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
Coffee Bluff DAWG
February 3rd, 2010
6:10 pm
I’ll admit the drop in recruits is somewhat disappointing. May have been related in part to the D coaching staff changes.
However, don’t really see a drop off in Offense next year with nearly the entire O team returning. Will be interesting to see the changes TG makes on D.
Garner sux and should have been fired with the other 3
February 3rd, 2010
6:13 pm
Integrity in recruiting is dead and just plain boring to kids today. To recruit a top class a coach must rack up plenty of secondary recruiting violations (you only get a slap on the wrist for those), explain to recruits that God favors you and your program, offer a scholarship to the best friend of 5 star recruit (even if that best friend would not start at a D2 school), have young girls trained by former strippers of the Gold club train on how to persuade young men how to commit and provide plenty of bells and whistles. Until UGA learns to use the same recruiting techniques employed by rivals their program will continue to fail.
tony
February 3rd, 2010
6:14 pm
It’s hard to see how we win more than 6 or 7 games next year. If that’s the case, the following year we must see marked improvement or Richt is in big trouble. Are we declining? It appears so, but we’ll see.
jellybeandawg
February 3rd, 2010
6:14 pm
With a R. freshman QB with ZERO experience there is NO way win in Columbia this year. The gamecocks are going to be stout this year and playing in Colombia is never easy, much less with a rookie QB.
MARK BRADLEY IS A UGAY HICK
February 3rd, 2010
6:14 pm
TO BAD THE TOP ATHLETES IN GEORGIA ARE GOING OUT OF STATE!
Outback War Eagle
February 3rd, 2010
6:14 pm
Coffee Bluff Dawg
“Almost” only counts in horse shoes dude. You ain’t got a qb returning that has faced an SEC defense successfully. Wtite this down. Georgia will lead the SEC in interceptions. I guarantee it!
CvilleDawg
February 3rd, 2010
6:15 pm
Georgia has one more player left on the board and that would be Deandre Smelter he’s a 3 star outside linebacker out of macon,georgia. Hopefully we can sign em.
Face Reality
February 3rd, 2010
6:15 pm
We all know the Gator program is stronger than UGA’s and now their is a huge difference between their class today and the guys Richt signed. It looks like the gap between the 2 programs is wider today than it was yesterday.
Also, Bama, Auburn, LSU and Tenn all had solid classes today. For a program to be preseason ranked #1 18 months ago and to have a class that is at best 6th among SEC schools, I would be concerned.
heywood...
February 3rd, 2010
6:16 pm
2010 will be the year of the dawg.
go to he!! outback war eagle. beat uga once and then
talk your sh!t. until then, stfu.
Outback War Eagle
February 3rd, 2010
6:16 pm
Hey Georgia,
Better go ahead and book some rooms in Birmingham in December. You will be playing in the Papa John’s Bowl at BEST!
DawginLex
February 3rd, 2010
6:17 pm
smelter throws a baseball 99 MPH. He ain’t playing football anymore even in high school. He will be drafted in the MLB draft and making $$$$$$$$
col foot
February 3rd, 2010
6:17 pm
Hey markey, did you and chippy get off when that Green kid signed with FSU, what a joke you clowns are. THe GREAT UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA will be just fine even with you biased junk!
jellybeandawg
February 3rd, 2010
6:18 pm
I agree we are going to have some serious issues at QB. If you thought it couldn’t get worse then Joe Cox then think again. With a Redshirt QB with ZERO experience there is no way we will come out of Columbia with a win.
Outback War Eagle
February 3rd, 2010
6:18 pm
heyseed,
with today’s class, we will beat you like a yard dawg next year just like Bama, LSU, Tennessee and Florida and Georgia Tech have done the past two
CvilleDawg
February 3rd, 2010
6:19 pm
Well darn, thanks for the info dawginlex.
hahaha!!!
February 3rd, 2010
6:19 pm
Auburn fans talking smack because they finally landed a good class. When’s the last time you beat UGA anyway? And have fun explaining why there are so many brand new Escalades cruising around campus this fall with freshmen football players in them
DawginLex
February 3rd, 2010
6:19 pm
playing freshmen in the SEC, especially at skill positions result in losses.
UGA has 10 returning starters on offense and a QB that would have takebn his lumps as a true freshman and done just as well as Cox if he hadn’t broken his leg in HS.
Those 10 starters and the 4 coming back on defense are all that matter for 2010. UGA will run the ball and play aggressive defense again.
Richt knows he needs to WIN NOW and he will.
Outback War Eagle
February 3rd, 2010
6:20 pm
Georgia = New door mat of the South!
shane#1
February 3rd, 2010
6:20 pm
I think this class meets needs. Lots of D linemen and a D back with real star potential. I would have liked to have seen Rogers signed, but with Durham coming back and Green, King, Troupe, Brown and Wooten, not to mention Orson Charles, just how many balls would Rogers have caught at UGA?
DawginLex
February 3rd, 2010
6:22 pm
outhouse war eagle,
auburn 0-4 vs richt the last 4 years and counting.
Your class you just signed won’t help you win a single game in 2010.
Outback War Eagle
February 3rd, 2010
6:22 pm
hahaha!!!
February 3rd, 2010
6:19 pm
Auburn fans talking smack because they finally landed a good class. When’s the last time you beat UGA anyway? And have fun explaining why there are so many brand new Escalades cruising around campus this fall with freshmen football players in them
haha,
We didn’t just land a good class. We landed the mother load of classes that happened surpass any of the last 10 you have totally wasted!
Outback War Eagle
February 3rd, 2010
6:25 pm
DawginLex
February 3rd, 2010
6:22 pm
outhouse war eagle,
Your class you just signed won’t help you win a single game in 2010.
I will remind you that you said this next November. Mighty Big talk for a dawg that just got his head handed to him today. WAR DAMN OUTBACK BOWL EAGLE
ugaaccountant
February 3rd, 2010
6:27 pm
Just remember, if you use Tepid to describe a class as highly regarded as UGA’s, you will certainly need to use a nasty word to describe Tech’s much lesser regarded class.
jellybeandawg
February 3rd, 2010
6:27 pm
Dawgs keep you head up… dont forget that at the last minute we signed a 6′6″ stick man to block FG’s named Lonnie outlaw. He wasn’t even given a star so don’t even bother with that.
GATruth
February 3rd, 2010
6:28 pm
Outback War Eagl – you must have missed the first 472 comments. Maybe you can go back to school at Troy and learn how to read. BTW, how do you sign 57 new recruits? Did that many guys fail their drug tests? I mean more than 25 open slots and you have to wonder what’s up. Of course, there might have been a recruiting class a few years ago that was only 15 or 16 strong which left plenty of room on this one. Hmmmm….
CvilleDawg
February 3rd, 2010
6:28 pm
Guys I hate to say it but auburn will be good this year considering cam newton will be the starting quarterback or no he may steal another laptop who knows! hahaha, best of luck to the auburn tigers God knows they need it. Now for the dawgs this season will not be another 8-5 season and whoever predicts that is just plain dumb! whenever you bring back your whole o-line and both running backs then your gonna win thats all there is to it.
DawginLex
February 3rd, 2010
6:29 pm
outhouse eagle,
Playing true freshmen in the SEC = Losses unless they are truly special and surrounded by lots of talent to cover the fact they are a true freshman.
you signed a good class but if several of them play a lot of downs, you will lose more games than you think you should.
It will take another year or two to bring the overall talent level up.
ugaaccountant
February 3rd, 2010
6:29 pm
jellybeandawg
February 3rd, 2010
6:18 pm
I agree we are going to have some serious issues at QB. If you thought it couldn’t get worse then Joe Cox then think again. With a Redshirt QB with ZERO experience there is no way we will come out of Columbia with a win.
So you give USC a 100% chance of winning against UGA in September 2010? Care to wager on that? I’ll be generous and only make you consider SC a 10/1 favorite even though you say it’s a certainty.
Mr Goodpliers
February 3rd, 2010
6:29 pm
Outback War Eagle, it’s TOO loud and proud. Congratulations on a great recruiting class.
DawginLex
February 3rd, 2010
6:31 pm
The ole’obnoxious one is 1-4 vs Richt at the chicken coop and I don’t expect that to improve next year.
SuperB
February 3rd, 2010
6:32 pm
What the Hell are we paying Mark Richt all that $$$ for? To have some whippersnapper with a 17-20 record steal Rogers from us? To lose 3 top players from Florida in the last couple of weeks? Don’t give me that crap about losing Martinez. The other teams didn’t suffer from losing coaches.
Richt, Garner, and co. needs to shape up. I am tired of the Tennessee’s and FSU’s of the world, and anybody else, taking our recruits!
This also proves that getting 2 juniors to commit early is worthless. All that counts is who signed TODAY. Shape up or ship out. We are not paying big bucks for some also-ran team– are we?
dap01
February 3rd, 2010
6:35 pm
While glancing at the sport headlines on the AJC, UGA will be lucky to find enough players to field a team in 2010.
I hope that UGA is able to get by with that measly top 15 class.
If UGA was an excellent program, they would have a top 45 finish like Tech!
What is the motive?
jellybeandawg
February 3rd, 2010
6:36 pm
ugaaccountant as you know nothing in football nothing is 100% and there is always a chance we can win but I just don’t see it happening. SC returns a bunch of starters, has a proven QB and we rarely play well in Williams Brice, even with an experienced QB.
59bulldawg
February 3rd, 2010
6:36 pm
kcg76dawg, when you say that UGA has “more guys on active rosters” are you speaking of the NFL? If so that point could be taken two ways. First and probably unlikely, top recruits come to Athens and get the coaching they need to excel at the next level. That certainly didn’t happen under CWM’s watch and some might also say that about Bobo. The other and at least recently more likely is that top recruits come to Athens, regress, and then get coached back up to their potential in the NFL. Let’s hope that the new blood in the Georgia staff will change this for the better beginning right away.
Outback War Eagle
February 3rd, 2010
6:40 pm
DawginLex
February 3rd, 2010
6:29 pm
outhouse eagle,
Playing true freshmen in the SEC = Losses unless they are truly special and surrounded by lots of talent to cover the fact they are a true freshman.
you signed a good class but if several of them play a lot of downs, you will lose more games than you think you should.
It will take another year or two to bring the overall talent level up.
would that apply to your qb’s as well? I don’t need YOU to tell ME how college football works. lol
ugaaccountant
February 3rd, 2010
6:40 pm
Super B – Mark Richt outperforms his salary buddy. He’s not the highest paid coach in the SEC and yet he’s the one consistently getting 10 wins every year. But thanks for ranting.
jerry
February 3rd, 2010
6:41 pm
Two huge blunders for Richt. One, hiring Willie as DC in the first place. Two, taking five LONG years to admit he made a mistake. If he makes another mistake of that magnitude his a$$ MUST GO.
Lord of the Lizards
February 3rd, 2010
6:41 pm
Well, it’s the end or almost the end of another recruiting day and it looks like all those Bulldog and Vol fans that were insisting that Florida was on the way down were absolutely right…NOT!!!!!! Go Gators!
Dawghater
February 3rd, 2010
6:42 pm
CMR should have worn a black hat, black under his eyes, black shirt, black pants and danced in the endzone of Sanford Stadium after every recruit signed. That’s what wins games not execution!
Blind Homers Club
February 3rd, 2010
6:43 pm
UGA is no longer in the top 10 in ESPN poll. CMR is a joke …..Wake up blind homers!!!!!
ugaaccountant
February 3rd, 2010
6:43 pm
Outback War Eagle – Our 2 QB’s enrolled in January 2009 and will be far more experienced than any True freshmen you play this year. As well they will be playing with 10 returning starters around them which makes them the only new face on offense. Good try though, go back to the drawing board and tinker around again for another witty comeback.
Here’s a hint, you guys might be pretty stacked in 2012 and 2013 when this extremely large class matures.
Blind Homers Club
February 3rd, 2010
6:44 pm
Damon Evans is another overpaid clown !!!
Blind Homers Club
February 3rd, 2010
6:45 pm
Derek Dooley will spank CMR’s Arse on the football field too. ! Matk it down !
ugaaccountant
February 3rd, 2010
6:45 pm
Lord of the lizards – nice class, no argument the recruits are good. Look forward to good things from them in a few years, but next year you guys are not set-up nearly as well as normal. Also, we shall see what Urban’s health status is.
Cairo Dawg
February 3rd, 2010
6:45 pm
This is a great recrutiing class for UGA. Position needs have been addressed.
daddo
February 3rd, 2010
6:47 pm
Hey dogs: take comfort in your belief that recruiting doesn’t really matter. Look at Bama. Two consecutive Number 1 recruiting classes and this year’s national championship. No corelation at all.
UGA Athletics Sux
February 3rd, 2010
6:48 pm
Damon Evans is another reason to hate Vince Dooley. I have always that liver spot face Auburn grad. Suzanne Yocuclan is the only proven winner UGA had and she wasn’t respected.
Coffee Bluff DAWG
February 3rd, 2010
6:50 pm
Outback War Eagle,
You had a good win against WV last year. What happened in Athens?
Circus Act
February 3rd, 2010
6:50 pm
Mr. Vacation Bible School needs to go…… ESPN just exclaimed that UGA is spiraling downward on NSD. What a bunch of clowns who cant evaluate and keep talent much less than coach them.
UGA Athletics Sux
February 3rd, 2010
6:51 pm
The good thing about Derek Dooley is that garden gay and big mouth witch are his parents. Hopefully the apple didn’t fall far from the inbred tree.