A double whammy: Two touted Georgians spurn the Bulldogs
Xzavier Dickson dealt a blow to the Bulldogs by choosing Bama. (AJC photo by Jason Getz)
Say what you will about the unseemly process of football recruiting, but the young men at the heart of it are expert trend-spotters. They know which program is Hot and which is Not Hot. On Wednesday two ballyhooed Georgians used the Under Armour All-America Game as the venue to announce they’d be making runs for the border, and there you have it.
The Georgia Bulldogs = Not Hot.
Xzavier Dickson of Griffin is bound for Alabama. Quan Bray of LaGrange is taking his talents to Auburn. According to ESPN.com, both rank among the nation’s 25 best prospects. We should also mention that ESPN.com has Georgia’s 2011 recruiting class rated No. 8 nationally. We should also mention that Rivals.com has the Bulldogs 23rd, while Scout.com puts them 20th.
Yes, rankings can and will change. (And yes, recruits have been known to reconsider. Ask Da’Rick Rogers, currently enrolled at Georgia … er, Tennessee.) But seeing Georgia ranked outside anyone’s top 10 always constitutes a shock. Rivals rated the Bulldogs’ signing class among the 10 best every year from 2002 to 2009; last year the Bulldogs were 15th according to Rivals, 21st according to Scout, 12th according to ESPN.
Even in lesser seasons on the field, Georgia under Mark Richt has always been able to point to its recruiting. Now, with lesser seasons running together, the program that controlled its state controls it no more. The buzz about this program has been downgraded to a murmur, and the murmur concerns the future of its head coach. Which grows more tenuous by the moment.
Four SEC schools have qualified for the BCS title game since 2005, Georgia not among them. Seven league members have qualified for the SEC championship game since 2005, Georgia not among them. This program of vast resources has been rendered second-rate.
The Bulldogs lost 19 times in Richt’s first 95 games as coach; they’ve lost 15 times over the past 35. Recruits know this better than anyone. Recruits can sense a program on the descent, even if it’s the flagship school in their state. Thus does the cycle of football spin onward: Win and you’re the place to be; stop winning and you’re the place to flee.
This isn’t to say Georgia can’t and won’t land an uncommitted player or two to bolster this class — Jay Rome of Valdosta and Isaiah Crowell of Columbus are still in play — but Marc Weiszer of the Athens Banner-Herald offers this nugget: The Bulldogs’ last known public commitment was rendered on Aug. 22.
Put another way, not one recruit has been moved to pledge himself to the Bulldogs since the football season began. Talk about Not Hot.
By Mark Bradley
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571 comments Add your comment
JInx Master
January 6th, 2011
5:28 pm
I wish Andrew Luck all the best , but he’s gonna need a lot of luck to have a much better season next year. I’m not bashing a young man for doing the right thing, but injuries are a part of this game. God forbid someone accidentally rolls over on this young man’s leg. 55 million guaranteed is enough to make any man or woman leave Harvard or M.I.T. very early!
Delbert D.
January 6th, 2011
5:29 pm
Snoop Dawg – Talk about lack of execution then, rather than an actual execution. Nobody deserves that.
Einsteindawg
January 6th, 2011
5:29 pm
Good night all…I’m heading to the bar. Happy New Year everyone!
Einsteindawg
January 6th, 2011
5:32 pm
Happy New year all! I’m heading for the bar.
Delbert D.
January 6th, 2011
5:32 pm
Speaking of the Buffalo Bills, their QB Ryan Fitzpatrick is a Harvard Grad. Highest Wonderlic score ever. Unfortunately, Chan Gailey is just Chan Gailey;definitely not a Harvard grad.
JInx Master
January 6th, 2011
5:35 pm
” A man with character, builds character in men” Richt could not even get this done, I know everyone is talking about thugs & criminals, but Richt is like a midget playing Center in basketball, he will never get a chance to prove anything.
Delbert D.
January 6th, 2011
5:42 pm
Trust can’t be a one-way proposition.
Tell the truth
January 6th, 2011
5:44 pm
Atta boy Mark- keep on fanning the flames for so many of these woefully uneducated idiots who blog on here. Sometimes you can start fires with words my friend. Terrible fires. Read some of the comments on here.
Dawgs Get New Commit!!
January 6th, 2011
5:45 pm
This just in. WR Sanford Seay has just committed to Georgia. It was a highly contested war between Georgia and Georgia State but the Dawgs pulled it out.
Snoop Dawg
January 6th, 2011
5:46 pm
Delbert, Preacha Man deserves everything he is receiving time 100. Actually, times 30 million as that is how much money he has fleeced from the USA while tearing our program down to Pop Warner level.
You seem to be mighty judgmental. Did Mr Obama deputize you as the local PC cop:?
On the Andrew Luck issue, look: There are a lot more important things in life than money, even for inner city disadvantaged kids who got a chance for college through athleticism. The college life, playing for the Red and Black in Athens, getting a college degree…. I agree with Mastercard–these things are priceless. I doubt if being some Pimp in a Black SUV with big earrings hanging out with Ray Lewis in the bars really helps any of these kids toward self actualization in life. The UGA takes insurance out on players in case they are injured. The NFL will be there after they graduate, and when their short NFL lifespan is over and they get their knee and hip replacements and start studdering from Parkinson’s , what they will rely on is that diploma and pride from their college days on the UGA football team. Problem is, Mark Richt is ruining this pride because he is derelect across the range of his responsibilities. The AD, the Prez, and all the Defenders are also derelect and are coenablers to UGA’s woes…
still@the bar
January 6th, 2011
5:48 pm
Curry now that is a man of class that never has to tell everybody about it. Unlike Richt.
Snoop Dawg
January 6th, 2011
5:49 pm
Tell the Truth: If you want to see an idiot, try a mirror…
JInx Master
January 6th, 2011
5:52 pm
Snoop Dawg I know for a fact you are not black. Idiodicy is like cancer, it just eats away at people.
David Granger
January 6th, 2011
5:57 pm
If anybody actually thinks Dickson chose Alabama based on a coin flip, you deserve to be that damn stupid.
Tell the truth
January 6th, 2011
5:57 pm
A mind is a terrible thing to waste.
Snoop Dawg
January 6th, 2011
5:59 pm
Idiocy has nothing to do with cancer, knucklehead. Your lame and bigoted comment tells us everything we need to know about you.
Spurrier
January 6th, 2011
6:01 pm
Yeah, Sanford Seay, that dude is scrubby as hell. He will be a failure under Rev. Richt’s tutelage. He might as well put on his paper hat now, cause he will not be taking his talents to the next level.
Lakedawg
January 6th, 2011
6:11 pm
Way to go Bradley! Another opportunity to try to turn something negative about the Dawgs. Just remember that soon as the reductions are made at AJC, Greyhound goes straight to ole KY. Good riddance and maybe take Schultz with you.
SavDawg
January 6th, 2011
6:12 pm
This is just the beginning. Wait until the verbal commitments leave for other schools. Bye Bye coach Goody Two Shoes ! If Rodney Garner is supposed to be such a GREAT recruiter, how do we lose guys like this ?? Hell, maybe he should go, too. Matter of fact, how about just cleaning house and start over. To CMR : Searls is the run cordinator ??? Last in the SEC and he STILL has a job ? THat’s what is wrong with you. you see cancer and do NOTHING !!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tell the truth
January 6th, 2011
6:22 pm
Snoop Dawg You show us your ignorance every time you write on this blog pal.
Paddy
January 6th, 2011
6:34 pm
Until we coach up what we have on the roster, you can’t expect big time recruits to come to UGA. They see players dying on the vine in our system. 2011 is the most important year in UGA football in the last 30 years!! Turn it around Mark R, turn it around!
Danny G
January 6th, 2011
6:39 pm
The past has proven that these so called blue chip kids from Ga. are not really that good anyway. It is not the hype that makes the player good, it is how he responds to college coaching that brings him to the forefront. That is where UGA has been struggling.
Peter
January 6th, 2011
6:44 pm
Well if they are not criminals, then they probably don’t fit in !
Delbert D.
January 6th, 2011
7:03 pm
Snoop Dawg – Coaching is not a capital offense. Well, maybe Louis XVI’s fencing coach in 1793 or thereabouts in France. I’ll have to look that one up.
PHIL
January 6th, 2011
7:04 pm
Thanks again Mark! Does the AJC really pay you more to write continued negative spin on the UGA football program? You’re not helping Tech much, either. Seems to me the most prominent newspaper, fish wrapper as it is, might actually be FOR the University’s in the state. Such is today’s society. All about me and money. You and Shultz and Bill King would make a great re-make of the three stooges.
PHIL
January 6th, 2011
7:12 pm
@snoop you’re smokin that stuff your name sake does don’t you? This attached video is for you and all those like you. It’s a UFO over Stone Mountain. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3GbAq9mNI4
Why is this pertinent you may ask? Because you and those like you wouldn’t know a football from a flying saucer.
Carnac the Magnificent
January 6th, 2011
7:17 pm
The Answer: a fart, a tart, and Smart
The Question: Name something that smells, What is Paris Hilton, and the last name of the 2012 UGA Football Coach.
Snoop Dawg
January 6th, 2011
7:17 pm
Phil, sounds like you’re from the mother ship… You must be a hopey feely Democrat with your condescending arrogance. I’ve forgotten more than your mental hard drive can hold, and that includes just about everything from UGA to USA.
Ray Goff
January 6th, 2011
7:22 pm
Breaking news: Mark Bradley finally figures out that top talent doesn’t go to UGA. DUH.
Dawgaholic30286
January 6th, 2011
7:50 pm
Another good hatchett job Mark….You sir suffer from a very disturbing case of Schadenfreude and it is beginning to affect your journalistic skills….
Buckhead
January 6th, 2011
7:52 pm
Stay in State and Secure your future in the REAL WORLD! Less than 1% of NCAA Football players make it in the NFL each year- Play for UGA or Tech and have a career for life( with opportunities outside of football), go out of state and play – Knowing that one day you will move back home- Yea Dont Call me – Call that Out of State Alum- Oh yea thats right he’s not hiring-
dawg80
January 6th, 2011
8:01 pm
Who cares about recruiting? We’ve had a top 10 class the last 10 years and it never made any difference. Our OL prior to the season was ranked #1 by Collegefootballnews.com who also ranked UGA #3 preseason – talk about a train wreck. You people make it sound like we don’t have talent. We do, just can’t do anything with it. I don’t blame these kids for going somewhere where they will be coached up and have success. I watched last night, Crowell couldn’t carry Lattimore’s jock. If he’s the future of our program, it’s a waste of time.
UGA89
January 6th, 2011
8:03 pm
Thanks Mark.
Can we just refer to this article as exhibit A
as to why you do not wait and give CMR another year?
Another year of this just adds an additional 2-3 years on the recovery side.
dawg80
January 6th, 2011
8:05 pm
Good article MB. Spurrier was right when he asked about UGA “where were all those recruits today” after yet another butt kicking by the gators. You people act as if we don’t have the players. Are you kidding me? We’ve had top 10 recruiting classes the last 10 years! Collegefootballnews.com ranked our OL #1 and team #3 preseason. We have at least 3 NFLer’s on the OL – what happened? If I had a son who was a 4-5 star player, I wouldn’t send him to UGA to get coached down. I’d rather see him go to AL, or AU, or FL where he”ll improve and get ready for the next level. Sorry to say, recruiting has little to do with our problems. And I watched Crowell last night and he couldn’t carry Lattimores Jstrap. If we’re hanging our future on this kid, then Vandy has nothing to worry about.
bardawg
January 6th, 2011
8:10 pm
If we’ve got silent commits , they need to make it known pretty quickly . The whole thing is coming unraveled . We’re losing ground on a daily basis , and gang , it don’t look good for the home team . I’d venture to say CMR better do some serious impressing with these kids real quick , or whole thing we know as Georgia football will be down the crapper for years to come . Hope that Greg McGarrity does’nt let us die on the vine as it seems we’re destined to do keeping on our present course.
Who Cares
January 6th, 2011
8:12 pm
Most of you on here have never seen these two guys play – you do not know if they are good or not -you base your opinion of a 5 star ranking system – as said earlier most of these over rated kids do not pan out – they think they will be stars as soon as they get to college and they can handle the fact that they are just another person trying to make the team and every one is as good or better than they are – too many of you knock on your team weather it be GA or GA Tech or any other team based on this years performance – I am sure right not these guys choose AU or AL based on the fact they think winning a NC is everything and they think AU or AL will win it all next year – many of them forget that no team stays on top forever – I also like how all the AU fans get on here and run their mouth about how great AU is – I do beleive this is the 1st year out of the last 5 that AU has beat GA and when your one man team is gone it will be back to normal for AU – and too many of you get your panties wet over what schools these kids choose – there are many good team out their that have never had a top so called 20 recruiting class – also if you notice a recruit can be a 1 star and then rivals will rank them higher b/c power house schools start recruiting them – so can anyone tell me how many 5 star o-line men that XD went up against?
Hire Charlie Strong
January 6th, 2011
8:24 pm
Charlie Strong interviewed for a slew of jobs before he ever got to Louisville, and always in the same role as the token minority candidate who trekked to a job, interviewed well, and was then passed over for the job in favor of the guy the school wanted from the jump. It clearly wore on Strong personally, especially as assistants he worked with and entered the profession with got their first and sometimes second shots at head coaching jobs. (Meyer and Dan Mullen were both on the same staff with Strong at Notre Dame under Bob Davie, and Meyer was on his third job and Mullen on his first before Strong got hired as a head coach.)
jerry
January 6th, 2011
8:34 pm
Rivals.com top 100 commitments:
Ala. #’s 6-12-17-79-100
Aub.-30-66-83
LSU-2-23-27-32
Fla.-22-34-49
UGA-85-94
Ala., Fla., LSU, and Aub. have at least three commitments higher than any UGA commitment of the Rival Top 100. Is that a problem, Rodney?
Memphis Mike
January 6th, 2011
8:35 pm
Ummm, how can you say anyone on a 6-7 team has done a great job? Can we all collectively chant, “out of touch?”
hind tit
January 6th, 2011
8:43 pm
Dickson used that rare nickel Saban got from Barney Fife.
Tony Geinzer
January 6th, 2011
8:53 pm
Mark, please, I beg Georgia to can Richt before Kentucky runs Wild and Free on the SEC!
Yellow Fuzz
January 6th, 2011
9:02 pm
Nerds! Nerds! Nerds!
January 6th, 2011
10:01 am
I love how all of the writers on here bash UGA. Do you take pleasure in getting people fired? Do you like bad mouthing our coaches and their recruiting decisions, while it is against the rules to comment on the matter? I would like a paper with a little moral fiber. Good grief.
I LOVE HOW THE MOUTHY OBNOXIOUS DOG FANS LIKE THIS GUY WILL ATTACK EVEN THE PRESS BECAUSE THEY AND THEIR TEAM ARE NO LONGER KING OF THE HILL. SOMEBODY NEEDS TO KEEP SPOON FEEDING THIS AH THAT HUMBLE PIE. HE STILL HAS AN ATTITUDE!
680 Belue
January 6th, 2011
9:12 pm
We are going to sign a stud D-lineman this year. As a freshman he will put the defense back on track. I am sure we got more studs in the pipeline to win on the line of scrimmage. CMR will go 8-5 and keep his job with that performance just you wait and see. All of yauRicht haters just give the man a chance he gave us an SEC ring 5 years ago.
J-Man
January 6th, 2011
9:20 pm
CMR needs to spend a little less time in the tanning bed and a little more time in the faces of his heartless players and how come UGA never recruits in Atlanta……………. If we had Butch Davis NOTHING would leave the state of Georgia. And we would get some of those south Florida kids also…………..But we have a Politically correct AD and fan base to have the Ballz to do the best move because there not who they want……(black)…….and I am a white guy saying this, but the truth has gotta be told.
Fan of the Game
January 6th, 2011
9:30 pm
Just go after kids like #49 from Central Florida. If a kid has to flip a coin let him go. Kind of like the half time of the Under Armour game, what an embarrassment for all of sports. College Football better thank kids like the Luck kid and others that are saving the game from being totally ruined by the Thugs out there. The NCAA is to blame.
Calhoundawg
January 6th, 2011
9:31 pm
Yeah, MB, you dealt a “BJ” when you “wrote” this article. Dickson’s an academic failure waiting to happen. Can I get a job at the AJC? I can do a helluva lot better than this crap. Why don’t you try to get a real job? Seriously … I mean … seriously … no really, seriously ….
Tell the truth
January 6th, 2011
9:33 pm
You can direct a lot of the blame at ESPN!!!!!
ER
January 6th, 2011
9:33 pm
With Ingram declaring for the draft, crowell is a lock for bama. And with uga losing green boykin and houston to the draft, and durham gone from graduating, next year will be fugly.
first tier program
January 6th, 2011
9:37 pm
You guys are just made because the state schools in Ga. have bad football terams that the home kids are fleeing. Really CMR is staying and these kids know that 2011 will be a wasted year for UGA and then 3 or 4 years of rebuilding.CMR is history and they and there parnets,high school coaches and family know it.
harold
January 6th, 2011
9:38 pm
GEORGIA IS AN AVERAGE TEAM WITH AN AVERAGE COACH AND STAFF. IF YOU WANT THE LOWDOWN ON A TEAM——LOOK AT THE RECORD.