Richt’s ‘Dream Team’ could provide the spark UGA badly needs
Malcolm Mitchell (left) and Jay Rome committing to Georgia is a major coup for Mark Richt. (Chip Towers / AJC)
Georgia landing a verbal commitment from Valdosta’s Jay Rome was huge.
It’s not that the five-star player, rated the nation’s top tight end prospect by ESPNU, likely will be needed to make a big impact immediately on the field for “Tight End U,” as he called it. Rome certainly will be given the chance to play early, but the Dogs are well stocked at the position with Orson Charles, Aron White and Artie Lynch, even if Bruce Figgins switches to fullback.
No, Rome’s biggest immediate impact might come before he ever even signs on the dotted line with UGA, by giving momentum to Mark Richt’s alternately praised and derided concept of a signing an in-state “Dream Team.”
After making his announcement on national TV, Rome was on hand Thursday night as Valdosta teammate Malcolm Mitchell, a Top 30 prospect at wide receiver and/or cornerback, also put on a cap with the Georgia “G.”
Both picked Georgia over Nick Saban and Alabama, which has to rank as a major recruiting coup for Richt. “I believe Mark Richt is a great coach,” Rome said. “I don’t feel like he’s going anywhere anytime soon. If we can get a couple of more guys to come in with me in this class, we’ll have everything we need at Georgia, and I believe we’ll start winning football games.”
Rome used his national media platform to try and get more prospects to climb on board the Dream Team train. Along with junior college defensive nose guard John Jenkins, Georgia badly needs Columbus running back Isaiah Crowell and Thomas County defensive end Ray Drew, who reportedly was present at Mitchell’s announcement in Valdosta.
“Isaiah, Ray, come be a Dawg,” Rome said on his broadcast. “We can have the dream team and we’re going to do it. Be a Dawg, baby!”
There are no guarantees in any of this, of course. The verbal commitments aren’t binding. And high school prospects don’t always pan out exactly as planned.
But Richt needs to restore some glamour and prestige to a program that’s been sadly lacking in momentum the past couple of years. Making his Dream Team a reality would provide some of that offseason momentum the Dogs need as they get ready for their national showcase game in Atlanta against Boise State to open the most important season in Richt’s coaching career.
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480 comments Add your comment
Tiger Mania
January 21st, 2011
3:13 pm
i am a duoche
Tiger Mania
January 21st, 2011
3:14 pm
It cost Auburn $180,000 for a National Championship.
SEC HOMER
January 21st, 2011
3:14 pm
uga has jumped the shark with this “dream team” crap…you guys went 6-7 so i guess you gotta do something but it really is embarrasing. bama, lsu, au will stop have better classes than your ‘dream team”..also where would you rank your coaching staff compared to the other sec schools, i would say around 8…
Tiger Mania
January 21st, 2011
3:15 pm
Auburn – Cash Cam = back to mediocrity
Dawg in Malta
January 21st, 2011
3:16 pm
This is great news for 2011…it will be good news if Crowell, Drew & Jenkins commit!
Do not want to jinks Crowell but from what I’ve seen from his highlights he could/should
be the next Hersh @ UGA. I witnessed it first hand…….
(Hersh was the best college football player ever!!!!!!)
Thankfully….I’m glad I was in Malta for this football season…
but I will be in the Dome for Boise St. (BS University).
Go Dawgs!!
Tiger Mania
January 21st, 2011
3:16 pm
How many Auburn fans does it take to win a national Championship? As many as it takes to pull together $180,000.
Bama Mike
January 21st, 2011
3:16 pm
Edumacated, all kidding aside I agree. Everyone thought Murray would start ahead of Cox as a Freshman didnt happen. We thought Richardson would start over Ingram as a Freshman. Came in and couldnt catch a pass out of the backfield. Dareus didnt really blossom until midway during sophomore year. Barely saw the field his freshman year. And look at the beating Lattimore took.
SEC HOMER
January 21st, 2011
3:17 pm
I hear the “bagman” is back in business in Athens this year…Rodney Garner, the worst DL coach in the country but carries a “bag” better than anyone…Go dogs..
Zoomie
January 21st, 2011
3:17 pm
Excellent! UGA lands yet another top TE prospect that won’t get thrown to!
PaleRider
January 21st, 2011
3:18 pm
Whatever we do, just bench Caleb. Also, why can’t we use a 300 pounder to hammer in the ball on the goal line like the Bears used to do with the Fridge? Is that against the rules? I’d use that once in every game. Can’t we teach a Big Ugly to hold on to the ball and run for three yards?
Tiger Mania
January 21st, 2011
3:18 pm
Ask Pete Carrol where buying championships got him? Ran with his tail between his legs leaving a university in rubbles.
j
January 21st, 2011
3:18 pm
If the dream is to win 6 games, it may be so!
Tiger Mania
January 21st, 2011
3:19 pm
Auburn bought the 2010 National Championship!!!
SEC HOMER
January 21st, 2011
3:21 pm
Chip Towers sure loves talking to these uga recruits doesn’t he? That guy spooks me out when he is talking up these uga recruits, god bless him it is his job but a little perpective big guy…
Tiger Mania
January 21st, 2011
3:21 pm
Auburn/gene chizik = george steinbrenner….buying championships
JB
January 21st, 2011
3:24 pm
SEC Homer………………..Do you go in a Jenny Craig gym and say, ” boy. look at all the fat women’?
Homer, We don’t care what you think…This is a story about UGA recruiting. Crawl back in you low class hole and hang out with other of your ilk. Georgia is down, but we’ll be Back. If you’re a Techie, we own you. It you’re from AU, one lucky year with the stars aligned is great. If you’re a jerk, you do have some of your kin on here. But, We hate you to. Even.
Tiger Mania
January 21st, 2011
3:24 pm
What is Auburns offical mascot? Eagle, Tiger, or Cam Newtons. No one knows, but everyone will pay big bucks to see them.
ATD
January 21st, 2011
3:25 pm
lawdawg (lower case), No its not my first language. does Richt have his thang in you or something? can u understand that LANGUAGE….Hops=lmao
mattugafan
January 21st, 2011
3:25 pm
This might be a question nobody can answer but does anybody have a list of all of Georgia’s outstanding offers?
Tiger Mania
January 21st, 2011
3:27 pm
After wins Auburn rolls toilet paper over trees and rolls hundred dollar bills in Cash Cams pockets.
JB
January 21st, 2011
3:27 pm
mattugafan….Crowell and Drew for sure…..Can’t help other than that.
Tiger Mania
January 21st, 2011
3:28 pm
Auburns dread team…anyone willing to take a pribe and has no soul.
TROJAN
January 21st, 2011
3:30 pm
If UGA did the oversignings like BAMA or the payoffs like Auburn (computer CAM) what kind of stories would be written by the AJC?
Tiger Mania
January 21st, 2011
3:31 pm
Bo Jackson will always be the 2nd best RB in SEC history.
SKB
January 21st, 2011
3:32 pm
12-0
National Championship
Here we come, Crowell the next Hershal Walker
JB
January 21st, 2011
3:32 pm
Word is Moscow having a parade for Chiznik, the Russian, in the spring around July. LOL… Auburn #2 Jersey very popular over there….$ 180,000 rubles I’m told…or 3.75 american
Devil
January 21st, 2011
3:32 pm
Cam Newtons soul cost $180,000.
Cash Cams Dad
January 21st, 2011
3:33 pm
I didn’t pimp out my son, i just let Auburn borrow him for $180,000. Worked out well for both sides.
JB
January 21st, 2011
3:34 pm
Happiest people in the world about Cam leaving. the IRS. Finally collect some taxes on his butt.
The pro’s issue W-2’s
Cash Cam
January 21st, 2011
3:35 pm
No need to steal computers at Auburn, I bought a dozen with $180,000.
gene chizik
January 21st, 2011
3:36 pm
will crowell take $180,000?
JB
January 21st, 2011
3:38 pm
his daddy will.
crowell's daddy
January 21st, 2011
3:38 pm
i’ll take it…nice one JB
showmedog
January 21st, 2011
3:40 pm
Enter your comments here
JB
January 21st, 2011
3:40 pm
Where’s all the Bama folks go? I guess the start of second shift at 3 takes care of most of them.
Jason Cambell
January 21st, 2011
3:40 pm
I went 12-0 and didn’t go to the National Championship. oh well, at least i got my degree and my soul.
Cash Cam Newton
January 21st, 2011
3:42 pm
Why don’t the doors open for me at Walmart. Oh, thats right, i sold my soul for $180,000 and a National Championship.
Cam Newton Mama
January 21st, 2011
3:44 pm
I am so proud of my son. He is following in his father footsteps as being a low life piece of trash.
bitter bamma punk
January 21st, 2011
3:48 pm
i hate it win i cantt geter my way, joegg bots need to play hera in alerbammer yaaw, please you can have my sistar after i done!!!!
————-we a bit dumd you no, hahahahahah–bamma stinks
jim
January 21st, 2011
3:48 pm
wow…what sad losers
jim
January 21st, 2011
3:49 pm
i am an idiot
ugakev
January 21st, 2011
3:50 pm
From what I heard yesterday before the announcements…. my father that works with the crowell family, crowell has been talking alot about bama lately. I hope he does not committ to them but it does not look good right now…:-(
bitter all-burn fan
January 21st, 2011
3:52 pm
we “r” the land of toilet paper, were so cool
Billo
January 21st, 2011
3:52 pm
I really don’t think Crowell is the answer to the running game. Obvioulsy King and Ealey are second hand SEC runnings backs, but until our o-line gets better Hershel Walker can’t run with that line…well, maybe not.
JB
January 21st, 2011
3:52 pm
Lot’s of running backs in front of him at Bama and the DEE kid coming in. The Rock is his at UGA, just say’n.
SEC HOMER
January 21st, 2011
3:54 pm
Tiger Mania, you are welcome to bring your sorry arse down to AU and polish our NC trophy—I know uga hasn’t had a run in 30 years or so and your getting your feelings hurt we have had 3 perfect seasons since 80′
JB
January 21st, 2011
3:54 pm
Billo, there is hope we’ll be better there next year with Searles gone. We do have some players with experience coming back, they just need coaching and motivated.
Alphare
January 21st, 2011
3:54 pm
Bad news, dawg fans, you have a top 10 recruiting every season in the past few years, and you will end up with a bad football season thereafter. Now, you have another top 10 recruit team, why do you think it’s going to be any different?
If I were you, I don’t want another top 10 season, just for a change, maybe for the better.
Tiger Mania
January 21st, 2011
3:56 pm
SEC HOMER….ill bring the polish, got change for $180,000.
Mike
January 21st, 2011
3:56 pm
Rich & BooBoo probably won’t be around to see the dividends of “The Dream Team.” They better hope they can make a difference next year.