On a tepid Signing Day, there’s still reason for UGA to believe
Rodney Garner and Mark Richt meet the press on Signing Day 2010. (Photo by M. Bradley)
Athens – Just as it would be wrong to make too much of one lost recruit or one tepid signing class, it would likewise be wrong to ignore current events. And those are: Coming off its worst season on the field under Mark Richt, the Bulldogs have assembled their lowest-ranked recruiting class, according to Rivals.com, since Richt was so new to the job he hadn’t yet coached a game.
“I don’t expect Bulldog fans to be excited over an 8-5 season,” Richt said Wednesday, briefing the media on a subdued-by-Georgia-standards Signing Day, but that season is done and this recruiting class is essentially complete and the Bulldogs move on. And the question becomes: Is Georgia better suited today to win big than it was 12 months ago?
And the answer is: Yes.
We cannot know how good Da’Rick Rogers will (or will not) be at Tennessee, but we can know this: Georgia was never going to play for another SEC title with Willie Martinez coaching its defense. If firing Martinez and two assistants made for what recruiting coordinator Rodney Garner called “some difficulties,” that’s a trade-off worth making if in fact Todd Grantham, Martinez’s successor, is as clever as advertised.
“That’s why I did what I did,” said Richt, responding to a question about Georgia’s positioning for the future. “That’s the only reason I did what I did.”
As much as Signing Day matters, coaching matters more. Richt’s program had become the place where big-time defensive players came and were left to their own devices. Were recruiting alone the secret to success, Georgia and Richt — eight consecutive Top 10 classes, according to Rivals — would have taken a BCS title by now.
As disappointing as Rogers’ defection was, Georgia fans should nonetheless find reason to believe this February. Because the head coach bears a lean and hungry look. “[Last season] has given me more resolve to get this program where it belongs,” Richt said. And then: “We have everything we need to get that done.”
Last season wasn’t good. (No good seasons lead to Shreveport.) The coaching search took six weeks and included three high-profile turndowns. The recruiting class of 2010 numbered 18 commitments last fall and wound up with 19 signed letters-of-intent. But all that is past now, and what remains is a better defensive staff — couldn’t be worse, could it? — and a rejuvenated Richt. And also this:
“We’ve got some darn good football players,” Richt said. “That’s got me excited about what the future holds.”
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429 comments Add your comment
FL Dawg
February 3rd, 2010
3:41 pm
GA should be better on both offense and defense. The O showed in the second half of the season that they could indeed run the ball. This should be a staple for the dawgs come september. It will take a few games for the new QB to get adjusted. The D will improve all year long. Look for the dawgs to start slow and finish strong. The talent is in place and coaching should be improved.
A lot of folks will disagree, but Bobo is a good OC and will only improve. The O is returning a lot of experience and the QB play will improve as the year goes on.
bkbroila4224
February 3rd, 2010
3:41 pm
Christian Green just signed with FSU….Once again…we will be without a WR this signing class!!!
Mark, I'm proud of you
February 3rd, 2010
3:42 pm
I know how you like to stir the pot, but thanks for writing a good, well reasoned article about UGA. It says exactly whatI’m saying. It would have been nice to pull in the recruits, but the truth is that we are loaded right now and with good coaching, 2010 looks like a good year (if QB’s step up). Plus, UGA poised to have openings to fill in 2011, when recruits in GA are strong. No worries here.
gem dawg
February 3rd, 2010
3:42 pm
When I look at the individuals in this class, it looks pretty doggone good to me. Maybe not up there in the star rating but there is some good raw talent and some new coaches to turn them into SEC caliber players. We also have some stout looking players shedding their redshirts next year. I’m thinking we improve our record with a W against UT and UK.
De' truth
February 3rd, 2010
3:42 pm
One AJC writer bemoans the Dawg’s “tepid” class while another extols an equally tepid class for Tech. Wonder why??
Dunkley
February 3rd, 2010
3:42 pm
Christian Green is a Seminole, Chaz Green is a Gator!
Mark Bradley
February 3rd, 2010
3:44 pm
Christian Green just committed to Florida State, NYC Dawg.
CDAWG
February 3rd, 2010
3:44 pm
Grateful, that is not true. Anthony Williams came from Union Grove High School in McDonough GA.
JB
February 3rd, 2010
3:45 pm
sitting on a bench year 2 or 3 comes hard for these Da’ricks that have 15 minutes of fame.
UGA will be fine. 10 or 12 of these guys we signed today could have gone anywhere. There is plenty of talent in Athens. I’m excited about seeing a new D next year
TXDawg
February 3rd, 2010
3:45 pm
If that is true LAYINLOW, then it supports what I read yesterday….Green to FSU.
Jeff
February 3rd, 2010
3:46 pm
DAWGS all the way baby!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
bkbroila4224
February 3rd, 2010
3:46 pm
Richt’s Plan….
Don’t be a moron…Why in the hell is everyone saying UT blows UGA out every year…last I checked, Richt still has a winning record against UT, so stop being an idiot!
Al
February 3rd, 2010
3:46 pm
One thing to point out about this class is that there is no premier quarterbacks, runningbacks, or wide receivers, which are the high profile type of players. This class is heavy on both lines, which tend to be underhyped. With two redshirt quarterbacks, two young runningbacks, and a handful of past big WR recruits, this class makes a lot of sense in that it doesn’t have the glitz from classes past. Yes, losing a couple of high profile guys late is bad, but overall this is a junkyard dog class that compliments the players we have really well!!
Mr Me
February 3rd, 2010
3:46 pm
Overall a very good class for the Dawgs, i think we got players that are passionate about playing for UGA. Just watched the interview with Christian Green and i’m kind of glad he chose FSU the kid just butchered the english language. Its hard to root for people who you cant even understand. And its not just him it is a recurring theme across the nation, we’ve got to put more emphasis on english and speech classes in our schools.
Blackberry Cobbler
February 3rd, 2010
3:47 pm
Sounds to me like CMR knows the heat has been turned up on him and his program.
He MIGHT survive another 8-5 next season but if UGA doesn’t win the East the year after that, he’s toast.
I like the man. But the program is in decline. There’s not much denying that.
Bill E. Goat
February 3rd, 2010
3:47 pm
Will
UF’s “nutjob” head coach owns UGA, Mark Richt and 2 National Titles. Can’t ssee that having him as UF’s head coach is somehow a good thing for UGA.
Mark Bradley
February 3rd, 2010
3:47 pm
We’re not quite done with Signing Day, 74Dawg. I know Chip Towers is still working in the office, and I plan to have one more post on Georgia before the day is done. (So what I’m saying is: Thanks for the idea.)
74Dawg
February 3rd, 2010
3:48 pm
Actually, Mark, if you break it down by position there’s some good news and some not so good. The not so good- they were unranked in every offensive position except O- line,24th. They were unranked at linebacker,where they will need more bodies and better play in the 3-4. The good- they were ranked in the top five in 2 critical defensive positions where they need the most help,defensive end and defensive backs. D tackle was 12th with two 4 star kids(thank you Mike Thornton). I wonder if this reflects their concentrating on obvious needs or poor recruiting by the offensive staff or both. It is pretty bad when the defensive staff with only one guy for two critical months out performs the O-staff so completely. Maybe worth a future blog topic?
Dawg Knowledge
February 3rd, 2010
3:48 pm
Hopefully, UGa keeps beating auburn! But I’m worried with all the top recruits they signed. Half of my family are obnoxious auburn grads and I get sick of that war eagle thing they do all the time.
F-105 Thunderchief
February 3rd, 2010
3:48 pm
I like the recruiting class. Football recruiting is such a funny thing. Drop this class in Cincinnati, or Starkville for that matter, and nobody would be using the word tepid. Drop in an any FCS school and you’d expect them to win at least three of the next four national titles. Can’t wait to see what they do on the field for the Dogs.
kerryb
February 3rd, 2010
3:48 pm
I love this. This shows the low expectations for Tech and the high expectations for UGA. One columnist writes of Tech’s class “forget the rankings Tech’s got a fine class”. UGA according to ESPN has the #9 class and one writes that UGA has a tepid class. I just think that is funny.
Bob
February 3rd, 2010
3:48 pm
to the guy that said Christian Green would be a dawg by noon you where wrong he was a Nole by 3:3)
dawggone1204
February 3rd, 2010
3:48 pm
16 returning starters, boat loads of playmakers on the O, big time recruits on the D, boykin will become an all american, aj green will be top 5 in the heisman race, and aaron murray is the next favre!! DOGS WIN THE EAST HANDS DOWN!!!
JB
February 3rd, 2010
3:48 pm
Billy goat, we tip our hat to you, but your Tebow is gone and he made that offense work and your coach had a break down after last year( I hope he’s Ok, really) and it’s a new era for you guys. we know your loaded. A lot of Assit coach’s gone also…..We are looking for the chink in the armor……and we see some
CUNK ROGERS
February 3rd, 2010
3:48 pm
jellybeandawg, you are the cancer you mofo. Get the H–L out of Bulldawg Nation because we do not want your sorry a– around. See ya later waterboy!
Valdosta Dawg
February 3rd, 2010
3:50 pm
I am excited about the class, they filled some needs and got good solid players across the board. I do however look forward to Mr. Ogletree introducing himself to DaRick as he crosses the middle to make a catch! I think we will all be surprised with Zander Ogletree too! GO DAWGS!
David
February 3rd, 2010
3:50 pm
Haha, Mark what are you doing? Now all the Tech fans will be bashing you for being a big Georgia lover…how funny people are. You are just giving your insight and they think you have this evil vendetta against UGA….
Bling and blang
February 3rd, 2010
3:50 pm
Well at least CMR and CRG should have wore some glitzy jewelery to brighten things up a little !
Mr Me
February 3rd, 2010
3:50 pm
I think its pretty funny to see all the gnat fans claiming to be gaytor fans on here, because gnat fans have no fire power agaist UGA because we own you. There are probably only 2-3 legitimate UF fans on these blogs, the rest are undercover nerds. GO AWAY GNATS
Jeff
February 3rd, 2010
3:51 pm
DAWGS #9 on ESPNU!!!!!!!!!!!! GO DAWGS!!!!!!!!!! Great class! Best Team! Best School!
toga
February 3rd, 2010
3:51 pm
2010 UGA
You heard it here first-
W – ul-laf
L – sc
L – ark
W – msu
W – colo
L – ut
W – vandy
W – uk
L – uf
W – idaho st
L – aub
L – GT
6-6 and praying for Smart to come as HC.
Pdub
February 3rd, 2010
3:51 pm
UGA fans need to settle down (the ones who are freaking out over losing Rogers) and the AJC needs to stop fueling the fire of angst. The juxtaposition of the “Tech will be fine with a low-ranked class” article and the “UGA not in the top-10, oh my” post is funny. UGA landed some very nice defensive recruits this year. Recruits who had offers from Florida, USC, Ohio State, etc… UGA was not a 5-star WR away from a title (as Bradley writes). They need LB’s (they landed up to 4 if you include the news that Samuel was shifted to LB) and they landed 2 top DTs. They will be fine.
JB
February 3rd, 2010
3:51 pm
If Georgia signed Tech’s class, They would be plowing up our field in Athens and putting a “for lease” sign on it.
kerryb
February 3rd, 2010
3:52 pm
UGA got exactly what they needed. They got skilled players the last two years. This year they added quality depth where it was needed. They were thin at DL and Safety and they picked up 5 quality D Linemen, and three safeties. Two of them are a couple of headhunters. They added quality depth on the O Line. I think this is a solid class.
knoxdawg
February 3rd, 2010
3:52 pm
It never gets easier in the SEC. Everybody gets good players. Still, alot goes into building a team. The one thing you can’t gage is chemistry. It is great to have talent but sometimes they become ME’s and not TEAM! Richt has a great pool of players to work with in 2010. New coaches, rejuvinated Richt, new attitude, etc should help make 2010 a stellar year. Gotta beat the Gators if we want to get back to SECCG!
Mark Bradley
February 3rd, 2010
3:52 pm
I try to be an equal-opportunity fan, David. Which is another way of saying, I’m not a fan of either side. I know people won’t believe that, but there it is.
Bling and blang
February 3rd, 2010
3:52 pm
I mean like I said…. way too much emphasis put into this dawg and pony show. All it does is set up fans for more disappointment.
SOUTH GA DAWG FAN
February 3rd, 2010
3:53 pm
How many scholorships did UGA have to give this year anybody know ?
OoltewahDawg
February 3rd, 2010
3:54 pm
All said and done, a pretty good class of new recruits. WQe lost a few that we might have had because of Martinez’s firing (so who cares), and those guys are smaller than the personnel in the typical 3-4 defense. If they and Grantham didn’t think they would be a good fit for Georgia, that’s OK. I wish tjem well wherever they go.
Jellybeandawg, who would you try to hire in Richt’s place that would do better? Adn what top-tier coach would want to come here after we fire the best coach we’ve ever had? They would simply get a raise to stay at their school, just like what happened with the DC search this year.
Diamond Dog's Parole Officer
February 3rd, 2010
3:54 pm
Mr. Me…. You must not remember the post game interviews with the Bailey boys, Champ and especially Boss. Ealey is right up there with those boys…
OoltewahDawg
February 3rd, 2010
3:55 pm
I need to proofread before hitting the submit button…LOL
TW
February 3rd, 2010
3:55 pm
Well said. Martinez woulda made Ronnie Lot suck.
Tired of that losing game.
sogadog
February 3rd, 2010
3:55 pm
“As much as signing day matters, coaching matters more.” Amen and well said.
Andy Taylor
February 3rd, 2010
3:55 pm
Pumpsie Green is a second baseman or was.
papadawg
February 3rd, 2010
3:56 pm
You sign the recruits you need for the team which does not necessarily means the big name offensive players year end and out. The Dawgs needed defense which looks like they got some strong players maybe not flashy but strong. Pretty good article MB.
Floundering Fox Hounds Batman!
February 3rd, 2010
3:56 pm
Oh welll when do the hoop dawgs play?
Yellow Fuzz
February 3rd, 2010
3:56 pm
Better luck next year dog nation
JB
February 3rd, 2010
3:56 pm
I was at Tech today gathered in front of the men’ room while the group assembled to talk about the signing class. Coach Groh handed everybody an Ensure.
kerryb
February 3rd, 2010
3:57 pm
Everyone forgets the top five class that was signed last year with several of them red-shirting. That class also included Kawame Geathers that is going to be a beast in the middle of that 3-4 line. UGA is just fine. We now have a DC and a DB coach that knows what to do with that talent. Everyone is so worried that we are down and UF is still up because they signed the #1 class. Well, they needed to with most of their starters, especially on defense, leaving for the NFL. We will be back up at the top next year with Grantham and Lakatos having a year to identify the players they need and a year to develope a relationship with those players. I think the future is looking real good.
Hairy Dawg
February 3rd, 2010
3:57 pm
It’s all about coaching and preparation. If our coaching staff doesn’t do a better job next season, then four straight #1-rated recruiting classes couldn’t keep the team from underachieving. It’s time to get more out of our guys. If Richt can pull that off, we’ll all be happy.