Redshirt freshman OL Brent Benedict leaving UGA for ‘personal reasons’
Georgia’s already-precarious situation on the offensive line just got more precarious.
Benedict
Brent Benedict, a redshirt freshman offensive lineman from Jacksonville and a former five-star recruit, left the team due to “personal reasons,” head coach Mark Richt said in a news release on Sunday. Benedict (6-foot-5, 312-pounds) was slated to back up Chris Burnette at right guard. He signed as a tackle.
Benedict did not return calls and texts seeking comment. Richt, who just returned from a mission trip to Honduras, was not available to comment.
Benedict was medically cleared this spring after a two-year rehabilitation of a major knee injury that occurred his senior year at The Bolles School. Indications are there has been some differences over how much and what kind of off-season training he should be doing as he prepared for his first active season on the field.
Georgia is now down to 13 scholarship offensive linemen, five of whom are true freshmen who just arrived on campus (not including Nathan Theus of Jacksonville, who signed as a long snapper). Incoming freshman tackle Xzavier Ward is also expected to miss the season with a knee injury.
Georgia already had a major reshuffle of the offensive line when starting left tackle Trinton Sturdivant went down with his third major knee injury this past spring and tackle A.J. Harmon transferred to Alabama State. Redshirt sophomore Dallas Lee of Buford, who was listed as third-string left guard, will likely shift over to right guard.
Benedict’s departure is the second interruption of what had been a quiet offseason for the Bulldogs. A report out of Columbus on Sunday indicates there could be some eligibility questions for starting linebacker Jarvis Jones and five-star basketball signee Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
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253 comments Add your comment
It Ain't Rocket Science
June 27th, 2011
11:37 am
It would appear that no one on this blog knows exactly why this kid wants to transfer. It doesn’t appear though that it will stop the haters from once again posting the same old stupid crap they always post. Now if it has to do with a personal matter, it will make these clown haters, once again look silly, but they will still spout off about something they know nothing about.
For all any of us know, it could have something to do with a family matter. Maybe, his injury has gotten too far into his head, and it is strictly a mental thing. Maybe he doesn’t think he can work in the S and C program because mentally, he is still injured in his mind. Maybe he doesn’t want to ride the pines for another year. Maybe he just doesn’t have the mental toughness to rehabilitate at this level.
No one knows the full story now, but responsible adults withhold their judgment until we all do. Haters can give up on the line of, It is CMR’s or coach T’s fault. Try not to make yourselves look so darn stupid and simple minded. All anybody knows is what this article has told, and that is not much in the way of explaining this young mans actions. If he does decide to play football gain, I would think it would be at a lower division school, but I don’t know anything more than the rest on here. I just hope, he is doing what is best for him, and that he can reach his potential, if he decides to continue, at the place he choses. I would be willing to bet, that it will not be with another SEC school though, since I don’t see any of them willing to take on a prospect that has basically been sitting for two years and may still have physical problems. Good luck young man, what ever your future holds for you.
Teddy
June 27th, 2011
11:46 am
Looks like columbus carver, it’s coaches and players have criminals written all over them. Uga better watch out for the crooks they recruit and sign.
SOUTHGADAWG88
June 27th, 2011
11:51 am
I hear he didn’t want to follow the workout regimen and wanted to work out on his own with CES.They saw he was offered a medical scholarship and the family turned it down and he asked for his release. Sad deal all the way around.
Football analyst
June 27th, 2011
11:52 am
So there are only 8 scholarshipped O-lineman besides the 5 true freshman? That aint good.
old time dog
June 27th, 2011
11:52 am
Irregardless of the reason(s) we recruited and kept him, he’s gone. Move on and build from there. If Richt has been smart there are others to fill his shoes. eYe wish the young man well.
tide roll
June 27th, 2011
11:53 am
I think Benedict’s father has the same concerns you all should have. Does Joe T. and Kasay have the credentials and qualifications, including the educational background, held by strength and conditioning directors at competing institutions. And if not, why are they in the positions they’re in? And, frankly, will this lack of the latest certifications put the athlete at risk of injury, or slow his rehab and recovery from existing injury? Benedict’s father’s concerns are legitimate.
SOUTHGADAWG88
June 27th, 2011
11:57 am
That’s say not saw…But the gist of the story is Brent wasn’t doing what the staff asked him to do and was told he wasn’t going to play this year.The family thought it was in his best interest to go somewhere else.
SOUTHGADAWG88
June 27th, 2011
12:01 pm
I don’t blame the staff….with him having no feeling in that foot if it were me I wouldn’t have let him play in the spring.This seems to be a case of an athlete wanting to play and being told that the school would rather not risk him getting injured further this year.Tough call
tide roll
June 27th, 2011
12:21 pm
S. GA DAWG 88. This is the same stuff some other dawg was saying about Richard Samuel, and giving it as a reason he was moved from running back to backup inside linebacker. Somewhere along the line you guys need to look at your staff, including strength and conditioning, and determine if they’re really qualified to be in the positions they’re in? Kasay and Tereshinski are former Uga players. Bobo is a former player who is married to Barbara Dooley’s niece. Are these people truly the best and most qualified for the positions they hold, or are that in place because of loyalties, connections, etc. If it’s because of the latter. Richt is cheating the entire Bulldog nation, and more impotantly, the players and their families who trust that his hires will be with their interests considered foremost. Keep in mind Richt and Bobo would have played the greatest combo QB in THE HISTORY OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL at tight end. These two are at it again with Richard Samuel. There comes a point where you have to take explanations coming out of Athens with a grain of salt. They’re self serving.
The Truth
June 27th, 2011
12:32 pm
So, we have the former City of Columbus Parks & Recreation Director Tony Adams and at least 2 others that have been ARRESTED, for using MUNICIPAL funds to pay for the personal travel expenses of a UGA-bound recruit, Jarvis Jones.
It’s noteworthy that Mr. Adams did not use PERSONAL funds.
He used MUNICIPAL funds.
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Very Very Bad.
On November 18, 2010, the same Columbus newspaper wrote that Mr. Adams
and Herman Porter were dimissed after it was discovered that Mr. Adams
had “mis-appropriated” $200,000.
Folks, this isnt about $800 airfare and $200 cell-phone bill.
It’s about a $200,000+ “slush fund” operated by former employees of the
City of Columbus Parks & Recreation Department.
So, where did $200,000 go ??
The better better question is: To WHOM did $200,000 get paid to ??
So, whats the REALLY INTERESTING link in all this ??
Here it is: Money was used to pay airfare for UGA-bound recruit, Jarvis Jones.
Anyone want to guess WHERE Jarvis Jones played high school football ??
Thats right: Jarvis Jones played for Dell McGee at Carver-Columbus High School.
Yes, that UGA-designated hot-bed of un-eductated football talent, Carver-Columbus.
Folks, this story has been building for the past 12 months.
The R-E-A-L-L-Y dangerous question that will be asked is this:
Have there been ANY OTHER UGA-bound recruits from Carver-Columbus
that have ALSO received illegal benefits from this “slush fund” ??
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Folks, this Columbus-Slush Fund story has M-A-S-S-I-V-E implications
for UGA as it unfolds.
Stay tuned.
azdawg
June 27th, 2011
12:41 pm
…and let the unravelling begin. The JJ news and now another OL leaves. What’s next? I wonder if the new OL coach has anything to do w/Harmon and BB leaving? Can’t go into a new season losing folks left and right like this. Excluding Jones, who knows what will happen there, loss of OL player to already thin ;position is not good at all. All this will eventually take its toll.
Ace
June 27th, 2011
12:45 pm
Start making excuses for losing 7 games, UGA is in the dumps.
Noleone
June 27th, 2011
12:55 pm
You dawg fans are pathetic. It’s no wonder you get your rear’s kicked by SEC notables EVERY year. You got no guts. Move to the Sun Belt chumps! I doubt you could win that conference either.
Most of you need to go back to the percussion or brass sections where you belong.
I can already hear you gator…i mean dawgs saying; “wait til next year”
Bang My Head Against the Wall
June 27th, 2011
1:05 pm
It is a known fact that a SEC team has to have 7 to 8 good offensive linemen ready to play each saturday. Most teams dress between 10 to 15 OL for games, and unless the game is a blowout or non conference game 8 to 9 will play either on offense or special teams.
With that being said and the average college team in conference will lose one to two players for portions of games during the season due to injury, it seems more and more likely that some of these young guns will need to step up for Coach Friend or it is going to be a long long season. The one good caveat is the first game is in the atmosphere controlled environment and that should allow some of these kids to get on the field. The second game against USC will be the one that test the dogs and with USC running multiple schemes and pressure it will be a day for the OL to grow up or it will be a long long day in Athens.
WDE
June 27th, 2011
1:12 pm
@tide roll really you have such wonderful coaches on staff lead by that genius Saban and you racked up 4th in the west…wow!
ATL Sports Fan
June 27th, 2011
1:12 pm
Umm has anyone read the news about Jarvis Jones? From the posts probably not. He signed to play for USC not UGA out of high school. So how would flights from Columbus to LA be helping UGA? This happened in 2009 not this past year. Read the article before commenting.
Atlanta87
June 27th, 2011
1:13 pm
Aww this is all there is to talk about on the UGA blog. This is boring. I guess I’ll go cut the grass with a pair of scissors. Have a great afternoon all!
stoffadawgincarolina
June 27th, 2011
1:13 pm
i wonder if he just couldnt hack joe t’s workouts….just getting rid of the pudding pops: if not that i wish him the best of luck in his carrer
collegeballfan
June 27th, 2011
1:20 pm
This why all colleges need to recruit 4 to 5 OL every year.
UGA is down to 13 OL on scholarship. Not enough.
just a fan
June 27th, 2011
1:20 pm
All Dawg fans get out and vote for UGA over Notre Dame in best tradition
http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/post/_/id/6681916/1-notre-dame-vs-8-georgia
Bang My Head Against the Wall
June 27th, 2011
1:25 pm
The reason this is now a UGA story is that he is now on campus at UGA, and he was considered to be a leading player for UGA this fall. If previous precedence is used he will more than likely be ineligible for several games this fall. If I were on the Defensive coaching staff at UGA, I would just plan on not having JJ until later in the season. Fox can expect to lose his guy for a few games this fall and expect him back on the court in January 2012.
The bigger issue comes with what other information is out there that is not being reported? Does it run deeper and effect more players at many different schools? I guess time will tell.
dawg2
June 27th, 2011
1:29 pm
The Truth @ 12:32..Agree 100% the truth shall make us free. Richt would not put up with that crap and someone needs to go to jail.
Snoop Dawg
June 27th, 2011
1:31 pm
What are Joe Tereshinski and Hlfinger’s academic qualifications to be in charge of S&C at UGA? Probably about like Bobo’s qualifications to be the OC. It’s called the UGA Friends and Family Program. Modeled after MCI’s…
uh duh….
yallhavenoidea
June 27th, 2011
1:34 pm
Hey RABID DAWG FAN, you are a fu***ng idiot
WDE
June 27th, 2011
1:43 pm
@The Truth have you lost your bloody mind “UGA bound”?? Moron the young man was at USC..you can’t even lie well…troll on…
AltamahaDawg
June 27th, 2011
1:47 pm
I wonder if they ever considered consulting with a doctor or somebody like that?
wjhendrix3
June 27th, 2011
2:02 pm
UGA’s QBs and RBs had better make sure they are in super excellent, wonderful, fantastic, world-class shape this fall because they are going to be running for their lives all game every game.
Pitbull
June 27th, 2011
2:07 pm
Hey a football scholarship just opened up at Georgia for any Division 1A offensive lineman to transfer in to be closer to home due to a family hardship, and they can start immediately.
If it works for Georgia Tech, then it can work for Georgia.
AltamahaDawg
June 27th, 2011
2:09 pm
You do actually know what a “RB” is right?
LHarding Dawg
June 27th, 2011
2:37 pm
Dell McGee – Auburn Alum – Enough Said
ryan
June 27th, 2011
3:36 pm
Word is that Stacy Searals saw all this coming that is why he bolted for Texas he was the coach that recruited all these guys makes you wonder why he left CMR to deal with problem .
Daily Links: 68 days until Georgia vs. Boise State
June 27th, 2011
3:38 pm
[...] Georgia Redshirt freshman OL Brent Benedict is leaving the Bulldogs for “personal reasons”. [...]
Time for a change!
June 27th, 2011
3:48 pm
Some of you so called “Fans” are truly ID 10 T’s!!
mgdawg
June 27th, 2011
3:57 pm
Personally I’m not a fan of JoeT’s and staff’s lack of credentials, although I don’t really know this I assume it is true given their background. However, I don’t think the sports medicine staff would allow a player to participate in a strength and conditioning program that was unsafe for him. UGA’s sports medicine staff, a long with all sports medicine staffs at that level, are really conservative when it comes to injury management. Which is perfectly understandable, all these athletes have some chance to play at the next level, if you mess up you can cost a kid millions of dollars.
Because of this I think either the injury messed him up in the head too much that he couldn’t get over it, or he just didn’t want to do what everybody else was doing and thought because he had been injured he should get away with it.
Stinger2
June 27th, 2011
4:13 pm
The consensus of you UGA bloggers indicated that not many care and its no big deal to lose this guy. Not to worry, UGA has its dream team. SEC East Champs without a doubt. CMR Coach of the Year.
LogicalUS
June 27th, 2011
4:27 pm
Word around is that many of the players have been uneasy about the new training techs and have begun working out outside of the program.
Strange stuff like washing with comet and sand paper? dead-lifting on one leg and power cleans with release which the player has to avoid while excaping the sandbox Weird..
Winning in the SEC
June 27th, 2011
4:30 pm
Pat Dye said it best ………… you have to have the wide bodies up front to compete in the SEC. Mark Richt knew this when he first arrived at UGA and this is one of my biggest complaints about Richt. He has not gone out every year and signed the beef and if he did, they end up with bum shoulders, knees and backs. We sign the skinnny”project wide outs” and they take two or three or four years to grow and develop and we end up lately 6-7 or 5-7. We alos go after incorrigible backs that are worthless when the heat is on.
This is the year. If he only has ONE O linemen ……………. he must win.
UGA grads are sick and disgusted with stuff like this news today.
Let it begin.
Go Dogs.
UGA class of 71 & 73
ryan
June 27th, 2011
4:35 pm
@LogicalUS so what are saying is that its wax on wax off kind of of stuff .
truedawg
June 27th, 2011
4:54 pm
I don’t know why he left. I’m not going to guess. Best of luck kid. We adapt, we over come. Coach T doesn’t have a long list of credentials to coach S&C true. But what would that list look like? Did the Auburn OC have a long list of credentials? I am not judging as Iam not there. I hear from 2 players on the team that say its going well and many of them are in the best shape of there life. Most are in better shape than last year. We’ll see when the 4th qtr gets here. We’ll really see in the SC game. I am not worried about the things that are unchangeable at Athens right now. Who will step up? We’ll see. I am worried about losing J. Jones for a few games. Especialy if its the first 2. Vasser looked good in the spring game though and will fill the spot if Jones can’t play. Getting a good pass rush will be important playin those blue bellies. Have heart though! We will have a very impressive D line and have signed some really big kids last year for the O line. Watts is a big kid that can move well. I think we’ll see him playing very soon no matter who else is at UGA. less than 70 Days and then we’ll know about the Oline, secondary, running game, S&C etc….GO DAWGS!!
71 Dawg
June 27th, 2011
5:09 pm
His high school says it all – a spoiled rich kid from The Bolles School. . .
dog74
June 27th, 2011
5:12 pm
Need for UGA Staff to update Bulldog Nation on status of Strength/Conditioning program – we need everyone to be confident and committed – otherwise loose lips sink ships
UGA Alumnus
June 27th, 2011
5:13 pm
I have no problem with kids leaving the program because it’s too tough in the off season. That’s the way it should be… HARD!
You don’t win games by being comfortable, sitting at home playing video games.
shane#1
June 27th, 2011
5:19 pm
Welcome home CMR. Maybe Coach Richt should consider going to eastern Germany or Russia. They need clean water and missions too, and they are bigger than Hondurans. He might find some O linemen in Eastern Europe! Glenn, Jones and Anderson graduate this year, better get busy recruiting some big uglies!
ryan
June 27th, 2011
5:23 pm
One person leaving the program does mean all have problem with it if they did we would have heard a lot more players come out against the S&C program i think Benedict problem was playing time period .
It Ain't Rocket Science
June 27th, 2011
5:36 pm
You state the illegal funds were used to pay for UGA recruits air fares. Think about this for a second. He made four trips to Los Angeles, not Athens. If memory serves me correctly, USC is in Los Angeles, not UGA. Since he did not sign with UGA, at the time of these alleged flights, and was not signed by UGA until two years later, I don’t see how that equates to a UGA recruit. Yes, he did sign on this year, but he came to UGA asking to come here, after it appears that USC was going to be harshly penalized for Reggie Bush play for pay. UGA decided they could use his talents so put him on scholarship. Two years removed from his free flights to LA A Land. If the NCAA gets into the fray, which it appears they could, since he hasn’t been directly accused of taking these flights as not official recruiting visits, I am not sure how much they can do about it anyway. Circumstantially, one plus one equals two, but proving it might be another question. In any case, UGA is not guilty of anything concerning this matter, nor I imagine, even the BB players moms phone calls. He is an incoming freshman for this year 2012, not an incoming recruit form two years ago.
AltamahaDawg
June 27th, 2011
5:44 pm
sick and disgusted? really? Speak for yourself. Some of us UGA grads understand players come and go. They recruit 5-6 linemen a year and no they are not all skinny projects. If so then everybody wanted skinny projects because they all had offers everywhere. Disappointed when some of them haven’t worked out, sure. I reserve my disgust for things that deserve it.
It Ain't Rocket Science
June 27th, 2011
5:45 pm
Tide Roll,
Three questions for you.
First, don’t you think that UGA has a medical staff and the doctor would not allow the S and C coach to do anything that might be harmful to the players?
Question two and this should be an easy one since you know so much about UGA football. Do you really think that CMR is going to do something that might hurt the athletes that are on his team?
Question three. Who do you think gets injured easiest, the one that has worked in a hard S and C regiment or the one who is out of shape and therefore, by the fourth quarter, he is sucking wind and getting smashed all over the field of play. My guess is the out of shape one.
It is too bad that a poll can not be conducted for the players going through the S and C program right now and find out what the majority of them think. I would bet they would tell you it is very tough, but they also feel it is benefiting them greatly. Ask big Mr. Geathers, if that 20 or so pounds of muscle he has put on so far, is going to make him a better or worse player this year.
SOUTHGADAWG88
June 27th, 2011
5:55 pm
Benedict wasn’t going to play.That was the staff’s position..I’m sure after what happened with Trinton they are not relying on the players input to make that the decision.He says he wants to play but when you are still complaining of nerve damage that’s seems to put the school in a bad position IMO.What if he re injured that knee and the damage was worse.UGA would be crucified for it.It was said he was offered a medical scholarship and he turned it down.That means his football career at UGA would have been over.Is that the whole story?IDK but I do know whatever the school’s plan for Brent was.. he didn’t care for it.I wish the kid well…it’s extremely hard to come back 100 percent from that kind of injury.If he still thinks he can play in his heart then he should be allowed to pursue his dreams.If it were me making the call though..I wouldn’t have let him play in the spring…to risky IMO.
ryan
June 27th, 2011
6:12 pm
I agree with both you guys the other players had no problem with new S&C in fact several of them have gotten bigger and stronger Joey T . is trying to get them ready for fourth quarter i think Benedict most likely will end up at a Junior college or a small school .
Dawg Fans for Anthony Weiner
June 27th, 2011
6:25 pm
He probably realized,upon arriving on campus, what the rest of us have known for years. Whether we like it or not, a degree from UGA is meaningless.