Caleb King’s loss no big deal for Dogs — it’s Crowell’s show
Washaun Ealey (left) and Caleb King blew their opportunities at Georgia. (Brant Sanderlin/AJC)
(Last update: 4:50 p.m.)
We saw what Washaun Ealey brought to the table for Georgia. It wasn’t good enough.
We saw what Caleb King brought to the table for Georgia. It wasn’t good enough.
So sorry if I’m not all bent out of shape about the sudden news that King has been declared academically ineligible for the Bulldogs in the fall. Nothing against the young man personally, but in terms of how this impacts the fortunes of the football team, it’s close enough to zero. Fact is, the Dogs were going to rise or fall next season on the strength of freshman Isaiah Crowell, any way.
Coach Mark Richt has certainly let it be known on occasion that Crowell was the only running back he really cared about. How often does a college coach say on national letter of intent day something remotely close to this on a recruit: “ 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”?
Richt was talking about Crowell. He had pretty much had it with Ealey, who a week later was suspended, eventually was granted his release and transferred to Jacksonville State.
Having King for depth purposes might’ve been nice. But what in the last three seasons — given injuries, a lack of production and his own off-field issues — would lead you to believe he could be counted on?
Scouting services had him as one of the top running backs in the nation and the first overall player in Georgia back in 2006. Either they were wrong or he figured he would just let the resume do the work for him in Athens. He had one great game in three years (166 yards against Georgia Tech in 2009). He was injured too often. He was arrested last year for failing to appear in court for a speeding ticket (which came to be something of an epidemic in Athens).
King is 23 years old and would have been a fifth-year senior. How can a fifth-year senior with everything to play for not stay academically eligible? This was not somebody whom Richt could count on.
Some Georgia fans will belabor the lack of experience behind Crowell. That’s a legitimate concern. But in three seasons over four years, King offered no guarantees.
Richt said in a statement, “We wish him the best in whatever he decides to do. However, we have to move forward and this will provide more opportunities for others to step up.”
Others won’t have to step up too much.
Success next season was always going to hinge on Crowell, and certainly the offensive line in front of him. Caleb King was just a name on the depth chart.
By Jeff Schultz
♦
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627 comments Add your comment
AltamahaDawg
July 8th, 2011
7:00 pm
And of cource Knowshon, his RsFr year.
Wanker
July 8th, 2011
7:02 pm
How stupid do you have to be to flunk out of UGA (especially with all of the assistance the football players get)? This guy is about as smart as a box of rocks.
1eyedJack
July 8th, 2011
7:07 pm
Imperative that we get two backs in this years class of recruits.
Yea, yea yea
July 8th, 2011
7:11 pm
By the way IC tweeted, he is not the brightest bulb on the tree! 7-4 at best.
Narvie
July 8th, 2011
7:14 pm
Braves are in a rain delay. Mary must have run off with Bob or Frankie Teasley. I ain’t really got nothing much going on.
rpidge
July 8th, 2011
7:14 pm
Wasn’t it great when you recruited athhletes and barring injury got four years of competition from them. Now because the majority of the universities want to win no matter the cost, we find that colleges have become a breeding ground of thugs. We still have some schools that compete while maintaining their integrity but they have become few and far between.
luckysnap
July 8th, 2011
7:15 pm
I love the DAWGS, but am so tired of these bums I am for doing away with all athletic scholarships! FED UP!
RDUdawg
July 8th, 2011
7:15 pm
Not going to miss an unmotivated, selfish, and overhyped bust. He would have been a very poor role model for Crowell. I have my doubts about IC already from some of his interviews…not much more legible or understandable than King’s Twitterbombs.
This guy was a joke…period. Dawgs are used to NOT playing with him as is…loss on paper, not on the field.
big john 360 lbs
July 8th, 2011
7:24 pm
St.Richt- name one game that Caleb or Ealey were instrumental in us winning last yr. We only won 6 games with them. We were average “at best” at the RB position.
It’s time for some new blood.
Patsy
July 8th, 2011
7:25 pm
I’ll go out on a limb and suggest that some dog fans wish they would see me the first game instead of BS.
Denver Dog
July 8th, 2011
7:25 pm
One less thug at UGA, whoopee
farmer jack
July 8th, 2011
7:27 pm
@murray county mystic
Herschel was held under 100 yards and scoreless once his senior year of highschool–to ECI, so 94 yards from IC means nothing…just hope we have no injuries
Cobb Dawg
July 8th, 2011
7:31 pm
Best part of this is that maybe it will finally convince CMR that he needs to leave the same back in for more than 2-3 plays at a time before changing him out. Lather somebody up and let him get stronger as the game goes on.
Heels Rock and Rule
July 8th, 2011
7:31 pm
I heard he spent so much time watching cartoons on TV that his friends had begun calling him Cable King.
murray county mystic
July 8th, 2011
7:40 pm
great post Patsy…Boise 44 UGA 21…followed by USC 27 UGA 20…
Tossed Salad
July 8th, 2011
7:47 pm
Agree with Shultz. Knew the day would come eventually.
online reader
July 8th, 2011
7:51 pm
Caleb King attended 3 different high schools, one in Dekalb county then transferred to Parkview and supposedly could not pass the Gateway so he transferred to GAC. How he got in and out of GAC is beyond me. No wonder he is academically ineligible, he couldn’t pass high school courses much less college courses. He’s never been held responsible for his behavior on and off the field.
It looks like his brother’s chances of becoming his agent are not good.
Big Ten Champs Nebraska
July 8th, 2011
7:51 pm
I find myself still laughing at this. When are you UGA fans going to grasp that your team is nothing special. They’re not.
Call me when you guys become relevant.
big john 360 lbs
July 8th, 2011
7:55 pm
And Nebraska is relevant?
BankerDawg
July 8th, 2011
7:59 pm
I haven’t had time to read all of these, but l wanted to just say that to assert this will be “no big deal” is short-sighted at best and naive at worst.
None of the backs we have now have had to pick up a blitz in live action.
If I am Murray, I am more than a little concerned at this point.
Is Crowell super talented? Absolutely. I’ve seen his tape and seen him in live action. Do I feel supremely confident right now knowing he will most likey be our every down back this season….not even a little bit.
Hopefully Boo can step in and show us something, and CT can be the touchdown, big play threat we need. At least early in the season, we will have to be running back by committee, which, let’s face it, is not a great place to be in the SEC if you’re not named Cadillac, Ronnie Brown, Mark Ingram, or Trent Richardson, etc.
We may be fine, ultimately, but to suggest this is nothing (coupled with Ealy’s departure) is ridiculous.
GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO DAWGS! SIC ‘EM!
murray county mystic
July 8th, 2011
8:01 pm
@btcNebraska…they never grasp that UGA is nothing special…they are what Kansas is to the Big 12, Purdue is to the Big 10, NC State is to the ACC, Louisville is to the Big East, the Arizona State is to the Pac12 in football…(that should cover the BCS conferences)…but always, pre-season National Champions.
Tucker T
July 8th, 2011
8:02 pm
King says “Let God take control”. What a bunch of crap! HE needed to take control of his life and worked his a$$ off in school to become eligible. We don’t need slackers like this at UGA. GOOD RIDDANCE!
Paddy
July 8th, 2011
8:04 pm
“disadvantaged kid”? You got to be kidding me. A 5th yr senior at a major university. Can’t track his own progress to graduate. He is a man. A kid is 13-14 yrs old. Quit making excuses for grown men that are just plain lazy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He said it was beyond his control! REALLY
blazer
July 8th, 2011
8:05 pm
Funny how the two studs are gone now to make run for the next super stud!!
Coach Grohbo
July 8th, 2011
8:09 pm
I, for one, believe this coaching staff and what’s left of this team are very “special”.
macrotech
July 8th, 2011
8:13 pm
I think that this deals with one of the problems that has been plaguing uga the past couple of years. This kid hasn’t shown the work ethic necessary to play big at this level. After Ealey left…there HAD to be a groan at the thought of King being THE guy to teach Crowell. Crowell will be better served learning from the coaches and finding his own place in the history books. You have to wish King the best…hopefully, he’ll learn from this! Crowell…it’s your ball…make your own history! With the exception of that last game of the season, of course!
PaulieOldSchool
July 8th, 2011
8:14 pm
Glad to have you back, Jeff. Hope you had a good vacation. Totally agree with you regarding Mr. Waley and Mr. King, both blew what were huge possibilities at Georgia. I hope Mr. Crowell will do the work necessary to be a success both on and off the field. Go Dogs!
Les Miles
July 8th, 2011
8:20 pm
the key to recruiting in Georgia is to stay in the metro area; sure CCKing was a bust, but Kelvin Shepard from Stone Mtn. worked out pretty well in Baton Rouge. Eliminate any kid north of Cartersville(questionable competition), south of Griffin( questionable intelligence)and you’ll do just fine. You may not like what I said, but it is the truth.
Wow! The anger
July 8th, 2011
8:21 pm
in some of these anti-UGA tirades! Some of you guys must have applied and been denied admission to UGA.
Football is just a sport, a popular one, but just a sport. Don’t let bitterness take over your life.
Sergeant Joe Friday, LAPD
July 8th, 2011
8:27 pm
Lord help us…these 2 morons will reproduce.
GR82BAG8R
July 8th, 2011
8:29 pm
Are the current APS scandal and Caleb King’s academic woes symbolic of a huge problem in Georgia education? How do you become academically ineligible as a 5th year senior with majors like Turfgrass Management available to challenge you?
georgedawg
July 8th, 2011
8:32 pm
too bad for celeb i was hoping he would turn things around there certainly are some question marks for our dogs however i see a tuenaround coming maybe not all the way next year but beginnong for all; you folks from other schools go look in thr mirrow and admit you are a loser thar starts the healing
just the truth
July 8th, 2011
8:32 pm
From a reliable source, Crowell will be the same as the last two. Already causing problems and summer practice hasn’t even started. Football is a team sport. Never a good idea to hang your hat on one guy. Backups play major roles at all universities.
GR82BAG8R
July 8th, 2011
8:35 pm
Ok….so what does this do for expectations??? If Richt only wins 8, and one of those losses is to Florida (again), will Georgia fans demand a change?
Beverly Hall
July 8th, 2011
8:35 pm
Coach Miles is correct. Recruit the kids in the Atlanta city schools..
Competition is top notch, as they have many state championship teams.
And they have good test grades too!
Sounds like someone is worried
July 8th, 2011
8:38 pm
that Isaiah Crowell is the real deal, and opposing teams fans are trying to reassure themselves that he will be a bust. Witness the rumormongering going on, and as they hope against hope that IC will somehow not get to play.
Dream Team for UGA= Nightmare for opponents
just the truth
July 8th, 2011
8:38 pm
Also, how come so many are dogging King now when you knew his story when he first arrived and everybody thought he was going to be the next Herschel !! What did you expect was going to happen? Keep taking unqualified S/A and this definitely wont be the last.
online reader
July 8th, 2011
8:38 pm
Give Caleb a job at the ajc, his spelling fits right in…….front page article on ajc.com has break misspelled as brake in it.
Big Ten Champs Nebraska
July 8th, 2011
8:39 pm
@ Big John
Apparently the the 360 lbs is not brain matter.
5 National Championships
4th all time in wins
3 Heisman trophy winners.
40 winning seasons in a row
41 non losing seasons in a row
Over 300 consecutive sell outs
Leads the nation in academic All Americans.
You want more?
Hillbillies don’t know what relevant means.
GR82BAG8R
July 8th, 2011
8:39 pm
Crowell = All Eggs in One Basket
GT51
July 8th, 2011
8:39 pm
no big deal? i think all uga fans are kidding themselves. its a huge deal especially for the first two games of the year. most freshmen rbs dont have the ability or the desire to block and thats one of the main reasons they dont see more playing time. it will take crowell time to learn to block on passing downs. also, crowell came from a small school. i dont think hes ready for some of the hits he will take in the sec. there are several other experts that think the same thing as far as taking hits with crowell. hes also small for a sec rb.
Hit A Single
July 8th, 2011
8:45 pm
GR8- As a long time educator in the state of Georgia, there is nothing wrong with the education system in Ga. Like everything else you have people like the Atlanta Superintendent that is put in a position that she was not qualified for. Also the people that approved a big bonus for higher test scores should be held accountable also. Why get a bonus for just doing your job? An education is there if you want it. Caleb King was allowed to transfer because of grades and the lax GHSA transfer rules allowed it. If I have one knock against Richt (and I am a Richt fan) he has brought in some kids with very questionable character. Finally we are weeding some of them out. No they weeded themselves out. But don’t judge the education in Georgia by King or that so called Superintendent of the APS.
Big Ten Champs Nebraska
July 8th, 2011
8:48 pm
@ Hit a single
Wow…..just wow.
Your logic and argument indicate you are a byproduct of the Georgia education system.
Well.....
July 8th, 2011
8:50 pm
King had academic troubles in high school… you all knew that…how did you expect the kid to graduate from college????
King had academic troubles in high school… you all knew that…how did you expect the kid to graduate from college????
Big Ten Champs Nebraska
July 8th, 2011
8:53 pm
Well Well Well Well Well Well Well Well Well Well Well Well Well Well Well Well Well Well Well Well Well Well Well Well Well Well Well Well Well Well Well Well Well Well Well Well Well Well Well Well Well
Hit A Single
July 8th, 2011
8:54 pm
Big Ten Champs – All I am saying is that we put blame on the system when like I said there is an education there if you want it. Too many blame the education system for their failures. Sure there could be improvements like in all states. I will put the top students in Ga. against the top in any other state any day. By the way it doesn’t take brains to be a cornhusker.
CHDawg
July 8th, 2011
9:01 pm
Nebraska: You are obviously lost. This is a Georgia blog; we discuss UGA football, not big 10 football. The hillbillies are mostly in Tennessee, the next state to the north. We do have a few. I recommend you go shuck some corn, or milk a cow, or something, and leave us Georgians to discuss the family problems with our envious friends and relatives from Tech…they don’t usually identify themselves as Tech fans, but we know them anyway!
PT
July 8th, 2011
9:01 pm
Well, Georgia needed to wipe the slate clean. I never thought that Ealey or King were D1A running backs but very good D1AA players. This sounds to me like things are starting to turn around in Athens.
I was also surprised that the Assistant Recruiting Coordinator’s job only pays 40K a year. Maybe Georgia needs to hire some difference makers to the staff and pay them! It’s all relevant to success.
Chickamauga Dawg
July 8th, 2011
9:07 pm
Not a suprise here. He has been given plenty of opportunities but just didn’t take the bull by the horns and do anything with it. We will see if the rest of the running back corps will step up and take the lead. It’s anybody’s game now! May be more of a passing attack than we had originally hoped. Go Dawgs!!!!
murray county mystic
July 8th, 2011
9:08 pm
@CHDawg…show some class, loser…my friend from Nebraska brings a winning tradition to this blog; something you UGAG idiots can’t fathom..now apologize boy before daddy takes off his belt…