Notes from Memphis: Sturdivant, others face decisions on future
MEMPHIS – Three items to start the day:
- Georgia offensive tackle Trinton Sturdivant, who started six games this season after missing almost all of the previous two seasons because of knee surgeries, is undecided on whether to enter the 2011 NFL draft or return for another year with the Bulldogs.
“I don’t have a clue,” he said Tuesday. “We’ll just see how everything plays out. We’ll see after the bowl game how it looks. . . . I haven’t really weighed all my options with my family.”
Sturdivant described his 2010 season as “all right” but “no All-American type year.” Mark Richt put it this way: “He’s had a good season. Hopefully he’ll come back and have a great season next year.”
Sturidvant said he feels “very close” to regaining the pre-injuries form that made him a season-long starter at left tackle as a freshman in 2007.
“At first, there was a little issue with, ‘Oh, is he going to fall into the mental battle?’” Sturdivant said. “But now I’m at the end of the season, and I’m feeling good, just going all out.”
- Richt said Tuesday that none of Georgia’s underclassmen who are considering the NFL draft have told him whether they are going or staying.
“Even if they knew in their heart what they were doing, I don’t think they’ll say anything until after the [Liberty Bowl] game,” Richt said. “And from what I understand, I don’t know if anybody’s going to be ready that moment.
“There might be a couple who know they’re staying, but I think the guys that are thinking about going … they’re going to want a little time to reflect with their families after the bowl game.”
Georgia’s draft-eligible underclassmen include: wide receiver A.J. Green, a likely top-10 pick who just about everyone assumes will go; offensive linemen Sturdivant and Cordy Glenn; outside linebacker Justin Houston; cornerback Brandon Boykin; punter Drew Butler and kicker Blair Walsh. All of those players have asked the NFL’s underclassmen advisory board for a projection of their draft stock – except Green, who doesn’t need anybody to tell him he’s projected to be a first-round pick. The others expect responses from the NFL board by next week.
The NFL deadline for underclassmen to enter the draft is Jan. 15, but the Georgia players are generally expected to announce their decisions by the start of spring-semester classes on Jan. 10.
- Green, suspended the first four games this season for selling last year’s Independence Bowl jersey, had little reaction to the NCAA’s suspension last week of five Ohio State players for the first five games of next season for selling memorabilia and/or receiving discounts on tattoos. The NCAA is allowing the Ohio State players to play in the Sugar Bowl.
“They know best; that’s their job,” said Green, referring to the NCAA. “I’m not going to question them.”
Please follow @ajcuga on Twitter for updates from Georgia’s Liberty Bowl practices in Memphis.
– Tim Tucker
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182 comments Add your comment
JB
December 29th, 2010
10:01 am
AJ let his team down for a 1,000…..What’s 5 years at 60 mil with 20 mil of it Guaranteed gonna look like?
After the Liberty Bowl game
December 29th, 2010
10:02 am
A Liberty win vs UCF or USF ( which is it?) will put a small bow on this ugly season. All of the hype about Murray’s stats sickens me. It is just like it was for MS and Zeier. Neither one of them did squat for UGA. In the day, back in the 50s, Johnny Rauch was a record setting UGA QB and he did nothing for UGA.
IF UGA does not develop a powerhouse rushing team and augment that with a nice passer and a solid, hard nosed, aggressive D team ………………………we will wander in the desert for years and years.
Richt is stubborn and he will like Bowdon, pay the ultimate price. Bowdon, at least was 85 years old. Richt has lost his edge …………….look at his eyes when Chuck Dowdle and he do that WSB Mark Richt show. Richt is a case of BURN OUT.
McGarity is the UGA football puppetier at this moment.
Liberty bowl …………….a NEEDED win?
Recruiting goes well? Needs were met?
Spring football game and emerging stars?
Summer with 0 ………….0 ……………..0 problems and then
2011 season with a WIN over Florida and SC and UT and Arkansas and Vandy and UK and MSU and GT in our other home field …………….Grant Field.
This is what McGarity wants to see.
Go Dogs.
Get Real
December 29th, 2010
10:05 am
Scholarships are 1 year deals and renewed each year by the school and the player. If the school and the NCAA cared so much, they would put these kids under contract for 4 years. College is nothing more than a farm program for the NFL and I don’t blame any kid for leaving at the end of 3 years to make money. Every program that attrachs tog notch kids deals with this. It is a blessing and a curse for UGA.
D
December 29th, 2010
10:05 am
Guys leaving early can be good and bad. It hurt UGA in that it’s left us very young in key positions. Few teams have a lot of success without plenty of upperclassmen in the first 22. At the same time, recruiting becomes even harder if guys stay for all their years of eligibility. This year is a good example, Tim (or anybody who knows) correct me if I’m wrong here. We have 84 scholarship players, we lose 15 to graduation, and we currently have 16 verbals. That makes 85 for next year. We can’t sign Crowell or anybody else unless some of these Juniors leave, right?
Mark
December 29th, 2010
10:07 am
Lets be honest we are not going to win a National Championship anytime soon. I mentioned that because Paul Destin said no matter what UGA’s record is next year CMR is going to be fired. It was a response to a prior post. I just want to see us compete for the SEC Championship next year…. but then again us UGA fans are notorious for saying “Well maybe next year…”
JB
December 29th, 2010
10:07 am
Just a reminder…..That football powerhouse Maryland fired an Alum….the ACC coach of the year….for winning 8 games……….Maryland………..And look at Miami, with a ex Clinton Liberal Staffer as it’s President, fired an African American coach FOR WINNING MORE THAN 6 Games…………..HELLO WORLD !
JB
December 29th, 2010
10:09 am
Get Real……Bama knows than rule the best………
UGA Insider
December 29th, 2010
10:09 am
bruce mac, you are setting yourself up for a third year of heartache. Please don’t do this to yourself.
JB
December 29th, 2010
10:09 am
s/b THAT rule
HotDawg
December 29th, 2010
10:16 am
Im an Alum and a Huge Dawg fan, but I swear to the Good Lord above that I aint never seen this program this bad! I mean all you have to do is turn on the T.V. and watch. Enough said. Quaterback is good, running backs are slow and below average, the offensive line sux, the defense totally sux and the special teams are pretty good. With that said, a good quarterback and pretty good special teams aint gonna win us 11 games next year and a National Championship. Geez, people are friggen looney! I want the dogs to win the title every year too, but face it we don’t have the talent or the coaching, and I like CMR too. Just not a championship program. If you don’t believe me then turn on the TV Friday afternoon and watch the comical bowl game for yourself.
bruce mac
December 29th, 2010
10:18 am
If it happens, I can live with it. I graduated in 1975, I have seen it all I just see the glass half full. Why not? There are some idiots on here that think it is a bad thing to have the best QB in the SEC. Some how and for some reason I think it is a good thing. Go figure?
JB
December 29th, 2010
10:18 am
I can take a bad year….What i can’t stand is this trend we are in…..And heading to year four…
Read and listen to what people think and say about UGA football around the country now….Look at the second tier channels putting us on at noon , when we used to live in prime time….Look at teams who just eat up our once proud defense with points and yardage….Not just one year……but for the last 3….I can’t take a bad year….The trend is making me nervous. Is just fielding a team what we want? That’s what we are doing.
Columbus Dawg
December 29th, 2010
10:28 am
Paul N Destin, It sounds like you have inside info about 2011 being Richt’s last. I was reading a blog somewhere a while back that said as much, that Richt did not want to return after next season no matter what. Sounds like he may see the writing on the wall. That being said, I just read his comments about hoping he was here to play against Ohio State in ten years. Personally, I would like to see the fire return that he possessed when he arrived in Athens, and turn this thing around. Here’s hoping.
Dirty Dawg
December 29th, 2010
10:39 am
Hell if I were a half-way decent football player at Georgia and was constantly exposed to the whining and backbiting displayed by the likes of ‘columbusdawg’ and the rest…the disrespect for my coaches and for me…I’d be looking to get the hell out of here just as soon as I could. Who the hell wants to play for a program that has such idiotic fans that don’t understand that mutual respect and support is what make a ‘team’ a ‘team’…not smart-a$$ criticism.
Hey ‘col-dawg’, do us all a favor and become a ‘columbuswareagle’.
UGA Insider
December 29th, 2010
10:50 am
Since we are piling on UGA today let me give some additional bad news about the upcoming 2011 season. Richard Samuel who we are all counting on as being a top LB has constant swelling in his knee and is not practicing. This is not good. Also, CMR is thinking about moving Bean Anderson back to OL. Are we that thin now on offensive line???? I hate to see this about my dawgs but I’m worried. Could UGA be 3-8 next year??
Tuna
December 29th, 2010
10:51 am
Butler and Walsh??? You have got to be kidding me!!!
Bud
December 29th, 2010
10:54 am
Mark and Dirty Dawg,I’m afraid you are dealing with idiots and morons,the Dawgs will be fine and coach Richt WILL be our coach for years to come,thank God!
Naysayers be damned !!!
Summit Dawg
December 29th, 2010
10:55 am
We’ll be ok if Booboo lets Ealey touch the ball more!!!!!!!!!!!
We
December 29th, 2010
11:06 am
I hear that techis just “Giddy” after their loss to AF. “We love moral victories.” Go techies sting them just a little!
bruce mac
December 29th, 2010
11:11 am
UGA insider, we aren’t piling on, you are. Why don’t you become GT insider, we don’t need all of your made up facts and dellusional bad news. You are pathetic.
Jim
December 29th, 2010
11:13 am
AJ may be the only NFL ready underclassman at UGA and being a top five projected pick means a lot of money he could end up in Detroit with Matthew Stafford. If so I would hope they could produce better than they did at UGA. No matter the price for going early is steep if a good NFL team doesn’t trade for the early rounders and they are drafted by the loser of the NFL and wind up taking a beating like Stafford has this year. Sure the money is good but…..is it a pipe dream? Look at where Quincy Carter, David Green, and DJ Shockley went in the NFL and where they are today.
I would like to see the college welfare system go from a 4 year ticket to a two year that would allow the players to earn one year extentions or be cut from the team if they can’t meet expectations on and off the field.
K Conley
December 29th, 2010
11:14 am
Boykin and A.J. should leave early. They are the only 2 that are ready. I don’t think Houston is going to translate as well to the league. I love Justin and he’s been a terrific player at UGA, but it’s more because of his hard work and determination than an actual skill set. I’m not saying that he can’t play in the league, but he should come back to increase his status. A.J. is obvious, but Brandon is also highly skilled and trust me when I say that he will be highly coveted by NFL execs.. Trinton probably is the 2nd most talented Dawg behind A.J., but he simply needs to show the GMs that he is all the way back. He should come back. I want them all back, but if I’m being honest to my players, I tell A.J. and Brandon to leave and everyone else to get back on the Dawg Bus.
JB
December 29th, 2010
11:14 am
Those on here saying the Dawgs will be fine are hoping, with love, which I can understand, But if you STUDY this program, The depth chart, the ability of those there now, and this staff, you are setting yourself up to be disappointed. This was year 3 of being way below Georgia football. I don’t see any miracles next year…..i can always HOPE like some of you on here………
WTF
December 29th, 2010
11:23 am
Hey UGA Insider, when did you buy the Dawgs (your Dawgs)? I thought they were UGA students that played for the University of Georgia, not for you. But of course, since you are privey to every thought in CMR’s head and are at every meeting and every practice, you should know everything.
What a friggin idiot!
suwaneedawg
December 29th, 2010
11:24 am
OK, if you are a nerd fan please think before you post trash. Your team went to Shrevesport all it got was a t-shirt. I would go to your blog and post with the rest of nerd nation about how great your coach is and you will win a national championship with that offense. After that put in a Harry Potter movie and get some hot coco and chill out.
Doodaddy
December 29th, 2010
11:25 am
Tech is so bad they’re not worth making fun of anymore. And they are the worst winners, the rare times that has happened, I suppose because they have so little experience with winning.
Big Jim
December 29th, 2010
11:25 am
From a truly embarassed Tech fan…yes our coach sux, yes his recruiting sux, yes our offense sux…no question. Most of us Tech fans that actually understand the game want him gone now. We know we are in the crapper for many yrs if we do not.
BUT…very few of us would EVER trade W2’s with Uga grads…so calling us “Nerds”?? Not really so hurtful…as say “red neck trailer trash” I say both are pretty much on target.
And as weak as it is…we get GREAT pleasure when UGA sux so bad that they start measuring their season by…wait for it…BEATING GT!!!!
You morons are making fun of us for playing in S’port?? Seriously? 6-6 and a trip to Memphis (S’port last yr) Yipeee, whohoo…you are big time!
Hector
December 29th, 2010
11:27 am
Good riddance!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dwayne
December 29th, 2010
11:27 am
no one commits for 4 years, scholarships are revolving 1 year deals. Don’t believe me? ask the kids that were at kentucky when calipari took over and bought in the 6 high school all-americans.
JB
December 29th, 2010
11:27 am
Tech is in DEEP trouble…..They won’t admit it, but with that QB,Defense,special teams,No WR’s, , more Gailey players gone , they are looking like schedule filler in the ACC.
Dwayne
December 29th, 2010
11:28 am
oh yeah…tech sucks…lolololol
suwaneedawg
December 29th, 2010
11:28 am
Big Jim, Harry Potter and Hot Coco. By the way, I would trade W-2’s with tech gads and I work with a couple. No problem Big Jim. By the way, your team must be in sad shape when you start comparing what you make to a UGA grad. Here’s your sign son.
Destin Dawg
December 29th, 2010
11:29 am
Richt shows no passion… Burn out ?? I thought ( hoped ) Grantham, Belin and Lakatos.. all 3 improvements in D coaches… would spur new motivation and intensity.. it seems Richt dumbs everybody down… on attitude… discipiline.. conditioning…. no excitement on Offense… fake punts, reverses, on side kicks… WAY too predictable !!!! Good Luck in 2011
suwaneedawg
December 29th, 2010
11:31 am
OK destin dawg, are you a UGA fan or a nerd upgrading by pretending to be a dawg fan?
JB
December 29th, 2010
11:31 am
I wouldn’t trade my W2 with ANY engineer…….I own a business and do quite well with my UGA degree and education……Sitting around a “firm” drawing a salary as an engineer and leading a humorless life is not for me. Good luck with that guy coaching your team. the guy needs to sign a punter….and learn when to use him….LOL
suwaneedawg
December 29th, 2010
11:32 am
JB, I think Big Jim meant he would trade his tech life with a UGA grads life. I can’;t blame him.
UGA Insider
December 29th, 2010
11:35 am
I wish my fellow UGA fans would not be so jealous of my behind the scenes info. But you guys keep fooling yourselves and believe what you want. I will trust what I know.
collegeballfan
December 29th, 2010
11:39 am
I trust that all who believe players should stay another year are honest enough to say that if offered a million dollar raise they would leave their current jobs and take the million dollars.
Hector
December 29th, 2010
11:43 am
Will Damon be drafted??????? I mean prosecuted!!!!!!!!!
JB
December 29th, 2010
11:45 am
Collegeballfan……I agree……. The superstars, like AJ, are enjoying everything in life………But money…..And when you don’t have $5 to eat a McDonalds, and you can put 20 mil in the bank………you’re gone……And remember, once AJ declares, His selected agent will start advancing him ” walking around money”….. Like 50K
dawgster
December 29th, 2010
11:47 am
@brucemac…i was going to respond to some of the bloggers as you have but decided it was a waste of time..Its amazing how negative these so called experts with all this inside info are…I want even call out their names, they no who they are…They have given up on next season already and are wanting Coach Richt gone..Well guys get over it..Coach Richt will be our coach next season, and if things don’t work out, Greg Mcgarity will do whats best for the program, not what a bunch of bloggers say or think they know…Thank God my coaches didn’t give up on me, the players or our program when we were down..Yea that really would have helped our confidence..Please for your own sake find you a team that you can support and be proud of you…For me i’ll take my chances with the dawgs and our coaches…I’ll let people that actually know how to run a Div 1 college football program make the right decisions concerning our program when they feel it is warranted..go dawgs
Bon voyage
December 29th, 2010
11:48 am
It is frustrating to see so many UGA underclassmen being considered as possible early draft picks when their college careers have been so unimpressive. Are we to have 3 linemen (2 underclassmen) drafted from a unit that was frequently overmatched? Who knew that we had an NFL worthy DB? Butler and Walsh are excellent kickers, but have we used their skills to change the course of any game?
This potential exodus is not confined to this season. During home games, there is a “Bulldogs in the NFL” segment displayed on the scoreboard. Many of the players had very nondescript careers in Athens, but they are good enough to play pro ball.
We have too much talent to have so few victories.
Smiling Jack
December 29th, 2010
11:54 am
“Just shows you that these clowns coaching at UGA have no clue when it comes to recognizing talent.” That’s an idiot opinion…..Another idiot opinion, “It seems CMR does nothing to encourage players to stay in school and win a Heisman or championship.” If they cannot judge talent, why is it so many are such good players considering leaving for the NFL in the draft.??? I personally don’t think UGA is in BIG TROUBLE. That’s my opinion. One thing I know for certain is that there is no shortage of idiot bloggers..wether they be GT nerds posting about UGA or not…. I say GO Dawgs!!!! Keep up the good work and hiopefully we’ll win it all next year.
sirluciouscp
December 29th, 2010
11:57 am
Jim ur a fucin idiot
bruce mac
December 29th, 2010
11:59 am
JB, UGA finished #10 in the nation in 2008. This my friend is not below UGA standards. UGA is the 11th winningest program of all time so #10 is exactly UGA standards. 8 and 5 or 7 and 6 and out of top twenty is below UGA standards. So, we just completed year 2 of down period. If you are going to be negative all the time at least get your facts straight. UGA under CMR is above UGA standards overall. Give the man a chance to get it back, he has earned it.
atl xmen
December 29th, 2010
11:59 am
more like reload for next year. uga hasnt had a rebulding year since donnan left. richt has it under control guys. juts have faith and trust in richt as he has won plenty of games while at uga.
NerdCentral@NorthAve
December 29th, 2010
12:00 pm
You people can insult me and attack me all you want. But the fact is, your program is seriously on the decline and your coach will likely not make it through next year. Yes, Tech is down right now too, but next year will be different. We have a great recruiting class going right now and we are filling all our needs. Can you say the same thing about UGA? No, you keep missing on the recruits you want. Good luck losers!!
Big Jim
December 29th, 2010
12:03 pm
Suwaneedawg = Exhibit A
JB = the blind squirrel
Thanks for playing…
Big Jim
December 29th, 2010
12:06 pm
Again…YES our offense & coach SUCK!. I hate it, but am smart enough to realize it.
bruce mac
December 29th, 2010
12:06 pm
NerdCentral, there is no program in the country (Bama, Ohio St, USC, Oklahoma, et al) that doesn’t have down periods. We have had 2 bad years, that does not qualify as serious decline anywhere except in North Avenue’s wishful thinking department. I hope your program comes back and I am glad you are confident but please remember you lose to this program that is in serious decline almost every year so apply some logic to your thought process once in a while.