UGA targets Drew, Jenkins bond in Miami, talk about playing together (updated)
Very few people know where Ray Drew is going to go to college, but John Jenkins claims he does.
The duo hit it off in Miami this past weekend. Drew, a five-star defensive end from Thomas County Central, and Jenkins, a 6-4, 340-pound noseguard at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, both just happened to be on official visits at the University of Miami this weekend.
Despite having not met previously, the two highly-sought-after prospects — who each have Auburn, Georgia and Miami among their finalists — ended up spending the majority of their time together in Coral Gables. Jenkins said they discussed at length the possibility of playing together in college.
“He and I really clicked,” said Jenkins, back at school in Gulfport, Miss., Monday. “He knew about me when I got down there and we just ended up hanging out together and talking a lot. He was just saying how he’d like to play where I play at. He said he wanted to be where I was playing nose so he can make some plays. We were talking about playing playing on the same line.”
Drew lists Auburn, Clemson, Georgia, LSU and Miami as finalists. Jenkins said he will decide between Auburn, Florida, Georgia and Miami. He will have visited Miami, UGA and Florida on consecutive weekends before national signing day (he visited Auburn in December).
I asked Jenkins if Drew was trying to recruit him toward any one school in particular.
“It wasn’t like that, but I do know where he’s going to go,” said Jenkins, who will be visiting UGA this weekend. “I don’t want to reveal his situation or anything like that, but he knows what he’s going to do. He took me aside and told me his thing.”
Drew said he likes Jenkins both personally and as a football player.
“When you’ve got a four-man front with four down linemen, you’ve got to have two big men that can flush everything to the outside and guys on the outside that can push everything inside,” Drew said. “We were talking about how we could help each other out that way. I need to find another big D-tackle.”
Don’t count out Miami as a possible destination. He said he was “blown away” by the Hurricanes on his visit.
“It was beautiful,” he said. “The hotel I was in had this big balcony. So when I woke up in the morning, I looked to right and there was the ocean, I looked to my left and there was the city and straight ahead was South Beach. Pretty nice.”
He was also impressed with new coach Al Golden. “He seems like a very driven, high-energy guy,” Drew said. “He wants to get Miami back to where they used to be.”
I asked Drew about his sudden interest in Miami, which he previously had not listed among his finalists.
“Miami has always been a school that I’ve looked at; I just never really said anything about it,” said the 6-foot-5, 250-pound U.S. Army All-American. “It’s been in the process for a while. The majority of my father’s family lives in the Miami area, so it’s a place where I feel like I could feel at home.”
Drew now has taken official visits to Auburn, Georgia, LSU and Miami. He has an official visit planned for Clemson this weekend. It’s his fifth and final official.
Even if Drew does know where he’s going to sign, he said he’s not about to announce it anytime soon.
“If not signing day then a few days before,” he said.
For what it’s worth, Drew did tell me he plans to attend the announcements of fellow AJC Fab 50 members Malcolm Mitchell and Jay Rome in Valdosta this Thursday.
“I plan on being there,” he said. “I know those guys and I’m just interested in seeing where they go like everybody else.”
Meanwhile, Jenkins came away from his Miami trip impressed.
“It was a cool weekend,” he said. “I got to meet the coaches and got a chance to see what they had in mind in terms of a plan for me. And I had a chance to see the city, which was great. The weather was beautiful.”
Asked what he expected from his visit to Georgia this coming weekend, Jenkins said, “I’m just expecting to see how well I fit in around there. I’m just going to see what my family thinks and see if they see what I see. I don’t have any high expectations. I just want to go in on an even keel and absorb everything and see what turns out.”
College Recruiting By Chip Towers
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376 comments Add your comment
RichmondDawg
January 17th, 2011
4:47 pm
Either way, we’ll find out in a couple of weeks how all of this is going to shake out. I hope Rome gets her going on Thursday.
rincon dawg
January 17th, 2011
4:48 pm
nothing hurts recruiting more than wins and losses period end of discussion.
sandman053
January 17th, 2011
4:49 pm
Richmond I too am ready for Thursday to get here. Maybe Rome will start this ball rolling and you can watch the Black G move right to the top of the recruiting rankings.
Neal
January 17th, 2011
4:50 pm
welcome to Miami…make fun of our coaching staff and facilities all you want..we have never had our own stadium and all the NFL guys are always at our horrible facilities, they guys met a few of them this weekend…
sandman053
January 17th, 2011
4:51 pm
Chip anything about UGA talking to the Saint-Armour young man? Isn’t Jones gonna be a Senior this year? I wasn’t sure what our depth looked like at C and the kid was co-OL of the Year
RiffRaff
January 17th, 2011
4:51 pm
Drew would be the big fish that got away. He’s the No. 1-ranked weakside defensive end in the country. He’s also working on being an ordained minister. Christian LeMay also has become a friend of his and has tried to lure him to UGA. Hope CMR is rolling out the red and black carpet for this guy.
7576DAWG
January 17th, 2011
4:52 pm
I’m glad that Crowell’s official visit is after Saban’s brain washing section. I went on one of the Birmingham’s site and Saban really tried to drill into Crowell that if he went to Bama it was more of a direct shot at the NFL than UGA. Hopefully Crowell is a little smarter than that since we have nearly twice the active players in the NFL than does Bama. Also Crowell will get a shot to play from game one along with Malcomb if he comes to Georgia.
RxDawg
January 17th, 2011
4:53 pm
I smell a false blogger.
sandman053
January 17th, 2011
4:53 pm
@ Neal, not that it matters any the way the NCAA acts about rules and making them up as you go, but I believe there is some restrictions on those NFL guys interacting with potential student-athletes. Another reason we don’t have Hershel, Mo Mass, H. Ward, and others “helping” with our recruiting.
bigtime
January 17th, 2011
4:53 pm
TWO WEEKS , TWO DAYS AND THE MADNESS WILL BE OVER……until 2012 heats up !
sandman053
January 17th, 2011
4:54 pm
lol bigtime….I know what you mean. Is it crazy that I check this site more often than my bank account?
DAWG3B
January 17th, 2011
4:56 pm
i check this site way to much.. good stuff!!
DawginOH
January 17th, 2011
4:56 pm
Right there with ya, sandman. Not crazy at all.
bigtime
January 17th, 2011
4:57 pm
sandman053….lol….This year has been the craziest recruiting year ever without a doubt. Recruiting is a way for us football junkies to make it through the offseason .
rincon dawg
January 17th, 2011
4:57 pm
Feb.2 is the day crowell see s richardsons shadow and sighns with uga
bigtime
January 17th, 2011
4:59 pm
7576Dawg…….Check and see how many players that Nick Saban has in the NFL. That is the key here.
Brown Dog
January 17th, 2011
5:01 pm
Rincon: ”At least one of us will have some relief . . .”
D A DoubleU G
January 17th, 2011
5:01 pm
I do not remember a recruiting year that has stressed me out like this before.
I guess in a year of urgency, and a stockpile of recruits like this, we all see what they could do if they banded together. It sucks that they all want to be individual prima donnas and milk it for all it’s worth. But who can blame them.
But I truly feel come Feb 2, we will feel better about the ship, and feel likeit may actually have a destination in sight.
dawgster
January 17th, 2011
5:03 pm
@Brown Dog…to your point about the same coach not being in place next year could apply to any school, maybe for different reasons, but still these kids know that anything is possible with coaches moving to other schools and the NFL…I believe we are going to be safe with Crowell, the others are going to go down to the wire…go dawgs..
DAWG3B
January 17th, 2011
5:06 pm
this is my first year following recruiting like this and i dont think ive ever been this stressed.. its awesome though.. cant wait til next year!
sandman053
January 17th, 2011
5:06 pm
DA double if this class is as good as I think it is, then on G-Day stop by Creswell Circle for some complimentary beverages…
JAWJeRDAWG
January 17th, 2011
5:08 pm
Signing John Jenkins is a must. Without a big NT to plug the middle of our DL, UGA’s defense won’t likely improve. … And with Houston leaving for the NFL draft, once Ray Drew learns CTG’s defensive scheme, he should be a more-than-adequate replacement. … Hope we get them both. Go Dawgs!
D A DoubleU G
January 17th, 2011
5:09 pm
I cannot wait for G-Day regardless.
I am sick of looking at this ice, and am feigning for some Dogwood Blooms on North Campus.
I think regardless if we sign a big time class or come up short on most of these kids, we will ALL be relieved for Feb 2nd to come and go.
bigtime
January 17th, 2011
5:09 pm
sandman053……..get ready to drink , this will be a top 5 class across the board on all recruiting sites.
Brooksdawg
January 17th, 2011
5:11 pm
Lowndes25–If you are out there, I heard from a business owner down in Griffin–over the weekend that….Dickson was swayed to Bama—under the table. Any rumors/truth to that?? From your inside perspective of course.
RichmondDawg
January 17th, 2011
5:11 pm
There is so much talent in the state this year that recruiting has been crazier than usual. Probably the best group out of GA in years.
sandman053
January 17th, 2011
5:12 pm
bigtime, I’m always ready to drink and to travel to Athens…two of my favorite things.
1eyedJack
January 17th, 2011
5:13 pm
Guys, as much as I love recruiting and guessing which recruit will have the bigger impact, it’s the seniors that are going to determine our season. Leadership is the key. Something I feel we’ve been lacking lately. And some tough taskmasters.
7576DAWG
January 17th, 2011
5:13 pm
bigtime
The ESPN web site say’s Alabama has 29 active players and UGA has 40. Not quite twice but considerably more.
Brown Dog
January 17th, 2011
5:14 pm
Dawgster, I agree to a point that uncertainty flows in a lot of direction. But Georgia is in a different place. The AD has drawn his lines. You’ve seen how this board is. The school had its first losing record in forever.
That leaves us with one pretty strong assumption: Georgia and Mark Richt have more riding on this class than any of the last decade. And even if he closes strong, he has to win next year or he doesn’t control his fate.
By the way, I was surprised by the sudden show of confidence on the Bama side about IC. I still think he goes to Athens. But what do any of us really know?
sandman053
January 17th, 2011
5:15 pm
1eyedJack, from what oI’ve heard out of Athens, Coach T is making them boys throw up there breakfast and really reach down and check to see if they’ve got what it takes. I think the taskmaster has arrived in Athens.
GriffDawg
January 17th, 2011
5:15 pm
Craig Haubert from ESPN thinks Ray Drew is going to Auburn; he said it last week on ESPNU’s recruiting show. Hope he is wrong. We will see…go dawgs.
Brown Dog
January 17th, 2011
5:17 pm
Brooksdawg: Oh for heaven’s sake. Look at the names on the UA commitment list. We’re happy to have XD, but he’s not that important. Given the talent coming to Tuscaloosa, no kid is.
Bull
January 17th, 2011
5:19 pm
Chip,
I know you are busy but it would be nice if you were a little more interactive on the blog. I’ve read many great questions and comments from readers that go unanswered. It may take less than a minute to respond. And what happened to the mailbox? Thx
bigtime
January 17th, 2011
5:20 pm
7576DAWG……You’re not counting Saban’s players at LSU. Add those and he would surpass that number.You can say Bama because Mike Shula couldn’t recruit a girl scout to sell cookies !! Count the Saban players in the NFL.
bigtime
January 17th, 2011
5:21 pm
you *can’t* say
sandman053
January 17th, 2011
5:21 pm
lol @ Shula not being able to recruit a girl scout to sell cookies…that’s pretty funny right there.
Brooksdawg
January 17th, 2011
5:24 pm
Brown Dog…I am not here to start anything—thats not my style…I agree UA does not need to stoop to that level…I was just wanting to know what Lowndes25 has heard—it was the Dickson committ that he was positive about….and has not been back on since. But that is what was said this weekend.
1eyedJack
January 17th, 2011
5:24 pm
That’s good to hear sandman053. I hope Thomas Brown gets in there with ‘em and embarasses some people. Shared hardship is good for a football TEAM.
BG
January 17th, 2011
5:27 pm
GO DAWGS! Come on down Mr. Drew and Mr. Jenkins!!
7576DAWG
January 17th, 2011
5:27 pm
The biggest change that I want to see out of CMR in 2011 is to simplify the play book so the Freshmen can play early. They will pick up the blocking assignments later . Freshmen and first year players will play their a## off and that will make the juniors and seniors play harder when they get into the game in fear they will ride the bench. We played more freshmen in 2010 than in past years but as bad as we did as a team I would have played a lot more. Let the incoming class of recruits know that they will not get red shirted if at all possible, AND MEAN IT.
Brown Dog
January 17th, 2011
5:27 pm
Brooks: Fair enough. Given Saban’s track record as a recruiter wherever he’s been — and he’s been a lot of places! — doesn’t lend much credence to the idea that he must stoop to conquer.
Good luck with the rest of your class.
Bull
January 17th, 2011
5:33 pm
@Brookadawg I’ve talked with Lowndes and he confirmed that point about X Dickson. His dad had his hand out since last summer, similar to Cecil Newton but before all this happened. Dickson switched to bama and its believed bama boosters came through with something under the table….hence the “coin flip” stuff. Puts everything into better perspective now after the fact. Dickson wanted to go to UGA his dad was the problem. Auburn is an even bigger problem in the grand scheme of things in the recruiting world. All the late push Auburn recruits like crowell is just one example
Brooksdawg
January 17th, 2011
5:37 pm
Brown Dog…If I had a stud DE for a kid…I would want him to learn from Saban too… I actually grew up playing baseball with XD’s dad Anthony in Griffin…He was one helluva pitcher in his day..
Good Luck to your team too—please beat AU next year and shut them up!
Lowndes25
January 17th, 2011
5:38 pm
Dickson will be a dawg on signing day. Thats where he wants to be
gotta go
January 17th, 2011
5:39 pm
Funny
I get as excited as anyone else over recruiting but these two guys are no more capable of saving Richt than George Brewer was of saving Goff. (young guys, Brewer was the Drew of 1989)
dawgster
January 17th, 2011
5:42 pm
@Bull..i hope you are wrong about the under the table stuff…we know there were some things with Newton and his dad that still hasn’t been resolved, whether Au is involved or not…but i would caution on putting out some rumors at this point, about any school…hopefully it didn’t come down to that with these players, maybe i’m living under a rock, but i hope thats not whats going on at any school…If some of that is going on, then i’m sure some recruits may be tempted but i have to hope that most of them are smarter than that, but who knows…go dawgs
Brooksdawg
January 17th, 2011
5:44 pm
Bull…I was just asking about what I was told…I grew up in Griffin—played ball with his dad….It didnt shock me when I was told that (not that Saban had a hand in it)…but I will say this–Saban is a great defensive mind–I would want my kid to play for him too…But as a DAWG, I would want him to stay home and help out the home team.
RichmondDawg
January 17th, 2011
5:44 pm
Neither of the Alabama schools can afford another pay to play scandal, and I hope these rumors aren’t true. It would kill the SEC, and hurt my dawgs as well. I have never heard anything about Saban being involved in this sort of nonsense, but these da@# boosters are another story. They are a pox on the houses of all the traditional football powers, regardless of conference.
Axlrodes
January 17th, 2011
5:45 pm
Of all the interviews i have read, i have to say that this kid Ray Drew is a true Standout. It appears they broke the mold with this guy. physically gifted – that is obvious, but he has a murity about him that is just as obvious. When he speaks, he doesn’t sound like some kid skating by on his talent, he sounds like a young man who has a real perspective on this life.
you can credit that to his family, his faith, his teachers, or what have you. but this is an outstanding individual, and i would be proud have him wear my alma mater’s colors. personally, he is #1 on my recruiting wish list