Georgia recruiting: Now Richt must turn stars into wins
Mark Richt hopes his "5-star" recruits pan out more like Aaron Murray than Caleb King.
(Update III after Isaiah Crowell’s announcement, 2:30 p.m..)
ATHENS – The plan was to build an invisible fence along state borders. Mark Richt did that. He kept the best players that carry a Georgia postmark. He created a highlight for the program. He made folks forget, even if for a day, what has happened on the field in the last two seasons and, worst of all, what happened Dec. 31 against a Conference USA team.
There’s really only issue left unanswered: What does it mean?
College football teams don’t win games in February. If that were true, the Bulldogs would regularly play in BCS bowls. Think of national letter of intent day as a trip to the grocery store. A great cook can spend $40 and create a wonderful meal. A bad cook can spend $100 and hand you something south of Chef Boyardee.
Ingredients haven’t been the problem at Georgia. According to Scout.com, one of the major recruiting services, Richt’s classes since 2002 have ranked 9, 11, 6, 4, 4, 17, 5, 4, 21. Another service, Rivals, has had the Dogs 3, 6, 6, 10, 4, 9, 7, 6, 15.
In the last two seasons, this is what it got Georgia: 14-12 overall, 7-9 in the SEC and bowl trips that are the culinary equivalent of SpaghettiOs: Independence and Liberty — words we hold close to our heart at all times except bowl season.
Richt won in recruiting. He landed one of the top classes in the nation, punctuated by the best running back around: Isaiah Crowell. That means a lot today. But it won’t mean bupkis at kickoff against Boise State in seven months unless Richt can turn them into a winners.
This recruiting class raises the expectation level. It’s unfortunate that much pressure and onus has been placed on one class, but Richt somewhat created that when he labeled the potential group of Georgia state all-stars his, “Dream Team.” There’s nothing wrong with sound bites and catch phrases to get fans and recruits excited. But the downside to labels like “Dream Team” is it puts a glare on 17- and 18-year-old kids who’ve never even had a spring practice, let alone played in a college game. The term “Dream Team” was created in 1992 for an Olympic basketball team that was comprised of grown men — mostly future Hall of Famers.
In announcing his decision to go to Georgia over Alabama, Crowell said, “I’m gonna be a Dog.” He wasn’t alone in the state. Nineteen of Georgia’s 25 players are from Georgia, including four of the top five in the state and 15 of the top 41 (according to AJC rankings). Nationally, Georgia’s class is a consensus top six. It’s Richt’s perceived best class since at least 2006 (Knowshon Moreno, Matthew Stafford, et. al.), although Richt feels it could be the best of all.
“We all know our season wasn’t the best, and there have been a lot of things we have had to battle — maybe a little bit more than other years when it comes to recruiting,” he said. “But I really believe this class will end up being the most talented and best bunch in the 11 years now.”
There is hope.
There also is a possible trapdoor.
Have you ever tried to predict what an 18-year-old will do any day of the week? How about any hour? Some consider NFL drafts a guessing game. Recruiting makes NFL drafts look like an exact science.
From 2001 to 2010, Georgia recruited 21 “5-star” athletes, according to Scout. For every Stafford, A.J. Green and Leonard Pope that you show me, I’ll show you a Caleb King, an Akeem Hebron and a Darius Dewberry.
The “stars” mean nothing if players don’t develop physically, mentally and emotionally. We’ve seen the trapdoor in Athens.
Here are some more numbers for you: 63, 73, 73, 114, 54, 63. Those were the rankings of TCU’s last six recruiting classes. The Horned Frogs went 36-3 in the last three seasons, including two BCS bowls.
Boise State’s last eight recruiting classes ranked 73, 72, 73, 78, 57, 64, 60, 97. The Broncos’ record in the last five years: 61-5 with two BCS bowls.
I know. TCU and Boise State don’t play in the SEC. But it doesn’t change the point: Those schools are doing more with less. Georgia has been doing less with more.
Richt got people excited Wednesday, not an easy feat these days. But if the resumes of this recruiting class don’t translate into victories, grades and rankings quickly will be forgotten. What happens next is what matters most.
By Jeff Schultz
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The early scene in the Butts-Mehre building at Georgia.
Bulldog fans gather by the video screens, where signees are announced.
Butts-Mehre fills up, awaiting coach Mark Richt's arrival.
While addressing fans, Richt received text message, then announced, "Malcolm Mitchell is a Dog!"
♦
Recruiting posts
– Isaiah Crowell: From recruit to key to Georgia’s season?
– Georgia recruiting: Waiting on Isaiah Crowell (and normalcy)
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949 comments Add your comment
SECWasteManagement
February 2nd, 2011
9:02 am
Kirby Smart is going to love all of these new recruits to work with in 2012.
Woodstock Dawg
February 2nd, 2011
9:02 am
Jeff,
Have Boise St and TCU play an SEC schedule and those gaudy win-loss numbers look a lot different! Maybe we could have Georgia play Boise’s schedule and Georgia’s numbers over the last three years would look totally different. Come on Man, we all know number and stats can be made to look like anything you want.
WnE
February 2nd, 2011
9:03 am
C’mon Jeff, why play the easy, mundane “TCU & Boise St card”, when you know that the only fair way to judge those #70-ish rated recruiting classes is to have them play the same or similar schedules that UGA.y plays in the SECheat.
Bowls don’t tell the true story either because those schools have 40+ days to load up to play one game, which is nothing like playing an SECheat schedule with 7 days to prepare.
I will admit that TCU & Boise St. do get more out of their talent than most places, but my issue is that we don’t know “how much more” unless they play the weekly grind of being in a Big-4 Conference, the ACC & Big (L)East have been omitted since the level of FB in those Conferences is so crappy.
After your great article on over-signing, this one doesn’t quite live up to that level.
Jeff Schultz
February 2nd, 2011
9:04 am
To Jim and others — I’m a little baffled that some of you don’t believe there’s a correlation between what TCU/Boise State have done with their recruits and what Georgia has done with theirs. No, the WAC and the Mountain West is not the SEC. But look at polls, computer rankings, how the teams do against strength of schedule. It’s not even close.
82Dawg
February 2nd, 2011
9:04 am
Jeff…that was on of the 25% I was talking about…by the way it was Wisconsin…and where do they play?
Jeff Schultz
February 2nd, 2011
9:04 am
Bo U — No race-infused comments puh-leeze.
blue
February 2nd, 2011
9:05 am
Dawg82; care to try and quantify that “losing 75% of their games when the play outside their weak conference”? You can’t…because it isn’t true. Typical Dawg and SEC homer; even though your conference IS the best, you say stupid stuff that can’t be quantified…but it sure sounds good to you. And it sounds stupid to anyone with a modicum of intelligence.
blue
February 2nd, 2011
9:07 am
82Dawg; regarding Wisconsin; go look at their bowl record over the last 10 years against SEC teams…and then say they are weak.
Apples II Oranges
February 2nd, 2011
9:07 am
TCU and Boise St do not play the same level of competition week in and week out. It is impossible to compare. Please don’t give me the game against VA Tech, Boise had 9 months to prepare. TCU had 30 days to prepare for Wisconsin. Often SEC elite teams play 7-8 striaght weeks w/o a bye against the BEST competition in the nation.
Your premise is spot on, but the whole “fly in the oinment” type teams is to much of a stretch. At least in my humble eyes.
Tech Tard
February 2nd, 2011
9:07 am
Dumb article Jeff. You and others tell us fans not to take into account the number of stars beside each players name, yet you hold the coaches accountable for signing the 5 stars? Does that mean CPJ doesn’t have to do a damn thing with another terrible class? It is a young mans decision to develop or not to. The fact is there hasn’t been a leader on the team for the last 4 years. The players are more at fault in my eyes.
Boise State and TCU are doing more with less BECAUSE OF THEIR SCHEDULE. That is it!!!!!!
How soon will you start calling for Richt’s head?
How about you write an article on a good young man such as Sterling Bailey, instead of trying to get the fairweather fans riled up? A positive article from you would be nice for a change.
82Dawg
February 2nd, 2011
9:08 am
@blue…give me time to put the list together over the last 10 years and I will show you..I take it you must be of the ACC family…
dawgfan
February 2nd, 2011
9:08 am
Jeff, if what you’re saying is right about Boise State and TCU, we will have the best opportunity to answer that question the first game of the season. Unfortunately, I think you’re right and I think Boise State will have a chip on its shoulder to prove the point. Let’s hope CMR can add some attitude and discipline to this team and be PREPARED.
Canton Pete
February 2nd, 2011
9:08 am
“Now Richt Must Turns Stars into Wins”
Hasn’t that been the case for several years now?
Dumb idea
February 2nd, 2011
9:09 am
Rivals ranks – national, SEC, SEC East
2010: 15, 6, 3
2009: 6, 3, 1 (Tennessee, Fla, SC were within 6 spots of UGA)
2008: 7, 3, 2
2007: 9, 6, 4 (4th in the East, and these are the upperclassmen leading the 2010 and 2011 teams. Look at this class, and besides Justin Houston and early exit Rennie Curran, it’s awful)
2006: 4, 2, 2 (We got 3 years or less on the field from Stafford, Knowshon, Asher Allen, and Reshad Jones, so a lot of good that did us)
dawgfan
February 2nd, 2011
9:11 am
Tech Tard – good name for you retard. Why not do us all a favor and move on to the Yech blogs.
Close the deal!
February 2nd, 2011
9:11 am
I wonder how many current Alabama scholarship players are going to lose their scholarships today as Saban reloads. Pagan is taking a big gamble after already having one knee surgery.
Woodstock Dawg
February 2nd, 2011
9:12 am
Boise won one game (ONE !) against a top team and that was the first game against VT. The rest of the schedule was pitiful (Oregon State was ok) and Boise eventually lost to Nevada in the regular season. Strength of schedule? What? Fresno, Hawaii, La tech, Toledo, Idaho, San Jose St., Wyoming, Utah St., New Mexico St., ……You cant have a much weaker schedule..
Worm
February 2nd, 2011
9:12 am
Pagan to bama!
Waffle House Dawg
February 2nd, 2011
9:14 am
Pagan to Bama !
Tech Tard
February 2nd, 2011
9:14 am
I hate Yech.
Paul in RDU
February 2nd, 2011
9:16 am
Wisconsin vs SEC in Bowls since 2005:
2005 W 24-10 over Auburn
2006 W 17-14 over Arkansas
2007 L 17-21 against Tennessee
Jericho
February 2nd, 2011
9:17 am
@Dumb idea,
Good post that reveals the real weakness of the UGA program – coaching. It won’t matter who the Dawgs get on recruiting day if they aren’t coached up. Saban not only has a great recruiting class but he does something with them. Richt? Not so much.
Mobile Dawg
February 2nd, 2011
9:20 am
No matter the type of company you run there are key ingredients to success. The first is to have good people. The second would be a sound management philosophy, or program. The ingredients to that are setting expectations, training, motivation, accountability, and discipline. Can Mark Richt provide those ingredients? I think the first is a given, we have the players. It’s obvious our training program has failed thus far, motivation is something that takes place inside a person, it’s strongly influenced by the environment one is placed into, and the actions they are subject to within the program. Accountability, Caleb King, although I don’t know the situational details, being responsible for one’s actions, or lack of. Discipline, takes the shape of many forms. It shows up in your work ethic, preparation, performance, and finally, corrective action, consequences for poor performance, behavior, etc.
There’s a lot of work to do in Athens, we as fans, supporters, can only hope the right steps have and are being taken. Lot of truth in what a lot of posters have said in the past about the “definition of insanity”. Good day Dawgs, we’ve got a good start to the future. This Dawg chooses to wait for the results before he reinvests emotionally.
Tech Tard
February 2nd, 2011
9:20 am
I hate Yech, but I love Tech.
82Dawg
February 2nd, 2011
9:21 am
Thanks Paul, lost to UGA earlier….
Megan
February 2nd, 2011
9:21 am
Excuse me Jeff, but how did TCU go 61-5 in 3 seasons and Boise State go 61-5 in 5 seasons?
Dawgs are Back!
February 2nd, 2011
9:21 am
With this class, Richt finally has the dream team he needs to win the SEC. Look for an SEC east title in 2011, SEC and BCS bowl in 2012 and a BCS title in 2013. These Dawgs are for real. Florida’s way down and they are having trouble getting any good recruits. Their run is over. South carolina and tennessee–will not be able to compete with Ga’s loaded roster. UGa is back!
collegeballfan
February 2nd, 2011
9:22 am
Great piece of writing Jeff.
Like most fans I follow recruiting. But unlike many fans I realize we are talking about high school players. They may be great high school players but they are still high school players.
Then those high school players must play college football. No one knows if 5 Star RB Crowell, seen as the savior at UGA, will be any better than 5 Star RB Richard Samuel, now a backup LB at UGA.
I really hope Crowell signs with UGA. But I would think he would have a much better opportunity to be a great college RB at a school that actually ran the football. Spurrier gave the football to Lattimore an easy 30 carries a game and he hit 40 carries a few times. Richt will not do this.
At Georgia under Richt the running game is used to set up the passing game. “Tailback U” is now “WR U”. Herschel Walker would have been lucky to get 20 carries a game under Richt and Bobo.
Joey
February 2nd, 2011
9:22 am
‘05 Outback bowl, UGA 24 – Wisconsin 21.
Do Not Pass Go
February 2nd, 2011
9:23 am
Gotta coach ‘em up !! I don’t care how many stars there are after their name. This is big-time D1 college football now – you’re no longer in highschool..you have to be prepared mentally and physically (strength and conditioning, anyone?) CMR has one more year to prove he can do it.
Go Dawgs!!
Dirty Dawg
February 2nd, 2011
9:24 am
So Jeff, ‘…Mark Richt may have had a good recruiting class, but it’s what he does with them that matters…and what he’s done in the past hasn’t measured up…’or something like that, eh? Why don’t you tell us something that we don’t already know? By the way, I’ve won my personal ‘over/under’ on how long it would take you on ‘National Signing Day’ to write something that would be construed as a negative on Mark Richt – hell, it hadn’t even, officially, started when you posted this piece.
My next O/U on this will be ‘when you’ll call into question Paul Johnson’s recruiting, let alone his ability to produce on the field’…hint: how’s the ‘twelfth of never’ sound?…cause it’ll be a winner. I mean you and Bradley have got your lips so firmly attached to PJ’s rear end, they serve as ‘career-preservers’ – he’ll never sink with you guys attached to his derriere.
Why don’t you give Richt a little more credit for throwing down the gauntlet about going for a ‘Dream Team’, when in the entire history of recruiting in this state top players have gone plenty of other places – name a state with talent where they don’t. Well he set the goal and regardless of how these final few decide, he’ll have done it so how about acknowledging that, OK.
You can thank me later.
Brooksdawg
February 2nd, 2011
9:24 am
Pagan to Bama
Mobile Dawg
February 2nd, 2011
9:24 am
“To Jim and others — I’m a little baffled that some of you don’t believe there’s a correlation between what TCU/Boise State have done with their recruits and what Georgia has done with theirs. No, the WAC and the Mountain West is not the SEC. But look at polls, computer rankings, how the teams do against strength of schedule. It’s not even close.”
Jeff, Kool Aid is a powerful mask to reality for quite a few. Some will never get, I believe it’s just a by product of the society we live in.
Truly study the game of football, the trends, and what's going on
February 2nd, 2011
9:25 am
Take away wins over powder-puffs Idaho State and Louisiana-Lafayette
. . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . makes UGA 4-7 last year.
Brooksdawg
February 2nd, 2011
9:27 am
Has Dickson signed with Bama yet?
H-Town Dawg
February 2nd, 2011
9:29 am
Al Davis said it best…” Just Win Baby, WIN.” Turn stars into SUPERSTARS. We have the biggest 2 games of Richt’s regime coming in September. We have the talent and coaches, can we put it all together, PLEASE. This is the foundation for our success for the next 5 years. Work harder than everybody else. When they are sleeping you WORK, when they are partying you WORK, when they do work you WORK HARDER. Hard work breeds Success….NO FUMBLES….GO DAWGS
fishtales
February 2nd, 2011
9:29 am
Brooksdawg…no he hasn’t
AltamahaDawg
February 2nd, 2011
9:31 am
The sky is blue. Also a valid point.
just facts
February 2nd, 2011
9:32 am
nice try hahaha…. u r even stupider than most on this blog!
Brooksdawg
February 2nd, 2011
9:33 am
thanks fishtales…maybe he flips now with—Pagan going to Bama
DawgByte
February 2nd, 2011
9:34 am
This is a great class by any measurement, but the program won’t feel the impact of these player for another 2-3 years. Richt has to take the players he has and turn them into winners.
I think Richt can turn the ship around!
Mobile Dawg
February 2nd, 2011
9:35 am
Blue is the prism effect. Makes you think you’re seeing something your really not. Kinda like some people on these blogs. Sky is actually clear.
fishtales
February 2nd, 2011
9:36 am
That wouldn’t surprise me…we might also lose Cyrus to the Barn today as well.
Clam Slapper
February 2nd, 2011
9:37 am
Jeff speaks the truth. The point of the mention of TCU and Boise’s sucess is that the COACHES are doing a FANTASTIC job! Nobody denies that their conference is not the SEC. Let’s all calm down and wait and see how the next season plays out. I for one am really the most curious about Florida and how their new coach(s) will do next year. Can they build up momentum for the Gators? Or will they continue to have trouble? I think they are already superior to Richt’s crew so that’s a little something to feel good about.
Looking forward to the annual back flip picture and then the we’ll get em this year from Georgia. Richt may have to do a triple Lindy this year – his back is against the wall.
JaxDawg
February 2nd, 2011
9:39 am
FYI. First hit. Pagan has signed with Bama!!!
ga
February 2nd, 2011
9:40 am
Really, Richt must turn stars into wins? That took a lot of thought. Most of the time you have great articles. No brainer that Richt must win big time next year, regardless of the recruiting classes. Only one problem with this class. They do not have another hershel Walker in it. GA has only really had national success during the Walker years. I love Richt and Ga but most of his success was pre Saban and Other coaches like Fulmer were on the down. Dont get me wrong I will take it. Just saying this to keep fans for thinking too big for next year. It could be a national contender year next year, but do we have a Newton in this class. Don’t know yet but we will find out.
AltamahaDawg
February 2nd, 2011
9:41 am
SC ran the ball EXACTLY the same percentage of plays time that Uga did. So did Alabama.
It’s having success running ths ball that matters, not total number of running plays. It’s having a running game capable of providing balance that matter. In short it’s being ABLE to run the ball that matters. A team could run the ball 80 times a game if they choose to.
Joey
February 2nd, 2011
9:45 am
“Take away wins over powder-puffs Idaho State and Louisiana-Lafayette
. . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . makes UGA 4-7 last year.”
************************************************
Yeah, but don’t forget that other “powder-puff, Georgia Tech.
Man, it coulda been bad without those pansies . . .
ga
February 2nd, 2011
9:45 am
I hate to say this but ga did not get in this situation over night, and they may not get out of it over night. Hope they do. I hope they have a year like Auburn. I hope they can find their Newton and stud on def. and have lots of luck. I sure like recruits wanting to come to ga versus the alternative. Dont know if that is all uga needs. However, we will find out starting in August.
The Dude Abides
February 2nd, 2011
9:47 am
Not losing sweat over Pagan, we just got a pass rusher and Pagan prob wouldnt start right away like Drew will and i understand his decision. As for the guy posting the fake link saying Crowell signs with Bama, WTF??? Crowell is gonna start day 1 at UGA and not at Bama and thats the deciding factor.