Rambo staying, Charles going as UGA players wrestle with NFL decisions
Orson Charles, Georgia’s All-SEC tight end, will skip his senior season to enter the NFL draft.
Charles revealed the unsurprising decision Wednesday, saying “it’s time to open a new chapter in my life.”
A few hours later, another UGA underclassman who had been seriously considering the draft — safety Bacarri Rambo — made the opposite decision, announcing through the school that he will return for his senior season.
Charles said he consulted with several NFL players and a former NFL coach, Tony Dungy, about his stay-or-go choice. The NFL’s underclassmen advisory committee told Charles that he could be drafted as high as the second round.
The decision wasn’t stressful, Charles said, because “either way I wouldn’t be wrong.” He added: “As I continued to pray about it, I just felt ready.”
The deadline to declare for the draft is Sunday. Charles and Rambo appeared to have the highest draft stock among Georgia players considering early entry, although several others also have said they are weighing decisions.
Rambo’s return is a boon for the Georgia defense. He led the SEC with eight interceptions this past season and was named an Associated Press first-team All-American.
Charles’ departure, combined with the expiration of senior Aron White’s eligibility, means Georgia will head toward the 2012 season without its top two tight ends from last season.
The Bulldogs’ top returners at the position will be junior Arthur Lynch, who has two career catches, and Jay Rome, a highly touted recruit who was redshirted as a freshman last season. Also, Colquitt County tight end Ty Smith has committed to sign with the Bulldogs next month.
“They have a lot of people who can fill the hole at tight end,” Charles said.
Charles was one of two prized recruits, along with quarterback Aaron Murray, who signed with Georgia out of Tampa’s Plant High in 2009. Murray, who unlike Charles was redshirted in his first season at UGA, has two years of eligibility remaining and wished his long-time teammate well.
“The No. 1 thing he said was, ‘Just don’t forget about me,’” Charles said.
“To play [in college] with my high school quarterback was definitely a blessing,” Charles added.
Charles started 29 games for Georgia. He caught 94 passes for 1,370 yards, which set a UGA career yardage record for tight ends, and 10 touchdowns, which tied the school record for the position.
After catching 45 passes for 574 yards and five touchdowns in the 2011 season, he was voted first-team All-SEC by both the coaches and the media. He was chosen first-team All-America by the American Football Coaches Association.
In what proved to be his final college game –-a triple-overtime loss to Michigan State in the Outback Bowl –- Charles had one catch for two yards. He said that game did not affect his decision to depart.
“I met the majority of all my goals I came here with,” Charles said Wednesday. “I feel like I’ve grown spiritually. . . . I feel like I’ve grown as a player.
“I was going back and remembering some of the goals I came in [with], and today I was checking them all off, like, ‘Yeah, I accomplished this.’ The past three years have just been a blessing. They’ve been awesome.”
The 6-foot-3, 241-pound Charles is ranked as the third best tight end in this year’s draft by nfldraftscout.com, behind Clemson’s Dwayne Allen and Stanford’s Coby Fleener.
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347 comments Add your comment
G
January 11th, 2012
3:13 pm
Orson was underutilized. Find a way to get him the ball. Bring Lynch into block, play all 3 at once (Stanford). Give him the ball in the bowl game and maybe he stays to chase 1,000 in one season. His sophmore year he was grossly underutilized. Our offense is so predictable especially when running. Why run right at Mich State’s defensive tackle who will be drafted early? Move Ball back to Rb coach, I like the way Thomas brown ran the ball with authority.
Tampa Jack
January 11th, 2012
3:14 pm
Charles is the same size as Tebow. You see what a great H back Tebow is in the NFL. Charles could be the same type of receiver.
timthebrave
January 11th, 2012
3:15 pm
Orson Charles will be a 2nd round pick. I think if he stayed and worked on the weights and blocking he could have moved up to a late first round pick. Either way good luck to him and thanks for being a dawg!!
Stinger2
January 11th, 2012
3:15 pm
UGA Insider: You should rename yourself UGA Outsider.
RTR22
January 11th, 2012
3:16 pm
Can you imagine having a fb program where 5/6 guys are ready/good enough to leave early every year? Roll Tide, #1 in national championships and SEC Titles
G
January 11th, 2012
3:16 pm
Oh yeah can’t wait to destroy Tech again!
JB
January 11th, 2012
3:17 pm
If Grantham pops up and leaves,that will hurt big time. THE ONLY way Kirby Smart would come is 1.5 mil and 2 year only wait HC in waiting. Why would you come to Athens from Bama, alum or not.
G
January 11th, 2012
3:18 pm
Grantham is not going anywhere
Hairy Dawg
January 11th, 2012
3:20 pm
Good luck to Orson in the pros. I wish Bobo had found a way to get him the ball a little more this season, but we can’t expect Bobo to be innovative.
UGA Outsider
January 11th, 2012
3:20 pm
Grantham is staying in Athens folks. Extension will be announced very soon. McGarity is just slow.
AltamahaDawg
January 11th, 2012
3:21 pm
Yes, he was very much on the team. He lead a pretty pass dependant team in receptions.. He was one of the top guys thrown to even among all true receivers in the league. He was also one of the top TE in the nation in receptions. Pay attention.
Jerome
January 11th, 2012
3:22 pm
What did Orson Charles “really” do for this Georgia program? Nothing in retrospect. So goodbye Orson. You won’t be too terribly missed. It’s not like you won us a title.
JB
January 11th, 2012
3:22 pm
G, I think not also. Word is he’s going to get his deal extended back out to 3 years and Richt will have a new deal, and Grantham will likely get a nice raise and security and big money is king for an assit. coach. in college ball
collegeballfan
January 11th, 2012
3:23 pm
“McGarity is just slow.”
Actually it is the lawyers that slow the process down.
GotoBoxer
January 11th, 2012
3:24 pm
6th round pick at best.
G
January 11th, 2012
3:24 pm
1,300 yards and 10 Td’s in a career for a high draft pick. Thats weak no disrespect to Orson at all lets be real
Tampa Jack
January 11th, 2012
3:25 pm
the word in Jacksonville is that Grantham is interviewing for the Jag’s DC position. if offered he no doubt will take it.
JB
January 11th, 2012
3:25 pm
You would think Bobo is writing the contracts as they are so slow to develop……………………( that’s a joke)……….
JB
January 11th, 2012
3:26 pm
Tampa Jack………….you trolling or have you heard that?
PMC
January 11th, 2012
3:27 pm
The guy may be the 1st TE taken, he’s light years better of a receiver than the kid from Clemson.
Good luck Orson.
Buck Blew
January 11th, 2012
3:27 pm
Hey Jerome. Who has won you a national title?
The boys from 1980 did. No one else.
Run Lindsay !!
59bulldawg
January 11th, 2012
3:27 pm
Good luck OC! You’ll be great in the NFL! Wish we had had our act more together as a team and had utilized you more while you were in Athens! We’ll miss you but the cupboard’s not bare with Rome and Lynch in 2012! Again OC thanks for the memories and good luck!
PMC
January 11th, 2012
3:28 pm
Guys go check Gronk’s numbers in college if you think that really matters.
Georgia’s porous OL kept him out of the pattern quite a bit.
BigTimeTechFan
January 11th, 2012
3:28 pm
Would like to see Falcons draft him, have him learn grom Gonzo, then he will be future star
dawg151
January 11th, 2012
3:28 pm
Good luck Orson, dont blame ya…..BooBoo and company didnt know what they had….what else is new??
Beast from the East
January 11th, 2012
3:32 pm
JB,
There’s nothing in the Jacksonville Journal about Grantham being interviewed, but these things are usually kept quiet. I tend to think he’ll be in Athens. Who’s gonna pay him more than $750,000 a year?
Murray?
January 11th, 2012
3:33 pm
Murray needs to be pushed and have the threat off losing playing time if he doesnt protect the ball. I know he’s has huge stats but im not sure he can take us to the promise land and don,t want another Shockley on the bench. Needs to shorten up his throwing motion a little and quit throwing bonehead Int’s. Think about it before you jump all over me
Dawglasville
January 11th, 2012
3:34 pm
Best of luck to you Orson and thank you for your top shelf performances.
Buck Blew
January 11th, 2012
3:35 pm
The Jacksonville Journal ceased being a newspaper in the last century.
YardDawg
January 11th, 2012
3:36 pm
Many on this board are haters who give the program a bad name; all have never sniffed a D1 college field. Get it together and support the program. He is going to be a 1st or 2nd round pick in the draft and was runner-up for the top tight end award this season. You haters are probably more appropriately called idiots.
Good luck to you Orson; look forward to seeing you on Sunday.
DawgSTILE
January 11th, 2012
3:36 pm
Best of luck Orseen (DGD), myself and another blogger, my ole buddy DawgINlex wish you the best of ruck at the next level – that would be a top flite SEC team like LSU or Bama!! CroWELL (but bites little), will mis your senior leadership, but it will give him more time to partake in research for the “marGwana-the fallacy” paper he is writing for english class.
flo-ri-duh
January 11th, 2012
3:37 pm
Orson Charles was the #1 ranked TE in his class and Arthur Lynch was the #2 ranked TE. Rome was the #1 TE in his class. Arthur Lynch played a good bit this year – mostly blocking. He is a good receiver and a big target. Rome will back him up and there also a TE in this recruiting class who will probably be redshirted.
outkasted
January 11th, 2012
3:37 pm
its funny to here people say he wasn’t utilized properly… but how do u become 1 of the top TEs in the nation when not being utilized properly? did u ever think that maybe michigan st game planned to shut down number 7… GA was 2 dropped TDs from putting a fork in LSU and 2 bad punts where the punter out punted the coverage…LOL
SteveW
January 11th, 2012
3:37 pm
With Lynch and Rome, it’s not like we’re empty at that position. Not much experience, but I think both were Top 3 TE’s in the Country or so when they were recruited.
bill arp
January 11th, 2012
3:43 pm
Good decision(he knows who the QB will be next year). I see him being a Shannon Sharpe clone in Denver. And after not getting anything but a shovel pass thrown to him in Tampa, he should’ve declared as he was walking off the field! DGD.
Snoop Dawg
January 11th, 2012
3:43 pm
So much for loyalty. This is just another indicator that needs to be put at the feet of Richt.
dawgfan
January 11th, 2012
3:44 pm
Not a big loss because Bobo never had any clue how to use him. If we had an OC with a brain this would be devastating. Orson had the potential to be dominant. He’ll probably be a pro bowler and people will ask “Where did he go to college?”
Good luck Orson. Following all my favorite college players in the NFL is becoming difficult, but I’ll do my best.
Thanks.
Waverly Dawg
January 11th, 2012
3:45 pm
For all you bloggers with the negative comments about OC, get a life! This kid is a DGD, a good ball player, hard worker, and team player. He has already accomplished more in his short life than you losers, has beens, never was, will ever accomplish. Those of you who feel you need to run a kid down to increase your own pitiful lack of self esteem are classic examples of why brothers and sisters should not be allowed to have children.
Congrats to OC. Hope you have a great career!
Douglas
January 11th, 2012
3:50 pm
I agree with some of you — why are others bashing Charles? One of the best weapons we had and refused to throw to him. He will be an all-pro one day. Fast and strong for a TE.
Tallydawg
January 11th, 2012
3:51 pm
Waverly Dawg, no one is bashing OC. In fact most everyone is praising him. Folks are bashing CMR and CMB for their total lack of creativity in utilizing this amazing talent. OC is and will always be a DGD and no one is blaming him for leaving. Why stay where you’re talent is not properly utilized.
Timmy Dog
January 11th, 2012
3:52 pm
We’re gonna have to cough it up for Grantham or he is GONE. Bidding war, Athens, Atlanta, Jacksonville.
Duffer Dog
January 11th, 2012
3:53 pm
You are correct. Orson Charles might as well left the Outback Bowl after that early shovel pass. It’s like he didn’t exist the rest of the game Bobo = Boo boo.
Douglas
January 11th, 2012
3:54 pm
Do you think if we started putting “For Sales” signs in Bobo’s yard, he would get the message and leave? Oh, that’s right, no one else wants him.
Jerome
January 11th, 2012
3:55 pm
I think Murray needs competition at QB. Mason may be transferring so it’s down to LeMay and Bauta. I personally want to see what Bauta is about. Heard he’s “Tim Tebow Jr.”…he said that he “wants to be better than Tebow.” and that he has the “same willingness to win.” and a “better arm.” Hell let’s see what he can do. Murray just turns the ball over too much in big time games. In big time games, you need a big time QB, and we don’t have that.
Coastal Dawg
January 11th, 2012
3:55 pm
Good luck, Orson, a DGD.
Too bad you didn’t get to play in the Outback Bowl; we could have used you.
GT Man
January 11th, 2012
3:56 pm
Dont have to worry about him catching 100 passes against Al Grohs super 3-4 defense. Now just have to watch Murray have a heisman day
WDE
January 11th, 2012
3:56 pm
Best of luck Orson thanks for all your hard work…DGD!!!
Coastal Dawg
January 11th, 2012
3:57 pm
Hope Mason does not transfer, but if he does I understand. 25-30 point 2nd half leads and he doesn’t see the field?!
And if Arron Murray gets hurt, who will be the first to cry that we don’t have an experienced backup?
how2fish
January 11th, 2012
3:58 pm
Best of luck Mr.Charles while I wish you were coming back totally understand your decision. Best of luck to you in the NFL and beyond!!
Rooster
January 11th, 2012
3:58 pm
Good for him. Maybe more will follow his lead and get away from Richt.