IT’S OFFICIAL: Josh Harvey-Clemons signs with UGA on the day after

After Josh Harvey-Clemons committed to UGA on national TV (pictured), his grandfather -- and legal guardian -- isn't ready to sign yet (AP Photo/The Valdosta Daily Times, Ed Hooper)

BREAKING: 8:50 a.m Thursday: Josh Harvey-Clemons’ letter of intent arrived at UGA this morning, according to UGA spokesperson Claude Felton.

Recruiting is considered to be “Soap Operas for Men” — and there’s a good one going on in Georgia.

Josh Harvey-Clemons, ranked the state’s No. 1 overall prospect by ESPN, committed to UGA on national TV but his grandfather – who is also his legal guardian – reportedly won’t sign off on the scholarship papers.

“Everyone has to sign, you know?” Josh’s uncle, Roy Hart, told the AJC around 3 p.m. Wednesday. “But he’s going to sign, from what I understand.”

 Loading ...

Josh has to get the approval of 51-year-old Woodrow Clemons, who has become almost as famous as his 5-star grandson throughout the recruiting process. Both of Josh’s parents are deceased. Clemons is a quote machine and has a lot of unique stories to tell, like the time Mark Richt went to jail to recruit. Or when he brought along Will Muschamp and Mark Richt as his church visitors.

More from Hart:

Did Woodrow want Josh to sign somewhere else than UGA? “Oh, I … (long pause) I don’t know. I would be speculating.”

Was the family surprised that Josh picked up the UGA hat? “I think a lot of us were surprised.”

Where did the family think Josh was going? “I don’t really know. Personally, I thought it would be down to Florida and Florida State. I thought it was coming down to those two. I’m saying that because of the drive and closeness to those two schools.”

Do you think Josh will sign somewhere on Wednesday? “I don’t know. I don’t know where his grandfather is. He has kind of been missing in action, so to speak. I can’t get him on the telephone.’

Richt apparently thought it was a “done deal.” Here’s what he said about Harvey-Clemons on ESPNU during its live recruiting broadcast:

“I’m sure glad he became a Bulldog. He’s a great kid and he’s so versatile. He can play inside linebacker, outside linebacker, he can rush the passer and, quite frankly, he’s quite a wide receiver, too.”

Richt may have committed an NCAA secondary violation by commenting on a prospective student-athlete before the college both received and approved his letter-of-intent.

Check back for updates soon.

• UPDATE at 5:29 p.m. Hart and other family members have been unable to reach Woodrow: “I guess he’s sort of gone AWOL on us. But I know he’s going to support Josh with his decision. I just feel that way. I don’t know. I just feel like it’s a matter of time before Woodrow signs it. I don’t feel like it’s going to be a bombshell, and he’s not going to sign it.”

• UPDATE at 5:55 p.m.: UGA’s athletic offices have closed for the day. The Bulldogs sent out an official list of 2012 signees – without the name of Josh Harvey-Clemons on the list. UGA spokesperson Claude Felton said he did not know if any more letters-of-intent would be coming over the fax machine on Wednesday. “We’re not going to be just sitting here overnight. If anything was to come up, I’m sure they would call one of the coaches and, in that case, they would come over here and get it. I’m sure they would call me at that point. But, no, there’s not going to be people standing at the fax machine overnight.” Felton declined to speculate on Wednesday on whether Richt had committed an NCAA secondary violation for commenting on a prospective student-athlete before his letter-of-intent had been both received and approved by UGA. “That really would be another area. There’s really nobody here that can make a comment on that. Everybody is gone.”
• UPDATE at 10:45 p.m. A family member said that Josh and his grandfather were not spotted at Wednesday night’s church services at Mt. Calvary Baptist Church. They’re both regulars. You might have heard of that church before because that’s where both Will Muschamp and Mark Richt were church visitors. “Nothing new.”

Check back for updates on Thursday

– By Michael Carvell, AJC Recruiting Blog

Got an item? mcarvell@ajc.com

• So much is happening so fast. Have you missed anything over the last few days? Catch up with our feed by CLICKING HERE
• BOOKMARK the NEW AJC Recruiting homepage here
• Want to see a list of all the players in the state of Georgia who have either been offered by or are committed to D1 schools? It’s looong. Go here.

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