Mark Richt’s ‘Dream Team’ picks up momentum
Ray Drew is the latest to say he'll join the "Dream Team." (Ray Drew)
Our Chip Towers reports five-star Thomas County Central defensive end Ray Drew announced this morning he’s going to become a Georgia Bulldog.
Perhaps some of those snarky folks who laughed at Mark Richt’s “Dream Team” gambit are taking it somewhat more seriously now.
Snagging Drew is a biggie not just because he’s rated a five-star player, but because Georgia badly needs talent on its defensive line. Now if UGA can get another stellar DE, Asheville’s Jeoffrey Pagan, who recently decommitted from Clemson and is reportedly favoring the Dogs, plus sign junior college nose guard John Jenkins (who won’t announce until Feb 5), Todd Grantham’s 3-4 will be looking a lot more formidable.
And then, of course, there’s still running back Isaiah Crowell, who’ll make his decision public on signing day on ESPNU.
The Dream Team is far from complete at this point. But it’s closer to reality than many ever thought it would be.
Assuming these guys all sign on the dotted line, is that enough to elevate the Georgia program back to the elite? And can it be done in the 2011 season — in other words, are the Dogs likely to actually get turnaround performances from that many true freshman players this fall against SEC competition? What do you think?
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503 comments Add your comment
WDE
January 28th, 2011
5:06 pm
“It’s about as childish as saying that Tech graduates terrorist.”
Ex-Georgia Tech student convicted on terrorism charge
http://articles.cnn.com/2009-06-10/justice/georgia.terror.trial_1_solitary-confinement-jury-trial-georgia-tech-student?_s=PM:CRIME
You were saying?
Big D Dawg
January 28th, 2011
5:07 pm
roll tide : UGA didn’t go 6-7 with AJ. They were 1-4 without AJ and 5-3 with AJ.
WDE
January 28th, 2011
5:08 pm
“And no, I can’t see the future but I can see the players that Alabama and LSU have compared to Auburns.”
So you are a walking contradiction. First, you “predicted” that Auburn would go on probation and have losing seasons then you said that you can’t see the future.
Auburn will finish with their second top 5 class in two years. Trust me, Auburn fans aren’t worried.
kerryb
January 28th, 2011
5:08 pm
WDE, you must love Georgia football because everyday you end up on a UGA blog and start trying to talk trash. Talk all that trash in a few years when you don’t have a football team worth mentioning. I guess you will always go back to trying to defend your championship. “WE won a championship and No No No we didn’t pay any players I don’t care what the NCAA says”.
kerryb
January 28th, 2011
5:10 pm
Show us your rings when your losing 4 out of the next five years again to us.
WDE
January 28th, 2011
5:11 pm
“you must love Georgia football because everyday you end up on a UGA blog and start trying to talk trash.”
Can you read? Seriously, can you? If you could, you’d have seen where I praised UGA on having a great recruiting class. You are the one that threw bombs about Auburn. Oh, and where in the world did you come up with “you come on UGA blogs everyday?”
“Talk all that trash in a few years when you don’t have a football team worth mentioning.”
The only person I’ve trashed talked is you.
“WE won a championship and No No No we didn’t pay any players I don’t care what the NCAA says”.
The NCAA hasn’t done anything to Auburn nor will they. If you have any evidence, go talk to the NCAA.
kerryb
January 28th, 2011
5:11 pm
How are you going to be top five when your sixth right now and will drop when we pass you by next week with Crowell, Pagan, and Jenkins.
WDE
January 28th, 2011
5:11 pm
“Show us your rings when your losing 4 out of the next five years again to us.”
Did you not just say you couldn’t see the future? Geez dude, just quit while you’re behind.
WDE
January 28th, 2011
5:12 pm
“How are you going to be top five when your sixth right now and will drop when we pass you by next week with Crowell, Pagan, and Jenkins.”
Because we’re about to sign three 4-5 star players. That’s why.
WDE
January 28th, 2011
5:13 pm
“How are you going to be top five when your sixth right now and will drop when we pass you by next week with Crowell, Pagan, and Jenkins.”
http://recruiting.scout.com/ That’s how.
kerryb
January 28th, 2011
5:15 pm
WDE, the bomb will drop over the next 2-3 years. The NCAA cannot do anything now because they will look like they knew something all along and did nothing. Like USC you will hear this and that come out until they are ready to drop the hammer. The hammer is coming. All Auburn fans in denial like yourself alsways say the NCAA has done nothing to us. It is too soon to do that now but it will come.
kerryb
January 28th, 2011
5:15 pm
Check Rivals
WDE
January 28th, 2011
5:16 pm
“the bomb will drop over the next 2-3 years.”
Where’s your proof?
“Like USC you will hear this and that come out until they are ready to drop the hammer. ”
Except the NCAA had proof.
“The hammer is coming.’
Just because you say it will doesn’t mean it will.
“It is too soon to do that now but it will come.”
Then again, you don’t have the power to see the future.
WDE
January 28th, 2011
5:17 pm
“Check Rivals”
We’re number six and Rivals hasn’t updated their list.
kerryb
January 28th, 2011
5:18 pm
Stay in denial. It will help you when the day comes.
WDE
January 28th, 2011
5:18 pm
“Stay in denial. It will help you when the day comes.’
Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawn. Did you say something?
kerryb
January 28th, 2011
5:18 pm
Not too many 5 stars for you to get to move up. The two considering you are going to UGA.
Joey
January 28th, 2011
5:19 pm
Recruiting CLASS ranking don’t mean squat. Only thing that matters is plug your holes with big time talent, and get the 2 or 3 guys that can be game changers.
Look at the SEC over last 3 seasons and you see 3 things going on:
1- QB who beats good teams (Newton, McElroy, Tebow)
2- Strong running game (220-280 a game–Auburn, Alabama, and Florida)
3- Strong rush defense (less than 100 a game)
Auburn got above average rushing yards because of dual threat Cam Newton, good QB play in big games at big times against big time teams, and great run defense primarily because of Nick Fairley.
Florida, same story, different QB in Tebow.
Alabama got it done with 2 power running backs, a QB who was his best against the best teams, and a run defense that was stout, to go 14-0.
kerryb
January 28th, 2011
5:20 pm
You have only one five star now and I heard he was waivering on his commitment.
Charlotte Dawg
January 28th, 2011
5:20 pm
he “can handle himself”….can’t wait till November
WDE
January 28th, 2011
5:20 pm
“Not too many 5 stars for you to get to move up. The two considering you are going to UGA.”
Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawn, did you say something?
WDE
January 28th, 2011
5:21 pm
“he “can handle himself”….can’t wait till November”
Me neither. I have a few surprises for any dawg fan who tries to harass me.
kerryb
January 28th, 2011
5:22 pm
WDE, what you have to worry about at UGA now is that NFL caliber DC now has NFL caliber talent at every position on the defense if we get Pagan and Jenkins. It’s going to be tough for the rest of the SEC with that.
WDE
January 28th, 2011
5:23 pm
“It’s going to be tough for the rest of the SEC with that.”
If I had a dollar for every time a UGA fans makes a prediction about how great UGA will be next year, I’d be able to pay off the national debt.
kerryb
January 28th, 2011
5:24 pm
I’m not saying next year but over the next 3-4 years look out. No offense is going to want to play UGA with that lineup.
WDE
January 28th, 2011
5:24 pm
“No offense is going to want to play UGA with that lineup.”
Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight. LOL
Charlotte Dawg
January 28th, 2011
5:25 pm
Get ready for some harrassment. You War Chickens flapping those gums of yours will only make it worse/better, depending on how you look at it.
But without Son of a Preacher man, I’ll probably be doing most of the talking. But I won’t throw batteries like NY fans…I have my limits.
kerryb
January 28th, 2011
5:25 pm
Believe me. Auburn stikes no fear into anyone.
kerryb
January 28th, 2011
5:27 pm
You lost your manchild QB and your dirty defensive lineman. Who do you have left?
Charlotte Dawg
January 28th, 2011
5:27 pm
Except for WDE. He’s so excited about his team’s rented trophy…so cute.
He’s never blogged this much before. He’s just so proud.
WDE
January 28th, 2011
5:28 pm
“Get ready for some harrassment. ”
Ok, then you’d better get ready for a trip to the hospital.
“I’ll probably be doing most of the talking.”
Yeah, until you end up with your jaw wired shut.
“But I won’t throw batteries like NY fans…I have my limits.”
You won’t be throwing anything after we get through with you.
WDE
January 28th, 2011
5:28 pm
“Believe me. Auburn stikes no fear into anyone.”
Says the guy who’s team went 6-7.
kerryb
January 28th, 2011
5:28 pm
He still hasn’t told me why he likes to come into a UGA blog all the time. Don’t they have some WAR CHICKEN blog somewhere for you to go?
WDE
January 28th, 2011
5:29 pm
“Who do you have left?”
A national title and another top 5 recruiting class. Also, the best offensive mind in the SEC.
Charlotte Dawg
January 28th, 2011
5:29 pm
there you go tough guy! Gettin’ wound up?
WDE
January 28th, 2011
5:29 pm
“He’s never blogged this much before. He’s just so proud.’
I guess going 6-7 makes dawg fans go crazy.
Charlotte Dawg
January 28th, 2011
5:30 pm
He just won the National Championship(WDE). He did it all on his own.
Let him blog away…January has been the best month of his life. Let him have his fun.
Oh you cute whittle tigew’ you
WDE
January 28th, 2011
5:31 pm
Charlotte Dawg
Someday your dawg team will win the national title. Until then…HAHHAHHAHHAAHAHHAHAHAHAH
WDE
January 28th, 2011
5:33 pm
“there you go tough guy! Gettin’ wound up?”
Nope, just giving you a heads up in case we cross paths in Athens. I have a lot of UGA friends who will be sitting by me. Trust me, they won’t hesitate to throw down against their own.
Charlotte Dawg
January 28th, 2011
5:33 pm
WDE is actually very responsive to our comments. Scroll up…he responds to everyone of us. Just typing away with those fingers of fury…..very fast
WDE
January 28th, 2011
5:33 pm
“He still hasn’t told me why he likes to come into a UGA blog all the time. ”
Not sure what you’re talking about.
kerryb
January 28th, 2011
5:34 pm
Well WDE, your team was 8-5 in 2009 and 5-7 in 2008. Those are normal seasons for Auburn. Your team had a good year in 2010 in a down year for college football as a whole so don’t go thinking that your program is that great. Now how many years did Mark Richts teams win 10 games or more? The answer: 2001 to 2008. thats 8 years. Auburns done nothing like that.
WDE
January 28th, 2011
5:34 pm
“WDE is actually very responsive to our comments. Scroll up…he responds to everyone of us.’
I’ve responded peacefully with sane dawg fans. The rabid ones, lie you, receive the insults.
WDE
January 28th, 2011
5:36 pm
“your team was 8-5 in 2009 and 5-7 in 2008.”
Your team was 8-5 in 2009 and 6-7 in 2010. Your point?
“Those are normal seasons for Auburn.”
We’ve finished in the top 10 more times than UGA has since 2000. We’ve also gone undefeated more times than UGA has since 1980.
“Auburns done nothing like that.”
2004=13-0
2006=11-2
2010=14-0
You were saying?
Charlotte Dawg
January 28th, 2011
5:36 pm
All those friends you went to High School with but Uh Oh….you didn’t get in and the old reliable backup was Auburn. Knew a lot of kids like you in high school.
You probably even used to be a Georgia fan.
And please don’t type that you are VP of a sales firm or own your own business. Trust me. I BELIEVE YOU BIG GUY.
WDE
January 28th, 2011
5:37 pm
“The answer: 2001 to 2008. thats 8 years.”
2004=13-0
2006=11-2
2010=14-0
Please quit while you’re behind, Forrest.
kerryb
January 28th, 2011
5:37 pm
Thats not an 8 year in a row run. THats good years between bad years. Thats called inconsistency
WDE
January 28th, 2011
5:37 pm
“All those friends you went to High School with but Uh Oh….you didn’t get in and the old reliable backup was Auburn.”
I never applied to UGA because UGA was overcrowded. Try again, Gump.
“You probably even used to be a Georgia fan.”
Nope
“And please don’t type that you are VP of a sales firm or own your own business.”
Nope
WDE
January 28th, 2011
5:38 pm
“Thats not an 8 year in a row run. ”
UGA did not finish in the top ten 8 years in a row, Gump. Try again.
WDE
January 28th, 2011
5:38 pm
“Thats called inconsistency”
Describes you well.