Georgia FS Jakar Hamilton transferring; ‘needs fresh start’

ATHENS – Georgia safety Jakar Hamilton is leaving the football program.

The 6-foot-2, 205-pound senior from Johnston, S.C., confirmed that news to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Tuesday.

Hamilton, a former junior college transfer, was sitting out via medical redshirt this season due to a stress fracture in his ankle that developed in preseason camp. Unable to compete while other players have been asserting themselves at his position, Hamilton said he simply read the writing on the wall.

“It’s just personal issues, really,” said Hamilton, who started five games at free safety last season and played in all 13. “I was hurt and wasn’t going to be able to play this season and I just played it all out in my mind. [Bacarri] Rambo is having a good season, Shawn Williams is having a good season and they both have another year. And other guys are coming in.

“I just felt like I needed a new start and start fresh with another team.”

Hamilton said he plans to transfer but at this point does not know where he might end up.

“I’ve got a couple of schools in mind, but I’ve got to talk to my parents and see where I might best fit in. I’m pretty close to graduating so I’m trying to get my degree first and foremost.”

Hamilton said he met with head coach Mark Richt and they mutually agreed this was the best move for him. He was leaving UGA immediately and heading home.

Hamilton insisted that the decision was not prompted by any disciplinary issues.

“No disciplinary problems,” he said. “There have been some occasions that I might have had some attitude issues or whatever. But this really is just a case of me needing a fresh start.”

Hamilton, who starred at Strom Thurmond High School, transferred to Georgia after spending two seasons at Georgia Military College in Milledgille. A junior college All-American, he transferred to Georgia in 2010 and recorded 27 tackles and an interception last season.

247 comments Add your comment

Snoop Dawg

September 20th, 2011
10:24 pm

Maybe we could send Jakar and Richt and Bobo as a package deal.

Chuck Allison

September 20th, 2011
10:31 pm

If Jakar doesn’t transfer before graduation, then his diploma will say “University of Georgia” on it. That alone is sufficient motivation to transfer. Transferring will increase his value to prospective employers.

Prozac Dawg

September 20th, 2011
11:03 pm

@Chuck,

I would give certain not to be named body parts for a degree from UGA and my guess is you would too

Sluggo

September 20th, 2011
11:10 pm

Nothing wrong with playing at the 1-AA level. At the right place he could be part of a playoff team that competes for a national championship. Or he could stay at Georgia and look forward to playing in the Weedeater Bowl in Shreveport.

the U

September 20th, 2011
11:20 pm

If you can turn AJ Green certainly you turn on Jakar Hamilton dog fans.

Hairy Dawg

September 21st, 2011
12:01 am

This is good news. We can cut loose another stinkys that was not exposing his talents on field. Then we have a freed up schollie to sign new player. If we can give him a diploma then he won’t even count against our NCAA graduation stats. This is as good as Ealy and displacing other malcomtents.

How many can we sign now in Feb?

Go Dawgs!

Dawgie Poo

September 21st, 2011
1:29 am

Really Dawg fans?…we are a classless bunch of redneck/hillbillies wishing this kid was gone. Just another example of D1AA talent running around Athens. Let’s face it…we stink. We can cry and brag about our recruiting classes but the reality is Tech is getting results from their recruits. Maybe we need someone who can evaluate talent and character in our program like Paul Johnson. I’m really starting to dread that Saturday after Thanksgiving.

Ohio State - not ranked either poll

September 21st, 2011
4:59 am

Players supposed to have for 2011, no longer here
GREAT EXODUS :
ADDITION BY SUBTRACTION :
Half the Starters on Offense and Defense left to the NFL :

1.Clint Boling – Cincinnati Starter at Guard NFL
2.Akeem Dent – Atlanta active Linebacker Falcons NFL
3.Kris Durham – Seattle active Wide Receiver NFL
4.Kiante Tripp – Atlanta Defensive End cut last cut NFL
5.Darryl Gamble – San Diego active Linebacker NFL
6.Demarcus Dobbs – San Francisco active Defensive Tackle NFL
7.Josh Davis – Chicago Offensive Tackle cut last cut NFL
8.Shaun Chapas – Dallas Cowboys Fullback practice squad NFL

LEFT EARLY as Juniors :
9.Justin Houston – Kansas City several tackles Linebacker NFL
10.Caleb King – Minnesota Running Back practice squad NFL
11.AJ Green – Cincinnati Wide Receiver 41-yard TD catch NFL

Of these 11, the last 3 are supposed to be here :
1.Justin Houston – DISNEYdawgs.com said he would be great 2011
2.Caleb King – DISNEYdawgs.com said he would be great 2011
3.AJ Green – DISNEYdawgs.com whined kicking he should stay 2011

4-Brandon Burrows waited until Fall Camp for surgery lost for year
5-Dontavius Jackson great RB transferred out, leading RB UAB
6-Lonnie Outlaw – failed Qualify 2010, 2nd leading WR Ga Military
7-Walter Hill Wide Receiver – kicked off team or would be Senior 2011
8-Chris Little – # 1 OL in state of Ga, transferred out
9-Ben Harden – OG played 3 games 2010 would be Senior 2011
10-Jonathan Owens – OT Redshirt Junior 2011, medical disqualification
11-Logan Gray-12 games 2010, Senior Transfer Colorado made catch
12-Montez Robinson – would be redshirt sophomore 2011, kicked off
13-Zach Mettenberger – LSU,would be redshirt sophomore 2011, kicked off
14-Deion Bonner that was this year stealing in locker room
15-Chris Mayes – Dream Team 2011 failed Qualify, MS Gulf Coast Nose Tackle played several games, made several tackles 2011, more than ours have here
16-Kent Turene – Dream Team 2011 failed Qualify, top Linebacker # 18, Jireh Prep NC
17-Jalen Fields top DE nation Dream Team 2011, failed to Qualify
18-Jakar Hamilton – Senior Free Safety injured, transferred, 27 tackles last year

THE GREAT EXODUS

ADDITION by ATTRITION

Ohio State - not ranked either poll

September 21st, 2011
5:26 am

19-Nick Williams – could be Senior 2011, transferred North Alabama Strong Safety
20-DE Jeremy Longo, Jr. — Medically disqualified
21-OL Tanner Strickland, Sr. — graduated with eligibility remaining
22-OL Trinton Sturdivant, Sr. — knee injury, career over
23-OL A.J. Harmon, Jr. — Transferred to Alabama State
24-TB Washaun Ealey, Jr. – Transferred to Jacksonville State
25-LB Marcus Dowtin, Jr. — Transferred to North Alabama
26-OL Brent Benedict, RFr. — Transferred to Virginia Tech

Ohio State - not ranked either poll

September 21st, 2011
5:27 am

Just in case you think I cannot name the 26 for you.

When you know I can,

big hoss

September 21st, 2011
6:46 am

I surely hope that the Dawgs will breakout the new unis against the Rebs. The new unis are sooooo cute and the gay boutique “The Boy Next Door” needs the publicity. When the Dawg players are wearing them and they get to trash talking and jiving around, it is beautiful to watch. The Ole Miss Rebs won’t know what hit them. Go Dawgs!!

big hoss

September 21st, 2011
6:54 am

Doggie pooh is so right. Dawg fans are the most classless and most redneck in the SEC-including Arkansas and TN. Hey you goobers i found some Dawg apparel cheaper than Walmart. Walgreen has Dawg t’s on sale 2 for 5 dollars. They look good too. You can also pick up your supply of snuff there too.

bubba4dawgs

September 21st, 2011
7:07 am

Good Luck, Jakar! Thanks for all your service with the DAWGS! Whatever you do, finish school and get your degree!! It will mean so much to you in the future!! Oh, and disregard the negative idiots who post on this blog! They are brainless and really never finished school! GO DAWGS!!!!

raymond

September 21st, 2011
7:08 am

So much for the “Hitman”. I predict Jenkins will be the next JC

Tech Buzz

September 21st, 2011
7:09 am

Richt will get another walk on to take his place!

Pollyanna

September 21st, 2011
7:25 am

Jakar Hamilton is the Scholarship Number 26, from the list above, for 2011 at UGA that we just don’t need.

Lowcountry Bulldawg

September 21st, 2011
7:31 am

Ohio State-

Jacson has 6 carries for 33 yards- hardly leading rusher at UAB

Fields was a 2010 recruit not a Dream Team Recruit

Outlaw is the 3rd leading WR with a total of 5 catches- drop the exageration

Grey- made catch? really thats the line you can think of?

Your points on a few are valid, but overrall you are off base on more than you hit on. Very good effort though.

Pollyanna

September 21st, 2011
7:47 am

Overall off-base that this coaching staff has mismanaged 26 Scholarship players who could be playing and are NOT playing ?

Excuse me, you listed no one that I should not have listed.

All are highly recruited and given great praise to Mark Richt for his recruiting.

When someone wants to know what happens to the recruits, here, I answered it for you.

Your reply

LowcountryBulldawg

my points are valid, you say.

Duh.

Pollyanna

September 21st, 2011
7:54 am

You’ll sit there squirming in your seats, hiding behind your keyboards, trying for all your might, to come up, some new excuse for what 26 Scholarships are WASTED.

You only get 85 Scholarships to work with.

I just listed 26, none of which you said should not have been on the list – not 1.

26 Wasted Scholarships.

Mismanagement of the talent around here, totally. If you think there is some other point, you missed the point.

Be set straight on that.

The point is that this coaching staff CONTINUES ad infinitum ad naseum to waste the talent. I can and have named another 10 who are on the roster, whose talents continue to be wasted, jerked around by a coaching staff who plays favorites, instead of better players behind them buried on the depth chart.

And, you want to know why do they leave ?

Dream up your excuses, you have provided none to-date.

Pollyanna

September 21st, 2011
8:00 am

A guy who made 27 tackles last year, we cannot use for a play or 2 next season to give our Secondary a blow ? If you are going to give a Scholarship to a player and sit there and whine about what Alabama does, as you do daily in here, with their scholarships, at least have the common decency to admit that this coaching staff has specifically mismanaged these 26 Scholarships.

Let me know when you want to talk about others on this roster, still, who should have been playing more in the 1st 2 games. What would have it cost us to have played them ? I post about them all the time. The number of players who are given way too many snaps such as the way this coaching staff played favorite with Caleb King, and how this coaching staff never prepares a back-up Quarterback, and of course this list

[...] Hamilton confirmed to the Atlanta Journal Constitution that both he and head coach Mark Richt decided it was in the best interest of both sides to part ways.  [...]

Man !

September 21st, 2011
8:42 am

For a year or so, I was looking forward to him being a factor but last year’s SC game showed me that maybe he was not going to be the Hit Man that we wanted. I did not know that he had this injury. Get well.
Good luck Mr Hamilton.

Go Dogs.

NOMO

September 21st, 2011
8:52 am

Can you take Bobo with you?

http://www.nomobobo.com

Join the movement

H

September 21st, 2011
9:28 am

Who transfers when they are a senior???

Bank Walker, Texas Ranger

September 21st, 2011
9:43 am

This kid is not leaving because of the coaching staff, he is leaving because he is not going to get to play next year. Plain and simple. He is in his 4th year at Georgia, I think he has lived up to his committment.

Bank Walker, Texas Ranger

September 21st, 2011
9:44 am

He was a JUCO so 2 years.

npgator

September 21st, 2011
10:04 am

He is just jumping off a sinking ship.

Dawg4Ever

September 21st, 2011
10:38 am

“so what??”

“oh, and BTW….dawg fan here….and I know how to read…..”

so what??

You’re not a ‘Dawg fan, pal. We don’t need your kind.

Go Dawgs!

September 21st, 2011
11:50 am

ohio st –
First -Your first 8 don’t even count as they were seniors LAST year, so I don’t really see the point of listing them as players we are supposed to have for 2011.

Second- you can’t count players who are no longer here due to injury. Injuries are a part of the game and unfortunately they happen at every program. I fail to see how Trinton Sturdivant was mis-handled or his scholarship wasted because he had the unfortunate luck of being injury prone.

Third- as pointed out by others you greatly exaggerate the impact that some of those who left are having at the schools they transferred to.

So what else you got?

UGA And S Jakar Hamilton Agree To Part Ways

September 21st, 2011
12:02 pm

azdawg

September 21st, 2011
12:58 pm

Mt. Pisgah senior QB Kyle Sloter stands 6-5 and 200 pounds. CMR, you should make good on your interest in this kid. Offer him scholarship. He has room to grow into his 6′5″ frame and is the prototype QB college and the pro’s look for in size and arm strength. FOR ONCE, IGNORE THE STARS BY HIS NAME. He can only get better.

sr. citizen dawg

September 21st, 2011
1:55 pm

It all comes under the heading of “his business”.

Alabama | MrSEC.com

September 21st, 2011
2:06 pm

[...] Phillips’ suggestion that UF takes an illegal approach to punt blocks.12.  Georgia safety Jakar Hamilton plans to transfer and find a fresh start.13.  The NCAA has cleared Dawg hoopster Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.More to [...]

Pollyanna

September 21st, 2011
4:03 pm

Go Dawgs !

The 1st 8 are not included in the 26.

So, you want me to remove 3 injured guys from 26, they are not wasted scholarships ?

You still have 23 that are wasted scholarships.

Give me a good excuse for once ?

We are 13-13 vs SEC East the after 2005, and your EXCUSE is 3 guys are injured and … and … ?

?

Go Dawgs !

?

Pollyanna

September 21st, 2011
4:06 pm

…and according to you, they were no good from the beginning…

ADDITION BY SUBTRACTION, you call it Go Dawgs !

Excuse me, Mark Richt has averaged the # 7 recruiting ranking all 11 classes 2001-2011, averaging Rivals and Scout.com

He has, again sir, lost 13 of his last 26 vs SEC East foes.

The SEC East is not that good, in case you have missed it

Go Dawgs !

Tom / Palm Coast Florida

September 21st, 2011
5:11 pm

I trully wish the young man the best. Yes, we are able to keep key players that deserve playing time and have convinced the Coaches that they are SEC caliber players. Look at what conference we are in people it is not a patsy conference. We need to put the best of what we have on the field.

Mr. SEC

September 21st, 2011
5:37 pm

You will have to sit out whereever you go the rest of the season, hurt or not! To bad you don’t have the balls enough to stay at UGA and try to get a (in your own words) “a fresh start) next year! Your are telling everybody that you do not want to compete for a position, well get the hell out of UGA, we doing just fine without that kind of attitude, UGA has been trying to clean attitudes up this season and it is showing that change is better. So take a hike!

Headley's Lamar

September 21st, 2011
7:43 pm

Wow! a kid transfers and you guys, gals and what not go crazy! Let him get a degree and play. Hope he is successful! Jakar go after it “Hit Man”! Bless you!

TruDawg

September 21st, 2011
7:57 pm

Problem solved; Ole Miss wants rid of H. Nutt, Uga after Richt’s hide; Swap coaches just before game.

roger

September 21st, 2011
8:58 pm

Good Riddance!!! overblown, overhyped, and underperforming would be the description of the so called “hit man’s” short tenure in Athens. Horrible tackler who thought that everyone should live up to his moniker…he hits them and expects them to just fall down. Doesn’t work that way. Wish him well but glad to see him gone.

G. Tampa Bedwetter

September 21st, 2011
11:33 pm

It is quite simple ………………….. Richt sux largely

Jborodawg

September 22nd, 2011
12:29 pm

I agree that there are way too many negative comments about J. Hamilton’s leaving; casting aspersions on CMR, etc. He’s leaving, and fairly honorably…leave it at that. His heart’s not in it, frees up another scholarship, etc. I wish him well.

Ohio State/Pollyanna….good stats and research. However, your conclusions are a stretch. And, are you saying UGA is the only major program with attrition? Please, give us some stats on some of the schools in today’s AP Top 25; or at least the Top 5.

PLEASE KEEP RICHT UGA LOSERS

September 22nd, 2011
6:20 pm

IM GLAD MARK RICHT AND BOBO ARE RUNNING THAT REDNECK UGA PROGRAM INTO THE GROUND!

Dawg85

September 22nd, 2011
10:51 pm

Good luck Jakar, don’t buy into what these dim-wits are posting in this blog.It’s obvious the critics didn’t or couldn’t read the article.I don’t remember reading the word quit in the article. From an athlete’s point of view (which the majority of these posters are only athletic supporters) they should understand seeing the big picture and looking for playing time. Isn’t that whatJaybo Shaw did when he transferred from Tech to GSU? I also didn’t see where you mentioned anything about leaving because of the coaching staff either. These bloggers are small minded and uninformed. Good luck Jakar in your continued football career and get your degree. You’re more of a winner than any of these posters that are critizing you. And obviously more intelligent. Once a Dawg, always a Dawg.

Professional Athletes David

September 23rd, 2011
6:45 am

I found your post very interesting. In fact after reading, I had to go show it to my friend and he enjoyed it as well!

Professional Athletes David

September 23rd, 2011
6:48 am

I was very pleased to find this site. This portrait is really awesome. This picture IS really awesome.

Whiskey Breath

September 23rd, 2011
8:22 am

That’s right, blame it on the player instead of Mark Richt. A player generally leaves because the coach has given him no hope.