Richt calls this recruiting class ‘best bunch’ in his 11 years at UGA (Updated)
Mark Richt and his assistant coaches just wrapped up a visit with the 200 or so fans celebrating Signing Day at Butts-Mehre Heritage Hall. Some highlights of what the coaches had to say:
- Richt: “We all know our [2010] season wasn’t the best, and there have been a lot of things we have had to battle — maybe a little bit more than other years when it comes to recruiting. But I really believe that this class will end up being the largest and most talented and the best bunch in the 11 years now.”
- As for what’s still to come on this Signing Day, Richt said: “We hope we finish as strong as we think we will. We’ll just have to wait and see.”
- After a fan thanked Richt for his work at Georgia, Richt said: “The best is yet to come, I can promise you.”
- Secondary coach Scott Lakatos called Nick Marshall, from Wilcox County, “one of the most amazing athletes we have in this class. . . . I usually don’t get a chance to coach those kind of guys because they’re usually over on offense. . . . He’s very athletic; he’s physical; he’s got good size to him. We’re looking forward to trying to start him off at corner, and I’m sure we’ll have some things to utilize him on the other side of the ball as well.” To which Richt added: “And if you’re going to run a little ‘wild dog’ formation, he’d be ideal for that with his tremendous experience as a quarterback.”
- Richt on signee Malcolm Mitchell, from Valdosta: “He’s a true playmaker on either side of the ball, and he’s a tremendous return man, too.”
- Defensive coordinator Todd Grantham on signee DE/OLB Ray Drew, the state’s No. 2 rated prospect: “Tremendous athlete. He’s got size; he’s got length; he’s got pass-rush skills in the sense he’s got initial quickness off the ball. He’s got flexibility to be able to bend around the edge. Shows strength as far as being able to jack those guys up when they come at him. I think he’s going to be able to rush on the edge. . . . We’ll play him at the ‘Will’ position, which is where Justin Houston played last year, and we’re expecting big things out of him as a Dog.”
- Speaking of Drew, who enthusiastically tried to sway other recruits to Georgia, Richt added: “I’d say also his greatest strength might be his character — and his ability to recruit. He asked me, ‘Coach, once I’m on campus, can I keep recruiting for the next year’s class?’ I said, ‘Yeah.’ He’s something special.”
- Grantham: “I think if you look at this class, the vision that I had when I came here is coming true. I mean, if we get the players in the state of Georgia to stay at Georgia, we compete for SEC championships. “
- Offensive coordinator Mike Bobo on quarterback signee Christian LeMay, who already is enrolled at UGA: “Christian, we think, is an outstanding young man that is a phenomenal quarterback. Some guys want to label him as an ‘athlete,’ but we think he’s a quarterback that has got athletic skills in the pocket and will be able to move around and make some plays with his legs, very similar to … Aaron Murray.” Bobo said LeMay has gained 10 pounds since reporting to campus and “I’ve been very pleased with his work ethic in the weight room. He has impressed not only our coaches down there but our players. That’s what you’re looking for in a quarterback — someone who’ll not only lead on the field but in the weight room and the locker room. . . . When players on the team talk about, ‘Hey, Coach, this Christian LeMay, he’s something,’ that gets you excited. I’m excited about working with him in the spring.”
- Richt said coaches are already at work on the “2012 Georgia dream team.”
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218 comments Add your comment
MikeP
February 2nd, 2011
9:44 pm
Fear in the air? Why on earth? This recruiting class is exactly the average for UGA over the past four years. Nothing to be afraid of there, unless 6-7 strikes fear into your heart.
crabapplejoe
February 2nd, 2011
9:44 pm
Boise State 34….UGA 13….and all those “five-stars” will be “frustrated” with their preformance…….LMAO.
harold
February 2nd, 2011
10:03 pm
AND ONCE AGAIN…..AUBURN AND ALABAMA RANK HIGHER IN RECRUITING THAN RICHT! RICHT ISN’T THE COACH SABAN AND CHIZIK ARE!
bgdawg
February 2nd, 2011
10:37 pm
Bama always has been having top 3 classes for like the past 3 years, and auburn just won a NC with $cam newton while uga came off the first losing season in a decade. harold, what i’m trying to say is of course they are gonna have better classes than us!
All Da Way Turnt up !
February 2nd, 2011
11:52 pm
NOT…………………. Now Even Clempson is cleaning UGA’s Clock in recruiting.
UCF
February 2nd, 2011
11:56 pm
Those dawg fans still talking crap. Personally I wasn’t too impressed with all their 4 and 5 star players when I took em down. I believe their 5 stars like AJ Greene managed to put up all of 6 pts against us. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH
Oversigning
February 3rd, 2011
12:24 am
I keep reading dawg fans saying that they may still get JUCO committ John Jenkins. Dogs currently have 25 and 1 more would put them over the limit- they would be “oversigning”- a topic dawg fans love to whine about when other teams do it. What was that about kettle meet pot?
Michael from Macon
February 3rd, 2011
3:21 am
all f you poor pathetic loser bamer and war eagle fans, really protest tooooooo much! if you weren’t worried about Ga, you woldn’t feel the need to post on Dog blogs! I have one question for you, jealous much?
RMikel58
February 3rd, 2011
4:57 am
Who’s whining about Bama and Auburn Harold? Seems like youre the only adolescent yapping here.
UCF youre just a memory and that was eons ago. I can see you now when youre 83 yrs old, yeah we beat a Georgia team back in 2010 and that was 57 years ago and maybe someday we will beat another Div 1 School soon.
Crabapple Joe…. dont you just love ppl that can forecast games for Boise State? Well joe what will be Boise State’s record for 2011? I can forecast this for you though……….if Boise State played in the SEC you wouldnt be running your mouth about their inflated talent afterall you play only 1 team thats half decent. I’;d say that Boise like TCU are the 2 most overrated teams in football.
Its like saying Bowling Green is the best team but yet they dont play anyone.
They need to screen these moron’s that come on here talking like a child and saying “my daddy can beat your daddy up”
RMikel58
February 3rd, 2011
5:19 am
I wanna congradulate Auburn on the title but now we get ready for 2011. I dont care about what Auburn does or Alabama or Florida.
Cam Newton was one heck of a QB but now he’s gone. Your offense will be different this year without him and it’ll be a test with a freshman QB to produce what they did with Cam.
I’d say just enjoy the memories cause its pretty hard to repeat. Not sure where Georgia will be but hopefully i can just enjoy watching college football again and maybe Georgia will get back on track but we’ll see.
None of you can get on here and forecast what your team will do and will have to wait til the season starts but until then i’d keep my mouth shut so i dont hasve to eat my words later.
I will guarantee you that if Georgia is having a good year, i wont come on here and bash your team like a child because im a sportsmen and have better class than that.
Whats the saying? “What comes around goes around”.
College Football is fun to watch and teams like Alabama, Florida, S. Carolina, Tennessee, LSU, and Auburn can beat anybody and we arent ever sure which team will win cause this is the SEC. Teams like Boise and UCF where one team only plays maybe 1 team all year with a good record and the other UCF is a good Div 2 school.
If either UCF or Boise State were in the SEC then things would be different for their season. Yiou know that and we know that.
To compare a UCF team that beat a Georgia team that was the worst team in 25 years is stupid. Georgia didnt care to play a team like UCF because they wanted a better opponent so they couldnt get up to play. I can assure you that wont happen again.
As far as Boise State is concerned….. A good team no doubt, which relies on passing so i have no idea what the score will be once they play Georgia. Georgia can win and i think that they’ll be ready to play. But we’ll see but for you Boise fans to start declaring a victory and a decisive victory at that , i can only tell you that you might be dissapointed.
We’ll just have to see what happens but im not gonna forecast the game and predict a Georgia victory.
RMikel58
February 3rd, 2011
5:30 am
Too bad we cant say that this is our best Coaching Staff in 11 years.
Georgia post-NSD roundup | Get The Picture
February 3rd, 2011
7:22 am
[...] Ray Drew had this question for his new head coach: ‘Coach, once I’m on campus, can I keep recruiting for the next year’s class?’ [...]
Trojan
February 3rd, 2011
8:03 am
ga puppy from Wrightsville: You are on crack. Zack Walker outplayed Nick on several plays. JoCo scored 39 points. Zack out jumped Marshall twice. Quit revising history just because UGA signed Nick.
zbulldawg
February 3rd, 2011
10:25 am
Richt I new ya’ll had it in you!! TODD GOD BLESS YOU SON!!!! For pointing out that all we have to do is look right under our feet to build CHAMPIONS. HUNKER DOWN HAIRY DAWGS HUNKER DOWN FOR a FIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Here we come
LOL
February 3rd, 2011
11:08 am
Wow still lots of d-bags running their mouths. Jesus, if you have nothing better to do with your life than go on another teams blog and talk trash about them, then I feel bad for you. Turns out, even when my team has good years I don’t end up on other teams blogs running my mouth and bragging like a douche. But you guys feel free. Bet your mooma is proud.
christophorm
February 3rd, 2011
12:17 pm
Auburn will always be remembered, as the Team that bought the best player.. that money could buy in 2010.
ga bulldog 71
February 3rd, 2011
2:24 pm
Nick Marshall is one of the top players signing this year with UGA. He has records of almost 10.000 yards in total offense with a state record of 103 touchdowns. Not to mention his play at CB. Nick played every down. He has great ability but is even more compeditive. I am afraid LeMay’s days will be limited, if Nick gets a shot at QB. He was recruited as a QB last year but signed as an athlete.
MikeP
February 4th, 2011
12:12 pm
christophorm
February 3rd, 2011
12:17 pm
“Auburn will always be remembered, as the Team that bought the best player.. that money could buy in 2010.”
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Right! Now all you whiners have to do is prove it. No proof=nothing but sour grapes from some poor losers.
Richt’s “Dream Team” is the exact same #6 ranked team that he’s averaged over the past four recruiting classes. Those 4 and 5 star players got the DullDawgs a 6-7 record. I see no reason to think this latest #6 class will do any better, particularly when Auburn and bammer finished ahead of UGA in the rankings.