UPDATED: UGA awards scholarships to 8 walkons, Kent Turene out
ATHENS – For decades, coaches have enjoyed awarding what they call the “battlefield scholarship.” It’s that special moment enjoyed at least once a year when they get to call up a walkon before the team and deliver some good news.
“Son, you’ve really showed us something the last few weeks and we want to show our appreciation by putting you on scholarship,” or so it goes.
Thanks to some drastic attrition since last season, Georgia coach Mark Richt got to do that eight times on Thursday. During a team meeting at Butts-Mehre Heritage Hall late in the evening, Richt awarded one-year renewable scholarships to eight different players: junior guard John Bodin of Covington; junior wide receiver Taylor Bradberry of Winder; senior outside linebacker Matthew DeGenova of Kenner, La.; senior cornerback Eric Elliot of Kennesaw; sophomore tailback Brandon Harton of Reidsville; sophomore cornerback Blake Sailors of Athens; junior tailback Wes Van Dyk of Highland Park, Texas; and senior linebacker Jason Veal of Lilburn.
It’s not known if that’s some kind of record but it has to be for Georgia, at least in the modern era.
The Bulldogs were able to award eight grants because, with classes set to start Monday, it was down to 77 players on scholarship. The NCAA-allotted maximum has been 85 since the late 1980s. Eight below is a rarely-heard number for a team that is not under some type of NCAA restriction, and Georgia is not.
Awarding eight also means the door is effectively closed on linebacker Kent Turene of Lauderdale Lakes, Fla. Turene, whose high school transcript has been tied up at the NCAA Eligibility Center all summer, told the AJC he intends to attend Fork Union Military Academy in Virginia if he can’t get his freshman eligibility resolved but, as of Friday morning, he hadn’t given up on being able to attend UGA this fall.
“I haven’t made a decision yet but that’s what I’m thinking right now,” Turene said Friday morning. “[Georgia] just told me I needed to make a decision, but that’s what I’ll probably do.”
Fork Union is a prep school. Turene said he should be able to go there, take over the classes currently in question by the NCAA and enroll in Georgia in January.
“That’s the plan,” he said.
Of course, the Bulldogs had so many opportunities available only because so many players had squandered theirs in the last nine months or so. For one reason or another, Georgia has lost 14 players who would have otherwise been eligible to play this season.
Some of those players are not around for good reasons, such as NFL lottery pick A.J. Green and fellow early-entry draftee Justin Houston. Others just couldn’t hack it one way or another, such as Caleb King, who lost his academic eligibility, and Washaun Ealey, who never bought into Richt’s team concept of “the Georgia Way.
In any case, the news of the eight awards was distributed via a brief news release from UGA late Thursdsay night. So Richt was not immediately available. Hopefully we’ll be able to hear from him about it later this morning after the Bulldogs wrap up their 10th practice of the preseason. I’ll let you know what Richt says if and when he does comment.
You’ll note that five of the eight scholarship recipients are underclassmen. That means Georgia will have to make a decision after the season who to keep on aid or who to not. As UGA spokesman Claude Felton pointed out Thursday, “even Isaiah Crowell’s scholarship is a one-year renewable” (though there is a national movement to make them multiyear deals). So these new Dogs won’t be renewed at the expense of a prospect with an offer come February.
In the meantime, here’s a rundown of the players who otherwise could have been a part of Georgia’s 2011 team:
LOST DOGS
- OL Brent Benedict, RFr. — Transferred to Virginia Tech
- LB Marcus Dowtin, Jr. — Transferred to North Alabama
- TB Washaun Ealey, Jr. – Transferred to Jacksonville State
- TB Caleb King, Jr. — Academically ineligible, will enter NFL supplemental draft
- WR Logan Gray, Jr. — Graduated with eligibility, transferred to Colorado
- WR A.J. Green, Jr. — Early entry into NFL draft
- OL A.J. Harmon, Jr. — Transferred to Alabama State
- LB Justin Houston, Jr. — Early entry into NFL draft
- DE Jeremy Longo, Jr. — Medically disqualified
- DT Chris Mayes, Fr. — Did not qualify, attending junior college
- OL Tanner Strickland, Sr. — graduated with eligibility remaining
- OL Trinton Sturdivant, Sr. — knee injury, career over
- LB Kent Turene, Fr. — Has not qualified
- DB Nick Williams, Jr. — Transferred to North Alabama
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126 comments Add your comment
Uuugghh
August 12th, 2011
11:28 am
Hey crabapplejoe here are some suggestions:
If you are really angry at Rivals because you perceive them as racist, don’t pay for their service.
If you think the recruiting rankings are biased, don’t follow recruiting.
If you don’t like the racial breakdown in college football, don’t watch it.
There are very simple ways to ease your frustration…now if you could refrain from posting any more nonsense–that would ease mine.
Thanks!!
If you think
crabapplejoe
August 12th, 2011
11:40 am
@UUUgghh: I see you didn’t answer my simple question about Wes Welker and Dwight Clark…..I guess its because simply answering that question honestly destroys your whole world view that Rivals is not biased and the recruiting process is not discriminatory. I certainly don’t pay for Rivals “service….and I love college football and will continue to watch it……I root for the two stars
crabapplejoe
August 12th, 2011
11:42 am
@Tobias Funke: Take my “hate” somewhere else? I am pointing out that Rivals is completely biased against a certain group of folks and you call that “hate”….now that’s funny I don’t care where you’re from…..LMAO. You probably think the sky is red too….makes about as much sense as your comment.
Uuugghh
August 12th, 2011
11:44 am
Oh-my bad! I thought that question was both rhetorical and ignorant.
crabapplejoe
August 12th, 2011
12:00 pm
@Uuugghh: Still can’t/won’t answer the question I see…..LOL….I always know I’ve won an argument when the other person can only make ad hominem attacks…too funny…but thanks for playing.
BiggdawgK
August 12th, 2011
12:01 pm
Congrats to all these young men. It’s nice to see that hard work does pay off.
It is always sad to see the countless haters on the ajc blogs. Even worse is the number of these truly pathetic losers who use Dawgs or Dog in their name. Even though their “lifes” are filled with despair and they hate UGA they still are oh so desperate to be affiliated with the Bulldogs even if it only in their sad pathetic tiny little fantasy world.
Dennis
August 12th, 2011
12:19 pm
This practice is good for any program. On one end of the spectrum you are trying to project guys that are in the 10th and 11th grade for scholarship committments. On the other end there are guys that may grow and blossom late that given a chance could contribute. You want to encourage these type of guys coming and giving it a shot.
DawgInaTruck
August 12th, 2011
12:20 pm
Those of us who have been around a while remember the GATA game and how significant that was. Heck, for years when we would arrive at hotels for out of town games the marquee out front would read, “Welcome Dogs-GATA”
I’ve wondered over the years how many of our players knew how special those four letters are. Congratulations again to these eight sudent-athletes. They truly know how to GATA!
Coach Grohbo
August 12th, 2011
12:23 pm
While the rest of the SEC refreshes their lineups with recruited players, UGA refreshes their lineup with walk on students that no one else wanted.
This is one big reason why recruiting rankings are misleading.
DawgInaTruck
August 12th, 2011
12:49 pm
Uh Coach could you explain how this is a reason that recruiting rankings are misleading, since RECRUITING rankings deal with RECRUITED athletes and not walk-ons? Think before you type dude.
Big Albany Dawg
August 12th, 2011
12:58 pm
Logan Gray he justs wants to play that’s all. But it isn’t looking so good for him on the Buff’s depth chart….
Floyd
August 12th, 2011
1:13 pm
Nice roster management there, coach. This is basically the equivalent of self-imposed probation in terms of numbers. Hey Richt – WAKE UP!!
DawgInaTruck
August 12th, 2011
1:21 pm
Floyd, while it is obvious you are trying (albeit unsuccessfully) to be a troll you are sort of on the mark. If you had been paying attention, you would have already known that CMR has previously stated that some guys left on their own while some were helped out along the way. A portion of this purge was self imposed and it has already resulted in a much better conditioned TEAM and an incredibly improved TEAM atmosphere. Maybe it is you who should wake up. Regardless, now that you have been properly informed, you no longer have your own ignorance as an excuse.
Beth Savage
August 12th, 2011
1:40 pm
Sailors and Bradberry will get definitely get some playing time this year, not only contributing in practice, but in EVERY game as well.
Coach Grohbo
August 12th, 2011
2:04 pm
Truck,
Each year, UGA leaves five to ten scholarship positions open or gives them to walk on students which no one else recruited. The rest of the SEC gives their scholarships to athletes competitively recruited by other schools.
If recruiting rankings were revised to take into effect who actually holds the scholarships at the start of each season, they would better reflect each team’s strength.
UGA would not be top ten or even top thirty.
Coach Grohbo
August 12th, 2011
2:07 pm
Floyd,
You are right. It is self-imposed probation.
Look on the bright side, Richt will be gone at the end of the season and his replacement will insist on playing by the same rules as his competition.
DawgInaTruck
August 12th, 2011
2:19 pm
Coach, you are still missing the point. Recruiting rankings ae based on the so-called quality of the class on signing day-nothing more, nothing less. We don’t leave five to ten scholarships open anually; no one does or can afford to.
We had heavier than normal attrition this year but, for the reasons I stated above, it was a good thing. What a lot of people also fail to understand is that the guys who have been awarded these scholarships are not only there for their love of the game and UGA, they have raised their game and made themselves into excellent football players.
BobbyDodd21/20
August 12th, 2011
3:18 pm
I bleed white & gold but I’m really happy for all these young men, it’ll be one of the top events of their lives…and thanks to all our very special military troops…you are smart tough guys & gals..
Otis My Man
August 12th, 2011
8:30 pm
Cameron Fordham needs a new home 6′4″ 285 center is transfering from LSU and the DAWGS need him! Northview HS Garduate 2010 Get him DAWGS!
Thomas Brown
August 13th, 2011
2:55 am
This is not good. There is no spin that can be put on 26 players who were average 3.58 stars not being able to play vs Boise State or South Carolina games 1 and 2 who could have been playing, instead. Adding yet 8 more scholarships awarded to guys who not 1 of whom has played on offense or on defense, and who will not, with average stars far less than Boise State’s 2-star offense and defense, cannot be spun into some positive Kool-Aid.
Every single Running Back on the UGA roster is injured today. http://dogbytesonline.com/crowell-on-groin-injury-handling-expectations-and-if-he-can-impact-like-lattimore-47622/
Boise State has won 8 games all-time in their entire history of college football against any of the 6 BCS Conference opponents of the 31 such games they have ever played. 25 percent winning percentage.
15 NFL Boise State players to 45 UGA Bulldogs NFL players today.
2.41 average # of stars according to Scout.com over the entire last 5 years of recruiting classes for Boise State to 3.58 for UGA.
0 Top 100 players Boise State
21 Top 100 players UGA Bulldogs
1 either 5-Star or 4-Star recruit over last entire 5 years playing vs us
51 either 5-Star or 4-Star recruits over last entire 5 years for us
# 69 average ranking of Boise State’s last 5 recruit class ranks
# 11 average ranking of UGA’s last 5 recruit class ranks
Georgia had better quit drinking the Kool-Aid and figure it out that Boise State is NO MATCH for the talent handed this coaching staff of Mark Richt.
32-18 is my prediction of the game, and by the way that is figuring that Brandon Boykin is lined up at running back.
30 fumbles 2011 season by UGA is my prediction and we are not good on offense at falling on 30 fumbles. Richard Samuel put the ball on the carpet in the last scrimmage. It was returned 65 yards for a TD by a 3rd string defensive player.
Thomas Brown
August 13th, 2011
3:00 am
Bobby Dodd is a college drop-out at the University of Tennessee at Obknoxiousville, who NEVER, not 1 time beat Vince Dooley.
Bleed white and GOLD ?
I thought you were the yellowjackettes ?
Georgia TBs Isaiah Crowell, Richard Samuel unable to practice due to injuries | UGA sports blog
August 13th, 2011
12:26 pm
[...] LB Kent Turene out, eight walkons in [...]
MT Dog
August 13th, 2011
4:24 pm
why doesn’t Ga save those scholarships for top 4-5 star players instead of walk ons?
Thomas Brown
August 14th, 2011
8:54 am
Exactly, MT Dog, sir.
Thomas Brown
August 14th, 2011
8:56 am
This is not good. There is no spin that can be put on 26 players who were average 3.58 stars not being able to play vs Boise State or South Carolina games 1 and 2 who could have been playing, instead. Adding yet 8 more scholarships awarded to guys who not 1 of whom has played on offense or on defense, and who will not, with average stars far less than Boise State’s 2-star offense and defense, cannot be spun into some positive Kool-Aid.
Bulldog_greg24
August 15th, 2011
9:23 am
According to the media guide UGA had 22 seniors on scholly. Three of the five are seniors so that is 25 schollys available, which is the new limit. These are new rules that the SEC implemented. Last year I believe Auburn signed 28 players based on the fact that they knew at least 2 would leave for the NFL. Sounds like Mark Richt and his staff did the math and knew they could only award 25 schollys so why not give out the 8 schollys if you still can sign 25 next February. I will not be shocked if UGA loses the first 2 and then runs the table.