LB Telvin Smith sticks with FSU, Dogs jilted again
Poor Georgia. The Bulldogs got jilted again Monday. Twice in the same day.
For the second time Monday Georgia watched as an elite in-state talent went out of state. Telvin Smith, a 6-foot-3, 205-pound all-state linebacker from Lowndes High School, announced that he was going to stick with his commitment and signed with the Florida State Seminoles on national signing day Wednesday.
Earlier Monday Warner Robins defensive tackle Jeff Whitaker committed to Auburn over Georgia and Miami.
“I’m going to be a Florida State Seminole,” Smith told a crowd at Loco’s Grill & Pub in Valdosta. A live radio audience listened in on 99.5-FM “Kix Country” and ceremony was webcasted online at DawgPost.com.
Smith has been committed to FSU since late last summer. But he was continually pursued by the Bulldogs, made an official visit to UGA the weekend before last and then unofficially visited Athens on Saturday. He went back to FSU unofficially on Friday.
Shortly before he made the announcement Smith told the interviewer, “I don’t know why I wouldn’t sign with Georgia.”
“Look at the history. They have national championships,” Smith said of the Bulldogs. “They have Mark Richt, a great guy. In Athens you have a great town that’s nothing but Georgia.”
But of Florida State, he said: “I feel like Florida State is about to take off. The players that are already there from Lowndes County [such as Greg Reid], they’re going to look out for me. We’ve been playing ball together since Boys Club. It felt like home for me.”
Smith said LSU finished third.
Smith and several teammates were making their college announcements live on the radio before national signing day as part of an annual Lowndes tradition. Smith went after seven teammates, including Auburn offensive line commitment Ed Christian.
The Bulldogs are stumbling down the stretch toward with their Class of 2010. Two other players have reneged on commitments to sign elsewhere in the last month — linebackers B.J. Butler of Kissimmee, Fla. — and Deon Rogers of Port St. Lucie, Fla. — and indications on Monday were that Frostproof, Fla., cornerback Nickell Robey may also flip to another school.
AJC Top 50 | Georgia commitments | Tech commitments
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294 comments Add your comment
steven
February 1st, 2010
8:39 pm
NCDAWG and Is Chip Towers paid are right…we didn’t get in the picture on this guy until late. We shouldn’t be ‘jilted’. FSU would have been the one jilted if he committed to UGA. History proves itself; the bulldogs will be just fine and competing for the east.
DDF
February 1st, 2010
8:41 pm
Enter your comments here
DDF
February 1st, 2010
8:42 pm
Delusional Dog Fan …….. we didn’t want him anyway.
Tokyo jacket
February 1st, 2010
8:43 pm
GaGator, you’re a complete idiot! Urban Meyer is from Ohio. Does he have problems recruiting Southern Boys? Don’t be a ri-tard!
01HAWK
February 1st, 2010
8:44 pm
PHILLYDAWGSMENS………………………………Your gymnastics team is not even ranked in the top 5. Now that is funny. Looks like BAMA IS ON TOP AGAIN. ROLL TIDE ROLL.
GymInfo – Women’s National Ranking for: Team Total
1 February 2010 – by Total Season Average
Rank Team Name Team Ave Conference High RQS
1 Alabama, U. of 196.494 C 197.450 0.000
2 Oklahoma, U. of 196.325 SC 196.650 0.000
3 Florida, U. of 196.156 SE 196.725 0.000
4 Utah, U. of 195.956 NC 196.550 0.000
5 Oregon State 195.919 W 196.225 0.000
6 UCLA 195.905 W 196.600 0.000
7 Arkansas, U. of 195.894 SC 196.750 0.000
8 Stanford Univ. 195.819 W 196.425 0.000
9 Georgia, U. of 195.512 SE 196.500 0.000
10 Nebraska, U. of 195.406 SC 196.025 0.000
11 Kentucky, U. of 195.262 C 195.525 0.000
12 L.S.U. 195.106 C 195.650 0.000
13 Iowa State 195.069 NC 196.000 0.000
14 Missouri, U. of 195.006 SC 196.400 0.000
15 Michigan, U. of 194.950 NE 196.000 0.000
16 Auburn Univ. 194.912 C 195.325 0.000
17 Penn State 194.850 NE 196.025 0.000
18 Arizona, U. of 194.425 SC 195.675 0.000
19 Southern Utah Univ. 194.412 NC 195.050 0.000
20 Denver, U. of 194.319 NC 195.575 0.000
21 Michigan State 194.065 C 194.875 0.000
22 North Carolina State 193.975 SE 194.875 0.000
23 Illinois-Champaign 193.969 SC 195.225 0.000
24 Washington, U. of 193.944 W 194.875 0.000
25 Minnesota, U. of 193.587 NC 195.350 0.000
Sweet Home Alabama
February 1st, 2010
8:46 pm
I just heard on the news that the new UGA dog tried to take his own life.I THING he wants out ..
01HAWK
February 1st, 2010
8:49 pm
Where does UGA football team practice when it is raining? STEGEMAN PODUNK COLISEUM ?
This is why it's easy to laugh at
February 1st, 2010
8:50 pm
you DDFs ……… all you read from you blowhards was how great Garner was when Richt convinced him to stay. Now, GA loses a few recruits they had their sights on, and Garner’s a bum. And speaking of the 2 today they lost … TS – a FSU COMMIT – and JW – I believe he was a AUB COMMIT. Seems to me I read more than a boatload of negative posts towards Paul Johnson at GT when he continued to recruit and offered a kid who was COMMITTED to another school. Yeah, you DDFs are easy to laugh at. Hopefully Rogers, Robey, and Thornton sign elsewhere too; couldn’t happen to a more “sane” fanbase.
dawgster
February 1st, 2010
8:52 pm
The bottom line here folks is that we asked for this, firing 3 coaches when we did had tremendous effect on our recruiting…We wanted some of the coaches gone and if you have been reading all the negative comments by so called dawg fans over the past season, do you really blame these kids going somewhere else….We will be ok with this class and still may coup a surprise but we want have a top ten recruiting class this year..My fear is just how good of recruiters will the new coaches be..I feel sure they can coach but we have to get them here first…Are we offering these kids too soon? I don’t know, but although i did expect some fallout after firing of the coaches, i didn’t think we would be struggling as we are…Please don’t pay too much attention to Chip, its obvious by the way he spins his articles he is trying to get the dawg fans to continue to put out negative posts…
Welcome to Loserville Telvin
February 1st, 2010
8:55 pm
FSU, home of 6 loss teams nearly every year. Welcome to Loserville Telvin, nice choice.
WIDE RIGHT UNIVERSITY.
Dawgs2002
February 1st, 2010
8:55 pm
I hope the kid blows out his ACL. Same for the Whitaker kid. ACL! ACL! ACL! You low-life THUGS!
Gator Nation
February 1st, 2010
8:55 pm
Wasn’t this kid originally commited to the Criminoles?? So basically, he just re-affirmed his commitment, right?? Man, you guys over-react!! Some kid is going to FSU and now your program is coming apart at the seams??? Get a grip! I could see some excitement if this was a all world 5 star stud who had been a long term commitment. Step away from the ledge, we need you back in Jax so we can kick your butt again!! BTW…ask Greg Reid (that little weasel) if his neck still hurts from wiffing on Aaron Hernandez (long TD reception) last year!!
college foot
February 1st, 2010
8:56 pm
hey chippy did you get off again because that kid didn’t sign with UGA…know what i mean!
Central Georgia Dawg
February 1st, 2010
9:02 pm
Will all of you please stop paying attention to these negative TENNESSEE fans, didn’t you just lose a head coach, you haven’t had a top five class in years. AUBURN give me a break. They can recruit them, but most can’t get the scores. I mean we are talking GENE CHIZIK. They have had one or two good years since the undeated 04 season. ALABAMA was irrelevant for 12 years after Stallings. Lost to Louisiana Monroe. Look at the depth chart. UGA is not hurting. We have a number of redshirts, that will help! STOP DRINKING THE NEGATIVE KOOL-AID! Look at the players we have lost. BJ BUTLER ( he got kicked off his own team, can you say cancer), Deon Rogers (not a good fit for the 3-4) Robey is still a maybe, he is a heck of an athlete, but I don’t think this class is dependent on his decision. Good luck to all the recruits. Dawg fans keep your head up, stop the negative comments, and rally behind the team, staff, and school! GO DAWGS!!!!!!!!!!
Douglas
February 1st, 2010
9:02 pm
Dawgster: fans everywhere put out negative posts…what do you think UGA is the only one? Get your head out of the sand. I’m not worried about these guys choosing other schools this season. I think Mark Richt made two great hires and we will reap the benefits in the long run. Now if Bobo can just learn to run the ball first and throw second, we might win an SEC championship in the near future.
Sweet Home Alabama
February 1st, 2010
9:04 pm
At last I found out that Georgia has been ranked number 1 in the nation for the number of student athletes that have been arrested in the last 2 year.
thats something you can chew on D og fans….
NRBQ
February 1st, 2010
9:04 pm
Chip,
I’ve defended your reportage in the past, and tend to skip over the “HE’S BIASED!” posts in general.
But please explain how an FSU recruit sticking with his commitment equals UGA getting “jilted.”
Sheesh
February 1st, 2010
9:07 pm
Circus Act is NO Class Act! Try some anger management class, or maybe the bible school idea might be good for you!
Big L
February 1st, 2010
9:07 pm
Just Damn!!!!
Central Georgia Dawg
February 1st, 2010
9:08 pm
I totally agree with Dawgster. Don’t pay attention to Chip. He just trying to get you riled up. As far as the ACL comments. Don’t lower yourself to that level. These are 18 year old kids. It’s not like they robbed you at gunpoint. I think you might need a break from recruiting.
DawgNeck
February 1st, 2010
9:09 pm
At least the SEC is good!
S-E-C… S-E-C… S-E-C… Say it with me… S – E – C… S – E – C… S – E – C… S – E – C… S-E-C… S-E-C… S-E-C…
We be fast in the SEC…, every other conference is slow. We’re fast. We live vicariously through Bammer and LSU and Florida and Tennessee… we’re DAWGS! We’re SEC!
WOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
UGA Ranked #4 by ESPN
February 1st, 2010
9:10 pm
We finish with the #4 recuiting class–just behind National Champion Alabama.
2010 looking great!
http://insider.espn.go.com/ncf/recruiting/classrankings?&action=login&appRedirect=http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fncf%2frecruiting%2fclassrankings
Dawg Tired
February 1st, 2010
9:11 pm
Listen guys – Give me the 3-star recruit who really wants to be a dawg and coaches who can coach him up. We’ve had top 5 recruiting classes for a long time with less than stellar results this past year and the year before (although many, in fact almost every other one in the country, programs would be tickled to death to win 18 games in 2 years). Sure we lost some recruits because of the coaching changes, but we no longer have those coaches. That’s a huge net plus.
The biggest indication that things are going ok is the number of fans from other teams coming on line and bashing us. No one is bashing Vanderbilt. This class will be a top 15 recruiting class nationally. Not as good as we’re used to under Richt, but better than classes recruited by either Donnan or, yes Dawg fans, Dooley. Next year, with the staff in place for a full season, we’ll be back to getting top 10 classes. However, the most important thing is to coach ‘em up. Plus, as we know all too well, some of the very best players we ever had were 3-star recruits or less – think Thomas Davis for example.
I repeat what I said earlier this week, some of these bozos would clearly have fired Dooley long before he won his one NC some 17 years into the job. Remember, no one bashes the bad programs, only the elite ones.
Exhibit A is the post above by 01Hawk. He’s bashing the UGA gymnastics team because they are only ranked in the Top 10 and are the defending NCs. No one is bashing the FSU gymnastics team. Thanks for the exhibit 01Hawk. I appreciate your help in proving that only the best programs get bashed by folks like you. Would it be rude to suggest you get a life? If so, I won’t make that suggestion.
It is so good to be a Dawg!!
dawgster
February 1st, 2010
9:14 pm
Douglas, my head is out of the sand, and for your info my posts is regarding the dawgs, i don’[t need you to tell me about everyone else putting out negative posts…what don’t you understand about my posts…Let me explain to you, these kids and parents read these negative posts and it does effect them, while i understand that we should expect some negative comments, you should also understand that these kids make decisions for numerous reasons and if all they hear and read is negativity don’t you think that has some impact on them…The problem i have with alot of these posts are that they are usually false rumours that makes someone feel big to posts…I have and always will be a dawg, but this backlash over our recruiting and when journalists like Chip spin in negative ways makes me boil…I hope people will relax and let the recruiting play out…
TRU DAWG
February 1st, 2010
9:16 pm
DAWG 2002 WHAT KIND OF FAN ARE YOU WISHING SOMEONE TO BLOW HIS ACL…. IF THAT WAS YOUR KID HOW WOULD YOU FEEL .. YOU GROWN MEN “IF THATS WHAT YOU ARE” NEED TO GROW UP THESE ARE KIDS ..
YOU THINK THE TEAMS WITH THE FIVE STAR PLAYERS ALWAYS WINS OUT …. NOOOOOOO ASK BOISE AND THE LIKES… BE A TRU FAN AND CHAIR LIKE HECK FOR YOUR TEAM AND LEAVE THESE YOUNG MEN ALONE WITH THEIR DECISIONS..
smooth operator
February 1st, 2010
9:17 pm
let’s see poopheads blame it on Chip Towers now since there is no one else left to blame it on.hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
Georgia Moves Up on Rivals!
February 1st, 2010
9:17 pm
Too funny. Georgia loses all these 2 and 3 star recruits and actually has moved UP in Rivals today from #12 rankings to #9.
Go Georgia!
http://uga.rivals.com/teamrank.asp?
TRU DAWG
February 1st, 2010
9:18 pm
THATS CHEER
JFKDawg
February 1st, 2010
9:18 pm
Relax, Dawgs. We can’t sign every kid in the state. We will be just fine. You clowns out there on Richt’s back, you have a very short memory or just poor judgment if all you think things have gotten worse. You obviously have forgotten who his predecessor was and his before him. It could be worse, we could be TN. I think they just had another player arrested. To hear anyone other than FL or AL talk smack, you are just plain stupid. UGA is not going to be made by one kid, two kids or an entire recruiting class. We have a team of studs. Any kid who turns his back on the state who funded his education and the village that helped raise him if egocentric and better hope they can fill out a job application in the state the go to school.
dawgster
February 1st, 2010
9:22 pm
Be ready for the articles from Bradley and Schultz and their spin….I agree with some of the above posts, give me some 3 star recruits or what that are true dawgs and want to be part of this program…The recruiting has gotten way out of hand on how many 5 or 4 star players that you sign…I feel confident that this staff will put together a team next year that will make all dawg fans proud…
Clint
February 1st, 2010
9:26 pm
Hey Chip, Go F yourself. Your cheap little potshots at UGA are starting to get annoying. I realize you are just trying to stir the pot, but journalists are supposed to be unbiased. Yet you seem to have some agenda against UGA. I applaud Smith for sticking with his commitment to FSU. He just proved that he is a good kid.
chazzo
February 1st, 2010
9:29 pm
I think those guys who left are the ones that are jilted. They will be kicking themselves for the next four years.
General Mills
February 1st, 2010
9:32 pm
So what!!!! No suprise.Until UGA starts signing more South Ga. talent they will be just where they are now.Unfortunately second best..I Love the dawgs .but Damn ,Just damn!!!
Clevon Little
February 1st, 2010
9:33 pm
Who really cares??? I’ve tried to follow this recruiting thing for the last few years & one word discribes it all: OVERRATED. Funny thing is this is just something for these beat journalists to ride until spring practice. Time & time again we see all of the hype from the media before signing day, and time & time again we see teams like Utah beat Alabama, or a David Pollack come from nowhere. Sometimes you may have a guy like AJ Green who lives up to the hype, but even without him we played just fine. Bottom line is this recruiting is way over-rated. There are guys waiting in line to come to UGA & about every-other Div-1 school that played on the same field with these ‘4&5 star players and held there own. Think about it: How did Georgia not blow GaSouthern out in the 1st quarter last time they played? It’s because of depth, not 1st string talent. Most of the NFL talent (or at least a LOT) come from small schools, not Div-1 schools. How could Boise St. beat OU? Or an Oregon team that blew USC out? Since when has Boise St out-recruited USC?? Point made.
War Eagle
February 1st, 2010
9:34 pm
Auburn number 5 nationally in recruiting…I hope they can play~~~???
Mr. Mang
February 1st, 2010
9:35 pm
Wow Chip is a real douche bag. Poor Georgia, what’s his deal. I’ve noticed he seems to enjoy spreading the negative vibe. Starting to piss me off.
Pickin and Grinnin
February 1st, 2010
9:37 pm
Some times its a shame to be associated with some of you UGA’s fans. I mean really who honestly thinks we need to send CMR packing?
Scout Ranks UGA #4 in Top 100 Players
February 1st, 2010
9:38 pm
On Scout, Georgia is ranked #4 in the Nation in top 100 players.
Great 2010!
http://recruiting.scout.com/a.z?s=73&p=9&c=14&yr=2010
hind tit
February 1st, 2010
9:38 pm
what’s the big deal about the smith guy.he’s got class he’s as good as his word which use to mean something.
Dan
February 1st, 2010
9:39 pm
I guess no SEC speed for him…
Clevon Little
February 1st, 2010
9:43 pm
Mr. Mang, Chip is a lazy reporter. Justing read this article proves the point. What 5th grader couldn’t have written this?? There’s no substance or creativity & it is just plain lazy.
Technophobia
February 1st, 2010
9:46 pm
I think I’ll make some popcorn.
bball fan
February 1st, 2010
9:46 pm
Keep hearing the UGA fans mentioning David Greene and David Pollack. How many national championships did those guys bring to the Dawgs? How long have they been playing in the NFL? Thought so.
jumaine jones
February 1st, 2010
9:49 pm
these losers would have just been gone in a couple years anyway.
SEC FAN
February 1st, 2010
9:54 pm
I am new to this but so I am just trying to figure out why all of you are trash talking each other about a 18 year old kid committing somewhere? What has he done? Maybe make a few big plays in a highschool game where he is a man among boys? I admit it is fun to follow who is committing where but the focus should be on the accomplishments of these kids. This is a big step in their life. Just save the trash talking until atleast August ha
SEC FAN
February 1st, 2010
9:54 pm
bball fan didnt David Pollack break his neck? What kind of person makes fun of that?
those games meant nothing to tech
February 1st, 2010
9:55 pm
and DA RICK is about to become DA HICK and announce Tennessee on Wednesday…no worries…………he would never have played at Georgia…receivers must be able to catch under SEC pressure , he won’t…Tennessee here he comes
those games meant nothing to tech
February 1st, 2010
9:58 pm
always good to be a dawg, the kid in tampa will fit in much better and play well alot sooner, besides , we are loaded at receiver,,this class will be one of our best ,, especially since on paper it says it won’t be as good..these classes love to hear that , great motivator!!!!
Dawggie
February 1st, 2010
9:58 pm
Anyone know if UGA ever pursued LB Christian Jones?
The kid is a beast at 6′4″ 220lbs. He sounds like what physical size your want in an OLB in a 3-4. Isn’t that right??
Last I heard he wasn’t committed anywhere.
chuck
February 1st, 2010
10:01 pm
Let’s face the facts. If we keep Rogers and get Thornton then were are fine. Maybe we will even get a surprise somewhere.
BUT, if we strike out with Thornton and lose Rogers then CMR better rethink his entire recruiting strategy. That would give UGA only two of the top eleven in the state and that isn’t acceptable. Two out of eleven gets your recruiting coordinator fired. CMR will have to fix it or he will be history.