Blake Sims makes it clear: No go for UGA
Bama all the way, says Gainesville's electrifying quarterback Blake Sims. (AJC photo)
VIDEO ADDED BELOW
The answer to the question was delivered politely and succinctly.
I asked Gainesville quarterback Blake Sims – arguably the best overall player in the entire state — if there was any chance at all he could end up at Georgia.
“No, sir,” the longtime Alabama commitment stated flatly on Wednesday.
By itself that would not seem a stirring statement. He’s going to go where he said he said he was going to go. But placed in the context of the last few weeks it resonates powerfully.
Sims, as I have reported, grew up a Bulldogs’ fan. Living just 41 miles from Sanford Stadium, he attended their camps for four years and his parents have framed photos of Sims and coach Mark Richt on the walls of their Gainesville home.
But it was the Crimson Tide that was the first to offer this dynamic athlete last spring. And Sims accepted a day later. But the day before Sims practically begged Georgia to come forth with a scholarship offer.
“Georgia would be the only school that I would change my position for because I like them a lot and they are close to home,” he told the AJC’s Michael Carvell last April.
That offer did not come.
What kept Georgia from truly getting excited about Sims before this season remains a mystery. But the Bulldogs finally stepped up their efforts with the AJC Super 11 selection about a month ago. In fact, Richt was going to get personally involved, or so Gainesville coach Bruce Miller and Blake’s father Sonny Sims told me at the time.
Sims said that hasn’t happened.
“I really haven’t talked to [Richt] since the last time I went up there for their summer camp,” he said.
UGA wide receivers coach Tony Ball was on the sidelines for Gainesville’s first-round playoff game last Friday (a 42-0 win over Lakeview-Ft. Oglethorpe). But, again, Sims said it didn’t have an effect on him.
“I didn’t really get to speak to [Ball] so I didn’t really hear what he had to say,” Sims said. “It was nice to see him but I’m still committed to Alabama.”
Ultimately, Georgia just wanted a second chance to rekindle its relationship with Sims. The Bulldogs made a push to get him to visit for the Auburn game this past weekend. Sims didn’t make it.
It has been reported elsewhere that a “personal matter” came up that prevented Sims from making the trip to Athens. But Sims offered no such excuse to me. “I just didn’t go,” he said.
If you’re a Georgia fan and you’ve seen Sims play, all this is distressing news. Playing quarterback for the Class AAA’s top-ranked Red Elephants (11-0), the 6-foot, 180-pound Sims has amassed 2,573 yards total offense, including 1,692 passing and 717 rushing. All Sims’ skills were on display in last weekend’s opening-round rout as he accounted for five touchdowns in three quarters of play.
Sims is listed as the proverbial “athlete” on most recruiting boards. Sims said he’d like a chance to remain a quarterback — Georgia has assured him he could — but he’s not sure what he might play at Alabama. Again, that does not seem an issue.
“I do not know right now,” he said. “I don’t think they know right now. But I’ll play wherever the team needs me.”
Georgia’s not the only school to stay after Sims. He said Tennessee continues to recruit him hard. But Sims said he’s excited about the opportunity to play for the Crimson Tide, which is undefeated and in the national championship hunt for the second consecutive season under third-year head coach Nick Saban.
“I’m happy about the commitment I made,” Sims said. “I’m just ready to go to school up there and just jump on that boat and give everything I have for the Crimson Tide and continue what Coach Saban has started and even more.”
As for the Bulldogs, Sims said he harbors no hard feelings or bitterness.
“That’s just how things work out sometimes,” he told me. “It was my dream to play for Georgia but sometimes dreams don’t come true.”
Here’s a link to Sims’ latest video highlights.
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252 comments Add your comment
jared
November 19th, 2009
2:38 am
well thats a real shame
tbone dawg
November 19th, 2009
4:30 am
If it’s true that CMR hasn’t been in touch, there is a reason for it. That reason may well be grades. It’s no secret that there are several question marks there for Sims, a good kid. The truth is, though, there is alot of time yet to play out on this issue.
Stillman/Ga. Dawg
November 19th, 2009
4:45 am
I think CMR just drop the ball on this like he always do..I like CMR but he is not gonna get Ga. overr the next level.. This kid is gonna come back to haunt us in some way or position he plays..Sucks a well known coach as he can’t keep all our top rated prospects home, then they go elsewhere and beat crap out of us.
Ultimate Dawg
November 19th, 2009
5:29 am
This one we will regret. The kid has unbelievable talent when on the football field.
tbone dawg, stop with the grades excuses, we recruit those all the time with grade issues, Richt blew it and will regret it.
John
November 19th, 2009
5:47 am
Like the infamous 20oz Bulldog used to post: “If Richt wants ‘em…Richt will get ‘em.”
Not this time.
Yearofthedawg
November 19th, 2009
5:49 am
Drop the ball on recruiting “like he always do”?
I knew Stillman picked the wrong week to stop sniffing glue…
'Bama 1
November 19th, 2009
5:57 am
I Love It! ROLL TIDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
gomdawg
November 19th, 2009
5:57 am
MEYERS IS GOING TO THE DALLAS COWBOYS
'Bama 1
November 19th, 2009
6:03 am
gomdawg, I hope your right!
'Bama 1
November 19th, 2009
6:03 am
Now if we could just get rid of Lame Liar Kiffin.
Elliot Garcia
November 19th, 2009
6:38 am
Who is Meyers??
Elliot Garcia
November 19th, 2009
6:39 am
Nobody wants to play for a loser!
'Bama 1
November 19th, 2009
6:43 am
You Know, Oscar Meyers
C.Q.
November 19th, 2009
6:51 am
“…placed in the context of the last few weeks it resonates powerfully.” Really? Gosh Chip, kinda dramatic don’t you think? A good kid chooses to go to the school that just happened to offer him first and, oh by the way, is currently in the MNC hunt while the hometown team is struggling and for whatever reasons didn’t show him the love he felt he deserved in a timely manner. WOW! The ONE kid who coulda gotten us “over the hump!!” Guess UGA should just abandon all future recruiting efforts. Don’t guess it coulda had anything to do with our current depth at the skill positions or current commitments for 2010. Yea, maybe we’ll wish we had gone after him a little harder when it’s all said and done, but “…resonates powerfully??” Give me a break.
Marie
November 19th, 2009
6:54 am
A true dawg fan??? Have to question that one. Screamed at or prayed for. I had rather be prayed for.
Va Dawg
November 19th, 2009
7:04 am
This kid may not take a snap at QB for the Tide- the future starter is another kid named Sims- Phillip Sims- that plays for nationally ranked (No. 6 by USA Today) Oscar Smith high school in Chesapeake, Virginia. He is the REAL deal and can do it all. Good luck, Blake, but I doubt you will play QB for Saban.
MiltonDawg
November 19th, 2009
7:15 am
Good luck to him. We already have two great red-shirt freshman QBs on our roster. Start recruiting early for QB for 2011.
fanzdowatch
November 19th, 2009
7:23 am
I’m not a UGA or Bama fan, but this kid is the best football player I’ve seen this year…and I’ve seen the top two ranked teams in USA play this year. This kid will not take a back seat to Philip Sims or anyone else for that matter. Could possibly be best player in Ga. regardless of position….just watch him play in person or on TV if possible and you’ll see what Coach Saban already knows.
War Jacket
November 19th, 2009
7:25 am
Give the kid some credit. He sees a program that is returning to its traditional mediocre status. Why would any high schooler pick Georgia when he can go play for a program that is certain to compete for an SEC and national championship?
cj
November 19th, 2009
7:28 am
well thats unfortunate, but the dawgs will continue to roll baby!!!!!!!!!!
SuperB
November 19th, 2009
7:37 am
What’s the deal here with Sims? Why didn’t Richt go after him when he could have had him?
And to the dullard, “War Jacket:” After the Insects win 80 games in eight years, give me a call. Until then…..buzz off!
Douglas
November 19th, 2009
7:42 am
I have to agree with WarJacket and I’m a dawg fan agreeing with a Tech fan? I would much rather go to a school that contends for the MNC each year than go play for a coach who is more loyal to his coaches than he is to UGA. That’s the bottom line: Richt is more loyal to his coaches than to UGA. When a coach gets to that point, we do not need him anymore.
Gainesville
November 19th, 2009
7:45 am
Blake Sims is a great athlete and a nice kid, but he does not have the academic capability to cut it at UGA. Blake does not have college bound grades nor test scores. Georgia’s academic requirements are tougher than Alabama’s. Alabama may be a better fit for Blake.
Johnny DangerDawg
November 19th, 2009
7:50 am
Stillman/Ga. Dawg,
“Sucks a well known coach as he can’t keep all our top rated prospects home…” Oh yeah, totally. Mack Brown couldn’t keep Matthew Stafford in the state of Texas, so he sucks too. Also, Urban Meyer sure did want Orson Charles to stay in his home state of Florida, but Orson broke Florida’s trophy and then left the state. Man, all these coaches suck at recruiting; they will never win anything.
Tide Rising
November 19th, 2009
7:54 am
Gainesville,
Nice way to take a shot at Bama. The academic requirements for athletes are pretty much the same across the board in the sec and Bama and Georgia recruit the same athletes pretty much. Georgia is Georgia. Not Harvard or Vandy or Georgia Tech which really is harder academically then Georgia. So stop with the academic superiority nonsense. Richt and the Georgia staff Sims for granted that they could have him anytime they wanted him. They just blew it. That’s all.
Bama fans are ecstatic over this kid and are probably more excited talking about him then just about anybody in our recruiting class. He’s gonna be special and judging from what Bama people are saying Saban has big plans for him and expects to see him on the field immediately.
I know UT wants him bad also but we have Kiffin on our side. We figure the more this fool runs his mouth, especially his most recent lie, the more kids are going to realize what a clown this guy really is.
McDawg
November 19th, 2009
7:58 am
the blog of angst
john
November 19th, 2009
8:11 am
tell him we may have an opening as fair catch specialist…that should seal the deal.
Topp Dogg
November 19th, 2009
8:11 am
Fact is it takes better grades to get into UGA then it does to get into Alabama dumbass, do some research.Just like its harder to get to GT then into UGA. This is not rocket science Tide Risen.
Hey Dogtards
November 19th, 2009
8:14 am
“That reason may well be grades. It’s no secret that there are several question marks there for Sims, a good kid.”
Since when did Georgia start recruiting rocket scientists? Georgia doesn’t care how smart their recruits are, as long as they qualify. In fact, tons of Georgia recruits DON’T qualify – look at how many of them have to go go Georgia Military for 2 years.
It has nothing to do with grades and everything to do with the fact that Richt is a poor talent scout and dropped the ball. Once Richt saw that the guy made the super 11 and had a bunch of stars and offers from other schools, THAT is when he had Richt’s attention.
Don’t believe me? Richt wanted Caleb King over Jonathan Dwyer. Please tell me that shows a good eye for talent.
SEC
November 19th, 2009
8:15 am
ANDREW BONE: Tide working toward another top recruiting class. Enjoy Tide fans.
http://www.tidesports.com/article/20091117/NEWS/911169909/1233?Title=ANDREW-BONE-Tide-working-toward-another-top-recruiting-class
dawgsssssss
November 19th, 2009
8:17 am
I submitted an application in crayon to alabama 4 years ago. guess what… got in, plus a scholarship.
That school is nowhere close to the academic rigor of UGA. You are an idiot if you think otherwise. I would compare Bama’s schooling to that of V. State.
The Source
November 19th, 2009
8:18 am
The whole Georgia football team will cease to exist if we don’t sign this kid.He is god’s gift to football and will single handedly put his team on his back and win games. He is the greatest player ever to come out of the State of Georgia. Whoa to Georgia for letting this seventeen or eighteen year old kid sign with another team…he will lead Alabama to the promise land…Nick Saban and his wife will adopt him because he is so special.Shame Shame Shame on Georgia…Richt should be fired because he didn’t sign this kid…..Yea Right!…I’ve got some swamp land I want to sell you too.
Tide Rising
November 19th, 2009
8:18 am
Topp Dogg,
Its tougher to get into UGA than Bama because UGA has a bigger population, hence more demand, and because Georgia has the lottery, and again more demand because more people can and do apply for admission to UGA. So yes it is harder to get into Georgia than Bama as a general student.
But we’re talking about athletes here you frigging imbecile. They all recruit the same athletes and Georgia has lower standards for athletes and if you look at the recruiting you will see they recruit a lot of the same athletes. And if you don’t believe that then why was Georgia trying to get back into the picture recruiting Sims? Answer that one dumbass!
dawgsssssss
November 19th, 2009
8:19 am
And it is now officially harder to get into UGA than GT. The above statement is incorrect. Especially if you are a white female, or just a female in general. Last I saw Tech was 70% male or something like that.
Tide Rising
November 19th, 2009
8:23 am
Hey Dogtards,
Thanks for the info,
We forgot just how many dogs end up going to Hargrave junior college. Topp Dogg really looks like a dumbass now.
BAMADAWG
November 19th, 2009
8:25 am
The fact that CMR has not gone after this kid hard smells of academic issues. Gainsville is totally correct in Bamma’s academmic requirements are much more lax than UGA. Richt learned a painful lesson a few years back about signing kids that can’t qualify and how that affects depth.It was clear that going in to this year that UGA success would depend on how consistant Joe Cox could be. He’s been terrible and our season has been average. He had 3 plus turnovers in the blowouts to UT and FL and at least two in the other losses. Had Murray not gotten hurt he would have been in there. All of you fairweather fans need to go jump on the tech bandwagon cause we don’t need you. UGA was irrelevent for an entire decade before Richt arrived and they don’t meet all of you experts expectations and all of suuden he can’t coach. This is the SEC not the ACC, some years are just tough especially with UGA schedule.
SEC fan
November 19th, 2009
8:25 am
Good kid but not even ranked in the top 10 in Georgia by any ranking service including the AJC.
CMR
November 19th, 2009
8:25 am
Hubbard was in Tuscaloosa for an unofficial visit when the Tide hosted LSU.
“I love the winning tradition at Alabama,” said Hubbard. “I really like their defense. The crowd on game day is really loud.”
Dam, I mean shoot
Tide Rising
November 19th, 2009
8:26 am
dawgsssss,
You sumbitted an application in crayon to Bama and got accepted? Actually I do believe the part about you submitting an app in crayon. I believe it to be true because your post is a childish comment to say about another university.
Jan Kemp
November 19th, 2009
8:28 am
Dawgs have really tough academic requirements for athletes? You guys are too funny.
Paddy
November 19th, 2009
8:29 am
I doubt it is an academic issue that is the tipping point here! UGA and Alabama are equals in the eyes of admission policy standards. We just got there late or was not thrilled enough about this kid in the first place, it happens. “one mans s_it, is another mans ice cream”.
Hargrave military academy
November 19th, 2009
8:29 am
We accept many dawgs here who are accepted by UGA but then come up short on the ncaa act and gpa requirements that the ncaa accepts.
dawgsssssss
November 19th, 2009
8:30 am
Tide –
Yes, it’s true. Only after getting early admittance at UGA.
Jim Harrick Jr.
November 19th, 2009
8:31 am
How many points do you get for a 3 pt shot? If you can answer this one you can get into UGA.
dawgsssssss
November 19th, 2009
8:32 am
maybe in the 50s Harrick.
What’s the difference between a maggot and a tide fan?
Johnny Test
November 19th, 2009
8:34 am
War Jacket…. Tek know all about mediocrity.. they invented it. Now go hide under your mother’s skirt.
Tech rules
November 19th, 2009
8:35 am
Funny. Dawgs miss out on a recruit cause they were napping and then start talking smack about academic issues as if they have real high academic standards for athletes. My alter egos Jan, Jim Jr. are all right. You guys are a joke
dawgsssssss
November 19th, 2009
8:36 am
ole miss takes the capital one bowl this weekend over lsu. count it.
bama and auburn is going to be one hell of a game. i think it’s a toss up.
Tech rules
November 19th, 2009
8:38 am
bcs appearances = none
bcs wins = none
bowl wins past 4 years = none
rings for season games = 1
wins over basketball teams = 5 a season
free hotdogs per ticket = depends on how many free tickets you collect
Observor
November 19th, 2009
8:40 am
dawgssssss.
I’m assuming you are joking that you filled out an application for university of bama and got accepted. If you have time to fill out college admission apps in crayon because you are easily amused then you certainly have a lot of time on your hands.
JB
November 19th, 2009
8:41 am
Ok, one more time……..there are at least 150 or so Div 1 players/prospects in GEORGIA alone, and of those, 25 or so are so called ” blue chippers”, and in my book that means they play for anybody they want. In my life, through Dooley, Goff, Donnan and Richt, we’ve won some and lost some. there are plenty of players. Our current problem in Athens is what happens to them once they get there. Students I know attending UGA now tell me that the ‘party scene’ is really intense and plentiful and that they see the players “ALL IN IT”. I do believe we have a discipline problem in Athens. Most, not all of our players seem ‘ not ready to play”.
dawgsssss
November 19th, 2009
8:43 am
I was in high school at the time. It’s not a joke. One of my buddies filled out one to Auburn as well. Being from metro-atlanta it’s always a running joke how all the alabama schools mop up the wealthier normal kids who can’t get in to UGA. You parents know, if your kid got into UGA, that means he would have the HOPE and therefore out the window go your college football ties.
dawgsssss
November 19th, 2009
8:44 am
JB you are correct in that most of the football team can be seen downtown at “on the rocks” or something like that.
Tech rules
November 19th, 2009
8:44 am
Those hot dogs are going to be mighty tasty while I watch my buys pummel the dawgs in 2 weeks. Jim Jr. and a couple of Jan’s relatives are going to join in the feast. I’m going to have that hot dog eating champion Kobayashi or whatever his name is eat a hot dog for every point we score. I’m certain he can eat into the 50s or 60s.
JB
November 19th, 2009
8:45 am
After watching Auburn play us, Bama kills them. Bama could not throw a single pass and run for over 400 yards against auburn. Hell, we looked good rushing against Auburn, and we were ranked 105 of 120 in Div 1 in rushing.
dawgster
November 19th, 2009
8:46 am
Having watch the Sims kid up close in several games let me say he is a tremendous athlete and with his speed he is simply much better than many of the athletes that he goes up against, but with that being said i don’t see him as a top notch SEC QB, but i could be wrong, time will tell…He however will be a very good player but at another position probabl…The dawgs probably should have gone after him a little harder, but don’t think he would have been a QB…Don’t know anything about his grades, but i think everyone on here should leave that alone as it really is not anyones concern and spreading false info about a young man serves no purpose….I will say that the dawgs cannot possibly offer a scholarship to every player in the state just because they were huge dawg fans, it would be great if you could, but you have to fill your needs and thus thats why alot of evaluation goes into these decisions…Best of Luck Mr. Sims….
Bama fan
November 19th, 2009
8:47 am
Great pickup for Bama. We’ll be glad to have you MR. Sims.
GWJ
November 19th, 2009
8:50 am
Ok, all Georgia fans know (for at least the 50th time) that Sims is NOT going to attend UGA. At this point, can we start writing some NEW material?
Tech rules
November 19th, 2009
8:51 am
dawgsssss,
Sorry dude but you’re just not believable. And if somebody from another university like Alabama or Auburn or wherever sent an app back to you telling you that you were accepted then it was likely in jest as well. They were probably hoping that someone like you would actually show up for school and of course they really wouldn’t have you in the system. The joke would then be on you of course. You’re probably just not smart enough to figure out that someone would actually be playing you for a fool. That’s why the joke really is on you. You’re just not smart enough to figure that out.
Tech rules
November 19th, 2009
8:56 am
Just went back and looked at the front page of the sports and I see that pic again of the trashed UGA campus after a game. Yeah. Looks like that’s a really bright, really smart group of people that attend UGA with really high academic standards. Don’t know about the bammers. Maybe they trash their campus too for all I know. But I know institutions with smart kids don’t trash their own school like that. So much for high academic standards.
Mr. UGAinfo
November 19th, 2009
8:57 am
If the kid want to be a Bulldog he would waited until the offer came…He jumped at the first offer that came. And what position is he going to play? not QB with McElroy and Jackson behind him.
dawgsssss
November 19th, 2009
8:57 am
Good effort man. Please keep repeating your last sentences. You must be soooo bright. I’m merely just trying to update these people about the current state of academics in Georgia and elsewhere. It isn’t the Georgia most of these people grew up knowing, the one where a heartbeat would get you in… Because of the HOPE scholarship, UGA has risen to the top tier of public schools as the UNiversity is continuing to get the best and brightest of the state. There are many high schoolers who have gotten in to ivy league schools, or great academic schools like Duke, UNC, Wake, or Vandy yet are staying in state for monetary reasons. And now more than ever this is true, and anyone with a right mind should be able to see that. To tech rules, I don’t disagree that Tech’s subject matter is not harder… I personally would struggle with engineering, but would like to think that I graduated in one of the best business schools in America at Terry College; however, the fact is that UGA is harder to get in to that Tech. That’s just how it is now, and I’m tired of all these baby boomers thinking otherwise. Seeing all this nonsense about rednecks and cow pastures…blah blah. J
loel
November 19th, 2009
9:01 am
Jim Harrick, Jr. How many points do you get for a three point shot ,, answer it and you get into GA… I bet you are looking for 3 to be the answer and you get in… Wrong sir,,, you have to make it not just shoot it….
pat oslen
November 19th, 2009
9:05 am
Blake is a playmaker & will continue to be so at the collegiate level. He has unlimited skill at a number of positions. I wish him nothing but the best!
YouCanRunButYouCannotHide
November 19th, 2009
9:06 am
If Sims has academic problems that won’t fly at UGA, why did UGA make a last minute push to recruit him? Could it be that UGA realized the QB situation isn’t as good as they thought it was in February?
San Francisco Dawg
November 19th, 2009
9:07 am
There’s no story here..It is about simple Math…we are loaded at qb and need scholarships to repair our other depth problems…Blake would not get to play at Georgia, simple truth, so let’s move on and concentrate on other areas of the team where we need help…
Joe
November 19th, 2009
9:11 am
Bottom line is he will not qualify academically. Nice, polite kid but he will struggle to even get into college. A good athlete but not an SEC qb. If he does someday make it to college he will play another position but it won’t be qb.
Bama Aaron
November 19th, 2009
9:12 am
Lot of sour grapes from the puppies on this board. If you can’t beat them throw insults, right guys? Pathetic..he’s a good kid & player and grades have nothing to do with him not going to UGA. Your idiot coach trying to slow play him had everything to do with it. You lost him and will continue to lose more on the field with CMR on the sideline. Learn to deal with it with a little more class.
bill_in_atl
November 19th, 2009
9:13 am
UGA cannot accept the same kids that most other SEC schools can accept. It’s been that way since the Jan Kemp affair. You could literally almost create an all-star team with the kids that UGA wanted and who wanted UGA, but could not get accepted or had to leave for academic or other reasons.
Bama is no worse than 9 or 10 of the other SEC programs. It’s no knock on Bama. They seem to follow the rules about requirements as well as most, but their requirements are slightly lower and there are a decent number of kids who fall somewhere in between having minimum requirements allowed by the NCAA and what’s allowed to get into UGA.
This isn’t some type of excuse for the Bulldogs as there are still plenty of kids that can get into UGA and in fact UGA has gotten more than their share of talent. Having good players is not and will not be a problem in Athens.
Specifically regarding the Sims kid, I have ZERO clue if there are grade concerns and at this point I see no reason to even bring it up. Bama offered him first and he accepted their offer. Case closed.
Michael_T
November 19th, 2009
9:15 am
Good move for UGA…Sims will be the next college athlete to be charged for armed robbery, shoplifting, etc. We only take those who drive mopeds with suspended licenses at UGA.
toga
November 19th, 2009
9:15 am
Blake – you made the right decision. Gorgie will be 3rd at best in the East the next few years.
Saban will make you a great player who will get noticed by the NFL. Richt would find a way to screw your career but pat you on the back and be your best friend.
ROLL TIDE!!
DP
November 19th, 2009
9:16 am
To the excuse makers who claim it must be an academic issue that is keeping Blake Sims from attending Georgia, i.e. the Harvard of the South, could you explain why they’re recruiting him now?
Joe Blow
November 19th, 2009
9:16 am
Shocker that a recruit would turn down UGA
Michael_T
November 19th, 2009
9:17 am
Toga, you are right…Richt has done a terrible job at helping to produce NFL players. (What world are you living in again?)
dawgsssss
November 19th, 2009
9:17 am
yea that’s right toga…
too bad Richt has put the 2nd most players in the NFL out of all NCAA football programs.
know your stats and then come back
Swell
November 19th, 2009
9:18 am
I think that it is funny that this has turned into an academic debate but I will throw my two cents in. I attended Alabama and Georgia, and left for UGA only because of the HOPE scholarship. If anything, I thought Alabama was a little harder because classes were smaller and professors would stay on you more. I also would say that the quality of students appeared to be about the same.
Michael_T
November 19th, 2009
9:18 am
DP, just because AJC prints a story like this doesn’t mean UGA is pursuing him any more than anyone else is.
DP
November 19th, 2009
9:18 am
Bill in Atlanta, you are delusional if you think Georgia’s admission requirements for football players differ materially from Alabama or most of the rest of the SEC. It is a nice excuse though.
Bama Boss
November 19th, 2009
9:19 am
I’d just like to thank the state of Georgia for sending us Blake. Plus Kirby Smart believes we can get him in school at Alabama. BTW, Kirby sends his regards and when you need a new head football coach, call him. See ya in Atlanta.
dawgsssss
November 19th, 2009
9:20 am
DP – I don’t know. He has obviously had his best season this year. Maybe Mettenberger (prob spelling error) who was also an elite 11 QB is starting to think about transferring with all the Murray talk. Hell, I would if I was him. He’s got NFL QB height with all the intangibles it just so happens that he came in with an even better recruit.
This is all just speculation, but I think Mettenberger is starting somewhere else in 2 years.
Dean
November 19th, 2009
9:24 am
Recruiting rankings mean very little in the end. Richt will do just fine. He sealed up AJ Greene many years before he graduated so in all likelihood there was just something amiss with this kid in the coaches views. If he’s not right for Georgia then good luck to wherever he goes. All the haters need to go away. I suppose Alabama or Tech have never had a down year before. Give me a break!
Michael_T
November 19th, 2009
9:26 am
Who says we are having a down year this year….UGA is picking up some very strong defensive backs, receivers, and a running back this year. Dogs will be just fine.
GARY
November 19th, 2009
9:30 am
Well, I am not gonna call names or down UGA. Hell, I like UGA. To say UGA does not want him is dead wrong. CMR has tried to sway Blake away from the Tide unsuccessfully. It has nothing to do with grades more than they had athletes higher on the board they were going after. This happens to all schools including Alabama. Last year Bama had a couple who tried to commit but were told to hold off. It back fired because we slow played them. Does not mean they were not good or even great athletes. Just rated lower than some on the board that were figured to still be in play. To say it is all academic is wrong and just flat out cruel when not true. Most UGA fans are good people and the ones I know are honest and would never state such bullcrap without proof. We will galdly take him off your hands. Whether he comes back to haunt UGA remains to be seen, and really who cares. This young man will be getting a free education which is better than alot of teenagers his age.
Jrogers
November 19th, 2009
9:32 am
Frankly, I have never heard the terms “academic excellence” and the University of Georgia” mentioned in the same paragraph. I have no dog in this fight, as I attended Stanford. But I do know that Alabama has been academically rated in the top 40 State universities in the US for several years and in the top five in Forbes. Some of you Georgia posters need to get over yourself, as if there was anything to get over.
Michael_T
November 19th, 2009
9:34 am
Jrogers, if anyone needs to get over themselves, it would be you.
chris
November 19th, 2009
9:34 am
They’re loaded at Q-back, Bama is too. Both schools are bad choices for him as a Q-back (he will never be under center at either school). I’ve seen the kid play, both of those schools run pro style offense. That’s not what he is, he will be an average d-back. Good luck kid.
jbts30228
November 19th, 2009
9:35 am
UGA can’t keep all the players here. No matter how much we would like them to. Good luck Blake. I love to see Georgia players do well.
EW
November 19th, 2009
9:36 am
Do you blame this kid. Look at the “athlete” at QB we have backing up Joe Cox. Do you really think he’d wanna come to Athens for that? And I don’t think he would compete for a job at WR in Athens.
Don
November 19th, 2009
9:36 am
I think this stories embodies one of our current problems. We aren’t on our P’s and Q’s to offer a great player 40 miles from our stadium (who wants to play and win for UGA) but can’t wait to go 500 miles away to south Florida to recruit players who don’t give the same credence winning at UGA.
gdawginkalamazoo
November 19th, 2009
9:36 am
Jeez people, good luck to the kid. If he were coming to Georgia to play QB he would have a long wait in front of him. Richt is loyal not only to his coaches (problematic) but also to the kids he recruits too (great for the kids). What he tells them is what he will do. Although we are having a down year UGA is still a program that puts kids in the NFL which is the ultimate goal for these kids. So good luck to Mr. Sims with his choice and if he changes his mind? No problem here.
Georgia Tech Academics
November 19th, 2009
9:37 am
Here is your Georgia Tech Academics for you: NCAA probation for changing football players grades to make them eligible to play (11 starters!!!) from 1998-2000. (8 other scholarship athletes also had their grades changed to allow them to compete.)
YES! Georgia Tech got caught CHEATING!!!!!
EW
November 19th, 2009
9:39 am
And kudos to this kid for honoring his word (so far anyway). He told Bama yes first and he’s sticking to it. Regardless of his ties to UGA, if he said he would go to Bama he is doing the right thing by honoring his word. There’s not enough of that going around anymore.
Michael_T
November 19th, 2009
9:39 am
Don, those players from South Florida… and even New Jersey and Texas, are overall much more valuable to UGA than the particular kid from Gainesville. Do we have to recruit from the inside out? No, find the best regardless of where they are now.
DP
November 19th, 2009
9:39 am
Good comments GARY. There is no reason to denigrate kids by suggesting they’re academically deficient when they don’t choose your school. And there’s certainly no reason to pretend Sims can’t get into Georgia when they’re actively recruiting him.
Alabama academic requirements????
November 19th, 2009
9:39 am
Actually, Georgia’s entrance requirements for athletes is much tougher than Alabama’s.
Alabama ranks among the worst in the NCAA. Why doesn’t Alabama raise their standards from the minimum like most of the SEC does?
dawgsssss
November 19th, 2009
9:39 am
I don’t think highly of any Forbes ranking, but what you just said is completely wrong.
Here are the top public schools as ranked by Forbes:
http://www.forbes.com/2009/08/06/best-public-colleges-opinions-colleges-09-top.html
Troy made the list. Where’s the mighty tide?
To re-iterate, I could care less just wanted to disprove your point since it is incorrect.
Reality
November 19th, 2009
9:40 am
I’ve never met an Alabama grad that can read! I have met one though that does own his own trailer.
shankit
November 19th, 2009
9:41 am
Overall coaching records
Mark Richt 82-22 75% winning margin
Nick Saban 110-51-1 55% winning margin
JB
November 19th, 2009
9:43 am
Tech Rules: you guys keep winning and you might draw a crowd and THEY will leave a mess.
There is No tailgating at Tech for one reason. That 4 or 5 block area around Grant field has more ‘armed’ robberies that any place in Atlanta. yea, give me some of that….geez……
North Atlanta Trade School
November 19th, 2009
9:44 am
I read Forbes and have never seen Alabama mentioned.
I do see Georgia Tech mentioned annually!!!! And I have to give credit to UGA as I have seen them on this list below us. And I’ve seen Vanderbilt & Florida, but Alabama? NO!