Archive for the ‘Blog News’ Category

Derek Dooley had three 2013 commitments from Georgia before being fired (AP)

• RELATED: UGA’s chances for a 5-star football recruit may have improved because of Derek Dooley’s firing. CLICK HERE

There doesn’t appear to be much negative fallout from Derek Dooley’s firing among recruits in Georgia.

Tennessee has three commitments from the state: Jonesboro High School DB Cameron Sutton, LaGrange High School DE Joe Sanders, and Grayson High School LB Zach Barnes.

All three told the AJC that they remain committed to Tennessee despite Dooley’s dismissal.

And the trio hopes – at least for now — to sign with the Volunteers in February.

• Cameron Sutton is the highest-ranked of the group, rated as the 3-star by Rivals. “I’m not going to de-commit at this minute,” he said. “When the new coaching staff comes in … if they like me, and I’m still on the list, then I will probably stay with Tennessee. If they coaches don’t think I will fit in, then I will probably …

Continue reading Georgia recruits react to Dooley’s firing »

Posted at 2:29 p.m. Wednesday

The next great Georgia Tech guard? (247sports)

Georgia Tech signed two basketball players on Wednesday, the first day of the NCAA’s early period:  6-foot-1 guard Solomon Poole of Jacksonville, Fla., and 6-8 forward Quinton Stephens of Marist high school.

“I’m very excited about the addition of these two highly-regarded prospects,” Georgia Tech coach Brian Gregory said in a press release. “Both Solomon and Quinton will be great additions to the Georgia Tech program because they bring the qualities that we are looking for as we continue to build. They both come from great basketball families. Their fathers played at the collegiate and professional levels, and they were taught the importance of academics from an early age.” Here’s more info on both:

• Solomon Poole: An all-state guard last season at Terry Parker High School in Jacksonville, where he averaged 21 points a game, will join his older brother, sophomore Stacey, Jr., on the …

Continue reading Georgia Tech signs 5-star prospect »

Reuben Foster got "A" for Auburn tatto one day after flipping from Alabama

What will Reuben Foster do about his gigantic Auburn tattoo on his forearm if he de-commits from the Tigers?

This is actually a topic that came up recently between the 4-star linebacker and UGA coaches, according to a story headlined “Ink Has Not Dried” by DawgNation’s Kipp Adams.

The advice from the Bulldogs? Wear long sleeves and don’t worry about it.

“I told Georgia in my head I am unsure, because I have an Auburn tattoo, but Georgia told me not to worry about it, because they will take me with open arms. They said I like to wear sleeves anyway, so it would only be showing when I am in the game. I do like wearing sleeves.”

Foster famously got the tatt which about the size of Rhode Island one day after switching his commitment from Alabama to Auburn.

Reuben Foster (AJC)

UGA hasn’t given up on Foster, with Bulldogs recruiting coordinator Rodney Garner showing up at his game last Friday at …

Continue reading Urban Meyer in ATL, Nkemdiche chants at Ole Miss game, and Reuben Foster’s gigantic Auburn tattoo »

Undisputed No. 1 Robert Nkemdiche with his family on Grayson's Senior Night (Special)

Robert Nkemdiche, the nation’s undisputed No. 1 football prospect, finally broke his silence about his de-commitment from Clemson on Friday night after leading Grayson High School to win over archrival Brookwood.

The 6-foot-5, 284-pounder turned in one of his best performances of the season in front of his family, including his mother (who had flown in from Nigeria) and his oldest brother (who had flown in from California). He finished with 74 rushing yards and two touchdowns, along with two sacks. Robert seemed relaxed and upbeat when talking to a couple of reporters after the game:

• On what it has been like since news came out about the de-commitment from Clemson: “I just have to keep my mind straight and ignore everything. People thought it would wear on me with the news coming out, but I was alright. I have a different mindset right now. I am not worried about any colleges right now, I …

Continue reading Robert Nkemdiche: “My decision will probably come out sometime in January” »

Toby Johnson, the nation’s No. 1-ranked JC player, was in good spirits on Wednesday night after an awful start to the week.

No. 1-ranked JC prospect, Toby Johnson (247sports)

This past weekend, the 6-foot-4, 310-pound defensive tackle from Hutchinson junior college suffered a season-ending injury in the first round of the playoffs. Johnson was initially diagnosed with a tear in the ACL and MCL of his right knee, and was scheduled to undergo an MRI on Thursday.

After a rough few days dealing with the disappointment of the injury, Johnson got on his crutches and attended his school’s basketball game on Wednesday night.

“I’m doing better, I’m doing better,” said Johnson, who is one of the top remaining targets on UGA’s board for 2013.

Since the injury, Johnson has been bombarded by phone calls from colleges.

“They all called to let me know that I still had a scholarship and stuff, and they want me to rehab good,” Johnson said. “Hopefully, I can come back …

Continue reading Toby Johnson: UGA DT target recovers from knee injury »

JaQuay Williams signed with Auburn last February after flirting with UGA at the last minute (AJC)

There’s a lot of speculation surrounding JaQuay Williams, who was the state’s No. 1 prospect at wide receiver last year and signed with Auburn over UGA.

Williams, who fell short of meeting NCAA entrance requirements, is spending this fall at Virginia’s Fork Union prep school.

He’s a free agent to sign with any college but has publicly maintained his intentions to sign again with Auburn.

However, due to Auburn’s tough season and hot-seat rumors about Gene Chizik, there has been speculation for weeks that Williams might be thinking about de-committing from the Tigers.

There was even one published report by a recruiting website on Monday (since removed) that Williams had officially re-opened his recruiting — which ignited a flood of phone calls to his high school coach, Sandy Creek’s Chip Walker.

“I got calls from everybody, all the recruiting services and things, …

Continue reading The latest on the rumors about former UGA target JaQuay Williams »

Alabama RB commit Tyren Jones (AJC)

Running back Tyren Jones, who has committed to Alabama, was diagnosed with Grade 1 MCL knee injury on Saturday and will miss at least two weeks.

The 5-foot-8, 192-pound Jones suffered the injury in the first half of Walton High School’s win over Etowah on Friday.

“It was one of those things where he got wrapped up in a pile with everybody else, and he just came down kind of funny,” Walton coach Rocky Hidalgo told the AJC on Saturday.

Jones, who is the leading rusher in the state’s largest classification, underwent an MRI on Saturday morning. The good news is that Jones could be back in two weeks, although he might be out longer depending on how he responds to treatment.

“Tyren is a great kid,” Hidalgo said. “Even though he got hurt, he was excited that we won, and was cheering on the other players. When DJ Smith broke the long run later in the game, Tyren was screaming ‘I taught him that move, I taught him that …

Continue reading Tyren Jones: Alabama RB commit suffers knee injury (UPDATED) »

UGA will have the opportunity to make an impression on the mother of 5-star DT Montravius Adams on Saturday (AJC)

The undisputed No. 1 prospect in the country will be at UGA on Saturday.

But the most important visitor for the Bulldogs that day will be Montravius Adams, the defensive tackle from Dooly County High School who is ranked as the nation’s No. 2 overall prospect – behind Robert Nkemdiche – by 247sports.com. The Bulldogs have a good shot at Adams.

Perhaps even more important than Montravius being there will be the attendance of his mother, who will be accompanying the star recruit. When Adams experienced his first-ever UGA game last month for the win over Tennessee, he went without his mother.

That’s a pretty big deal because Adams had told reporters that his mother will help him make his college decision. As we’ve learned this year in recruiting, especially with the Nkemdiche situation, one of the first rules of recruiting is this: Win over the …

Continue reading Montravius Adams: UGA will get visit from 5-star and … his mom »

AJC Super 11 DE Robert Nkemdiche of Grayson High School (AJC)

Undisputed No. 1 prospect Robert Nkemdiche told the AJC that he has basically shut down the recruiting process until his senior season of high school football is over.

“I not thinking about it,” Nkemdiche told the AJC. “I’m just focused on the season right now. My focus is on my team, and helping my teammates try to win the state championship again. And I’ll worry about recruiting and everything else after the playoffs.”

There has been a lot to talk about with Nkemdiche’s recruiting lately. He committed to Clemson last summer but recently admitted that his family was torn between the Tigers and Ole Miss. His mother wants Robert to play on the same team with his brother, Denzel Nkemdiche, a freshman linebacker at Ole Miss.

“I see where my mother is coming from,” Robert said. “She wants to see both of us on the same team, and seeing us do great things together. We’ll see how it all plays out. …

Continue reading Robert Nkemdiche: Basically shutting down recruiting to focus on Grayson »

Tennessee's Derek Dooley in his famous neon orange pants (AP)

Is UGA in danger of losing the commitment of LB Naim Mustafaa after his recent official visit to Tennessee?

“No sir, I’m committed to Georgia,” he said.

The 6-foot-4, 235-pounder is the son of former Georgia Tech standout Najee Mustafaa (Reggie Rutland), who played seven seasons in the NFL. Last summer, the younger Mustafaa was rumored to be on the brink of committing to the Yellow Jackets at one point or another before pledging to UGA.

The 4-star recruit from Alpharetta intends to take a few official visits to other schools, and his first stop was at Tennessee for the Alabama game.

“It was pretty good, the game was pretty packed and Tennessee lost, but I got a lot of love when I was down there,” said Mustafaa, who met the next day with beleaguered coach Derek Dooley.

“He made sure my visit went well, and told me how he could use me in their system. I mean, I do like Tennessee because they run a 3-4 …

Continue reading Naim Mustafaa: UGA LB commit sticking with Bulldogs, despite visits to other colleges »