Ten players to watch in Bulldogs’ spring football practice
Georgia starts spring football practice on Thursday afternoon. Here are 10 players whose progress, I think, will be particularly interesting to follow from then through the G-Day game on April 16:
1. Alec Ogletree: After starting four games at safety as a true freshman last season, Ogletree moves to inside linebacker, where defensive coordinator Todd Grantham says the former scout.com five-star recruit can be a “unique” talent.
2. Jarvis Jones: One offshoot of Ogletree’s move from safety to inside linebacker is that Jones, who was redshirted last season after transferring from USC, will settle at outside linebacker. It previously was unclear whether he’d play inside or outside. Big things are expected and needed from him.
3. Bruce Figgins: It’s pretty unusual for a fifth-year senior to make a significant position change, but Figgins’ shift from tight end, perhaps the team’s deepest position, to fullback, perhaps its thinnest, qualifies. He could be a major contributor if he takes to the new spot.
Washaun Ealey (UGA photo)
4. Washaun Ealey: He has been Georgia’s leading rusher each of the past two years, but he clearly needs to have a good spring after an inconsistent 2010 season, an off-season suspension and the pending arrival of prized recruit Isaiah Crowell.
5. Ken Malcome: The tailback from Southwest DeKalb was redshirted last season but drew praise for his work on the practice field late in the season. He’ll get a chance this spring to show how he stacks up against the more veteran tailbacks Ealey, Caleb King and Carlton Thomas.
6. Trinton Sturdivant: After missing almost all of the 2008 and 2009 seasons because of knee surgeries, Sturdivant got through last season healthy. He gained more confidence in his health — and more playing time — as the season went along. Now, after briefly considering the NFL draft, he’s back for his senior season at left tackle and a chance to pick up where he left off as a freshman All-American in 2007. He’ll be working with a new offensive line coach this spring, Will Friend.
7. Christian LeMay: A member of the 2011 signing class, the quarterback from North Carolina enrolled in school in January and will participate in spring practice. While there is no doubt Aaron Murray, barring injury, will be the starting quarterback, it’ll be interesting to get a glimpse of LeMay’s potential.
8. Marlon Brown: He caught only 13 passes in his first two seasons at Georgia, but the wide receiver from Memphis –- a much-touted signee in February 2009 — has an opportunity for a starting job as the Bulldogs rebuild the wide receiver corps post-A.J. Green.
9. Kwame Geathers: John Jenkins, the celebrated JUCO nose guard, won’t arrive until summer, and with DeAngelo Tyson’s move to defensive end, Geathers has the stage this spring to show what he can do at the nose.
10. Richard Samuel: He was the Bulldogs’ starting tailback at the beginning of the 2009 season, then was slowed by injury and eventually redshirted after a move to linebacker last year. His progress at inside linebacker bears watching closely this spring.
So … which players, among these or others, will have your attention during spring practice?
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362 comments Add your comment
dawg from a distance
March 9th, 2011
10:38 am
Isn’t BB short for idiot????
BB
March 9th, 2011
10:38 am
Mettenberger & Gray both outgunned big game washout Murray.
Buckeye
March 9th, 2011
10:40 am
Keep em coming boys. May I have another?
Once again, it’s takes the entire SEC to take on Ohio State.
Beast from the East
March 9th, 2011
10:45 am
Buckeye,
While I appreciate your humor and love for your university, that last comment was just crazy.
“Once again, it’s takes the entire SEC to take on Ohio State.”
I think the boys down in Gainesville have handled them just fine by themselves!
BB
March 9th, 2011
10:45 am
Everyone i know im a complete idiot. Listen my daddy use to touch me in unfamiliar ways when i was little now nobody can stand behind me anymore. Plus i walk with a limp because of all the damage. I cant help i dont know what the hell im talking about.
BB
March 9th, 2011
10:59 am
Buckeye-
Please break down the Ohio State situation in detail, since you’re acting like a fan.
BB
March 9th, 2011
11:00 am
P.S. To my imatator fan at 10:45, I can only say I am honored you are inspired by me being a WINNER.
DawginLex
March 9th, 2011
11:23 am
BB, clearly you are a loser.
Posting the same crap over and over.
Your logic is extremely flawed.
I’ll help you-this one time
Murray is 400 times better than Gray at QB.
Mettenberger did not transfer, he messed up and was punished.
Ealey is a junior and is not transferring to another D-1 school
Murray set freshman records at UGA and had better freshman year than Greene or Stafford.
Lemay will be given every chance to win the job this spring and into the fall.
Mason will be given every chance to win the job this spring and into the fall.
So you can stop posting your same old dumba$$ crap OK???
BB
March 9th, 2011
11:28 am
Mettenberger crushed Murray over Spring games, and then transferred to Butler, then to LSU. Ealey will transfer. Murray is 0-6 against winning teams, and only threw 8 of his 24 td’s against the 6 winning teams. Lemay will not be the starter, regardless of how good of a Spring he has )watch last season’s G-Day for proof). Mason will also transfer.
BB
March 9th, 2011
11:29 am
Gray had about the same completion % as Murray, same td count, less interceptions over Spring games, Gray is a better QB than Murray.
BobDawg
March 9th, 2011
11:33 am
….Tide Roll…. I heard UGA wants to engage you for services on our Offensive Line… BTW… wherever Richt has Bobo go recruit, he always brings them home for us…. I think you have a man crush on UGA actually…. I hope you weren’t the dude that poisoned the Toomer Trees???? were u???
Rum Runner
March 9th, 2011
11:35 am
We need a tailback to step up and sieze the moment. Ealey and King won’t do it so let’s see what Crowell and Malcome can do. This tailback by committee thing DOES NOT WORK !
Also, our O line needs to man-up this year. I’m excited about Ogletree at inside LB. He will be a disruptive force a la Thomas Davis in the NFL. Go Dawgs!
BB
March 9th, 2011
11:36 am
Murray is #1 at something, the worst season, 6 wins, 7 losses, in Richt’s 25 career as a Head Coach.
BB
March 9th, 2011
11:37 am
Backs are fine, both average over 5 yards a carry, Richt & Bobo just don’t like to run the football, they like to pass it.
mcdawg
March 9th, 2011
11:38 am
the Big Bean’s & Ben Jones on the offensive line –something was clearly not clicking last year with our guards and center and safeties on the D
still worried about Jarvis Jones neck would hate to see something bad happen
i think the D will gel
BB
March 9th, 2011
11:38 am
O-Line has been great when Ealey runs the ball, Ealey is a 5.5 careeer ypc at Georgia.
BB
March 9th, 2011
11:39 am
Doubt Ogletree will do much at LB. Olivadotti’s defense ranked last in rush defense.
mcdawg
March 9th, 2011
11:40 am
agree w/ BB about Ealey-aside from the fumbles which were huge-i think he is a fine back
Rum Runner
March 9th, 2011
11:42 am
The backs aren’t fine. Ealey is a fumble waiting to happen and he’s totally undisciplined on and off the field and King is too injury prone. Why were we running little Thomas up the middle all season long? We need Malcolme and Crowell to step up quickly.
Rum Runner
March 9th, 2011
11:43 am
Ealey’s fumbles cost us games and momentum all season. It was pitiful.
John
March 9th, 2011
11:44 am
No seniority system this year, and that includes Aaron Murray! If LeMay proves to be better, start him!
BB
March 9th, 2011
11:44 am
Murray had more turnovers against Florida than Ealey’s had in his career at Georgia.
BB
March 9th, 2011
11:44 am
Please, Murray is the starter, review last year’s G-Day.
Rum Runner
March 9th, 2011
11:45 am
I can still see the nightmare goal line fumble against SC as if it were yesterday..
BB
March 9th, 2011
11:46 am
King’s fumble cost Georgia a game because it happened so late, Ealey’s fumbles have not cost Georgia a game, Murray’s turnovers cost Georgia the Florida & UCF game.
BB
March 9th, 2011
11:46 am
I can still see the 4 to’s Murray made aganst Florida.
BB
March 9th, 2011
11:47 am
I loved it when Richt started Joe T at QB, with Matt Stafford benched.
BB Get
March 9th, 2011
11:52 am
Your A$$ outta the basement & up here in the kitchen for lunch, son – Your Momma
John
March 9th, 2011
11:53 am
DawginLex……Quarterbacks ALWAYS regress at Georgia in their 2 year, or is it they reach their max in talent? AM upside was last year, and that wasn’t good. And stop saying he was a freshman, he’s a 2nd year player. If Stafford, Shockley, Zeir or many others was given the chance to reshirt they would have all had great freshman years.
Rum Runner
March 9th, 2011
11:56 am
Murray will be fine. Freshman QB was amped up and and overwhelmed his first time in J’ville just like most 19 year old starting QBs would be. I blame Bobo for the first out-pass pick; stupid play call on the first play of the game. Murray then tried to force too much stuff..it happens. He will be fine. I’d love to see Ealey transfer, but he won’t..not sure what you have against Murray. Sounds like you’re not a UGA fan, just another blog troller..
BB
March 9th, 2011
11:59 am
I’m a fan of WINNING, as all WINNERS are.
BB
March 9th, 2011
12:00 pm
Ealey will transfer, undoubtedly. And he won’t be the only offensive guy, a QB or 2 will follow right behind him, and a TE.
DawginLex
March 9th, 2011
12:01 pm
1991-Zeier had to play. Talley was the only other option.
2006-stafford HAD to play. Joe Cox and Joe T played but neither were ready.
2001-Shockley redshirted. Greene was clearly better 2002-2004. Shockley shined in 2005 after patiently waiting his turn.
Murray will have competition from Lemay. I hope Richt plays both of them so we have a fallback in case of injury.
BB
March 9th, 2011
12:01 pm
Godfrey had a great year as a Freshman at UCF. Kid has poise, Murray doesn’t.
BB
March 9th, 2011
12:02 pm
Watch the last 2 seasons, Richt doesn’t get the #2 many reps, Mason had 13 passes.
DawginLex
March 9th, 2011
12:03 pm
BB,
do you know how stupid your comments are ?
Ealey is a junior. for him to transfer, he has to sit out next year leaving him 1 year to play D-1. you keep saying he is going to LSU. Other than your dumba$$ opinion, show me a link to anything that discusses Ealey transferring anywhere, much less to LSU.
that’s right, a link doesn’t exist because you made it all up in that dumba$$ loser brain of yours.
Just STFU and quit pretending to be a UGA fan.
TROLL
Jim
March 9th, 2011
12:04 pm
Spring won’t matter, and starting 22 won’t matter.
Richt wins less games than the year before 7 out of last 8 seasons.
BB
March 9th, 2011
12:05 pm
Ealey can transfer to a JUCO and play immediately, then transfer back to an SEC rival of Georgia’s like Mettenberger did.
BB
March 9th, 2011
12:05 pm
There’s been a lot of chatter out there about Ealey transferring, look it up yourself.
BB
March 9th, 2011
12:06 pm
I said I’m a fan of WINNING.
BB
March 9th, 2011
12:08 pm
Ealey’s not going to get touches even if he stays, look at how Richt rewarded Gray’s loyalty. Richt’s trying to disgruntle Ealey, waiting for Ealey to mess up, so he can kick him off the team and make room for his entitled rb Crowell. It’s what I call Richt’s “Pulling a Mettenberger”.
BB
March 9th, 2011
12:12 pm
Please provide a link where ealey says publicly he is not transferring after Richt’s absurb suspension.
BB
March 9th, 2011
12:13 pm
How do you start Joe T over Matt Stafford or Murray over Lemay?
Dan
March 9th, 2011
12:17 pm
ESPN reported about possibility of Ealey transferring due to suspension.
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=6162236
Dan
March 9th, 2011
12:19 pm
AJC says transferring might be Ealey’s best option:
http://blogs.ajc.com/jeff-schultz-blog/2011/02/08/crowells-recruitment-aside-washaun-ealey-did-this-to-himself/
Dan
March 9th, 2011
12:22 pm
Georgia red and black also saying the same thing, reporting that Ealey transferring widely discussed on blogs:
http://www.redandblack.com/2011/02/08/ealey-suspended-according-to-sources/
woebegong
March 9th, 2011
12:42 pm
Roll Tide,
At the UGA football summer camp, John Theus had a really good camp and impressed the coaches. That’s UGA’s wish and in so many of your previous blog rants, you have talked about how UGA gets so much talent and doesn’t utilize them. Funny you should now complain that UGA doesn’t know how to judge talent. Man, you are some piece of work.
As for your NCAAP rant. Why don’t you do UGA a favor then and report this grievious offense commited by them. You honestly just post on these blogs, I think to give yourself, a false sense of importance. I don’t think that GT fans or Auburn for that matter take you any more seriously than I do. Such a waste of bandwidth time. In the future, I will wait to see if you post anything revelant or important before even responding. Childish remarks only show your lack of maturity as well as a way over inflated ego.
woebegong
March 9th, 2011
12:54 pm
Dan,
the RED and Black also quoted unnamed sources as saying Murray broke two bones in his ankle when he only had a mild sprain. Not sure they are really that a reliable souce for quoting. It is run by the students, who you would think would know and not use unnamed sources for sure, but such does not appear to be the case.
kenny b
March 9th, 2011
12:56 pm
Tressell lies to ncaa get 2 {jv] games suspension SEC coach tells a lies
they get suspended 8 games from their on conference an still has to see what ncaa has in store. Guess they don’t look at the books to see which conference has carried their sorry but for the last 15 years.
kenny b
March 9th, 2011
12:58 pm
Go dawgs