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
frank james
February 3rd, 2010
10:43 pm
jellybeandawg – What did Coach Richt do to you? Did he bench you or did he not sign you? You wouldn’t know an x from an o.
Go Vols Go!
February 3rd, 2010
10:45 pm
Mark, looks like there’s a new FREAK on Rocky Top! Go Vols, man. Go Vols!! How ’bout some Rocky Top?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RamatoyEdwg
frank james
February 3rd, 2010
10:47 pm
He is a freak alright. He doesn’t like contact so you better block well for him. You also better cater to him to keep him happy.
Go Vols Go!
February 3rd, 2010
10:48 pm
I just hope Da’Rick (Day Richt) knows how to play the banjo. Go VOLS!
Bradley's Buzz: The verdict on UGA's and Tech's signing classes | Mark Bradley
February 3rd, 2010
10:52 pm
[...] 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 [...]
jellybeandawg
February 3rd, 2010
10:53 pm
Frank hahahah… Have another drink ya drunk
frank james
February 3rd, 2010
10:56 pm
jellybeandawg – Did I hit a nerve? What did he do to you? You are like those boosters that wouldn’t know a cover 2 if you saw it, but you would sit up there and criticize the coaches.
frank james
February 3rd, 2010
10:57 pm
jellybeandawg – I see how you got your name, you softy.
Camden Mark
February 3rd, 2010
10:59 pm
This class is not a disaster by any stretch.MR just needs to adjust his style,no more nice guy please and try to show a little killer instinct,emotion.Give Coach Granthem free run of D and stay out of his way.Another year like this last one and we may need to start over from scratch,with a new head coach.
frank james
February 3rd, 2010
11:04 pm
Camden Mark – I agree with that we have to bring discipline back. But it amazes me that people talk about firing Coach Richt. I guess that is a sign of our spoiled society.
jellybeandawg
February 3rd, 2010
11:07 pm
Frank he hasn’t done do anything to me. I am just tired of him consistently fielding, under-performing, heavily penalized and undisciplined teams.
In my opinion Richt is pious and not genuine. With pious people, the problem is never with themselves, It is always external. I have never once heard Mark Richt take the blame for a
poor performance. The blame is always placed on external factors such as injuries, poor execution, etc. and the critics don’t know what they are talking about. In case CMR has not noticed, there is a scoreboard and It knows What It’s talking about!
Dr Adams and Damon Evans are only motivated by revenue. When the revenues drop to a predetermined level, it will not make one bit of difference what a “great guy” Richt is, he will be gone. You can take that to the bank my friend.
JRW7
February 3rd, 2010
11:11 pm
Why don*t you hillbilly U fans get off this UGA site and go blog on the hillbilly U web site……. Just saying……
Camden Mark
February 3rd, 2010
11:12 pm
Expecting to be the best is not being spoiled.Underachieving with top 10 class’es 3 years in a row is reason to be pissed at the coach who shoulders the responsability.Being embarrassed in losing is unacceptable,your going to lose games but at least play good/hard and be able to walk away with your head up high.
Dawgstyle
February 3rd, 2010
11:22 pm
In hindsight of these past few days and weeks, Dawg fans will appreciate the results of this years class. Underlying fact…these boys wanted to be bulldogs, and i’ll take that any day of the week for any high profile unproven player coming into the college level. Got a gut feeling these kids will show what it means being a true Bulldawg. Its going to be what our team has lacked in a long time…fire…passion…and TEAM!! In the end, we got exactly what our program needed!!
Fat Lady
February 4th, 2010
8:01 am
I am getting ready to sing because its OVER for the Georgia Bullpups! You sissies will be lucky to have 7 wins this year with this WIMPY class you just signed. Plus your QB is going to suck like a Hoover!!! In fact you may not even make it back to Shreveport boys! Guess there is always Papa Johns in B’ham.
if a Georgia fan teases you nerds..you punch em
February 4th, 2010
8:38 am
to the blogger that posed the question “if Georgia signed TEch’s class, they would plow up the field at Sanford Stadium and put a for lease sign on it” i beg to differ.. they would put in a dance floor with a nice TEa room in each endzone for all the ew baton twirlers in Coach Johnson Class.. and Al would teach them how to GroH nads and prepare them to beat William And Mary both!!!!!
if a Georgia fan teases you nerds..you punch em
February 4th, 2010
8:40 am
They aint firing a coach that is 8 and 1 against Georgia TEch brother and 5 and 4 against Tennessee, and has beaten Auburn 4 straight times…sorry you are clueless
Mark Bradley
February 4th, 2010
8:44 am
Oh, and if you’re interested in who Georgia’s impact freshman is apt to be this fall … well, you could read this. Though I wouldn’t actually advise it.
siptfire
February 4th, 2010
8:45 am
i cant wait till Da’Rick gets his bones rattled by Agletree!! see you between the hedges sell out
siptfire
February 4th, 2010
8:46 am
i cant wait till Da’Rick gets his bones rattled by Ogletree!! see you between the hedges sell out
MARK BRADLEY IS A UGAY HICK
February 4th, 2010
11:24 am
MARK RICHT IS ON THIN ICE! AND STANDING UNDER THAT THIN ICE IS KIRBY SMART!
EAZY E
February 4th, 2010
11:41 am
The state of Georgia had 30 players that were rated 4-star or better by rivals. Georgia is probably the 4th most fertile recruiting state in the nation obviously behind Florida, California, and Texas. If Georgia could keep all the talent in state and snag a few stars out of state, they could probably win the national title every year.
When you are only getting 6 out of those 30 4 stars in state, thats a major problem in recruiting. Florida, Tennessee, Auburn, Clemson, Alabama, LSU, Florida St. among others are killing Georgia in state.
Darick Rogers was the big fish that got away. What about Mack Brown? Storm Johnson? Rajon Neal? The state’s best running backs getting away.
Markeith Ambles, Juwan James, Jeffrey Whitaker, Micheal Taylor, the list goes on and on. Clemson came in and got some good cornerbacks from the metro area. Tech did pretty well getting some good talent that flew under the radar in state.
This is a reason to be concerned Georgia fans. The balance of power is shifting, the run of top 10 recruiting classes is over. If you cant keep your prime in state talent at home how can you ever expect to compete with the Florida’s and Alabama’s of the world.
Kirby Smart
February 4th, 2010
5:36 pm
Man, I just about lost a couple of my new 5 stars because I had to spend the last few weeks hiding from Mark Richt
We Ruin This State
February 4th, 2010
5:39 pm
EAZY E. Good point. Clemson pulls big time players out of Atlanta every year.
Wreckmaniac
February 4th, 2010
10:55 pm
JB: You’re right. At Tech, we coach em up. At UGA, you coach em down.
We Ruin This State
February 4th, 2010
11:11 pm
Hows the UGA bowling team doing ?
We Ruin This State
February 4th, 2010
11:14 pm
Urban Meyer is so cocky and so confident that he loses Tebow and goes on leave Thanksgiving weekend and still bags a group of recruits that
most NFL teams do not have. Good luck dawgs. Meyer is running a juggernaut on autopilot. He could coach the games with a remote control.
We Ruin This State
February 4th, 2010
11:19 pm
No matter how bad this bunch of recruits is, UGA is just darn lucky to not have to end up with DaRick. It would have been better to be on 4 years NCAA probation than to have that happen. Even the infamous death sentence would be better. Every dawg needs to be on his knees for weeks being grateful about that. Man are we relieved. What a stroke of luck. Its like winning the lottery and better than any BCS bowl. It may be better than to lose that guy than it was to get Hershel.
dan
February 5th, 2010
11:34 am
We Ruin This State:
“Meyer is running a juggernaut on autopilot. He could coach the games with a remote control.”
To that I say “Pride cometh before a fall”, read Proverbs! That situation in Florida is just strange.