Archive for the ‘Georgia’ Category

DB Shaq Wiggins and his future college coach (Photo owned and submitted by the Wiggins family. Note: This photo was not arranged, publicized, owned or submitted by UGA)

Shaq Wiggins, who is a candidate to be the state’s No. 1 prospect at DB for 2013, committed to UGA on Friday.

The 5-foot-10, 160-pounder from Sandy Creek High School picked the Bulldogs among a dozen offers, including Tennessee, Michigan, Ohio State, Wake Forest and Ole Miss.

“It felt right; it’s the place for me,” Wiggins told the AJC.

Wiggins is known for being an outstanding “cover corner” and was matched up every day in practice this past season at Sandy Creek against senior WR JaQuay Williams (signed with Auburn) and sophomore WR Demarre Kitt (early offer from UGA).

“Georgia is a getting a really good person, a real good kid – that’s the most important thing,” Sandy Creek coach Chip Walker told the AJC.  “Next they are getting a guy who will go up there and work hard to be …

Continue reading Shaq Wiggins: Top DB commits to UGA »

Nick Saban thinks UGA QB commit Brice Ramsey is "the best QB he's seen so far" for 2013. Saban is considered one of college football's top talent evaluators (AP photo)

Alabama’s Nick Saban has his eyes on UGA’s top football recruit for 2013.

The coach of the BCS champions recently made a personal appearance to let QB Brice Ramsey of Camden County High School know that he’s a priority for the Crimson Tide.

The 6-foot-3, 190-pound Ramsey has been committed to UGA since last summer, since before the start of his junior year. Alabama, along with UGA, Florida, Florida State, Clemson and Notre Dame, had actually offered Ramsey as a sophomore.

Saban is aware that Ramsey is pledged to UGA but isn’t fazed.

“Coach Saban talked to me a while, and then talked to our principal for a while,” Camden County coach Jeff Herron told the AJC. “Then [Alabama] wanted Brice to call over the weekend so they could make the formal scholarship offer from the University of Alabama. I …

Continue reading Brice Ramsey: Alabama’s Nick Saban has eyes on UGA’s prized QB recruit »

Speedy Mario Alford (blue shirt) vs. current UGA football player Justin Scott-Wesley (red) in a 100-meter heat at last spring's state championship meet. Could both be teammates at UGA? Alford is already qualified and could enroll this summer (AJC)

Remember all that talk about a UGA “mystery football recruit” that never happened?

It’s probably going to happen now after a gut-wrenching turn of events for UGA over the last week.

On signing day, the Bulldogs went 2 for 9 on targets that held UGA scholarship papers – and could’ve signed with them. However, the devastating news arrived a couple of days later when three members of last year’s “Dream Team” recruiting class were dismissed for team violations (DB Nick Marshall, DB Chris Sanders, and WR Sanford Seay).

All of sudden, UGA has at least seven scholarships to fill – if it chooses – by this summer.

Expect UGA to sign one by then, maybe more. The top candidate would be a junior-college prospect somewhere in …

Continue reading UGA may add that “mystery” football recruit after all »

Mike Bobo reportedly played a pivotal role in reeling home UGA’s most highly-publicized recruit a day after signing day.

Josh Harvey-Clemons, the 5-star linebacker from Lowndes, committed to UGA in front of a national TV audience at 9 a.m. Wednesday but didn’t turn in his paperwork until around 24 hours later. The delay caused a brief heart attack among UGA fans.

Harvey-Clemons had to get the approval – and signature – of his grandfather, Woodrow Clemons, who is also his legal guardian. Both of Josh’s parents are deceased.

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Grandpa had nothing against UGA, the story goes, he just wanted Josh to go to Florida because of convenience and thought it would be a safer commute for everyone.  Grandpa liked FSU also but felt the two-lane roads to FSU weren’t as safe as the 100-mile drive on I-75 from Valdosta to Gainesville. Note: FSU is 80 miles away, and UGA is 250.

Before …

Continue reading Mike Bobo to the rescue for UGA »

UPDATED: UGA’s 10-year Rivals streak was both documented and written about by Rivals in this article by Rivals.com from July. Click on story link

Even after a little help from Josh Harvey-Clemons’ grandpa, UGA’s record-breaking streak in recruiting appears to be over.

The Bulldogs are the nation’s only team to finish in the top 10 of the Rivals’ top 10 team rankings every year since 2002. Until this year.

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What about this year? After Harvey-Clemons turned in his paperwork on Thursday, UGA rocketed from No. 19 overall to No. 11 – one spot away. Is that Harvey-Clemons really that good? Good enough to move an entire team up eight spots? Yes, he’s good but not that good. The jump also had to do with Rivals recalculating its rankings with the overnight addition of late signees from colleges across the nation.

“It can’t last forever,” Rivals’ Mike Farrell said. “This …

Continue reading UGA’s record-breaking recruiting streak is over (UPDATED) »

The Josh Harvey-Clemons’ recruiting soap opera is over. He got his grandfather’s signature on Thursday morning and turned in the scholarship papers, one day after committing to UGA in front of a national TV audience.

You can read extensive coverage of Harvey-Clemons, how everything went down, and UGA’s reaction in this blog by the AJC Chip Towers. (Click on story link)

Now let’s get back to the Big Picture for UGA with some of the recruiting experts:

What did it mean for Georgia for Josh Harvey-Clemons to finally sign with them a day later?

• Scout.com’s Chad Simmons: “It caps it off … I guess the cherry on top today with some drama. Yesterday, it seemed like they were going to get off to a good start at 9 o’clock in the morning [when Harvey-Clemons committed on ESPNU] – and I guess they kind of did with the commitment. But until the LOI is signed, nothing is official, as we all know now. This really caps it off well for Georgia. I’m sure they wish they …

Continue reading Josh Harvey-Clemons has signed with UGA … How will it affect national rankings? »

Auburn-bound duo from Sandy Creek High School: OL Will Adams (left) de-committed from Georgia Tech and turned down a late offer from UGA, while WR JaQuay Williams stuck with the Tigers over UGA (AJC)

– By the AJC’s Doug Roberson

Will Adams and JaQuay Williams each reached into a black nylon bag and pulled out blue Auburn baseball caps. They put pen to paper. Their signing day, which began with an American Idol-like intro to more than 100 people gathered in the media center of Sandy Creek High School, was over.

While the formality took a few seconds, the decisions took much longer.

Adams, 6-foot-7, 290 pounds, is considered one of the nation’s better offensive linemen. Williams, 6-3, 205, is considered one of the better wide receivers.

As of 7 a.m. Wednesday, Williams was still trying to decide between Auburn’s “War Eagle,” or Georgia’s “Go Dawgs.” Adams made up his mind Saturday, spurning a late offer from Georgia and breaking a long commitment to …

Continue reading JaQuay Williams, Will Adams: Signing-day stress for Auburn-bound tandem »

Joshua Dawson: Georgia

With all the hoopla surrounding his decision on where he would play college football next season, Georgia or Vanderbilt, Tucker’s Joshua Dawson relied on two of the three things that have been a constant in his life: his faith and his family.

“It was the hardest decision I’ve ever made,” Dawson said Wednesday morning, minutes after deciding to flip his longtime commitment from Vanderbilt to the Bulldogs. “Both are great schools. Both recruited me hard.

“I’ve been asking God and waiting on him to tell me where to go,” said the 6-foot-5, 230-pounder, sporting a crisp new Georgia baseball cap. “As soon as He gave me the answer, I told my family and they left it up to me.”

Not even Dawson’s coach, Franklin Stephens, the third constant in his life, knew for sure until he laid Dawson’s letter-of-intent from Georgia on the table in the Tucker auditorium, shortly before the signing ceremony at the school.

Eight other Lions signed …

Continue reading Josh Dawson: Flips from Vandy to UGA and tells why »

SIGNED

John Atkins, DT, 6-3, 315, Thomson
Comment: Committed to Georgia last summer over Auburn, Florida and Georgia Tech. … Very athletic and plays goalie on high school’s soccer team.
Quotable: “Atkins is another enormous lineman with the ability to use his power to control the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. [He] is also a standout center in basketball and, incredibly enough, stars at goalie for his soccer team, a credit to his overall athleticism. While Atkins showed the ability to play guard at the next level in the Under Armour All-America game, his skill-set should fit nicely on defense, where he can play anywhere on the three-man front.” — ESPN’s Kipp Adams

Collin Barber, P, 6-2, 190, Cartersville
Comment: Averaged 45.6 yards per punt and also handled kickoff duties, booting 90 percent into the end zone. … Earned his first offer at UGA summer camp and committed to the Bulldogs within minutes.
Quotable: “Coach Richt was sitting in …

Continue reading The Big Board: UGA signings »

• The Big Board at UGA
• The Big Board at Georgia Tech
• Around the South: SEC, ACC signings (Great stuff on here)

Happy Signing Day, Ya’ll.

This is the main hotspot to follow the AJC’s recruiting coverage on Wednesday.

Football stars from across the nation — and state of Georgia — began signing scholarship papers at 7 a.m.

This is where we’ll do most of our chatting throughout the morning, and we’ll also update this page with news as it happens.

Check back for updates.

TOM LEMMING SPEAKS ON RECRUITING

On the eve of signing day, the AJC’s Chip Towers talked with Tom Lemming – You know, the guy from the “The Blind Side” movie? He’s also CBS Sports Network recruiting coverage and will be on TV all day on Wednesday.

Here are some comments from Lemming on UGA and Georgia Tech – again, on the eve of signing day:

Lemming on UGA

“I have them 19th nationally but they only have 17 players so they have one of the smallest classes so far. They were of the teams I’ve written …

Continue reading The AJC’s Signing Day Central »