Archive for May, 2011

UGA OL Dallas Lee (right, white shirt) would've liked to have played in college with his little brother, but ultimately wanted what Dillon to do what he felt was the best situation for himself (AJC photo by Michael Carvell)

Dillon Lee called the head coaches of his four finalists before announcing his commitment to Alabama on Monday evening.

The 6-foot-4, 210-pound linebacker picked Alabama over Florida State, while UGA and USC tied for third. He called the head coaches of the respective schools (and was unable to reach USC’s Lane Kiffin).

Nick Saban’s reaction? “He was excited.” Did he have anything witty or funny to say? “No, not really. But he was really excited. I don’t think he’s the type to jump up and down.”

How did UGA’s Mark Richt take the news? “I said ‘Coach, I’m committing today and I’m not coming to the University of Georgia.’ Then I told him Alabama. Coach Richt said ‘That’s great. Coach Saban has a great program there. Best of luck.’”

Lee made numerous …

Continue reading Dillon Lee commits to Alabama over UGA, FSU and USC (UPDATED) »

The Cinderella story of this year’s March Madness beat out much bigger schools again this weekend — this time for one of Georgia’s top 2012 college basketball prospects.

Lovejoy High School’s Justin Tuoyo said he committed to VCU over Virginia Tech and Memphis, among others.

How did Virginia Commonwealth do it? A lot of it had to do with the star power of the team’s coach, Shaka Smart.

VCU's Shaka Smart can celebrate a big recruiting victory in Georgia (AP photo)

“We had a great relationship once we started talking,” Tuoyo told the AJC. “My mom liked him. We have a good relationship with the entire coaching staff. They are really good and they really wanted me. They recruited me harder than anybody, so that’s why I picked them over the other schools.”

The 6-foot-9, 205-pound Tuoyo said he was offered by ex-Georgia Tech coach Paul Hewitt, but didn’t know exactly where he stood with new coach Brian Gregory. “I haven’t talked to Georgia Tech in a few weeks,” …

Continue reading Basketball recruiting notebook: Shaka with the shocker with Georgia recruit »

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It’s “Decision Day” for one of Georgia’s most-heavily recruited college football prospects for 2012.

Buford linebacker Dillon Lee, the younger brother of UGA offensive lineman Dallas Lee, is scheduled to announce on Monday evening whether he will also play for the Bulldogs — or pick one of his other three finalists of Florida State, Alabama and USC.

The 6-foot-4, 220-pound Lee told the AJC on Sunday night that he still hadn’t finalized his college decision.

“I drew up a list with my family,” Lee said. “My brother is home from college for the month of May. We have a compare-and-contrast sheet of my final schools and I’m getting ready to make my decision on Monday.”

When asked what were some of the deciding factors on his list, Lee said things such as the overall college environment and his relationship with the football coaches, while also adding, …

Continue reading Decision Day: Will Dillon Lee join brother at UGA? Or commit to FSU, Alabama or USC? »

Tucker LB Jacob Sealand at Vanderbilt (Special photo)

One of Georgia’s top linebacker prospects committed to Vanderbilt on Sunday.

Tucker High School’s Jacob Sealand said he pledged to Vanderbilt over Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, Purdue, and North Carolina.

“It was the best overall choice anyone could make, especially for myself,” Sealand told the AJC. “I’ve always put education first. I feel like with Vandy, I don’t have to settle for a sub-par education just to join a winning program.

“I feel like I can go to Vanderbilt, help turn the program around, and be a part of a winning team that will compete for SEC championships — along with getting a world-class education.”

What about UGA and Georgia Tech? Sealand said there was reciprocal interest in both in-state schools, but neither had offered an early scholarship.

“That was fine,” Sealand said. “I know I didn’t want to stay in the state for college. I’ve lived in Georgia my whole life. I’ve seen almost everything Georgia has to …

Continue reading Tucker LB Jacob Sealand commits to Vanderbilt over Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, UNC, others »

What do I REALLY think? Richt has been "unplugged" in Bulldog Club Meetings (AJC photo)

There’ something about the Georgia Bulldog Club meetings that seems to bring out “the edge” in UGA football coach Mark Richt.

The normally cool and calm (and almost always “politically correct) Richt from press conferences and halftime TV interviews … well, that guy morphs into a different person in Q&A sessions with his fanbase.

Richt was asked about the controversial issue of “oversigning” this week in Greenville, S.C.

“Oversigning” is when a college signs more recruits than it has scholarships available. There’s an entire website dedicated to the hotley-debated issue at oversigning.com

Richt was very opinionated on the topic, reported UGASports.com’s Anthony Dasher (go here to read the full article):

“If you sign a class, you can only bring in as many as you have room for, so let’s say you have 85 on scholarship and let’s say you have 15 seniors graduating. Well, there’s only 15 more …

Continue reading UGA coach Mark Richt sounds off on controversial recruiting issue of ‘oversigning’ »

Josh Holsey was "in shock" after UGA offer (AJC photo by Michael Carvell)

[UPDATE: UGA offered Henry County DE Dalvin Tomlinson (6-3, 270) on Friday afternoon. Tomlinson was offered earlier in the day by Florida and ... Harvard]

As it turned out, one of the state’s top defensive backs won’t have to wait until UGA’s summer camp to try to earn a football scholarship offer from the Bulldogs.

UGA recruiting coordinator Rodney Garner traveled to Creekside High School on Wednesday to extend an offer to Josh Holsey, one of the state’s hottest college football prospects with 24 early offers.

“I was just in shock; I didn’t really think Georgia was going to offer me,” Holsey told the AJC. “It feels great.”

During his spring break last month, Holsey made unofficial visits to several schools, including UGA. He held around 10 offers when he arrived at Georgia, and had high hopes on adding another with the Bulldogs, his childhood favorite.

There was even speculation that Holsey would commit …

Continue reading Surprise! Georgia DB won’t have to audition for scholarship offer at UGA summer camp »

Columbia coach Mario Allen (center) with two of the state's top 2012 prospects: WR Keithon Redding (left) and DE Jhaustin Thomas (AJC photo by Michael Carvell)

[UPDATE: UGA offered Henry County DE Dalvin Tomlinson (6-3, 270) on Friday afternoon. Tomlinson was offered earlier in the day by Florida and ... Harvard]

One of Georgia’s most-heavily recruited wide receivers was offered by Georgia Tech on Friday, according to his high school coach.

Columbia High School’s Keithon Redding said Georgia Tech was offer No. 19.

“I was waiting to see how long it was going to take them; Georgia Tech called me this morning and said they wanted to extend an offer,” Columbia coach Mario Allen told the AJC.”Georgia Tech likes Keithon because they want a kid who can stretch the field vertically with speed, who is tough and physical, who runs good routes and who is a local kid.”

The 6-foot, 190-pound Redding said he was surprised with the news from his coach. “I didn’t think that Georgia Tech …

Continue reading Columbia High WR Keithon Redding says Georgia Tech is offer No. 19 »

UGA, FSU, Alabama or USC coaches might join Dillon Lee (center) in doing backflips after the elite LB announces his college decision on Monday (AJC photo)

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Dillon Lee is a candidate to be the state’s No. 1-ranked college football prospect at linebacker for 2012.

He’s also the younger brother of UGA offensive lineman Dallas Lee.

The 6-foot-4, 220-pounder from Buford High School confirmed to the AJC that he will announce on Monday whether he will join his brother with the Bulldogs — or commit to one of his three other finalists of Alabama, Florida State and USC.

Here’s Lee on Wednesday night with quick hits on his final four:

• Florida State: “I really like the campus and whole environment there in Tallahassee.”
• Alabama: “I really like what they do on defense. I like their defensive coaches and the defensive system they have.”
• Southern Cal: “That has …

Continue reading Brother of UGA lineman will pick between Bulldogs, Alabama, Florida State and USC (UPDATED) »

Sad news out of the recruiting world.

Aaron Douglas, who was projected to start at offensive tackle for Alabama, was found dead on Thursday morning in Jacksonville, Fla., according to al.com:

Fernandina Beach police chief James Hurley was asked by a reporter in Florida if Douglas’ death could be a drug and alcohol overdose. “That would be the preliminary guess,” Hurley said. “But it’s just a guess. There was no obvious trauma or cause of death that was obvious to us, nothing that would be fatal. It’s a suspicion at this point.”

His last Tweet was on Wednesday evening, according to his Twitter account.

Douglas was one of the nation’s top 2011 recruits out of junior college this past year, signing with Alabama in December. He enrolled at Alabama in January.

He was from the Knoxville, Tenn., area and began his college career at Tennessee, earning freshman All-America honors in 2009.  More on his background from the Knoxville News:

Douglas blossomed on the offensive line as …

Continue reading Alabama football player Aaron Douglas found dead in Florida (UPDATED) »

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Did Georgia try to make a preemptive strike against Georgia Tech by being the first of archrivals to offer one of the state’s top college prospects for 2012?

“Yes, that’s what I was kind of thinking,” said Charles Mann, the 6-foot-5, 193-pound point guard from Union Grove High School.

“I mean, both schools were recruiting me all along, especially Georgia. But I hadn’t talked to Georgia for about two weeks until last Sunday. And they hadn’t been talking as if they were about to offer very soon … but on Sunday, they did. It definitely caught me off guard in a good way. I was very impressed. Now I don’t know what to think.”

Mann speculates that the timing of UGA’s Mother’s Day offer may have something to do with his impending unofficial visit to Georgia Tech, his childhood favorite. Mann made that recruiting trip to the campus of the Yellow Jackets on Wednesday and was, as …

Continue reading One of Georgia’s top 2012 prospects visits Georgia Tech, gets scholarship offer »