boys play on the playground. What a child lover
blazerdawg
February 2nd, 2011
4:43 pm
BS Fan – When? September 3, my man, September 3.
Mike
February 2nd, 2011
4:43 pm
Looks like CMR promised him the job was his to lose. Sorry fellows at Alabama and Auburn got to earn it.
Gator Man
February 2nd, 2011
4:44 pm
Here we go again: UGA thinks they have another Herchel Walker, its really sad when your coach have to sell the fans freshmen.
Richt please stay in Georgia where your fans have no standards and you can get them thrill over a freshmen that has yet to prove his self, you would have been fired at any school in Florida by now.
Not so fast
February 2nd, 2011
4:47 pm
Tideman that is the first reasonable post by an opposing fan on this board. The both Alabama and Georgia have great classes. Furthermore, even though I am a UGA fan I’m extremely glad looking at the class rankings that it looks like the SEC as a whole kicked arse in recruiting. It’s amazing how much talent the SEC as a whole gets even teams that have a down year(s) such as UGA!
Randy
February 2nd, 2011
4:48 pm
Georgia……………..the place recruits go to become second fiddle players, inmates or flat out disappointments. Once again Georgia recruits big……………now comes the self destruction. How many empty beds are there at the Athens police department and jail? Better empty them out because they are soon to be filled.
Mike
February 2nd, 2011
4:48 pm
Zeke Calhoun had a stout defense. Lets give him credit he did end up with 87 yards but from what I saw it appeared leg was still bothering him. He has really got to get in the weight room. Big difference in running over another 17 year old and a 22 year old man. He would have really benefited from enrolling early and participating in spring.
Not so fast
February 2nd, 2011
4:51 pm
Gator man you do realize sometimes freshman do make a difference right? Is Crowell going to be a great back? Maybe not but he was the consensus top running back in this recruiting cycle so I’ll take him. He could go either way but the ability is there and everyone that evaluates talent agrees. Sometimes talent is squandered but let’s see the kid in action before we call him a bust or success. Time will tell what UGA has but that time isn’t now.
Not so fast
February 2nd, 2011
4:56 pm
Also, all you people who like to point out the bad seeds at Georgia do some fact checking. Yeah they have arrests but isn’t the point of this whole thing higher education? Well in that regard there is only once school that has a higher graduation rate than UGA and that is Vanderbilt. So unless your a commodore fan and they normally don’t talk smack they have to much class for that (They really deserve a great team) you shouldn’t be crowing too much about Georgia.
Just the Truth
February 2nd, 2011
4:57 pm
@ Tideman The oversigning issue that Alabama, LSU, and Old Miss have perfected into an art form does not apply to the UGA recruiting class of 2011. If you would do a minimal amount of research you would know that Georgia went into the signing period with enough scholarships available to sign and issue scholarships to all of their signees. No one is getting kicked off the team in the next few weeks to make room for “something new and improved”. CMR is probably the most ethical coach in the business and his record speaks for itself. On the other hand Nick Saban had -what 12 scholarship slots with 25 signees. Don’t preach that trash here! I hope the SEC wakes up and end this practice once and for all before the 2012 recruiting cycle rolls around. Great job Coach Richt! We are all proud of all of the hard work of the UGA staff and are looking forward to a brighter future.
UGA IS ALWAYS OVER RATED
February 2nd, 2011
5:00 pm
Going to be a flop, will get arrested, then all u Georgia rednecks will throw him under the bus, then back up bus and run over the kid again.
Not so fast
February 2nd, 2011
5:01 pm
UGA over rated nice comment who is your team out of curiosity?
another one bites the dust
February 2nd, 2011
5:02 pm
Should be in contention for SECC, MNC and the Fulmer Cup with that group. Woof Woof
Isaiah Crowell: From recruit to key to Georgia’s season? – Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) | The Latest Info
February 2nd, 2011
5:03 pm
[...] here to see the original: Isaiah Crowell: From recruit to key to Georgia’s season? – Atlanta Journal Constitution … function agc_getinfo(field){ var processor = [...]
UGA IS ALWAYS OVER RATED
February 2nd, 2011
5:05 pm
…and your coeds are beautiful, and your town is cool, and everyone parties, and your alumni are successful, and one day very soon your football team will be BACK…ohh I HATE UGA and I HATE it that I do not have my drivers license yet!!! ohhhh!!!
BoiseStateFan
February 2nd, 2011
5:05 pm
31 years ago. WOW! The frustration is certainly warranted.
Old Dawg Fan
February 2nd, 2011
5:07 pm
I will say it for the 50th time. It does not matter if you have the best recruits possible-if you can’t coach them they are worthless.
Odds are Bobo (aka Dumbo) will call mostly passing plays with Crowell in there, heck he will probably pull Crowell and put in 150 lb Thomas to run up the middle on 2nd and 25.
I am just completely done with CMR and his coaches.
Nothing gets better in Athens until the “coaches change”!!!!!
blazerdawg
February 2nd, 2011
5:08 pm
September 3….September 3, BS Person.
Failure. It's a way of life at UGA
February 2nd, 2011
5:08 pm
6-6 season for the mutts.
4th n Goal
February 2nd, 2011
5:09 pm
Only time will tell. I’m glad we have him and now let’s see how he develops over the next several months. We have a ton of work to do before the Boise St game, on both sides of the ball. Go Dawgs!!!
Rolls Tied
February 2nd, 2011
5:09 pm
“31 years ago. WOW! The frustration is certainly warranted.”
Yeah, but then again, Boise has never won a national title.
DawginOH
February 2nd, 2011
5:09 pm
Huge news! Welcome to UGA, Isaiah!
84dawg
February 2nd, 2011
5:09 pm
Hey Not so Fast- Just Sayin…how do you know it’s not the real fairly?oh yeah, He not rite so well. only run his mouth lots
BoiseStateFan
February 2nd, 2011
5:09 pm
WIN WITH RICHT
I do remember our last trip to Athens. I think it was the only game UGA won that year. Oh wait, no they beat Kentucky also.
Rolls Tied
February 2nd, 2011
5:10 pm
BoiseStateFan
Be careful what you say about UGA or the SEC because BS has never won the national title. Just sayin.
John Marshall
February 2nd, 2011
5:12 pm
What do we care about YOUR words to bother marking them? We don’r know YOU man! Oh yeah……first name John……last name Marshall……. that’s my real name Mr. Words. GO DAWGS!
Not so fast
February 2nd, 2011
5:15 pm
Actually Rolls Tide they have in the junior college level and Division 1 FCS they weren’t always in big boy football. Moved up in 1996 so Boise is doing pretty good for being a newcomer. 84dawg even if it is does it help you feel better about Georgia getting manhandled in the 2nd half by Auburn by badmouthing someone online? Come on Dawg fans have some class. If the line was doing their job Murray wouldn’t of been on his arse. By the way I am a UGA fan.
4th n Goal
February 2nd, 2011
5:16 pm
Boise fans have one maybe two games that mean anything all year long, every season. It must be a blast to go see Boise play Utah St, New Mexico St., Fresno, La Tech, Idaho, etc..wow, that’s living!
TampaGator
February 2nd, 2011
5:16 pm
Truly great class for Georgia and it will get better with Jenkins on Friday. It is down to Georgia and Florida and Muschamp, at his p-conference today, fairly much said his class is complete.
Still want to fire your head coach?
But….before you go winning the summmertime SEC and NC titles once again….remember this….
Florida will have 18 redshirt freshmen playing next year for the first time from last year’s number one class….all 5 and 4 stars. And this class is a top 10 class as well and major needs were filled.
Enjoy your summer dream team….and summer dreams!
Just a College Football Fan
February 2nd, 2011
5:18 pm
Jeff,
Please Please Please, save this article and all the comments associated with it.
I do not have a crystal ball, or a Marty McFly Delorean Time Machine to see into the future this fall, however the utter enthusiasm and bold predictions made by many many Georgia fans on this article is just astonishing. I would love to be able to read these same notes after the first 4 games of the season.
The second thing is all of these misinformed fans comparing a win against a Boise St team from 4 or 5 years ago to the veteran laiden team Boise St. will bring into the Georgia Dome in September. No comparison. Comparing apples to apples Boise St has gotten better while UGA has dropped down a notch or two and if you think 17 to 22 years olds psyches are not important think again and the most recent memory for many of these kids is a loss to UCF.
Finally, it was a good day for Georgia, but realistically this signing class will probably have 3 to 5 players who contribute early unless the current Bulldog team players suffer injuries.
My three cents worth.
Save these article Jeff.