Will all 19 of UGA’s football signees meet NCAA entrance requirements?

There’s some good news about UGA’s 2012 football recruiting class.

Mark Richt told the AJC that all 19 members are on track to qualify academically and be able to report for football practice this summer.

“Yes, everybody is in the race … everybody is still alive, so that’s a good thing,” Richt said.

Last February, UGA assembled a class of 19 signees, with three enrolling early in college – QB Faton Bauta, RB Keith Marshall and junior college OL Mark Beard.

The remaining 16 are scheduled to report later this summer. For each recruit to be admitted to UGA, they have to meet college entrance requirements, with a qualifying GPA and SAT/ACT score, among other things.

This year, it is more critical than normal that UGA has all of its signees qualify because the Bulldogs signed a small-than-normal class with 19, and they’ve had around 10 players affected by transfers, dismissals and partial suspensions since the end of last season.

Last summer, UGA had 24 of 26 signees from its 2011 class make it to campus. What happened to the other two? LB Kent Turene enrolled in a prep school and was scheduled to sign again with UGA in February. However, Turene was not able to make it through the NCAA Clearinghouse and decided to enroll elsewhere as a partial qualifier.

Meanwhile, DT Chris Mayes enrolled at Gulf Coast (Miss.) junior college and has committed to UGA for 2013.

After Mayes reported to junior college last summer, Richt admitted that he knew that was the likely scenario all along.

When was asked if there was 2012 signee in the same situation as Mayes, with UGA’s coaches knowing well in advance that a specific recruit won’t qualify, Richt said “No … We’re expecting everybody to report.”

WHILE WAITING FOR CINCO DE MAYO …

• Nick Saban FINALLY addresses Justin Taylor controversy, his Michael Jackson ball marker
• College football’s biggest names (Nick Saban, Urban Meyer, Jimbo Fisher) give their opinions on the impending four-team playoffs
• Will all 19 of UGA’s football signees meet NCAA entrance requirements?
• 14-year-old middle schooler (yes, that’s correct) gets two high D1 scholarship offers
• Georgia Tech coach has restrictions AGAINST transfer to UGA but …
• Do you agree with UGA’s Mark Fox on this …?

WHEN DOES FOOTBALL  SEASON START?

• Who is the state’s best prospect at QB? (And Georgia is LOADED this year)
• More Tony Parker fallout … and UGA’s “Plan B”
  
• Georgia Tech legacy has change of heart, lists UGA as co-leader with archenemy
• Have you ever seen “The Blind Side” movie?
• AAU basketball coach delivers two Georgia prospects to UCLA
  
• Surprise: OL transfer Max Garcia goes with Florida over early frontrunner UGA
• Coach blames HIS WIFE for NCAA violation
• New SEC school does something B-I-G to get attention of Georgia recruits
• Robert Nkemdiche: Did Ole Miss sign his brother to get consensus No. 1 prospect?
• Recruiting REWIND: RB Kenyan Drake reflects on Nick Saban, signing with Alabama over UGA & Tech
  
• This kid might commit to UGA … at any minute

AJC’S INSTANT RECRUITING CLASSICS

• Jordan Jenkins: UGA-bound DE was “big fish that got away” from Nick Saban, Alabama
• Mark Richt and Paul Johnson: Sales pitches to the state’s loaded 2013 class of football recruits
• “The story that won’t go away” … Alabama’s grayshirt scandal

– By Michael Carvell, AJC Recruiting Blog

Got an item? mcarvell@ajc.com

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