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
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779 comments Add your comment
Ole Big Dawg
July 20th, 2012
1:45 am
he is probably on a Dawg site the same reason you are yeller jacket. Why would a couple yeller jackets be here is a good question
GaryPickle
July 20th, 2012
1:46 am
All you Georgia posters make me laugh. Once we run the GA Bulldogs out of MIZZOU with your heads between your legs you can begin to wonder how you’ll do vs Auburn, SCarolina, etc.
Kyle
July 20th, 2012
1:48 am
Everything has to do with the punishment policy. Rambo out four games for eating a weed brownie? That’s pretty tough. I had a brownie last week. Nobody is punishing me. Goooo dawgs!!!!!
SECDawgTruthboy
July 20th, 2012
1:51 am
SEC FACT- Decent gets you a sad ride back to Athens GA! Soft? Richt aint soft….the dregs shall leave as he has mandated and the Ballers move on…2012 SEC Champs!
Rote, Jr.
July 20th, 2012
1:53 am
He deserved it. Don’t lie about eating pot brownies and ya can play for a great team! Rambo f-ed up not Coach Richt.
Thomas Brown
July 20th, 2012
2:24 am
“little peanut” is what we have Mark Richt, not Zach Mettenberger sir.
Nice summary of basically every post I ever have written Jeff Schultz, but you’re a Florida Gator Jeff Schultz and I am a Bulldogs’ football program fan who has witnessed as a direct result of every word you write here our # 11 all-time football program lose 7 games in a row to every team who made it to the AP Poll Top 10 after beating # 9 Auburn in 2006, lose 9 games in a row to every team who made it to any top 25 poll, and lose 9 games in a row starting with the Kentucky game in 2007 to every SEC team who put up a winning SEC Record.
I listened to Nick Saban tonight too, and every word he said was completely the opposite of every word Mark Richt said, Jeff Schultz.
Jeff Schultz were you like every ESPN writer and just left before Mark Richt even spoke sir ?
BlackOutSkinnyOne?
July 20th, 2012
2:45 am
Not surprised you listened to Nicky you DAWG HATER!Continue w your ridiculous stats though you still wont acknowledge that the Dawgs went to SEC game…Tide exit left….
BlackOutSkinnyOne?
July 20th, 2012
2:52 am
Of course you listened to Nick.
BlackOutSkinnyOne?
July 20th, 2012
2:53 am
After 787 posts and 93000 stats you still wont note the DWGS in the SEC Champ game…lmao
DaltonHilliard
July 20th, 2012
2:56 am
Wont be Zach that beats ther BULLPUPPIES…itll be a thrashing and pounding OL and RBs just as last yr…PLUS 3 Deep D!! Whose ur Daddy, Thomas?
wondering?
July 20th, 2012
2:59 am
Why are the kids that Always get in trouble african american? I’m just making an observation. I know there was the Mettenberger incident, but every other time it has been an african american guy. Is it cultural? Is it profiling? Why is it always this way? Just wondering.
seabeau
July 20th, 2012
3:19 am
All of this simply reflects the extent certain members of society will go to win at any cost. Society is at any case ,the loser.
Larry Tucker
July 20th, 2012
6:01 am
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204443404577052073672561402.html
After reading how Joe Paterno handled things you have to ask do we recruit more bad players or do we choose not to hide things like other programs. We sure do get a lot of bad press by being open and honest. How many other programs out there are run like Penn State and Paterno?
onegadawg
July 20th, 2012
6:22 am
Jeff,
Are you saying that Richt should not recruit lower middle class or poor kids? Are you trying to say he should not recruit black kids? Did any other major SEC recruit and offer these kids scholarships? When is the last time you wrote an article about the success stories that Richt has had with kids that come from a disadvantaged background, or is it just easier to be a bottom feeder picking up everyone else’s scraps? Congrats to the AJC, you got my click.
Rosezeee
July 20th, 2012
6:22 am
How can you expect the players to be accountable when Richt isnt? Instead of trying to improve the program’s deficiencies, he makes excuses.
Expect more of the second rate same as long as Dumbo Richt is at the helm.
Newnandawg
July 20th, 2012
6:24 am
Did Alabama not offer scholarships to the same recruits? Of course they did.
The difference is enforcement in Athens. You get pulled over by the cops in Tuscaloosa or Auburn, just tell them you play football and you’re sent home.
Buckeye
July 20th, 2012
6:25 am
Ha!
And I thought Isaiah, ” The newly anointed one for some school in Alabama” was the second coming of Herschel.
Hey Schultz, how about a retrospective with all the “Dream Team” posts from you, Chippy and all the dogs who (once again) prematurely declared themselves national champs?
Buckeye
July 20th, 2012
6:26 am
Hey dogs,
TIME OUT
TIME OUT
TIME OUT
Thomas Brown
July 20th, 2012
6:29 am
“When is the last time you wrote an article about the success stories that Richt has had with kids that come from a disadvantaged background”
______________________________________________________________________________
The last time he beat a team who actually made the Top 10.
_____________________________________________
Last win over a team finishing AP Poll Top 10 :
37-15 Win Allbarn 2006 # 9*
(1) 30-41 Loss Alabama 2008 # 6*
(2) 10-49 Loss Crocodiles 2008 # 1*
(3) 17-41 Loss Crocodiles 2009 # 3*
(4) 31-49 Loss Auburn 2010 # 1*
(5) 21-35 Loss Boise State 2011 # 8*
(6) 42-45 Loss Sakerlina 2011 # 9*
(7) 10-42 Loss LSU 2011 # 2*
_________________________
Thomas Brown
July 20th, 2012
6:34 am
Kicked-Off / Transferred-Out who are supposed to be playing 2012 :
______________________________________________________
1.AJ Harmon SR # 10 OT nation 5-Star transfer
2.Dontavius Jackson SR # 23 TB 4-Star transfer
3.Carlton Thomas SR TB transfer
4.Brent Benedict SO # 10 OT 4-Star transfer
5.Nick Williams SR Safety could’ve redshirt 2011 transfer
6.Marcus Dowtin R SR # 7 LB 4-Star could’ve redshirt 11 transfer
7.Toby Jackson SR # 9 DE 4-Star transfer
8.Makiri Pugh SR Safety CB, transfer
9.Montez Robinson SR # 10 DE 4-Star, transfer
10.Washaun Ealey SR # 15 RB nation 4-Star transfer
11.Lonnie Outlaw JR WR transfer
12.Jakar Hamilton SR Safety 4-Star transfer
13.Derek Owens JR CB transfer
14.Demetre Baker JR # 23 LB 4-Star, transfer
15.Jalen Fields JR DE 4-Star, transfer
16.Kent Turene FR LB transfer Dream Team # 1
17.Chris Mayes SO DT transfer Dream Team # 2
18.Chris Little SR # 12 OT 4-Star transfer
19.Derrick Lott, JR DE, transfer
00.Marc Deas SO DB CANCELLED HIS TRANSFER 3 April 2012
00.Brandon Burrows CANCELLED HIS TRANSFER 9 July 2012
20.Zach Mettenberger JR # 14 QB 4-star, transfer
21.Jordan Lawrence Love JR 12/31/90 # 21 CB 4-star transfer
22.Sanford Seay RFR SE transfer Dream Team # 3
23.Chris Sanders SO DB transfer Dream Team # 4
24.Nick Marshall SO CB transfer Dream Team # 5
25.John Atkins F transfer
26.Leonard Floyd F transfer
27.Cootie Harrow, Soph transfer Dream Team # 6
28.Isaiah Crowell # 1 RB nation Soph transfer Dream Team # 7
Dan D
July 20th, 2012
6:39 am
It all really makes sense once you realize that Richt is only in it for the money. He’s taking millions of dollars to the bank every year while UGA’s reputation goes down the toilet. How many more scandals is it going to take before UGA runs this clown out of town?
Dan D
July 20th, 2012
6:40 am
Richt sux.
Buzz2011
July 20th, 2012
6:40 am
It is all Richt knows.. It is Thuga high school everyday. Count the hashbrowns before you lock up.
tim scott
July 20th, 2012
6:43 am
Wow! I think some of you missed the boat here. The problem does not belong only at UGA or at UF (I’m a Gator) Mr Schultz is not picking on your beloved Dawgs. Rather we as fans are all at fault,we buy the websites,hang on every word of a 16 17 18 year old kid,place them up on a pedistal based on how many stars. Why is a high school kid having a press conference to announce that he is committing to a school,not signing mind you committing. I enjoy NSD as much as anyone and the large majority of these kids are terrific it’s a small percentage that do stupid things. I believe that your coach Mr Richt is handling these situation the right way.
Since recruiting has become a million dollar business camps,ratings,press conferences and the like will not stop it is only going to get worse. You can only hope that parents start to rein their child in and bring him back to reality, but don’t hold your breath.
Just wondering would we be so passioninate about our college football if all athletic scholarship’s were removed and the only way to get into school was based on your grades and test scores. Look at the Ivy League no scholarships.
When was the last time a tuba player held a press conference to announce where he was going to school?
Hvilledawg
July 20th, 2012
6:44 am
Let it be! if we don’t have we don;t have..so what?you can’t control what is gonna happen.
Thomas Brown
July 20th, 2012
6:52 am
Put it in the past.
Ignore it.
Act like everything is great.
What are you left with ?
We :
(1) still have lost 9 games and counting in a row to every top team
(2) still have 28 kicked-off / transferred-out who should’ve played 2012
______________
MORE TO COME
______________
BBQ MAN
July 20th, 2012
6:56 am
chill out uga fans. of course this happens throughout the SEC but this is the MAJOR paper in UGA’s home state. it only makes sense it would focus on them geez
AAAAA Athens Bail Bonds R Us
July 20th, 2012
6:56 am
Any more UGA players arrested today?
GFJacket
July 20th, 2012
7:11 am
Buckeye, is Gee as afraid of Urban as he was of Tressel????? That’s a message that brought us the scandal at PSU.
Don’t poke fun at UGA when your OSU has its issues….
RN
July 20th, 2012
7:15 am
Ok, here we go again with nobody addressing the big elephant in the locker room. These kids are raised in a culture of anti authority, arrogance, getting an education is “being too whtie”. This culture is pervasive in the black community and is doing so much harm to these kids yet nobody is doing anything about it or is too afraid to do so.
Jimmy Crack
July 20th, 2012
7:15 am
1. (For you GT trolls) Half of UGA’s team could have chicken pox and the other half could beat Tech handily.
2. Georgia’s defensive backups are almost as good as the starters who are in trouble.
3. If Georgia finishes 11-2 and just misses out on the Championship game, it won’t be because of the suspensions, it will be because of their quarterback’s play.
slydog
July 20th, 2012
7:18 am
some people just don’t get it: if georgia is recruiting the same kids as everybody else, yet everybody else does not have the same roster turnover and talent dumps at almost every single position, then what does that mean? CMR has a discipline problem or a respect issue. simple as that!!!
slydog
July 20th, 2012
7:25 am
@RN
July 20th, 2012
7:15 am
“Ok, here we go again with nobody addressing the big elephant in the locker room. These kids are raised in a culture of anti authority, arrogance, getting an education is “being too whtie”. This culture is pervasive in the black community and is doing so much harm to these kids yet nobody is doing anything about it or is too afraid to do so.”
I understand your point, but guess what? You are wrong. There are other, much more dominant factors that goes beyond what you are talking about, but this is a sports blog, not a sociology and history class. Question: What IF every black kid and every hispanic kid starting acting like whitie? Would there be enough jobs, educational opportunities, and healthcare resources for everybody? NO. “Whitie” does not have enough of those resources for themselves, so why would “whitie” openly share them with everybody else (tea party?) So STFU, using the term “whitie” in and of itself was ignorant enough on your part. Why can’t these kids act, well, more Black or more Hispanic? lmao at your ignorance. Get back to the football.
Not a fan
July 20th, 2012
7:28 am
Where did this guy go to school? This is a poorly written article .
Tampa Gator
July 20th, 2012
7:33 am
Thank goodness my Gators don’t have these type of problems!
BlacknRed
July 20th, 2012
7:34 am
If we be Mizzou and Vandy, which we SHOULD, we’ll be fine…..
Buh Bye time
July 20th, 2012
7:36 am
Buh bye to Richt the Sleazemeister.
Now come on -
July 20th, 2012
7:52 am
It is beyond belief that some would argue with recruiting IC. If Richt had not only went after IC but had not landed him as well people (the DOG nation) would have been calling for his job (like they have been ANYWAY). The average Georgia fan is on crack.
Fools Gold
July 20th, 2012
7:57 am
This football program under Richt is mere Fools Gold. It was proven in the SECCG when LSU put a colossal beatdown on the dawgs in the 2nd half. Wow 10 wins against who last year? Wake up sheeple!
Tennessee Dawg
July 20th, 2012
7:57 am
Jeff, I think you’re talking just to be talking. Coach Richt does as good if not a better job than the others trying to filter out those that show signs of being trouble. But no matter what, today’s kids come to school and think they can get away with anything. I applauded Coach Richt for his immediate actions to suspend or kick off the team those that do commit the various offenses. I would hope that the players team leaders would get into the face of their team mates and lay into them about how their stupid actions hurt the team and could directly result in the season being a disaster.
Fair n Balanced
July 20th, 2012
8:05 am
Ga football is getting very tiring.
Dawgs1!
July 20th, 2012
8:06 am
the players at alabama, lsu, south carolina, florida, etc.—do the same thing, but they cover up all the crimes so players don’t get suspended. Very simple.
jerry
July 20th, 2012
8:07 am
Running back Kenyan Drake was a Georgia native. But that didn’t stop him from signing with Alabama this past February. In The Atlanta Journal-Constitution today, Drake tells Michael Carvell that had Mark Richt not been on the hot seat during his recruitment, the star would have had a harder choice to make with regards to Tide versus Bulldogs.
But more interesting are his comments regarding the personalities of the two coaches leading the programs – Richt and Nick Saban. Asked which non-Bama coach was the nicest, Drake said:
“Probably Coach Mark Richt. He was a very genuine guy. I’m not saying anybody else wasn’t genuine. With Coach Richt, he was really down to earth and he really showed that he really cares not only about you being a potential student-athlete, but also as a person. He comes across in a caring manner which makes you feel really right at home. He’s a pretty good father figure.”
But when asked which coach was not the nicest, Drake tabbed the man he actually signed with. Sort of:
“Well, I wouldn’t say not the nicest, but I would have to say Coach Saban. But I’m not saying he was not the nicest. He’s really straight-forward. You know what I mean? I’m not saying he’s mean but I’m not saying he’s ‘buddy buddy’ with you, either. He’s very businesslike. I’m not saying Coach Richt isn’t businesslike but they have two different personalities. Coach Richt is really caring. I’m not going to say Coach Saban isn’t. He’s just real straight-forward, to the point and if it’s not like this, then there’s no other way. With Coach Mark Richt, I feel like he’s more lenient.”
These, of course, are the opinions of one teenager who tried to handle the questions with as much grace and class as possible. Clearly, he didn’t want to insult either man.
That said, it seems that Richt’s “nice guy” personna and Saban’s “all business” reputation are deserved… at least in the view of Drake.
James Franklin
July 20th, 2012
8:07 am
Uga coaches have UGALY wives!
read the prospectus
July 20th, 2012
8:09 am
Running back Kenyan Drake was a Georgia native. But that didn’t stop him from signing with Alabama this past February. In The Atlanta Journal-Constitution today, Drake tells Michael Carvell that had Mark Richt not been on the hot seat during his recruitment, the star would have had a harder choice to make with regards to Tide versus Bulldogs.
But more interesting are his comments regarding the personalities of the two coaches leading the programs – Richt and Nick Saban. Asked which non-Bama coach was the nicest, Drake said:
“Probably Coach Mark Richt. He was a very genuine guy. I’m not saying anybody else wasn’t genuine. With Coach Richt, he was really down to earth and he really showed that he really cares not only about you being a potential student-athlete, but also as a person. He comes across in a caring manner which makes you feel really right at home. He’s a pretty good father figure.”
But when asked which coach was not the nicest, Drake tabbed the man he actually signed with. Sort of:
“Well, I wouldn’t say not the nicest, but I would have to say Coach Saban. But I’m not saying he was not the nicest. He’s really straight-forward. You know what I mean? I’m not saying he’s mean but I’m not saying he’s ‘buddy buddy’ with you, either. He’s very businesslike. I’m not saying Coach Richt isn’t businesslike but they have two different personalities. Coach Richt is really caring. I’m not going to say Coach Saban isn’t. He’s just real straight-forward, to the point and if it’s not like this, then there’s no other way. With Coach Mark Richt, I feel like he’s more lenient.”
These, of course, are the opinions of one teenager who tried to handle the questions with as much grace and class as possible. Clearly, he didn’t want to insult either man.
That said, it seems that Richt’s “nice guy” personna and Saban’s “all business” reputation are deserved… at least in the view of Drake.
The Georgia Way
July 20th, 2012
8:10 am
Recruit THUGS!
Flounder
July 20th, 2012
8:11 am
Trouble in Paradise ladies?
DIT
July 20th, 2012
8:16 am
I agree, too many suspensions, arrests etc. at UGA, but please don’t be fooled by thinking that the same thing does NOT happen at other major programs. I wish these athletes would use better judgement. Yes, I know that they are 17, 18, 19 year old kids. Still, they are warned many times that they are being watched carefully.
I want to know where the Seniors are at UGA? Back when I played the SR’s took it upon themselves to make sure that underclassmen behaved. Many times, they would take matters into their own hands if someone got out of line. Ever since I can remember I have never heard any of the Sr’s at UGA step up and take control to lead the team. Just an opinion.
JustMe
July 20th, 2012
8:17 am
The only problem I have with the story is that you call Richt’s recruiting “risky” when all of these students we’re discussing had offers from dozens of other schools. Were all of those other schools being “risky” too?
Senor Coughee
July 20th, 2012
8:18 am
You have to get the NCAA to do something as well. Make it to where when players such as Crowell and Mettenberger are expelled due to constant run ins with the law or felony arrests, that they are not eligible to participate in Division 1 athletics for a set number of years.