UGA football signee forced to delay enrollment
UGA signed 19 in February (AJC)
John Atkins did not report with other UGA 2012 recruits on Monday because he has yet to meet college entrance requirements.
“I’m not at UGA yet; I’m a little disappointed but I know there’s a plan for everything,” Atkins told the AJC on Monday evening.
The 6-foot-4, 325-pounder from Thomson High School signed with UGA as part of the 19-member class last February. The defensive lineman was likely to be red-shirted this season with the Bulldogs.
Atkins said he is only “one point away” from a qualifying ACT score.
“I’m going to get it [the test score], and I feel like I can get it,” Atkins said. “I’m going to tutoring all week on how to take it. I’ll be ready for it.”
In the meantime, Atkins will be doing training and conditioning drills with his former high school teammates at Thomson. He said he expects to qualify and report to UGA on July 9 for the second session of summer school.
What if Atkins doesn’t make the test score? Atkins said he has already talked with UGA’s coaches about attending one of three junior colleges, including Georgia Military.
Also, Dodge County High School linebacker Leonard Floyd told the AJC on Monday evening that he will meet with his school counselor to review a final grade in class he needed for his transcript. “I made an A in the class … I’m hoping to be at Georgia this week, and if not this week, then next week.” Floyd said he has not discussed the options of prep schools or juniors colleges with UGA.
Last month, UGA coach Mark Richt told the AJC he felt good about the chances of the entire class qualifying, saying “everybody is in the race.”
THE LATEST HEADLINES
- UGA football signee forced to delay enrollment
- FOUR! UGA lands 1-2-3-4 commits at WR for 2013 class
- UGA QB’s brother picks … Bulldogs
- Kevin Robbins turns down NFL father’s school for Tech
- Georgia Tech FLIPS commitment of 4-star LB
- Nick Saban shares stamps; Recruit gets 52 letters in ONE DAY from Georgia Tech
- College prospects are being watched … on Facebook and Twitter
- How would you grade UGA’s 2013 class so far?
- Did UGA hire Robert Nkemdiche’s coach to get No. 1 prospect??
- Will Alabama flip the commitment of UGA’s top recruit??
- Mark Richt and Paul Johnson discuss Facebook and Twitter
- Is Alabama’s serious flirtation with UGA’s prized QB recruit … over?
- UGA offers top prospect after initially saying he was … “too weak”
- Mark Richt has a little secret
- Will Alabama sign BOTH of Georgia’s top football prospects?
WHEN DOES FOOTBALL SEASON START?
- Robert Nkemdiche: No. 1 prospect officially delays his college decision
- Nick Saban on his Georgia recruiting success: “Well, I still have a home in Georgia”
- Who is the state’s best prospect at QB? (And Georgia is LOADED this year)
– By Michael Carvell, AJC Recruiting Blog
- 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 the top 125 prospects state of Georgia who signed with D1 schools? It’s looong. Go here.
Got an item? mcarvell@ajc.com
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236 comments Add your comment
option smoption
June 4th, 2012
6:29 pm
first?
Rick James
June 4th, 2012
6:34 pm
Best of luck John..
option smoption
June 4th, 2012
6:35 pm
He’s listed as a 3 star DT on rivals. We can afford to have a DT spend some time getting his grades up. We need all the OL we can get. GO DAWGS!
1eyedJack
June 4th, 2012
6:36 pm
Well, that’s terrible. What’s the hangup with Floyd?
T-from The T
June 4th, 2012
6:37 pm
Im from Thomson he needs some time 2 work out anyway. He is a good player and hw will make the grade good luck Big john
Dawg Fan
June 4th, 2012
6:40 pm
Journalism at it finest!!!
Nothing like leaving your readers hanging. What’s up with Leonard Floyd?
GT = Wide Receiver U
June 4th, 2012
6:44 pm
LOL…..he can’t make the MINIMUM requirement on his ACT?!? Classic.
OC_Dawg
June 4th, 2012
6:46 pm
Floyd was one credit shy or something like that.
1eyedJack
June 4th, 2012
6:46 pm
Nothing worse than being teased with a link that requires membership.
A person SMART enough to know.....
June 4th, 2012
6:47 pm
He can always come wrestle in the basement with me and Todd if he doesn’t make the score.
GT = 10 time loser to Mark Richt
June 4th, 2012
6:50 pm
lol. Tech still sucks.
Game Changer
June 4th, 2012
6:51 pm
So the 2012 class is really 15 scholarship players. What a Frecking Joke
Nick Saban
June 4th, 2012
6:53 pm
This is why you oversign
Paul in NH
June 4th, 2012
6:56 pm
Good luck to Atkins. Hopefully he’ll get his eligibility.
Delbert D.
June 4th, 2012
7:02 pm
Maybe he should try the SAT.
slydog
June 4th, 2012
7:06 pm
“Big Crimson 75
June 4th, 2012
6:50 pm
What’s the hangup with Floyd ??
He’s illiterate, that’s the hangup!!!!
He was tutored by Al Pinkens!!!”
Wow, Bama/Tech imposter is a class act.
Delbert D.
June 4th, 2012
7:09 pm
@Nick That’s right, and at this point the coach would be telling the 77th ranked center with a 3.6 GPA that he needs to grayshirt or walk on.
Wet Willie...keep on smiling
June 4th, 2012
7:11 pm
Give the guy a break. The folks at his HS should have been on top of this way before now. Best of luck to both players.
GT = 10 time loser to Mark Richt
June 4th, 2012
7:12 pm
Here a poser, there a poser, everywhere a Bammer poser. Nerds are so pathetic they have to pose as Bammers to talk trash. What a sad group of losers.
Delbert D.
June 4th, 2012
7:22 pm
That wasn’t a real tweet from Nick Saban? Shoot.
Ptc Dawg
June 4th, 2012
7:29 pm
Nothing reading the classy comments on here.
Ptc Dawg
June 4th, 2012
7:31 pm
I will add that GT was recruiting him too, along with many others…..
Bama Boy
June 4th, 2012
7:34 pm
Its been like this since the 40’s,If you can play football at UGA they will find a way for you to pass!
kerryb
June 4th, 2012
7:47 pm
Bama Boy
June 4th, 2012
7:34 pm
Its been like this since the 40’s,If you can play football at UGA they will find a way for you to pass!
__________________________________________________________________
You know why Bama doesn’t have that many players from Alabama on their roster? Because not many of those toothless trailer park trash can qualify.
Fan
June 4th, 2012
7:48 pm
Wrong Bama Boy. If a player can’t qualify academically, UGA kicks them out. Try looking at Bama’s academics. Go troll your own message boards.
kerryb
June 4th, 2012
7:50 pm
I believe that we have sent a number to Junior college or Prep School that couldn’t pass so that comment was pretty stupid and baseless.
kerryb
June 4th, 2012
7:50 pm
Enter your comments here
Dawgmess
June 4th, 2012
7:52 pm
Atkins was also recruited by Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Massachusetts, Tennessee, and others. Every one of you would’ve eaten boogers and slapped your mama to have him commit to your team, – but now you’re trashing him ’cause he’s a point shy on his ACTS score. Good grief! Grow up!
intheknow
June 4th, 2012
7:57 pm
The Bama fans on here taking shots at UGA are delusional. Bama’ s been doctoring the transcrips of their athletes since the sixty’s. Ninety percent of the players that played for Bryant couldn’t even put a gramatically correct sentence together and nothings changed today…..just read some of their fans blogs and get ready to start laughing….their all dumb as Forest Gump!
ATL
June 4th, 2012
8:00 pm
Deceiving headline. You made it sound like Richt pulled a Saban.
Crimson Crush
June 4th, 2012
8:00 pm
@kerryb
If they can’t get an okay from the NCAA Clearinghouse to start school you had NO CHOICE but to place them in junior college or prep school . If they slid past that incredibly low hurdle … all bets are off .
I have no problem with that because sign and place WAS common for almost every program in the SEC before Slive let the Big 10 and others talk him into slamming that door on young men . I am just letting you know that the practice of sign and place is not the refutation of what happened once on campus that you seemed to think it was ….
We Run the East
June 4th, 2012
8:07 pm
Kinda ugly on hear. Thsi yer has been more nasty than say spring 2011. so what s changed? Bama won the NC, and seem to be real nasty on these ajc blogs. Hopefully this kid gets his academics together and can get in school.
yellowfever
June 4th, 2012
8:11 pm
Dawgmess, cant have it both ways.
IT IS WHAT IT IS
June 4th, 2012
8:12 pm
either way he will be a dawg!!! So haters keep hating!!! hate hate hate
poopdawg
June 4th, 2012
8:12 pm
Jenkins ? Who is Jenkins?
Crimson Crush
June 4th, 2012
8:13 pm
@inthesnow
their all dumb as Forest Gump!
==========================
Their = they’re = they are
You left out the AS before the word DUMB
FOREST as in the Nathan Bedford FoRrest that Gump was named after is spelled with TWO R’s
After trying to slam the scholastic abilities of others you made enough mistakes in one sentence alone to wear out a proof reader . In your defense … none of those would have been caught by the equally simplistic AJC spellchecker …
Thanks for playing
poopdawg
June 4th, 2012
8:42 pm
Dam Crush , it appears you did pass the GED. Or was it the AED, no thats only if your heart is stopped.
Ghost
June 4th, 2012
8:42 pm
Gt=wide reciever U, You’re a pathetic human being, best look at one of your own that couldn’t qualify at r Tenn. state or Auburn coming out of high school, but there he is on the Tech roster now.Waking up on the wrong side of probation or just tired of being dominated by Georgia fro 55 years?
UA Grad
June 4th, 2012
8:44 pm
Give this kid a break. We don’t know his upbringing or background. He might have a learning disability. He doesn’t wear Crimson, but I wish him good luck in becoming eligible.
Nahila
June 4th, 2012
8:48 pm
It is a absolute shame to read some of these comments that are degrading and show a lack of self control on the writer and a lack of respect for the College institutions they profess to represent. This young man needs 1 point on his ACT to better his chances on realizing his dreams so please allow him that right of passage and let cooler and more considerate bloggers to give words of encouragement to John.
LakeDawg
June 4th, 2012
8:56 pm
Bama has a Human Development major. LMAO. Ohterwise known as the “Athlete” major.
Bama Boy
June 4th, 2012
9:00 pm
Wally Butts,Vince Dooley,Jim Donnan whatta buncha crooks!Hang down ya head Vince Dooley hang down ya head an cry!Yep go dawggies staight to the bottom!
LakeDawg
June 4th, 2012
9:10 pm
The Bear——-every former assistant of his that became a head coach put his team on probation. They learned that from someone. Bama, cheatingest team in history. Alas, they were untouchable from an NCAA standpoint until the Bear retired.
Jim
June 4th, 2012
9:10 pm
Half the comments here bashing the intelligence of others have gramatical errors. I feel juvenile just reading this trash.
Rowdy_Red_Pachyderm
June 4th, 2012
9:15 pm
So I guess he didn’t qualify for the “Hope scholarship?”
Dawg48
June 4th, 2012
9:27 pm
Do people not know how to talk normal to others. I swear reading the AJC blogs seems like every one that post on here is from New York city.
Tech fan
June 4th, 2012
9:30 pm
Why would you put this in the papers, I wish the young man the best, I hope he becomes a solid student, all conference and tells the journal to stick it where the sun does not shine!
slydog
June 4th, 2012
9:32 pm
there exists some serious dirt bags on here. I believe the exact “details” of the academic situations of both of these athletes should have been left out of the story. Let the trolls speculate as to what is going on, which is none of their business.
Big Crimson 75
June 4th, 2012
9:36 pm
What’s wrong with NYC??
Tech fan
June 4th, 2012
9:36 pm
Why would you put this in the paper? I hope the young man becomes a great student and a all conference player and tells this reporter to stick it where the sun does not shine!