Rewind: UGA football recruiting gets kick in pants it needed
THE MONDAY MORNING REWIND:
Or in this case, what happened while I was away on vacation. . . .
Here’s one thing you can be assured of in this business: When you’re out on vacation, news will happen. Usually a lot of news.
So, of course, that was the case when I took off for the beach last week. I left immediately after the SEC Spring Meetings in Destin, Fla. I wrote that the SEC presidents went against the football coaches and voted to reduce the annual signee limit to 25, drove home, took my bags out of one car and put them in another and hit the road for the right coast early the next morning. So unplugged was I that it took me several days to realize that Mike Hamilton was out as AD at Tennessee.
I returned to civilization this past Saturday afternoon and I have gradually tried to get myself back up to speed on all things Georgia, etc. (nice to see the Braves get on a roll, huh?!) So please indulge me as I conduct a brief review of the UGA happenings while I was away and be sure to let me know if I’ve missed anything (as if you need prompting). And be sure to let me know some of the topics you’d like to see me cover in the coming days and weeks. As you know, there are only 82 days until the Bulldogs’ opening game against Boise State in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Classic.
Pierce County FB Quayvon Hicks, here working out at the Mark Richt Camp this past weekend, was a good get for the Bulldogs. (AJC photo by Brant Sanderlin/bsanderlin@ajc.com)
Recruiting gets kick in pants
Georgia’s football recruiting got a badly needed kick in the pants over the weekend. The Bulldogs added four new commitments to their Class of 2012 from Friday until Sunday, including two from major in-state prospects. According to most analysts Jenkins County defensive tackle Jonathan Taylor is one of the best if not THE best prospect in the state. He committed on Sunday and, as they always promised, so did his outside linebacker teammate and best buddy James DeLoach.
Meanwhile, Georgia’s future for kicking specialists was solidified as punter Colin Barber of Cartersville committed. Place-kicker Marshall Morgan of Miami has long been on board, meaning that the Bulldogs have identified their replacements for Drew Butler and Blair Walsh, presently the most formidable kicking combination in America. Lest we forget, Georgia also just brought in on scholarship long snapper Nathan Theus, who will be set to succeed rising junior Ty Frix. So the Dogs’ commitment to special teams is clear. And these newbies can only hope to fare as well.
Personally, I believe the commitment of Pierce County’s Quayvon Hicks is very significant. Though most identified him as an elite defensive end prospect, UGA tabbed and recruited him purely as a fullback, which is a position it sorely needed to address. By all accounts this kid brings serious offensive skills and athleticism to the table and he has the size to match up with the league’s ever-troublesome OLBs and DEs. A really good get, IMHO.
The occasion of most of this recruiting activity was the result of the annual Mark Richt Camp held in Athens this past weekend. There has been considerable stress and paranoia expressed by the fan base over the lack of commitments beforehand. But the reality is this: This is expected to be a relatively small class for the Bulldogs; this is right about where they were last year; with rules and attitudes changing like have recently, recruiting is going to become much more deliberate, which has always been Georgia’s M.O.; and, like it or not, there is the tinge of uncertainty wavering over the program regarding the coaching staff, which will cause some of the most elite prospects to take a wait-and-see approach to UGA’s season.
If Georgia has a positive season — which many are starting to predict — expect a boffo recruiting class once again. Here’s the class as it stands so far:
GEORGIA 2011 COMMITMENTS
- P Colin Barber (6-2, 185), Cartersville
- WR C.J. Curry (6-2, 203), Flowery Branch
- OLB James Deloach (6-3, 260), Jenkins Co.
- DE Jalen Fields (6-4, 254), Georgia Military College
- OLB Leonard Floyd (6-4, 215), Dodge County
- FB Quayvon Hicks (6-2, 245), Pierce County
- K Marshall Morgan (6-3, 195), Miami
- WR Lonnie Outlaw (6-7, 210), Georgia Military College
- TE Ty Smith (6-3, 230), Colquitt County
- DT Jonathan Taylor (6-4, 315), Jenkins County
Men’s golf, baseball go down
It’s old news to most of you by now, but the baseball and men’s golf teams saw their season’s end in NCAA postseason tournaments.
Coach Chris Haack’s hackers fell to one of the most incredible and unlikely dominant teams of all time, Augusta State, 3-2 in the national championship match-play finals. But it was an incredible run for the Bulldogs, who had an impressive roster of its own but had failed to put it all together until Nationals. Now it will be rebuilding time for Haack as they bid farewell to four of their most accomplished seniors of all time: Rob Bennett, Harris English, Russell Henley and Hudson Swafford.
Coach David Perno’s Diamond Dogs finally went down to Oregon State in the championship game of the Corvallis Regional. As I’ve stated before, I believe Perno might have done his best work in getting Georgia back into the NCAA tournament. You have to look past the unspectacular final record of 33-32. Despite playing the nation’s toughest schedule and all the adversity they faced with the Johnathan Taylor injury, the Bulldogs managed to execute a 17-game improvement from the previous season. With a senior-laden squad coming back, look for even bigger things next year.
Henley = #winning
Speaking of Henley, he has continued his winning ways since his college career ended. The Monday following the national championship match, Henley managed to make it back to Ball Ground, Ga., and grab one of three spots for the U.S. Open qualifying at Hawks Ridge Golf Club. So he’ll be teeing it up with former Dogs Bubba Watson and Christo Greyling at Congressional Country Club this Thursday in Bethesda, Md. In the meantime, Henley this past weekend helped the the United States win the Palmer Cup up in Greenwich, Conn. Henley, of course, won a Nationwide Tour event as an amateur earlier this year. Before it’s over he may end up as UGA’s most decorated golfer ever.
JT gets ‘the call’
I’m hopeful you all got to see where the Texas Rangers absolutely buried the class meter by selecting Georgia’s Taylor in the Major League Baseball draft. There was plenty written about it here and elsewhere but there is a pretty cool video interview that UGA conducted that’s now posted on the school’s official website, georgiadogs.com. I highly recommend you check it out.
That’s all for now. Let me know what you think and what you want. I’m here to serve!
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126 comments Add your comment
Lasso
June 13th, 2011
3:51 pm
Auburn’s done enough to embarrass the SEC for the next two decades. Other than your own fans, there’s not a soul alive that gives even a modicum of legitimacy to that title. Whether you get away with the blatant cheating is irrelevant. Everybody knows you paid the one-and-done Newtons. If justice prevails, you’ll get caught. Either way, though, you’ll always have to live with the asterisk, because it’s branded on that title for all eternity.
Montgomery Burns
June 13th, 2011
3:51 pm
Nothing to see here. UGA signs blue-chippers, underachieves, press repeat, etc.
Bubbatavious
June 13th, 2011
3:57 pm
Now the coaching staff needs a good kick in the pants or they get the big boot by McGarity if Richt fails to get this team in da hunt this fall.
Same Gravy
June 13th, 2011
3:59 pm
Same gravy just warmed over and over. I agree with montgomer!
jbdawg
June 13th, 2011
4:00 pm
I second the request for an article to discuss the current “needs” of UGA and what prospects currently hold offers from UGA that meet those “needs”. I place the word needs in quotations because I, nor anyone else, really know what CMR and his regime feel they “need”.
Have a good day!
cadawg
June 13th, 2011
4:04 pm
tide roll: why are you so concerned about auburn’s defensive line and recruiting? why not florida’s? i bet i know why.
southgadawg: agreed. i know we offered brandon hill (6′6, 370: TN) and worked out jeremy daniels, another huge kid from in-state (lanier county, i think), this past weekend. most think big john theus is in the fold as long as CMR sticks around. but OL has got to be a priority for us. hopefully the promise of immediate playing time will help us there.
for all interested, here are dean legge’s notes from the CMR camp:
http://georgia.scout.com/2/1078961.html
Mr. Anonymous
June 13th, 2011
4:04 pm
Chip….. if you are here to serve then how about dropping a note to Seth Emerson’s bulldog blog for Mr. Anon. He will get more traffic if he opens it back up. thanks……
cadawg
June 13th, 2011
4:05 pm
btw: good to have you back, chip. hope vacation was restful.
Some Sense
June 13th, 2011
4:05 pm
Chip,
Is John Jenkins in Athens?
Ohio State Cheaters > UGA Cheaters
June 13th, 2011
4:08 pm
Kick in the PANTS?
It is more like it took a Kick in THE GROIN, just like Mark Richt’s hopes of ever (legitimately) winning a BCS Championship as the Head Football Coach at UGA.
JAWJeRDAWG
June 13th, 2011
4:14 pm
better late than never: desperately, not despirately
It Ain't Rocket Science
June 13th, 2011
4:18 pm
I cringe at the poop UGA will have to take if 2012 recruits are called “Dream Team II”. How about we call them, ” The DAWG bite class”. It will take half the negative bloggers that come on here at least a week to figure out what that means. UGA is past dreaming and now is in the delivery stage, with the first delivery due in September.
GO DAWGS
It Ain't Rocket Science
June 13th, 2011
4:26 pm
Ohio State Cheaters>UGA Cheaters.
Let’s see, it has been a while since I took basic algebra but doesn’t the sign (>) mean greater than? So you are saying that OSU cheats worse than UGA. How about let’s get the proper symbols on here then. A total moron EQUALS(=)OHIO STATE CHEATERS > UGA CHEATERS blogger. That is a much more logical and truthful statement. It looks so much better spelled out anyway. I guess 5th grade is out for summer vacation now, not to insult your graduate school level.
KD
June 13th, 2011
4:30 pm
Chip, the camp this weekend was for rising seniors, my question, isn’t there one also for rising juniors and how would you go about getting info on this or is it just for elite recruits only. I know I have never heard anyone talking about the kid from Cartersville, if it was by invitation only. Thanks
Druid City
June 13th, 2011
4:41 pm
“UGA football recruiting gets kick in pants it needed.”
Again more specialty players with no offensive linemen to block for them.
UGA football recruiting gets another kick in the crotch.
Ohio State Cheaters > UGA Cheaters
June 13th, 2011
4:58 pm
Ohio State Cheaters are SUPERIOR to UGA Cheaters, as we OUR cheating can at least lead to consecutive Conference Championships at BCS Bids.
D BAG TROLLS!
June 13th, 2011
5:24 pm
THE JUNKYARD IS BACK! UGA WILL WIN THE EAST THIS YEAR AND WE WILL COMPETE WITH LSU FOR THE SEC! WE WILL GET OUR O-LINE PROSPECTS (6). THE UGA TURN AROUND WILL BE COMPLETE AND SAD FOR ALL OF YOU LOSERS. KEEP IN MIND WE HAVE FOUND THE BOTTOM OF THE POOL, UNLIKE MANY TEAMS OUT THERE THAT ARE JUST STARTING TO SINK.
THANK YOU FOR TAKING TIME OUT OF YOUR DAY TO THINK ABOUT THE DAWGS!!!!! YOU HAVE UGA ON THE BRAIN, WE UNDERSTAND!
It Ain't Rocket Science
June 13th, 2011
5:31 pm
Cheater,
Too bad at least one of them is on the way out and that is last years title. Come on down to the big boys league and see how many championships you get then. Are you actually saying that OSU cheats to get championships? That is sad if you believe that of your team. I don’t think a lot of OSU fans want to be remembered as having won titles by cheating. Better quit while you think you are ahead. You can’t really insult UGA fans and you have managed to insult OSU fans. Very sad.
Sloan
June 13th, 2011
6:39 pm
Good luck this week to Russell Henley!
Captain
June 13th, 2011
7:19 pm
Chip, I don’t think there is ANY doubt that Russell Henley is the most accomplished golfer in Georgia Bulldog history. Certainly as a collegiate golfer I cannot recall anyone prior who has a four year resume comparable. With this being US Open week and Russell Henley making his second consecutive start in our country’s national championship, a rare feat for an amateur, I believe readers might enjoy a story comparing Henley’s accomplishments as a collegiate golfer with other Bulldog greats. Additionally, Henley has a chance over the next four months to become one of the finest amateur golfers in the state of Georgia’s long and proud history.
CaldwellBulldog12
June 13th, 2011
7:38 pm
Why are we recruiting Lonnie Outlaw again? Didn’t he fail entrance exams and the only reason we got him was because we wanted his cousin to commit? FAIL and waste of scholarship
joe
June 13th, 2011
7:40 pm
Taylor is 17 now with a year left in HS…Remember what UGA did not do with Samuel as a 17 year old freshman who is now just 20 and not being used properly. I cannot see how the coaches have not found this kid a starting position…Wasted talent by the coaches. We went with King and Ealey and now see where we are at running back. We cannot be stronger at Safety by changing Ogletree to LB and placing Samuel as backup….This is similar to the OL being changed around so much. Stick with what the kid can do. No one will ever know how good a running back Samuel may have been if he had had a trained running back coach and had not been switched so much. How old is King? 23 or Ealey 21?
Tide Roll
June 13th, 2011
8:04 pm
Richard Samuel is a BIG TIME running back. SEC coaches just grin and shake their heads. The kid had such upside. So you move him and go with the King/ Ealey two headed monster. Samuel should transfer while he still has time. He’s a future NFL running back. This Richt/Bobo combo is laughable.
AJC Editor
June 13th, 2011
8:17 pm
Tide Roll = Moronic Troll
Worm
June 13th, 2011
9:08 pm
Chip, don’t be posting anything from those guys on the DawgVent..They really think they’re the second coming of Grantland Rice..
Beast from the East
June 13th, 2011
9:15 pm
http://www.gatorsports.com/article/20110613/ARTICLES/110619843/1136?Title=UF-football-gets-pledge-from-four-star-cornerback
SSIgator
June 13th, 2011
9:42 pm
Nice following Chump Towers. If you keep banning everybody that does not agree with you there won’t be one hundred hits on your site. Nice income stream for the AJC.
Jimmy
June 13th, 2011
9:58 pm
Did CJ Curry transfer??? Last I looked he was attending North Hall high in beautiful Gainesville, Ga NOT Flowery Branch.
It Ain't Rocket Science
June 13th, 2011
10:19 pm
Caldwell,
He will have completed JUCO and CMR still wants him along with another big kid that also finished or will be finished and eligible for 2012 recruiting. He probably needs to put on a few pounds but at 6′7″ tall, if he can hold on to the ball, you would think he would have to be someone you might like to throw to. The other kid is a big DE that will probably need about 10-15 more pounds on him. I think they both have been playing JUCO ball, so they will probably be in half decent condition.
Bitter big #34
June 13th, 2011
10:38 pm
ya chip was looking for you–heard you got david pollack in trouble in valdosta
———maybe it was better you did not show————love ya man—-whats up with new recruiting guy
———————–he stinks————–go dawgs—————C/T rules
Bitter sec fan
June 13th, 2011
10:53 pm
dont bring smack ohio state—–tatto for play—9 cars per playa————hahahahahah
Rewind: UGA football recruiting gets kick in pants it needed – Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) | USA Baseball America
June 14th, 2011
12:09 am
[...] post by webmaster@technorati.com and software by Elliott Back Comments [...]
sports
June 14th, 2011
12:25 am
how’s things over at the auburn PENITENTIARY these days, any new arrest?
RED DOG 77
June 14th, 2011
1:20 am
Oline worriers “Don’t worry, be happy”………..Little has been reported on two very good Olinemen who have yet to see any action……..they are Austin Long and Brent Benedict. Both of these young men came out of high school with pretty severe injuries…….Long, back surgery and Benedict, if I’m not mistaken had the ACL thing………As I understand both are recovering beautifully……Benedict a little nerve twinge and Long has a pulled muscle not related to his back surgery. My understanding is both of these two studs will be A-OK and ready to go come Summer practice………When you have 5* players like this under the radar, coupled with who we have starting, on top of some pretty good RS Freshmen and true Freshmen, you can bet someone will step-up and be counted this up-coming football season………..Look Folks! Coach Todd Grantham has his troops ready to rip some heads off this season………..Do you really think with the chemistry that is developing in Athens this year……..the offense is going to be left out ?…….not no, but hell no………DOGS will be fine in 2011, I’m betting on 10-2 with us winning the East………..But my fine BULLDOG faithful if we don’t win it all this year………God help our SEC rivals in 2012…………..RED
Columbus
June 14th, 2011
2:16 am
Do NOT pay any attention to the LOSERS who come on here to trash UGA. We WILL shut them up on the field and with a BIG bowl WIN. UGA WILL win the SEC East this year. Keep saying it. Keep believing it. There is POWER in UNITY and POSITIVE statements. To all the NAYSAYERS….it is GOOD to be a DAWG win or lose but 2011 is gonna be a GREAT YEAR and it will STEADILY get better the next 5 years! UGA WINS THE SEC EAST IN 2011…..! BEATS BOISE ST. AND BEATS USC AND BEATS FLORIDA(OF COURSE WE BEAT TECH)AND BEATS FLORIDA AND BEATS TENNESSEE AND GOES TO THE SEC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME AGAINST…..ARKANSAS AND WHIPS PETRINO!
fan of the champs
June 14th, 2011
3:11 am
How was it the “dream team” if everyone has it ranked lower than both Auburn and Alabama’s recruiting classes? (Honestly…) Also, everyone should look at the updates on the 2012 recruiting classes; again, Auburn and Alabama are leaving everyone in the dust! I am sorry Columbus, but the next five years aren’t looking good for UGA or anyone in the East for that matter…
superDawg
June 14th, 2011
7:21 am
L.Pope is the man.
Recruiting | MrSEC.com
June 14th, 2011
7:24 am
[...] past weekend.-Here’s an update on Georgia’s recruiting after a busy weekend in Athens.-It was a recruiting weekend Georgia needed, writes Chip Towers.-Remember last year’s “Dream Team” class at Georgia? [...]
» SEC: Auburn football coaches turn title into treasure John Clay’s Sidelines
June 14th, 2011
8:15 am
[...] Georgia football recruiting gets kick it needed [...]
DawginLex
June 14th, 2011
8:16 am
tide roll
Richard Samuel?
A big time SEC running back?
Oh my Lord
ADMan
June 14th, 2011
8:24 am
Tide Roll wouldn’t know a good running back from the guy that sold him his trailer….still have an O-line fetish Tide Roll?
It Ain't Rocket Science
June 14th, 2011
8:30 am
Fan of the champs,
The SEC runs in cycles. The SEC east will be back in the picture in the future and it will not be a five year down stretch as you suggest. It was that many years ago that Alabama and Auburn were down and LSU was considered the top team. Florida as I remember also pretty much owned the SEC for a couple of years. For the fact, how was Arkansas three years ago. Changes always occur in the SEC conferences. The SEC west has been up for a couple of years, but soon parity or a shift in another direction will take place. That’s what makes the SEC the toughest conference in NCAA football.
GO DAWGS
Snoop Dawg
June 14th, 2011
8:47 am
UGA recruiting doesn’t need a kick in the pants, but the head coach sure does. Mark Richt needs to get it done. He needs to stop the constant erosion of in-state talent to our rivals. People say we have good recruiting classes, but you could virtually man the SEC all-star team with Georgia recruits who went elsewhere. Then the head coach, da preacha man, Markt Wrecked, is responsibile for training the raw talent up. He is a miserable failure in this department. Just do a little study of our running backs as a case study, then extrapolate to the entire team. UGA has a solid program in spite of Richt because he has a world class fishing hole of in-state talent with no in-state competitors. Pee Wee Herman could field a championship team with all the talent, the fan base, and the money UGA provides…
Wake up, Bulldog Nation.
BigGame
June 14th, 2011
9:11 am
Has the summer heat made all of the Bulldawg fans realize that they will win another National Champion again this year? Will they land a top 10 recruiting class again?
Looking forward to crowning UGA 2011 National Champs!!
DawginLex
June 14th, 2011
9:19 am
big props to Leonard Pope for saving that 6 year old girl from drowning.
UGA Insider
June 14th, 2011
10:29 am
I have heard that Ray Drew is the real deal up in Athens He has come into camp in shape and ready to take a starting position. Same for Nick Marshall. I expect both to be starting by 9-10.
UGA Insider
June 14th, 2011
10:31 am
Our talent on defense is now on par with LSU and Bama. USCe is right there as well. They have 4 or 5 future NFL’s that will be starting next fall.
sc fan
June 14th, 2011
10:40 am
Please excuse my ignorance. what is the Fulmer Cup and how do you get points?
D BAG TROLLS!
June 14th, 2011
10:45 am
The JUNKYARD is BACK!
You trolls smell funny!
The General Feeling
June 14th, 2011
10:51 am
Are you kidding, Chip?
Dawgs are loaded year after year. It doesn’t mean squat. Coach Richt is frozen in 2001 preparations and schemes. Everyone, even Vandy, has surpassed him. It’s talent alone that keeps him above .500.