Richt, Georgia have been hurt by too many recruiting risks
Mark Richt has seen several players arrested and suspended this offseason, including former tailback Isaiah Crowell. (AP photo)
HOOVER, Ala. – Mark Richt ignored the red flags and was among the nation’s coaches who lined up around the block for Isaiah Crowell.
He already has seen seven members from his vaunted 2011 recruiting class either kicked out, flunked out or never academically qualified to begin with (“Dream Team”? Anybody?).
Arrests and suspensions likely will lead to four defensive starters missing games next season.
There is a problem again at Georgia — and it matters little that it’s a different one from the past.
Richt, to his credit, no longer responds to players’ criminal or just plain stupid actions by merely making them run stadium steps or suspending their dessert privileges. He has come a long way from enabling Odell Thurman. He suspends players. He kicks them out. He tries to make them understand that getting four or five stars stamped on your forehead by a recruiting site and the ego trip of a signing-day news conference shouldn’t be accompanied by a sense of entitlement (even if it too often does).
The problem now is that too many of the players Georgia is recruiting should be red-lined. The line of risk needs to be pulled back.
Obviously, Richt and his staff are getting a lot right. The Bulldogs are favored to win the SEC East. They’re projected to open the season as a top-10 team.
But imagine if they actually had everybody there.
“We’re not recruiting bad kids,” Richt said in a private media session with local writers Thursday at SEC Media Days. “We’re recruiting a lot of great kids. Other schools are recruiting the same guys.”
Have the negative headlines of this offseason given him reason to pay closer attention to a recruit’s personal blemishes?
“We do find out as much as we possibly can,” he said. “There are rules on how many times we can call a kid and see him in person. We try to maximize those things.”
Sorry. But losing seven of 26 kids from one recruiting class in one year screams that there’s a need for a better filter.
Richt was accurate when he said, “To say that issues aren’t happening around the country isn’t really realistic.”
But losing at least five starters (Crowell plus four on defense suspended) is significant.
Crowell, after multiple suspensions and missteps his freshman season, was bounced following his arrest on felony gun charges. Cornerback Sanders Commings is gone for two games following an arrest for domestic violence. Safety Baccari Rambo (possibly four games), cornerback Branden Smith and linebacker Alec Ogletree all reportedly tested positive for marijuana. Three other freshmen (Nick Marshall, Chris Sanders, Sanford Seay) were kicked out for their reported involvement in a campus theft.
Some of Georgia’s problems can be attributed to having a tougher drug-and-alcohol policy than other schools. But that doesn’t explain everything. The recruiting mistakes will hurt.
The we’ll-be-better-off-without-him rallying cries regarding Crowell makes for a nice locker-room speech. But it’s just not factual. He was Georgia’s best running back — by a long shot — and the Dogs’ potential issues on the offensive line don’t suggest just anybody can be productive.
This will be a team that must rely on its defense and its resolve. The Dogs’ ability to rebound from a 0-2 start with 10 consecutive wins last season said something about the character of the players who aren’t getting arrested (even if that was followed by two more losses to LSU and Michigan State). It’s a team with a solid quarterback (Aaron Murray), strong leadership and several players who bypassed the NFL draft last season to come back for another season. But the suspensions and player losses will hurt.
“There’s been more attrition the last couple of years than there has been since we’ve been at Georgia,” Richt said. “But sometimes that happens. We’ll still have plenty of guys to field a team.”
Then again, if just having enough players was the criteria, there would be celebrations in Toledo and Ole Miss. The question now is whether the Dogs’ chances for a special season have been undone before they’ve even played a game.
By Jeff Schultz
Previous SEC Media Days blogs
• Arkansas living with deserved humiliation after Petrino firing
• Muschamp getting heat but deserves some time at Florida
• Slive: SEC needs to be vigilant to avoid Penn State situation
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
779 comments Add your comment
Thomas Brown
July 20th, 2012
12:06 pm
What would I do to fix it ?
(1) I would quit with the excuses and call it like it is
(2) I would say it is unacceptable
(3) I would challenge the recruits to personal accountability
(4) We’re going to win over top teams
(5) We’re going to announce all the suspensions day they happen
(6) We’re going to sign 85 scholarship recruits, not 16 short like 2012 class
(7) I’d tell the kids that from last year and now this year, it’s obvious we’re not putting up no wins over the quality teams and we’re not putting up with all these players not in to being here to play football – that if you don’t go to class, do drugs, beat up girls, we’ll find someone who does want to play football and beat the top teams without that.
(8) And, then I’d get people excited about doing that. Right now, all we have is it continues. Our coach spent the entire day yesterday saying how great we made it to The SEC Championship Game (which we Lost 10-42.) As for suspensions, he said all day how we PUNISH; and, not once did he discuss the lack of discipline for this very talented football team unable to all pull in the same direction
with all the distractions.
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
Now, that I’ve answered that : What would you do ?_________________________________________
_________________________________________
(A) Tell them how great they are beating no one ?
(B) Tell them, it’s ok, every school has same issues ?
(C) Brag about beating 4-win Bama team & Bama team losing to Louisiana Monroe ?
(D) Call everyone saying you’re a DISNEYdawgs.com a troll ?
(E) Followed by a season 2012 of 1 team making any top 25 & 11 averaging 4.8 wins ?
(F) Beat no team 7th season consecutively who makes the Top 10 ?
(G) Announce all the bad apples gone now last year this time 2011 ?
(H) Kind of side-step that now with 28 transfers-out kicked-off 2012 team ?
(I) Yell from rooftop how you’re a better fan than everyone else because you settle for mediocrity, spending your days, daily, telling everyone how great we are beating NO ONE and getting your excuses ready for the next set of
GOOD RIDDANCE recruits you bragged about getting in here.
Tommy Maddox
July 20th, 2012
12:12 pm
Well, just as with so many other circumstances in life, if the Coach is not there holding their hand in the middle of the night preventing them from committing a crime, then what would you expect? All Richt can do is react and he is reacting correctly.
DodgerDawg
July 20th, 2012
12:15 pm
Schultz it is always nice to see a media blogger for a state newspaper include rumor and speculation as a major part of most of your stories. The AJC should be grateful that clam heads prevail at UGA. With all the amount of anti-UGA bias, I feel that the next people kicked off campus should be the ilk of those like yourself
ARdawg
July 20th, 2012
12:31 pm
Thomas Brown
That’s quite a list. Do you ever think about maybe there is a correlation of why you are patching tires down at Ace front end alignment and Mark Richt is coaching at UGA? Yeah, I didn’t think so.
kingdaddy
July 20th, 2012
12:36 pm
Thomas
I said WHAT WILL YOU SAY WHEN UGA HAS A BIG YEAR? Nobody asked you what you would do to fix it.
What will you say when The Dawgs have a big year this year???
pbt Dawg Fan
July 20th, 2012
12:47 pm
Thomas Brown
Hey i guess we should start recruiting like Vanderbilt, and maybe we will end up like Vanderbilt, but at least we want have any football players getting into trouble. All this talk about players getting into trouble is overrsted lets face facts, this is not about players getting into trouble this is about the fact that SEC has won 6 straight NC and Georgia hasn’t been one of those teams. If georgia would have won a national title people would not be talking about players getting into trouble. You don’t care whether the players get in trouble, or go to class. You only care about winning. you want to fire CMR and you are using this as an accuse. Please tell me if we fire CMR today who is our next coach. Winning always cures everything.
SSIgator
July 20th, 2012
12:50 pm
Really? -
I am pretty sure the article was about UGA, let’s see:
“Richt, Georgia have been hurt by too many recruiting risks”
Yep, it is about UGA.
SSIgator
July 20th, 2012
12:54 pm
pbt Dawg Fan -
“maybe we will end up like Vanderbilt”
UGA isn’t there yet. Vandy has much better academics.
Skeezix
July 20th, 2012
12:55 pm
The situation at Georgia has been an embarrassment/out of control for some time now. It wasn’t that long ago when we were reading about their athletic director getting fired because of his bad behavior. Until College Boards of Trustees and Presidents make it a point of emphasis to athletic directors and head coaches that academics and character are a priority, then coaches will continue to act like it is somebody else’s concern.
pbt Dawg Fan
July 20th, 2012
12:56 pm
I think the AJC is a media site, thats won’t to write articles about the negative. I have not seen one ariticle about how well a lot of the True Freshman played last year. You will write an article about Isaiash Crowell being dismissed from the team., but You won’t write anything about Ray Drew, Malcolm Mitchell, Jay Rome, A Herrera, and other freshman from that class that have been doing the right things.People jump on CW for his comments, but as a DAWG FAN, am glad he said it, and i agree with everything he said.I guess people at the AJC are trying to pick up the slack for Terrance Moore when he repeatley attack UGA.
5150 UOAD
July 20th, 2012
12:56 pm
For those SLAMMING Jeff Schultz…..Some of you are lucky to be in the south. The NY papers, the Philly papers, the Chicago papers and many others are a lot harder on their local teams than Schultz or Bradley ever are on our teams.
If you mostly want nice and sweet stuff on UGa stick to Bill King and Chip Towers.
Thomas Brown
July 20th, 2012
1:08 pm
“its not his job to be daddy to 85 young men and tuck them in at night and make sure they are in by curfew”
__________________________________________________________________
That’s good because he is down to only 69 anyway.
pbt Dawg Fan
July 20th, 2012
1:12 pm
SSIGATOR
I meant as a football program.
Pietro
July 20th, 2012
1:17 pm
Richt = Dirtbag
kingdaddy
July 20th, 2012
1:17 pm
So we will win with 69 according to the “experts”. You are welcome to jump off the Doggie-train at the next station. All Aboard…
kingdaddy
July 20th, 2012
1:20 pm
He’s better than your coach Pie. BTW, who’s your coach??
blue
July 20th, 2012
1:24 pm
They have a LOT of talent, but every time I hear “projected to win the SEC east”, all I can think of is what a JOKE of a schedule they have this year, both in conference and out of conference. To be honest, winning the east would be no major accomplishment. If they won the CONFERENCE, then I would be impressed.
Dryden
July 20th, 2012
1:25 pm
magic dln3s vi78f
Thomas Brown
July 20th, 2012
1:34 pm
You keep saying the same stupid sentences every post.
I am a better fan than you.
I am a better fan than you.
Mark Richt is a great coach.
Mark Richt isn’t responsible for the guys he signed to scholarships here.
It goes on everywhere.
Mark Richt is tough in his punishment now, you repeat, yet you never are able to admit that he is tough on Discipline. If he were, the players would not put him in this situation of having beat no one and having lost to every quality team, and having only 68 left of the 107 he signed to scholarships to play here.
I am supposed to what ?
Have something DIFFERENT to say to your B.S. repeated by you ?
What ? I was wrong before ? Now, I should say something different ?
Sorry guys.
I was right as rain before and remain steadfast on the same
REPLIES
to your repeated BS of how great we are beating no one and down to 68 signed scholarships to play 2012, our best chance.
Who is making it # 67 ?
kingdaddy
July 20th, 2012
1:41 pm
Blue
Everybody deserves an opine. I disagree with you about the East, just my op. S.C. is awesome. UF will be improved, cause the Gators are not going to stay down. UT has a great O&D Line with top qb and WRs. A RB and Good D, they will be much better. Are you saying Missouri isn’t a quality program? Auburn is stacked with a gerat DC. Cheese-nip will have them playing hard. G.T. is always a top 20 team until we beat them and then they just drop out of the standings. They will have another good year. James Franklin has Vandy ready to go. Just because we don’t play LSU & Bama, our schedule is easy, lol. You need to get real Blue. You insult every team on our schedule. Do I need to remind you of the cupcakes other teams play???
Thomas Brown
July 20th, 2012
1:46 pm
ARdawg
July 20th, 2012
12:31 pm
Is that you, ARdawg
the guy who brags he does not go to the games
kingdaddy
July 20th, 2012
1:50 pm
TB
The recruiting experts/sports writers say the complete oppisite of you. They say UGA can do it with the talent on hand. Most all of the experts say you are 100% wrong. You don’t pull for UGA so quit your insessant crying…
Looking for Readers
July 20th, 2012
1:58 pm
what a douche! sad that some writers need to bring-up a controversial story from 2 weeks ago to spark readership. current news story—–uga picked to win the east.
you sir, are no furman bisher.
Thomas Brown
July 20th, 2012
2:00 pm
Yeah, they did too kingdaddy. I was specifically asked what would I do ?
I answered that.
What will I do if we have a big year ? What ? Beat 1 team who makes the Top 10 ?
That’d be GREAT.
That’s all I ask for. I don’t run in here asking for a national championship.
Just beat 1 team, even, who makes the Top 10.
11 games opponent averages 4.8 wins and 1 who might make the top 25 this season. Might not. Might. They have a schedule of Clemson, LSU, Arkansas, Georgia – so they might or might not make the top 25 depending on their bowl game.
In the meantime, what are you, kingdaddy going to say when it does down to 67 signed scholarship recruits all we have for this best chance 2012 season, sir ?
Alabama is just better
July 20th, 2012
2:01 pm
You will never beat a better coached harder practiced LSU or Alabama team with only 69 players. I have to respect Thomas Brown for his intellectual honesty and sometimes even at 10-2 you must toss a brick if you ever wish to hold the crystal…
ugab
July 20th, 2012
2:06 pm
Something needs to change under CMR for the off season mentors, etc.. I know kids will be kids.
Georgia Grad
July 20th, 2012
2:09 pm
Jeff,
I respectfully but completely disagree with your premise that Georgia has a discipline problem that stems from recruiting “at risk” kids who happen to be stellar athletes. It’s even more absurd that this problem could be mitigated if Richt had a better “filter”. The top programs in the Southeast all comptete for the same recruits, let’s not pretend otherwise. If you want to use Crowell as an example, Alabama would have gladly signed the kid as would have MANY schools inside and outside the Southeast so if Richt “should have known IC was a bad apple” at least 20 or however many schools that offered Crowell made the same exact offense. Ditto for Nick Marshall. These are 18-22 year old kids, when you have a roster full of them some of them are going to make stupid decisions, that’s just probability. The only thing a coach can control are 1) actually enforcing discipline and 2)signing more guys. Richt does a good job with 1, questionable job with 2. However, neither approach can do anything in regards to making sure the guys you end up signing don’t get into trouble. I think it’s completely absurd to expect a head coach to predict whether every potential player will or won’t have off field problems. If you have a rebuttal to my argument I would be glad to hear it, I would also be interested to know how you would expect a coach to evaluate whether a recruit is or isn’t a “good kid”.
Richt will retire after this year.
July 20th, 2012
2:16 pm
UGA sucks, the whole program falls more apart every year. I see Mark Richt retiring after this year which will actually be a good thing for him and also a very good thing for the program. I think he sees the risks he took didn’t pay off. I don’t think he is surprised and I do think he is disappointed.
Not a Schultz fan
July 20th, 2012
2:18 pm
There is a certain risk that a program assumes when recruiting. There is no certainty when a kid is signed, and I would like to point out that your article, while factual, does not provide any insight. Keep in mind that due to the enormous amounts of money involved, high risk recruits are brought into the best programs in the country in order for that team to compete at the highest level. It is the landscape of college football. Everyone program cheats in some manner. So Richt is guilty of what, taking a chance on a kid by providing him an opportunity to succeed in life. Thank you for pointing out the clearly obvious. I am now enlightened.
Tide Rising
July 20th, 2012
2:23 pm
The dawgs just don’t have that championship discipline and structure. They just don’t.
Remy B
July 20th, 2012
2:26 pm
UGA & Richt will be about the same as they usually are when they have a decent team. They’ll drop 1 or 2 important games and be a better than average SEC team. Of course, UGA long ago gave up on actually chasing national championships. What SEC program other than Vandy would keep a coach for over a decade in place that hasn’t even sniffed a National Championship? Of course, it’s Georgia! At least the other programs including Vandy are chasing one, UGA keeps Richt and his aw shucks people around which everybody else in the SEC is happy about. Why? As long as Mark Richt is at UGA you won’t have to worry about them putting a NC in their trophy case.
Thomas Brown
July 20th, 2012
2:29 pm
I am sorry but there is no way that Isaiah Crowell has all this going on at Alabama. (1) Did you see Nick Saban run the missing-man formation for all his players on campus at the time to perform and tell the tailbacks just stay out off the field ? (2) Did you see anyone else do that ? (3) How many offered Cootie Harrow who just flunked-out BEFORE Isaiah Crowell was arrested with him in the care ? (4) How many coaches would have put up with Isaiah Crowell turning his back on Mark Richt in direct front of me at the Dome when he took that horrible 15-yard hot-dog penalty taunting the opponents ? (5) Can you just imagine him trying that on Nick Saban – Well, can you ? (6) Failed the drug test Thursday night before Florida. (7) Told his teammates about it and hit this very blog overnight Thursday night and was widely reported every Bulldog blog of which there are 50. (8) Mark Richt never asked him, did you fail it like you told your teammates ? (9) If he had, he could have suspended him right then, instead of all the flack AGAIN Mark Richt took over Isaiah Crowell for keeping him out against a 4-7 WAC team instead and oh by the way Isaiah Crowell had a HUGE BIG GAME against Florida running wild that day. (10) He got suspended twice – the other for half a game and again coddled by the coach. (11) Mark Richt said yesterday that Isaiah Crowell was not the Co # 1 Tailback. Yes, he absolutely was and I posted about it here how much I hated that he was, and said it was wrong. Now, Mark Richt says he did not have Isaiah Crowell Co # 1 TB at UGA after Spring Practice. He did too. (12) Every single down, every single game, helmet off, jawing at our opponents no respect to the game of football, none at all. (13) Still the Co # 1 TB for Mark Richt. (14) Oh, Mark Richt has
DISCIPLINE
he kicked him off the team arrested while on retreat and now transfer Alabama State. No.
THAT’S NOT DISCIPLINE.
Discipline is what EVERY OTHER COACH WOULD HAVE DONE EVERY ONE OF THE 14.
kingdaddy
July 20th, 2012
2:32 pm
Thomas ,
you refuse to read my question correctly, so you haven’t answered anything. It was a simple question, therefore I will assume you will not answer me directly. I wrote it twice. One simple sentence with a question mark behind it.
What will YOU Say when we have a big year this year???
Thomas Brown
July 20th, 2012
2:41 pm
Georgia Grad :
# 1 .4400 win % 11-14 LSU
# 2 .4074 win % 11-16 Auburn
# 3 .3214 win % 09-19 Florida
# 4 .2083 win % 05-19 Alabama
# 5 .1875 win % 06-26 vols
# 5 .1875 win % 03-13 Mark Richt
Mark Richt all 11 years vs AP Poll Top 10 Year End Rankings compared to other SEC teams.
NFL College Players Drafted by each Team
College – Alabama – Florida – LSU – UGA
2012.…….8..…………2.…….5.…….7
2011.…….5.………….4.…….6.…….6
2010.…….7.………….9.…….6.…….5
2009.…….4.………….3.…….6.…….6
2008.…….0.………….2.…….7.…….4
2007.…….3.………….9.…….5.…….5
2006.…….5.………….3.…….7.…….7
2005.…….4.………….3.…….3.…….6
2004.…….4.………….5.…….0.…….4
2003.…….5.………….8.…….4.…….7
2002.…….4.………….8.…….5.…….8
2001.…….3.………….4.…….3.…….7
Total…….52.….……60.…….57……72
Georgia Grad, you come running in here to defend the good name of The University of Georgia Bulldogs’ Football Program and say to us that Isaiah Crowell would have been welcomed at ANY other SEC program. And, would ANY of them PUT UP with what you now DEFEND ?
Daniel
July 20th, 2012
2:43 pm
What happened is so obvious yet nobody says anything about it. Until ‘05-’06, Richt brought in guys who had great character and fundamentals though were not that talented. Yes there was the Ordell Thurman saga but every program has an idiot each year. Well that gave them results but the only year they were in the national title picture was in ‘02 but weren’t close. So Richt thought he had to sacrifice character and fundamentals to get the talent and athleticism needed to get that national title. Think the results speak for themselves.
Daniel
July 20th, 2012
2:46 pm
Almost forgot to mention how it doesn’t help that Richt is also too nice. So he brings in idiots and doesn’t discipline and people wonder why they keep having players arrested and suspended.
Georgia
July 20th, 2012
2:50 pm
Dribble, Georgia has the guts to cut guys loose. Most teams dont. Georgia has the guts to suspend their best player (AJ Green) even without a proven indictment). Most wont do that and didnt(aka Ohio State/Auburn/Florida)
All you can do is cut them off the team which Richt is doing. Nothing else to be said.
HOld on the Richt as long as you can. Surround him with coaching talent and he will end up on top again.
Georgia
July 20th, 2012
2:53 pm
NO one disciplines more than Richt in the SEC. Everyone else seems to “handle it internally” or “miss one game” or like Florida have a multiple failed drug policy before any suspensions and even then its up to Foley.
Daniel, go read a little more.
kingdaddy
July 20th, 2012
2:54 pm
TB
Coach Richt just cut you from the team, lol. You didn’t turn your back on UGA. You were never a fan…
Thomas Brown
July 20th, 2012
3:01 pm
You refuse whatever you want to refuse, child. I answered your question, directly to the best of my ability. Look, son, if you are so great, and you have some problem with my answer, act like a man and tell me what you’re missing from my detailed answer. I have better things to do than carry on a conversation with the likes of a child like that when I answered your question to the best of my ability and you know that. And, now, you whine
I AIN’T ANSWERING YOUR QUESTION THOMAS BROWN.
I am too happy sitting here acting like this goes on EVERYWHERE that 68 signed scholarship recruits with 3-13 vs teams making the Top 10 all 11 years is all I ask of Mark Richt.
Grow up. Get a pair.
Dawg Tired
July 20th, 2012
3:03 pm
Jeff – Spot on here. It will be absolutely amazing if this team performs up to the hype. Just too much going on. The offense is scary with the o-line problems and now no proven running back. Then you consider the best offensive player will be playing primarily on defense, at least early on. Then you go on the road to Missouri to play against a run and shoot offense without 3 to 5 starters on defense. Just seems scary to me.
kingdaddy
July 20th, 2012
3:04 pm
What about Alabama St. & IC? No disipline, right. They just go play against you. You never give CMR credit for anything but bad. That means you can’t even be honest with yourself. Hang down your head Tom Dooley, hang down your head…
Thomas Brown
July 20th, 2012
3:08 pm
_______________________________________
“NO one disciplines more than Richt in the SEC.”
_______________________________________
You are using the WRONG WORD.
_______________________________________
“NO one PUNISHES more than Richt in the SEC.”
_______________________________________
Mark Richt has NO DISCIPLINE. His idea of discipline is punishment. So is your concept that punishment and discipline are the same word.
They are not the same. Until we understand the difference, we will never achieve
DISCIPLINE on or off the field.
Now, what is it that we’re supposed to be so happy about the current state of affairs ?
Milton County will happen
July 20th, 2012
3:09 pm
Kingdaddy, that comment at 2:56 crossed the line. Hopefully Jeff will put you in time-out for a while.
Capt jack
July 20th, 2012
3:09 pm
Keep on keepin on, Jeff. You know when you wrestle a pig only 2 things happen..
1. You get muddy
2. The pig likes it.
kingdaddy
July 20th, 2012
3:11 pm
If UGA loses to Missouri, then I will apoligize to all. But when UGA wins at Missouri, i imagine most of you will be nowhere to be found, lol…
a country boy can survive
July 20th, 2012
3:14 pm
start working on that apology now…
David
July 20th, 2012
3:14 pm
Damned if you do, damned if you don’t. The artlcle would be bemoaning the fact that we can’t get 4 and 5 star recruits if Coach Richt did in fact place more of a premium on character. The fact is that it has little to do with the universities recruiting practices and more to do with the media’s worship of high school athletes and the recruiting process. The press conferences, the quoting of high school sophomores and juniors in this paper, and all the notoriety placed on these kids seems to give them a sense of entitlement and invulnerability. Look in the mirror, Schultz. The problems are not with the University. They exist because of our fervent need for constant football coverage and your need to feed it to us.
Jeff Schultz
July 20th, 2012
3:22 pm
Kingdaddy — Some of your comments have had to be deleted. If you make one more reference to “sexual predator” or a form of word rapist to reference a certain player, you’ll be banned from commenting. Thanks.
kingdaddy
July 20th, 2012
3:26 pm
OK
I want to apoligize for Country boy. He’s not very bright and he did ride the short-bus. He also isn’t a BullDawg and that would make him a loser troll. So I’m sorry, Country boy is all-troll…