Bradley’s Buzz: The verdict on UGA’s and Tech’s signees
Understand: I don’t believe Georgia’s recruiting class was a disaster, and I’ve already written as much. But even those who insist recruiting rankings don’t mean anything are duty-bound to check them out. And here, as a public service, they are:
• ESPN.com has Georgia 12th nationally and sixth in the SEC.
• Rivals.com has Georgia 16th nationally and sixth in the SEC.
• Scout.com has Georgia 21st nationally and seventh in the SEC.
For most of Signing Day, ESPN was the only site that had the Bulldogs in the Top 10, but they slid out come sundown. Neither ESPN nor Rivals ranked any Georgia signee a 5-star player; Scout awards safety Alec Ogletree of Newnan five stars.
In five years of compiling recruiting ratings, ESPN ranked Georgia No. 13 in 2007 but in its top six the other three years. As noted early Wednesday, Rivals hadn’t rated the Bulldogs lower than 10th since 2001, when Mark Richt had been on the job barely two months. (They were likewise 16th then.) Scout had Georgia No. 15 in 2007 and No. 11 in 2003 but it its Top Ten every other year since 2001.
For comparison’s sake, here’s where the three sites ranked Georgia Tech: 43rd nationally according to Rivals, 41st according to Scout and nowhere nationally according to ESPN, which only assigns numbers to its Top 25. The Worldwide Leader did have Tech sixth in the ACC and assigned it a letter grade of B-minus. (Link requires registration.)
Georgia’s letter grade, as assigned by ESPN’s Scouts Inc.? A B-plus. (Link requires registration.)
Oh, and one curiosity: The Bulldogs dropped from 15th to 16th as per Rivals because they signed wide receiver Lonnie Outlaw of Wilcox County, whom Rivals adjudges a 2-star recruit. Then again, Tim Jennings arrived at Georgia a 2-star recruit, and he’ll be playing in the Super Bowl come Sunday. More about Jennings and signees and impact freshmen is available in this post. So y’all come back, ya hear?
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141 comments Add your comment
GTgrad81
February 4th, 2010
12:00 am
You can’t wish away or explain away those bowl games GT Fan. If Pj’s offense can’t stay on the field we can’t beat good football teams. PJ’s offense has scored 10 pts in 2 bowls. Forget UGA. Winning the ACC gets you 0 respect.
Coaching a 5 Star Like Arguing With a Lawyer
February 4th, 2010
12:03 am
Lawyers generally are extremely intelligent. Most know it. It’s hard ot win an argument wiht the lawyer because they KNOW how smart they are.
5 stars are the SAME WAY.
Ask Marlon Brown. Ouch!
Ibleedgold
February 4th, 2010
12:07 am
GT fan we are a long way from having the talent and depth on D that can protect an offense that can’t pull it’s weight against good ooc teams. Did some of you even watch those games? You just totally ignore the offensive issues we have against bowl eligibe ooc teams. And we can’t pass a lick. We can’t complete passes against air. There are issues that some of you fans are blind to. PJ has had 2 years and we still have what? 2 pass plays.
foxandcoon
February 4th, 2010
12:12 am
Your aside about signing Lonnie Outlaw and therefore losing a spot just illustrates how stupid the rankings are…
BlackWatch
February 4th, 2010
12:14 am
Some of you are bowing down at the alter for PJ because he says what you want to hear. It was Paul Johnson that lost the UGA game with his 1:46 panic attack. Paul got thoroughly out coached in that game and he got out coached in the Iowa game. He got outcoached against LSU as well. Wake up folks. He talks a good game but his results at crunch time don’t back that talk up.
BlackWatch
February 4th, 2010
12:18 am
Paul needs to back up the talk in 2010. He has his players. He has 2 previous recruiting classes that were heavily red shirted. His guys. If he doesn’t get it done this year he won’t ever sniff another opportunity for even an ACC title.
longtimedawgfan
February 4th, 2010
12:52 am
make no mistake about it dawg fans, Mark Bradley, a true blue Kentucky fan and ardent critic of all things UGA was very pleased with what he happily perceived as a sub-par recruiting class…. I think that this class is filled with kids of very high competitive quality and will work very hard to prove to everyone else that the UGA coaches knew what they wer doing ….the only reason Mark Bradley does not return to Lexington is because he can do the Wildcats more good by spreading his poison in the Atlanta sports market….
Paul in RDU
February 4th, 2010
12:59 am
Wow – quite a bit of negativity on here from some people proclaiming themselves to be GT fans.
GT is coming off a 2 year period with the most wins since the early 1950’s and you’d think that Bill Lewis was back on the sidelines. Yep – GT lost badly to LSU and Iowa but they are a long way from the days of accepting mediocrity under Gailey and Braine.
As far as recruiting rankings are concerned – talent IS important. Desire and hard work in college, not to mention coaching, are also important. Rivals and its ilk can’t predict how players will develop. The best defensive player in the history of Wake Forest was a 2 star – he was the #4 draft pick in 2009. The QB with the best record as a starter at UGA was a 3 star. Marcus Vick was highly ranked and we know how that turned out.
biggbuzz
February 4th, 2010
1:00 am
Paul Johnson
UGA 1-1
ACC Championship
14 Million Dollar BCS BOWL
in two years?
Come on Guys you sound like the RETARDS at UGA!!!
patrick
February 4th, 2010
1:06 am
biggbuzz
UNDER Richt
Vs. SEC foes: 43-22
.
Vs. Top 25 foes: 29-18
.
Vs. Top 25 foes away from home: 18-12
.
Vs. Top 10 foes: 8-6
.
In postseason games (bowls and championships): 9-3
.
In games decided by a touchdown or less: 34-14
.
Record at home: 47-9
.
Record on the road: 27-6
.
Losses to unranked teams: 6
.
Top 25 finishes: 8
.
Top 10 finishes: 6
.
Fact:………UGA was 12-1 in 2002 (prior to bowl selections)
.
Fact ………Fla was 12-1 in 2006 (prior to bowl selections)
.
Fact ………Not UGAs fault there were 2 unbeatens that year. “unlucky”
.
Fact……….Not Flas credit that there was only one unbeaten in 2006. “Lucky”
.
Fact:………Luck not merit had more to do with Fla getting invited to the BCS than whether Fla was more deserving to go to a NC with identical records.
.
Fact:………No SEC team has ever lost a NC game and if UGA would have been invited nothing indicates that it would have been different
.
Fact……….UGA has 2 SEC titles..same as Fla in last 9 years and equal amount of total wins over all.
.
Fact……….UGA has been ranked more times top ten in last 9 years than any SEC team.
.
Fact……….UGA 90 wins in 9 years no other SEC team has more.
.
Fact………..UGA has 2 SEC titles…same as Fla
.
Fact………..UGA has won 4 str8 bowls….more than any other SEC team.
.
Fact……..UGA has won 11 of last 13 bowls…more than any team tied with LSU and more than FLA
.
Fact…… UGA has won 8 or more games in last 13 years…more than any other team.
.
Fact…… UGA has been ranked more times in top ten than any SEC team over last 9 years.
.
Fact…….UGA is clearly as good or better than any SEC team over last 9 years. Only a fool or a fan of the mythical BCSNC selection process (non playoff) would think otherwise.
.
Fact…….Coach Mark Richt in 9 seasons at UGA:
.
Fact…….UGA had same record when they won the SEC title in 2002 as Fla did in 2006/8 when they won the SEC title. But UGA had the misfortune (luck) to have that record in a year that had 2 other teams with undefeated records.
Hardly an indictment on UGA but rather on the NC selection process.
6 times finished in the top 10
2 times finished in the top 3
3 SEC Championship Appearances
2 SEC Titles
3 BCS Bowls
2 Sugar Bowl wins
90-27 record over 8 seasons – 79% winning percentage (one of only 7 in the history of college ball to have ever accomplished this)
4 str8 bowl wins
7-2 in bowls (big games)
Mark Richt coached QB coach for Charlie Ward and Chris Weinke = 2 Heismans; Head Coach for David Greene = all time winningest college QB until Colt McCoy this year); and coached Matthew Stafford = very rich #1 draft pick)
No Probations
He has my respect.
Period.
Paul Johnson who??
Paul in RDU
February 4th, 2010
1:15 am
Wow Patrick – What has Richt’s excellent record got to do with Paul Johnson’s record?
Did you look all of that up and type it or do you keep it all in a file and copy paste?
Paul in RDU
February 4th, 2010
1:19 am
Patrick
<<>>
Seems to me FLA has made their own luck in Jacksonville on a few occasions.
Likewise BAMA made their own luck in 2009 by winning all of their games.
dagrapevine
February 4th, 2010
2:26 am
lonnie outlaw is the sleeper out of the entire class of players recruited from ga.this kid is 6′-5″ 180lbs and is flat out fast.he may in fact be the best wideout in the state this year,but playing in wilcox co. he just didnt get the press some of the others had.i bet his qb at wilcox will be at uga next year and some say he may be one of the top qb’s in the country.wouldnt be surprised to see outlaw opposite of aj some this year i think he’s that good.
we put way too much stock in these recruiting services.here’s how they rank these classes.they take the number of players recruited and add up their cumlative star ranking.uga signed 18 players.depending on whose service you go with for the most part they where split 50/50 on 4/3 star rated players.if uga had signed rogers(a 5 star)and 2 more 4 star players they would have been a top 8 class.they had committments from players to have made that ranking.most fill rogers fliped and went to tenn cause his buddy got a last second offer.the 2 kids in fla say wm getting fired changed everything for them.now would you want wm to still be at uga and those players coming to get a higher rated class or would you prefer what transpired and granthan hired as the new dc?
granthan will sell his i can get you prepared to play in the nfl if you come to uga speech ready for next year and i bet you’ll see uga have a class like fla coming in on the d side of the ball.
fla.ala.aub.,ole miss and sc signed 25 or more players this year.they should have been higher ranked based on that alone.next year uga can sign 25 or more players and the talent level in ga. alone next year is down right scairy.
mark it down,jay rome out of valdosta will be one of,if not the most sought after player in the country.cmr and crg need to camp out on this kids door step.he’s the next orson charles type player and he’s taller(6′6″-242lbs)and fast with soft hands.this kid could be a dual athlete since he’s a great baketball player also.i’m sure mf wouldn’t mind sharing him with fb.same could be said about outlaw too.
mark
February 4th, 2010
3:31 am
I did an informal study and looked at Rivals and Scout for the last 4 years giving a point for ranking …so lower means better and then added the two totals together..again lower is better…..there was a tie over the last 4 years between LSU and Alabama with Florida third….needless to say the last four National Champions …those rankings do matter…
MalibuGT
February 4th, 2010
3:54 am
congrats to CPJ and this group of incoming freshmen! Looking forward to defending our championship and revenge in Athens.
Congrats to UGA for its recruiting class as well. As someone noted earlier, sometimes have hungry 2-3 stars who stay and develop is better than 5’s who leave.
MalibuGT
February 4th, 2010
3:56 am
Paul, i think the same dog poster is on here with several GT handles going after CPJ. Any true fan who suffered under the 7-5 years of playing in the emerald bowl and on the blue turf knows the improvement we’ve already accomplished under CPJ
Concerned about the Dawgs
February 4th, 2010
4:03 am
I’m concerned about the direction of the Georgia Bulldogs. It would seem that Coach Richt and the Georgia staff have lost their drive and their edge. Stars do mean something. It was a tough year but I’m not sure it was just the coaching change. The Georgia program don’t have fire and passion and a determination I’ve seen in the past. Coach Richt has made changes and it’s up to him as head coach to bring the fire. I’m disappointed in the level of this year’s recruits. We missed some big time talent (especially in Georgia). With lesser talent it will take greater coaching. I’m not sure we’ve really got great coaches. I love CMR but I am concerned.
Other programs are surging (Fla/Ala/Tenn/Auburn) and we seem to be falling behind. How do you feel?
Bigstack O' Pancakes. It is an Irish name.
February 4th, 2010
4:03 am
Maybe these players will get coached up at Georgia. Who am I kidding. I might as well follow Da’Rick to Knoxville and become a Vol too.
Mackey
February 4th, 2010
4:15 am
Umm, drugs are bad, mmkay.
rg
February 4th, 2010
4:47 am
i recruited a blind hog,its time to find a acorn.
Lane Kiffen
February 4th, 2010
5:20 am
I did not lie……I did beat Georgia!
MVP
February 4th, 2010
5:21 am
The Mark Richt era is over.
GSUGA
February 4th, 2010
5:39 am
Well, if the we put so much value to the recruiting poll. Why do we play the games? Just fold up the tent and go fishing in the fall and save a lot of money.
Dawg Hatin' Jacket
February 4th, 2010
5:50 am
Sorry Mark, but there is no “verdict” yet. Try again four years from now.
Bubba
February 4th, 2010
5:53 am
‘The Mark Richt era is over.’
I guess the Jim Tressel era is over at Ohio State, since they finished behind Georgia. And the Frank Beamer era is over at Virginia Tech since they finished behind Georgia. And the Randy Shannon era is over at Miami since they finished behind Georgia. And, of course, the Paul Johnson era is over at Georgia Tech.
Spike
February 4th, 2010
6:28 am
UGA-30. ACC Champs-24.
Big time?? Not
February 4th, 2010
6:53 am
UGA Solid top 20 class and the world is coming to an end.
tech – no where near Top 20 and all is well.
Get a grip people.
raymond
February 4th, 2010
7:04 am
If UGA had a top ten class we would be talking about how high we ranked, but because we had a down year we talk about how much stars mean.
Cracker Jacket
February 4th, 2010
7:17 am
When can we rate the AJC sports writers?? Are you guys man enough???
Dr. Kenneth Noisewater
February 4th, 2010
7:28 am
class is fine, we addressed the needs of the team, case closed. it all boils down to how these coaches “coach them up” and turn them into competivie athletes in the SEC & NCAA. interesting tid-bit i heard this morning on 680- the only 5 star ranking player playing in the SB is P.Manning. Just goes to show that rankings or stars don’t really mean much.
Paul Johnson's Johnson
February 4th, 2010
7:32 am
How do you pronounce the name Da’Rick? Is it Da Rick, like Da Bears? Or, is it Darrick, as in Harrick?
Oh, I need to be kissed.
how2fish
February 4th, 2010
7:37 am
I don’t think this class can be judged like previous ones due to its size..19 players we were 6th in the SEC with a 3.42 star rating. UT had 25 players and a average star rating of 3.44. Auburn had 32 players,UF had 28, LSU 29 and Bama 26. Time will tell folks and again good luck to all the new Dogs !
still443
February 4th, 2010
7:38 am
I really hate the ‘commit’ ‘de-commit’ ‘lie’ ‘change mind’, then mexican hat dance they all do when being recruited by more than one team. I say that if they sign a letter of intent with a university, make them sit out a full year if they change their mind… just like if they were already enrolled. That would stop this silliness and the underhanded things some schools and their boosters do to steal recruits.
how2fish
February 4th, 2010
7:39 am
Dr. Kenneth Noisewater I think they said he was the only Colt who was a 5 star ..pretty sure Reggie Bush for the Saints was not sure who else on the Saints but for the Colts only Manning.
JB
February 4th, 2010
7:43 am
For GT fans: ” I like to run the football. But, you gotta have balance today…Defenses are too good today to do only one thing good. a balanced attack works”
quote by New Tennessee Coach Derek Dooley. His dad hated the forward pass. I’m guessing Derek learned to be different……….Tech will win a lot of games in the ACC, but crunch time at the end with OOC BCS teams, that offense gets shut down. And when the FAB 5 are all gone that Gailey left, look out.
JB
February 4th, 2010
7:48 am
You really would think that this far in Paul Johnson would have a better showing than mid 40’s class, not that these ratings mean anything. You would think winning the ACC title that he would land a class in the 20’s. Just say’n.
Topp Dogg
February 4th, 2010
7:51 am
Robey saidweeks ago he would leave if Willie were to be fired.
Bank Walker, Texas Ranger
February 4th, 2010
8:05 am
As a Georgia fan let me say this about PJ…He is a good coach. He is .500 against Georgia, he has improved Tech and taken them to a BCS game, I don’t care how bad the ACC is, it is still something and means over 10 million in money. As for his offense, hell I’d take it over what we a running right now. At least people worry about his offense. With Georgia I feel like I’m looking at a FSU re-run from 1985. No body looses sleep over Georgia’s offense, just their athletes.
GT, In Your Dreams
February 4th, 2010
8:14 am
Hey Patrick: 45-42! I notice that wasn’t on your list.
what has Georgia done since 1980..paul johnson
February 4th, 2010
8:14 am
i am usually critical of your articles MARK, this one was one of your better ones,, Georgia filled all their major needs , probably got some 2 and 3 star recruits that will have to worked hard, several will probably become very good if not great players after some hard work, and trust me Georgia is 1000 percent better off not to have gotten the DA Hick kid and have to babysit his ego for 4 or 5 years, not to mention he can’t catch a ball when footsteps are nearby……not getting some players can be a blessing too
how2fish
February 4th, 2010
8:17 am
Bank Walker, Texas Ranger I assure you GT will worry about our offence this year.And CPJ was a good coach he melted down latter part of last year and will hence forth be toast outside the ACC.
what has Georgia done since 1980..paul johnson
February 4th, 2010
8:20 am
and GT ….”a flagboy” is always in your Dreams…, the 45-42 fluke you are talking about when Georgia fell asleep for 2 quarters after 30 straight quarters of domination over the Jackettes , that game is still an enigma to us redneck dawgs, an anomaly so to speak for us cuntry folk….course at Thanksgiving we are still thankful the bugs are on the schedule , especially when we witnessed Caleb King run all over Bobby Dodd Field.. I just passed him barely , he is head north up I-75 now and one of your flagboys is chasing him..lmao..that’ll get running!!!
bruce seamans
February 4th, 2010
8:24 am
i know alot of people dont put much credence on star ratings of high school players. but the last six bcs national champions had top five recruiting classes. so there is some validity to the star rating system.
GT
February 4th, 2010
8:24 am
I have listened to old football players for years that are convinced a smart average athletic team can beat a selfish individually talented team. I never bought into the theory until lately, and thought college football was forever owned by pimp coaches like Jimmy Johnson and the gang bang element which maybe first showed up in Oklahoma and moved east with Johnson. It was only a matter of time before the academic element or the hoodlum element would prevail. Colleges would sell their souls for a football team filled with everything that education is supposed to be there to prevent or colleges would claim back their campuses and put the pimps back on the streets where they belong. Paul Johnson is a study in this theory that “one dog don’t make no show”. As long as we got that horse we don’t need to block as much or run our patterns as cleanly or play defense. Here is hoping CPJ has great success with his team and a few other guys like TCU that takes leftovers in football but character in life people and dares to compete against “Primetime” or “Hollywood” that have their own trainer on the sideline catering to his every need like valets to royalty. Maybe this is where we all get the idea teamwork is yesterday’s news not only in sports but every day life. Maybe we all should be pulling for the underdogs instead of being front runners associating ourselves with royalty that could care less about us or our teams.
The Dooleys of Knoxville, TN
February 4th, 2010
8:24 am
It’s gonna be okay, UGA. You got a very respectable class, and have some good stuff coming back next year. I, on the other hand, am very proud our boy Derek Dooley. What a great job he did to put Tennessee in the top 10 with only 3 weeks to recruit – oh, and assmeble a staff at the same time. Very proud of him!!! Hope he can get some rest and maybe play some golf with daddy Vince in beeeeeautiful Knoxville!!!!
if a Georgia fan teases you nerds..you punch em
February 4th, 2010
8:26 am
…in the face” Paul Johnson Said…..that goes for Georgia recruiting better too…if a georgia fan makes fun of my future baton twirlers You punch em in the face..paul johnson, ok coach..look forward to the annual thanksgiving state rivalry game..and you and your fans coming to dinner in Athens…course its just another game to your not one to engrave the score on your seniors rings or anything
UA Alum92
February 4th, 2010
8:27 am
For what it’s worth and from what I have seen of UGA, it seems that CMR’s and Bobo’s offensive strategy can be boiled down to “get the ball in the hands of your playmakers.” This is a viable strategy as long as you 1. Have multiple playmakers in case one is taken away (Stafford, Moreno, Massoquoi, etc.) and 2. Can get the ball to them (e.g. inability to utilize A.J. Green last year).
Thoughts?
Bryan
February 4th, 2010
8:28 am
You get paid for this crap? “Verdict on UGA, and Tech’s class?” 2 sentences on Tech and the rest about Georgia’s class plus all of it was what other people have said. Good article why did you just link us to the three sites that this whole article is from. Oh wait you did I will just go there. Great reporting AJC. IDIOTS
if a Georgia fan teases you nerds..you punch em
February 4th, 2010
8:28 am
and GT i actually agree with YOU nice writing, seriously
Mark Bradley
February 4th, 2010
8:30 am
I did link to the three sites, Bryan. That’s what those raised blue letters are. Thanks for asking.