Vanderbilt football recruits from Georgia react to confrontation with UGA
Loading ...The postgame confrontation between Vanderbilt coach James Franklin and UGA defensive coordinator Todd Grantham appears to be a positive for Vanderbilt’s recruiting efforts.
The Atlanta area is prime recruiting territory for Vanderbilt, which has six of its 17 commitments from the state of Georgia. All six of them crossed over the state line for last Saturday’s game, and were on the Vanderbilt sidelines to witness the confrontation.
“You know, Georgia won the game fair and square but they didn’t really show that much class about it,” Stephenson linebacker Darreon Herring told the AJC. “To be honest, I think Mark Richt should’ve handled the situation a little better than he did. The whole game, the Georgia DBs were talking trash, pointing fingers and taunting the Vanderbilt sidelines. I just feel like Georgia didn’t have that much discipline.”
“Yes, Vanderbilt was right to step up after all of that. They disrespected our head coach with all the taunting toward the sidelines and dancing on the Vanderbilt star in the middle of the field. Georgia should’ve just shook hands after the game and left it like that.”
Stephenson LB Darreon Herring is one of 6 players from Georgia committed to Vanderbilt, including 5 that were on the sidelines at the end of Saturday's game (AJC)
Tucker linebacker Jacob Sealand said, “I respected the way Vanderbilt played, even with Georgia having several personal fouls. Vandy didn’t react to any of them. They didn’t get any personal fouls. Coach Franklin said he is going to coach with class and if we’re going to win, we’re going to win with class. I think that’s something that everybody can respect.”
Sealand said he felt like running on the field in support of his future college coach. “Honestly, it got my heart pumping, and I know with a lot of the recruits around me, it got their hearts pumping, too. It gave me a lot of pride about Vanderbilt and made me realize how much I love that school already without being up there yet. Coach Franklin has won his players over, and has already won me over, too.”
East Paulding defensive lineman LaDarius Banks, “Honestly, I liked the confrontation. I’m all for getting after it. At a certain point, though, it’s college football and you’re supposed to conduct yourselves accordingly. As of right now, there are a lot of players on Vanderbilt’s team from Georgia, and what happened on Saturday is going to stir up a good rivalry over the next few years.”
Banks met with Franklin after the game. “I can’t really explain how Coach Frankin was … OK, he was [angry]. All the other coaches were trying to calm him down. Everybody was fired up about what happened.”
Tucker DE Josh Dawson is committed to Vanderbilt but still being pursued by UGA (AJC photo by Michael Carvell)
UGA is still actively recruiting Tucker defensive end Josh Dawson, who committed to Vanderbilt last summer. Dawson, who was at the game, said, “There were a lot of emotions from the game and when they got the two teams together afterwards, it got out of hand for a second but that was about it … I think it showed people that Coach Franklin and Vanderbilt are not going to back down from anybody.”
Shiloh defensive end Stephen Weatherly and Buford defensive back Paris Head, who are both committed to Vanderbilt, were also there on Saturday, along with two of Georgia’s top uncommitted prospects – Stephenson linebacker Raphael Kirby and Liberty County tailback Shadrach Thornton. Both Kirby and Thornton were on official visits to Vanderbilt. The six other Georgia prospects committed to Vanderbilt (Herring, Dawson, Sealand, Weatherly, Head, and Banks) were on unofficial visits.
- Back to Josh Dawson: What is the latest with UGA? He said he talks to UGA recruiting coordinator Rodney Garner on a weekly basis, along with coaches from Clemson and North Carolina every other week. UGA has a scholarship available for Dawson but he is unsure if he will visit the Bulldogs. “I’m going to sit down and talk to my parents about that … probably sometime after the season because my focus right now is not really on recruiting — it’s helping my high school win a state championship,” Dawson told the AJC. Tucker is ranked No. 1 in Class AAAA.
THE DAY’S RECRUITING NEWS
- What did Georgia Tech’s No. 1 recruit think about his visit to Auburn? (click on story link)
- Mt. Pisgah Christian QB Kyle Sloter committed to Tulane on Monday afternoon. Tulane was the only D1 offer for the 6-foot-5 Sloter, who was a “late bloomer” as a college prospect. There were several other schools, including Arkansas, interested in Sloter. “I went up to the UTEP game and they got beat pretty bad but I felt like they could be a good team and that I would have a chance for early playing time,” Sloter told the AJC. “I loved the campus and the academics, and the coaches treated me very well. I felt comfortable and, at the end of the visit, committed because I felt like they wanted me because I was a good player and not because another school wanted me like so many colleges do.”
- Robert Carter talks about his official visit to UGA, along with upcoming trips to Florida State, Florida and Georgia Tech (click on story link)
- Top Auburn football recruit plans visits to FSU, LSU … and maybe UGA (click on story link)
- Brother of Notre Dame star waiting for first offer (click on story link)
- Georgia’s top 2013 prospects to be featured in all-star game on Dec. 30 (click on story link)
– By Michael Carvell, AJC Recruiting Blog
Got an item? mcarvell@ajc.com
- BOOKMARK the NEW AJC Recruiting homepage here
- Have you missed anything over the last few days? Catch up with our feed of the LATEST RECRUITING NEWS
Note: Inappropriate BLOG comments and personal attacks will NOT be tolerated. We love the lively discussions but hate-filled, harassing and irresponsible comments are unacceptable.
Please Follow me on Twitter @RecruitingAJC + Please be my Facebook friend here
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
295 comments Add your comment
WinderDawg
October 17th, 2011
10:56 pm
First…
Vandy who?
October 17th, 2011
10:56 pm
Sad these future Vandy boys did not have enough talent to play on a winning team!
Dawg Vet
October 17th, 2011
11:01 pm
Thank you Herring for stating the truth. It wasn’t Grantham that started this mess but those wannabe gangstas at DB, Shawn Williams and Sanders Commings. I was at the game and they were acting like fools by taunting the Vanderbilt sidelines. They deserve a spanking and to have their mouths washed out with soap.
It's not good
October 17th, 2011
11:02 pm
Funny how these recruits did not see the leg whips by Vandy………..
bitter spoiled recruit
October 17th, 2011
11:02 pm
let the coach’s fight————grantham rules——special teams—offence play—saint richt–stink
It's not good
October 17th, 2011
11:03 pm
Or the cut blocks……….
Mountain Dawg
October 17th, 2011
11:08 pm
Franklin needs to zip his lip. He taunted Williams all night. It will be interesting in Athens next year.
c'mon man
October 17th, 2011
11:10 pm
To think this was one sided is a very blinded view to say the least. Saint Vandy was not innocent in all the fouls. In fact the reaction was getting called and not the original dirty play. Nothing class about how Vandy played so let’s be honest.
Go DAWGS!
Concrete Pete
October 17th, 2011
11:26 pm
BOYS: Either you’re DAWGS or you’re DAWG FOOD! You are gonna get smashed for four straight years. Enjoy Nashville!
TNT
October 17th, 2011
11:30 pm
VANDERBILT IS BUILDING A D@MN FENCEPOST AROUND THE STATE OF GEORGIA FOR RECRUITING
Wally My Butts
October 17th, 2011
11:34 pm
Franklin showed no class by going after a player Woody Hayes style. Grantham was right to stick up for his guys. I hope the replay committee (SEC) gets it right.
Helicopter James (aka Lame Kitten) style recruiting will get some players from the Atlanta area but I doubt that they are very smart if they fall for it. How ironic, not bright and going to Vandy. LOL
Only if those kids knew how...
October 17th, 2011
11:43 pm
hypocrate and instigator franklyn is and he’s definatly “NO SAINT” by any means… Coach Gratham had every reason to be upset at franklyn… vandy players “chop blocking” our defensive unit (very dirty) and then franklyn pointing the finger at some of the Georgia players !! not cool at all on his part. Coach Grantham saw that and he had to put franklyn in his place. GO DAWGS !!!!
Tide Roll fan club
October 17th, 2011
11:47 pm
Where is Tide Roll? I want to see what he has to say about this!
DAWGalum09
October 17th, 2011
11:49 pm
@TNT. no they’re not. That’s almost funny. Vanderbilt will always be garbage. Honestly, Franklin is a crybaby and this story is BEYOND played out. If those kids don’t like it, whatever. I loved it and 90% of the fanbase did too. Oh what, after you win at the last second we should just walk off the field, no emotion?? STAY MAD VANDY.
Now go ask UGA’s recruits what they thought about it. Who cares what Vandy’s recruits think.
Go Dawgs. Stay mad haters
JP
October 17th, 2011
11:51 pm
Way to go Vandy…you got all these idiot rednecks panties in a wad. UGAY has no class and never will, after reading their posts you’ll understand
Who cares
October 17th, 2011
11:59 pm
Who cares? Let em go to Vandy and get their butts kicked for four years.
FRED
October 17th, 2011
11:59 pm
We are not that good to act the way we did.
Who cares
October 18th, 2011
12:03 am
TNT…. lol !!!!!
glacialspeed
October 18th, 2011
12:12 am
Who cares? You will both always lose to Alabama, and we will get our pick of the good Georgia recruits. RTR.
well?
October 18th, 2011
12:13 am
5-2
That’s all i know…….
Go dawgs!
well?
October 18th, 2011
12:15 am
Bama is mortal, remember LSU? and what happened when they lost that invincibility?
There coach left he will do the same as soon as he can’t win.
Mark that down…..
DAWGalum09
October 18th, 2011
12:15 am
like Malcolm Mitchell and Jay Rome right? Worry about Florida State lol jameis winston says whatsup
Say What?
October 18th, 2011
12:16 am
I hope we do make it to the done against Alabama………
to beat them, that would be the win that killed the south!
Say What?
October 18th, 2011
12:17 am
Bama recruiting…..
Need one quarterback……recruit twenty…….alright……..
THE MAJOR
October 18th, 2011
12:20 am
Enter your comments here
Coach Franklin
October 18th, 2011
12:23 am
“Protect us from that mean man.”
Larry Bowie
October 18th, 2011
12:26 am
Vandy recruits are like Vandy players……they have a chip on their shoulders because they were not recruited by UGA. If they ( and some AJC writers) actually bothered to watch video of the entire game they would see:
1. Yes, Shawn Williams took one early cheap shot;
2. Vandy LP No. 38 had a late hit against Xander Ogletree…..then punched Xander in the helmet when Xander pushed him back after the late hit…..Shawn Williams came to step in and the LB hit Shawn in the head….strangely, Shawn got a flag for getting hit in the head.
3. Center for Vandy No. 60 dove at Kwame’s legs from behind…..it could have seriously injured Kwame…the officials knew this and that is why they called the center for “clipping” and did not eject Kwame for hitting the guy.
4. Franklin was yelling at Shawn after the game…..Shawn might have done something after the game, but I do not blame Grantham for getting upset…….when I coached HS football and baseball I would go ape if an opposing coach got on to my guys…….
to sum up, Franklin tried to play up that Vandy “was not going to take it anymore” and his players followed suit…..they more than made up for Shawn’s one late hit……bottom line is that little guys sometimes feel a need to fight to show they are tough.
The Deal
October 18th, 2011
12:26 am
Watch the video. Franklin didn’t point – it was the security guard with him.
Bigdawg
October 18th, 2011
12:26 am
As usual one sided reporting, what did the UGA recruits have to say? Oh well that wouldn’t make any sense to put both sided in your story would it and why can’t the AJC let this story go? Guess there isn’t anything else to find that they can write negativ about the UGA program since they are now on a winning streak. Weak reporting there Mike. Of course the Vanderbilt commits are going to love Coach Franklin and his side of the story, I could have told you that without this lame article.
DAWGalum09
October 18th, 2011
12:31 am
I love how the fanbase isn’t running with this garbage. Funny how we were divided and this has united the fanbase… so really we should thank the media
Big Daddy Jenk
October 18th, 2011
12:31 am
Perhaps Grantham could have defended Williams without becoming so animated, but one thing is now for certain: the UGA defense will run through walls Grantham…….his guys love him for “having Shawn Williams’s back”. Hopefully, it will translate into better play against the Gators.
Dawgtastic
October 18th, 2011
12:34 am
Honestly how many of Vandy’s recruits are we actively recruiting as well?
I don’t give two S#!ts about what vanderbilts 2 and 3 star recruits think about us. They are going to Vandy for a reason, and it aint for the education fellas
Michael Carvell
October 18th, 2011
12:35 am
@Bigdawg, thanks for your comment. The home team gets to bring in recruits for games. This was a road game at Vanderbilt, and Vanderbilt entertained its recruits, including at least seven from Georgia, including five who have committed to Vanderbilt. UGA did not have any recruits there, unless you count Josh Dawson, who is still being courted by UGA. His thoughts are in the above story. I was unable to reach Raphael Kirby, who was on an official visit to Vanderbilt and is also considering a recruiting trip to UGA.
Big Daddy Kane
October 18th, 2011
12:35 am
Speaking of AJC reporting, why didn’t we get some investigative work last season after the UGA – GT game in which the UGA players reported Paul Johnson was taunting them which led to the “pregame festivities”??????
David Polelock
October 18th, 2011
12:36 am
Grantham is nothing but a vulgar foul mouthed thug want to be. He is a perfect fit at uga.
Fred Gibson
October 18th, 2011
12:40 am
Hey Deal, you are completely incorrect….I just watched the video and the security guard/state trooper is holding up his hand to indicate to Richt’s security detail where Franklin is……Franklin clearly was pointing (first with a towel) then with his finger as he yelled at Shawn Williams…..
Wes Durham's Gigantic Bottom
October 18th, 2011
12:41 am
Polelock,
at least Grantham did not tell UGA fans to punch opponents’ fans in face like CPJ did……
Kevin
October 18th, 2011
12:46 am
Asked if he had any regrets about his conduct at the end of the game, Franklin said: “I’m not a guy that really has a whole lot of regrets. I’m pretty calculated, and I’m pretty well thought out with the things I do for the most part. I am an emotional guy, as you guys know.” Well……..I’m not so sure I would want my kid playing for a man that cannot say he’s sorry and that he made a mistake. At least Coach G has apologized and said that this was something that he can learn from. Coach Franklin is a clown, like most of the recruits on the sidelines. Let’s be honest, if any of them had a Georgia offer they would jump at the chance to play in Athens!! Go Dawgs and Coach G!!!!!!
Un-Tank
October 18th, 2011
12:57 am
Franklin and Jim Harbaugh are cut from the same cloth – both spin a good story but neither accepts responsibility for what actually happened. Pathetic.
Red Dog 77
October 18th, 2011
1:02 am
Coach Todd Grantham is exactly the Defensive coach Georgia has lacked since Brian VanGorder left. In fact, he may well be, if given the time, our brand new Erk Russell………Now with Richt focussing on the offense………Grantham is going to put the fear of God back into every SEC teams offense………..And it’s about damn time!!!………..GATA
Mel
October 18th, 2011
1:04 am
Discipline comes from the top. And it’s not coming from anyone at UGA.
Red Dog 77
October 18th, 2011
1:05 am
Hold on a second webmaster!………..My Post was in support of Grantham, not the former, what gives?…………RED
Red Dog 77
October 18th, 2011
1:08 am
What in the world is going on here? my name is being incorrectly posted next to other peoples posts………If you can’t get it right, shut this site down!……….NOW!!!
Red Dog 77
October 18th, 2011
1:11 am
I didnot post about discipline from the top………and you have “Mel’s” name next to my support of coach Todd Grantham…………..WAKE-UP AJC !!!!!……….RED
Red Dog 77
October 18th, 2011
1:14 am
Further I posted nothing about Franklin and Harbaugh………RED
Red Dog 77
October 18th, 2011
1:43 am
I have bad gas.
mama
October 18th, 2011
3:26 am
All of these foolish comments over a Football game, really ? Who cares unless it is LSU or Alabama. Roll Tide.
You have to be really, really smart to even get into Vanderbilt.
Vandy students are more concerned with their grades and their future. They will become the Doctors that you will try to see, perhaps one day they will even hire you for that job you need.
Calm down and go read a book.
Red Dog 77
October 18th, 2011
3:33 am
Is it me saying this or someone else? I cannot tell!
Georgiadunce
October 18th, 2011
3:36 am
Some of you Georgia fans are really inventing things now. Shawn Williams was doing crap the entire game and even when you try to invent any Vanderbilt plays doing anything to them, you’re getting it wrong and completely putting a bs spin on it. Also, Franklin “went after a player”. How stupid are some of you? Are you blind to the actual video that’s everywhere. Franklin AND a security guard pointing a finger, even saying something is not anywhere close to Woody Hayes you dopes. And Grantham’s little “coming to the aid” of a player is a joke too. Williams acted like a fool the entire game and was acting like a fool the end of the game, a coach saying something about it is not a fight, it’s not crying, it’s not doing anything that most coaches won’t do. Grantham’s pathetic overreaction is the only reason you people even have a clue about any of this. Add to it that your own Coach Mark Richt was caught on camera saying your player or your blessed Grantham was a “dumbaxx” right when Franklin was finally able to talk with the head coach instead of some hot head that was a flame out with the crappy Browns years ago. Everyone who was actually at the game saw what Williams was doing throughout and after. No need to try to re-invent history to suit your little needs.
Also, you people are about as stupid as any of the Georgia players that would’ve complained about cut blocking. Glad none of them have to face service academies that cut block routinely or have to play against NFL teams that do it. It’s legal. If it wasn’t legal and apart of the game, there would’ve been more chop blocks called. Heck the only chop block that supposedly happened was where Logan Stewart, No.60, practically fell trying to make a block. The play happened right in front of me, if you revisionists want to say that was intentional, then you probably don’t know much about physics on top of football. Yes, just because you decided to root for some team doesn’t not make you experts in football, and this is obvious by some of your stupid comments, including the one by Columbus.
Also, look at what the scoreboard was, UGa won by 5 points and were lucky not to have VU score on the block punt. I’d stop short of saying that Vanderbilt, with their recruiting getting better every week, is just going to lay down for a Bulldogs program that half of you want the head coach fired and offices cleaned of Athens the second they lose to someone again…and I got news for you, you’[re going to lose to someone again. More than likely in Jacksonville in 2 weeks. I wouldn’t just throw out some crap that Georgia can’t lose to Vanderbilt, when the evidence has been there before that you can…to lesser teams than Vanderbilt is going to potentially have during the time these commitments are in Commodore uniforms.
How can they play for a guy like Franklin? Most of you jokers will want Franklin as your coach come the end of 2012 or 2013, if you haven’t fired Richt by then.
Draggin' Fly
October 18th, 2011
4:13 am
Franklin appears to have a bit of a history as a Drama Queen.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/24/AR2009042402381.html