UPDATED: Harvey-Clemons never wavered on UGA, just had to convince granddad
ATHENS — Josh Harvey-Clemons said he never wavered on his decision to sign with Georgia. He just had to convince his grandfather that it was the best move.
“I just had to sit down with my family and get everybody on the same page,” said Harvey-Clemons, reached by phone Thursday morning in Valdosta. “He was looking at it as Florida was closer. I’ve got a cousin who still plays at Lowndes and my little brother is going to be in high school next year. Florida is only like an hour and 20 minutes away, so he was thinking about going to games on Friday and being able to drive down to Gainesville easy. That’s why he liked Florida.
“Georgia’s a little farther away but I told him that’s where I wanted to go.”
Harvey-Clemons said he sent over the letter-of-intent via fax Thursday morning at 8:05 a.m. He said Georgia’s coaching staff never panicked and helped him through the dilemma.
“They were fine,” he said of the coaching staff. “They were just telling me to let them know what was going on and I kept calling them. They stayed with me through the whole thing.”
Harvey-Clemons, the top-ranked recruiting prospect in Georgia per several ratings, committed to the Bulldogs on national television on Wednesday. But he never sent in his signed letter-of-intent, supposedly because his grandfather, Woodrow Clemons, refused to sign it.
Mr. Clemons, 51, is the legal guardian for Harvey-Clemons’ and his brothers and sisters. Both of their parents are deceased. Mr. Clemons could not be reached for comment.
Harvey-Clemons said he was relieved to have all the recruiting drama behind him. Now he plans on focusing on getting ready to come to UGA in June.
“I plan on just working hard so I can get bigger and get stronger so I can get on the field when I get up there,” he said.
With Harvey-Clemons sealed and delivered, Georgia now has 19 signees in the Class of 2012. The group was ranked as high as No. 5 by ESPN and moved up to No. 11 from 19 on the Rivals.com list. The Bulldogs remained No. 6 by 247Sports and No. 12 by Scout.
Meanwhile, here’s Harvey-Clemons’ bio:
- Born: February 20, 1994
- High School: Lowndes
- Ht., wt: 6-foot-5, 208 pounds
- Accolades: SuperPrep Elite 50, All-America, and All-Dixie Teams . . . PrepStar Top 150. . . .ESPNU Top 150, 17th ranked prospect nationally . . . Scout.com five-star player, #2 OLB and #36 overall prospect in the country, #2 player in the state . . . Rivals.com five-star player, #31 ranked prospect and #2 Athlete in the country, #1 player in Georgia . . . ESPN four-star player, #1 OLB in the country, #7 Player in the Region, #1 player in the state . . . 247sports.com four-star player, #2 OLB and #32 prospect nationally, #2 Player in Georgia . . . Named to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Super 11 and Class AAAAA All-State team . . . Member of the Georgia Sports Writers Association Class AAAAA first-team . . . Participated in the 2011 GHSA All-Star game . . . Participated in the 2012 U.S. Army All-America Bowl Armor All-American game . . . As a senior, recorded 132 total tackles (102 solo) three sacks, five tackles for loss, three interceptions . . . also caught 17 passes for 215 yards and two TDs, rushed for 117 yards and three TDs . . . High School Coach: Randy McPherson.
GEORGIA 2012 SIGNEES
- DT John Atkins (6-4, 300), Thomson
- P Collin Barber (6-2, 191), Cartersville
- QB Faton Bauta (6-3, 225), West Palm Beach, Fla.
- OL Mark Beard (6-4, 290), Coffeyville (Kan.) CC/Adamsville, Ala.
- OLB Josh Dawson (6-4, 225), Tucker
- ATH Sheldon Dawson (5-11, 178), Memphis, Tenn.
- DL James Deloach (6-3, 260), Jenkins Co.
- DE Leonard Floyd (6-4, 215), Dodge Co.
- RB Todd Gurley (6-1, 195), Tarburo, NC
- OLB Joshua Harvey-Clemons (6-5, 208), Valdosta
- FB Quayvon Hicks (6-2, 245), Pierce Co.
- OLB Jordan Jenkins (6-3, 245), Harris Co.
- RB Keith Marshall (5-11, 190), Raleigh, N.C.
- PK Marshall Morgan (6-3, 195), Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
- OL Greg Pyke (6-6, 315), Baltimore, Md.
- TE Ty Smith (6-3, 228), Colquitt Co.
- DL Jonathan Taylor (6-4, 315), Jenkins Co.
- OT John Theus (6-6, 292), Jacksonville, Fla.
- WR Blake Tibbs (6-2, 185), M.L. King
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237 comments Add your comment
whoz53
February 2nd, 2012
9:32 am
PARENTS / GRAND PARENTS / GUARDIANS often times try to force their will on their offspring. These people will NOT be attending THEIR school of choice, THE ATHLETE WILL! If a mistake is going to be made, LET IT BE MADE BY THE ATHLETE. Let It Go Gramps!
JB
February 2nd, 2012
9:32 am
Woof!
HBTD!!!
Jeff
February 2nd, 2012
9:32 am
IT’S SATURDAY IN ATHENS!!!!!!!!! Well Thursday actually. But you get the point.
Uh, geographically......
February 2nd, 2012
9:32 am
…Gainesville and UF is NOT closer than Athens and UGA – now Tallahassee and FSU is another story…
McDawg
February 2nd, 2012
9:32 am
we still need a DB, an OL and ILB
Tampa Jack
February 2nd, 2012
9:33 am
“Richt may have committed an NCAA secondary violation by commenting on a prospective student-athlete before the college both received and approved his letter-of-intent.”
I wonder what will come of this. Pretty blatant violation on national signing day.
Ulysses Everett McGill
February 2nd, 2012
9:34 am
Well, as soon as we get ourselves cleaned up and we get a little smellum in our hair, why, we’re gonna feel 100% better about ourselves and about life in general.
13-1
February 2nd, 2012
9:34 am
“we can give a scholarship or 2 or 3 to some walk-ons who have been busting their chops every week. Most of these guys are getting their heads knocked off week after week by these 4 star recruits. It’s great to reward them”
______________________________________________________
With 11 of those last year, not one of which plays offense or defense, all just on the cruddy # 80 special teams’ and many of those carrying-over now to 2012 and BEYOND,
this is why we can have only 19 Scholarships, as I correctly identified we would indeed sign, and we did, giving Mark Richt
24 Over-Signed
109 to his 85-Scholarship Limit
And, as to the junk on this blog about Nick Saban does Over-Sign and Mark Richt does it the right way, pardon me has run off 24 from this program in the last 12 months.
Want the list ?
The Truth
February 2nd, 2012
9:36 am
I bet Muschamp is cussin and swearin, wishing he cld take the money back from the collection plate! Go Dawgs!!!!!
13-1
February 2nd, 2012
9:36 am
These will not play here at UGA 2012 :
Mark Richt gave Scholarships for 2012 to :
1.Brent Benedict # 10 OT 4-Star, transfer
2.AJ Harmon # 10 OT nation 5-Star, transfer
3.Dontavius Jackson # 23 TB nation 4-Star, transfer
4.Nick Williams Safety, transfer
5.Marcus Dowtin # 7 LB nation 4-Star, transfer
6.Bryce Ros # 22 TE
7.Johnathan Owens # 39 OT
8.DE Jeremy Longo
9.Xavier Avery RB
10.Toby Jackson # 9 DE nation 4-Star failed qualify transfer
11.Makiri Pugh, Safety Cornerback, transfer
12.Montez Robinson # 10 DE 4-Star kicked off team transfer
13.Washaun Ealey # 15 RB nation 4-Star, transfer
14.Lonnie Outlaw WR failed qualify, transfer
15.Jakar Hamilton Safety 4-Star, transfer
16.Derek Owens Cornerback, transfer
17.Demetre Baker # 23 LB 4-Star, kicked off team, transfer
18.Jalen Fields DE 4-Star, failed qualify, transfer
19.Kent Turene LB Dream Team failed qualify
20.Chris Mayes DT Dream Team failed qualify
21.Chris Little OL transfer
22.Zach Mettenberger # 14 QB 4-Star kicked off transfer
23.Jordan Love # 21 CB 4-Star, transfer
SO TIRED OF THE LIES AROUND HERE.
Tampa Jack
February 2nd, 2012
9:37 am
Richt does it the right way? How about all those violations he committed last year and the big one yesterday?
GT is a 4th rate high school team
February 2nd, 2012
9:37 am
@Keith, LOL.
EJ
February 2nd, 2012
9:38 am
Who are some of the more to come soon? what names does anyone have out there thats left?
Vince
February 2nd, 2012
9:39 am
What has GrandPa got against UGA? Last week he said that he would love for him to go there.
bruce mac
February 2nd, 2012
9:39 am
13-1, have you ever heard of the word: “HUMILITY”. You have the world by the ars, why not shut up and enjoy it. Of course you are a Bammer and you guys never have been known for much common sense. See Harvey Updyke for reference.
BG
February 2nd, 2012
9:39 am
Great News! Grandpa and Florida lost this one. GO DAWGS!
chilidawg
February 2nd, 2012
9:42 am
Glad they got the cash settlement worked out.
KP
February 2nd, 2012
9:42 am
Congrats JHC- we are proud to have you as a Georgia Bulldog. Awesome news to see this morning. I’m not worried AT ALL about his weight. He’s 6′5″ and is 208 right now. He can put 40lbs of bulk on that frame I’m guessing and I wouldn’t be suprised if he’s 230 by fall. Not saying he’ll be playing vs redshirting, but this worry about his weight is a bit premature. Heck- between my senior year in HS and freshman year in college, I put on 60 lbs….. 30 more lbs is NOTHING with the nutrition and workout programs he will be going thru. He could be a beast for us within the next few years.
GT is a 4th rate high school team
February 2nd, 2012
9:42 am
@TampaJack, you wish. LOL. It is secondary violation and the papers are ready robe sent to the SEC Gods. Are you happy now?
McDawg
February 2nd, 2012
9:43 am
running off players with poor attitudes/work habits is not the same as deliberatley oversigning as a recruiting strategy
those players were given a choice
McDawg
February 2nd, 2012
9:45 am
and how is someone who doesn’t qualify equated with oversigning and grayshirting??
GT is a 4th rate high school team
February 2nd, 2012
9:47 am
@Keith, you are obviously a buzzard, who thinks he has the perfect spelling, and has the Webster dictionary memorized. LOL. An envious sorry group of fans.
Kerryb
February 2nd, 2012
9:48 am
eff
February 2nd, 2012
9:26 am
Todd Grantham is a great recruiter. Lucky to have him.
I agree this guy needs to get bigger because at 208, offensive linemen will eat him alive. And even bigger backs in the mold of Marcus Lattimore could tear him up. He definitely needs to get bigger to play OLB in the SEC. Jarvis Jones is 6′3, 241 and he gets it done. Cornelius Washington is 6′4, 260. So those guys are big and ready. JHC will be soon enough.
The guy I’m most excited about is John Theus. Dude could be our starting left tackle game one vs. Buffalo. He has a bright future. Just needs to work hard and get stronger because being a freshman left tackle protecting the blind side of an All-SEC QB is no easy task.
_______________________________________________________________
You’re right. Theus and Marshall are the biggest recruits in this class. I’m not worried about Theus after I saw him in that Army All-American game. He was playing guard in that game and on running plays he was shoving the DE 10 yards back down field. He was just mauling them. The guy is ready now.
JRW7
February 2nd, 2012
9:50 am
Welcome to the DAWGS, JHC!
Bulldog on the Bayou
February 2nd, 2012
9:51 am
@13-1 Not an ANY front? Career win loos record mean anything? Saban’s – 70.7 Miles’s – 70.3 Richt’s – 73.8 When you take into account that Richt has done all of his in the SEC I think that is one hell of a front. Also, Richt has been a head coach less time and is a few years younger than either. What he was missing is a Grantham (Erk Russell comes to mind) type of defensive coordinator. He is loyal to a fault, which can be a weakness when change is needed. But loyalty pays off in the long run. You do not see him dumping recruits under the bus for the sake of mabe getting someone better. Can you think of anyone who has previously and has done so recently?
Bulldog on the Bayou
February 2nd, 2012
9:51 am
*loss – &*## typos
Dawglasville
February 2nd, 2012
9:54 am
Chip – you may want to look at Hanky Panky’s post at 9:47.
PMC
February 2nd, 2012
9:54 am
Is he going to play OLB or did they recruit him as an athlete?
jalex49
February 2nd, 2012
9:57 am
Great news for Georgia! Best of luck at Georgia and I believe we will see you playing in NFL after college. That would be awesome to see.
I want to take a moment to thank all who signed with Georgia and too say, you have only made this once again, a recruiting class that Georgia can be proud of and get behind.
I hope all the new recruits are happy with their decision and my appreciateion to them and the Georgia coaches for getting quality over quanitity, everyone has done an outstanding job.
I hope the coaches at Georgia will offer some recruits that didn’t get an offer a chance to come to Georgia as I agree with coach Richt, the star ranking has some value, but the character and desire means more in the long run. There are still some fine young men out there who want a college degree and an opportunity to prove their true worth and ultimately help the University, football team, themselves and their family. After all, isn’t that what the Georgia coaches, especially Coach Richt is all about?
Welcome Mr. Clemons you are wanted, needed and appreciated at Georgia and we are happy about your decision. ONCE AGAIN THANKS TO NEW RECRUITS, THE JUNIORS THAT STAYED AND THE PLAYERS WHO AT GEORGIA !!! —– GO JUNKYARD DAWGS, THEY ARE BACK IN ATHENS——.
THE Dixie Redcoat Band
February 2nd, 2012
9:59 am
Looks like another pre-season # 1 ranking.
Alphare
February 2nd, 2012
9:59 am
I know UGA fans love ESPN. Now you’ll love them more as they rank your class so high.
duronimo
February 2nd, 2012
10:01 am
Pretty good looking bunch. What I have noticed are less huge players. Instead they recruited players with big “frames” capable of carrying more weight. This will allow UGA to put the weight on them in a proper and supervised way. The ultimate goal may be to develop large players who are more mobile.
I’ve seen this approach work before.
DawginLex
February 2nd, 2012
10:01 am
pardon me has run off 24 from this program in the last 12 months.
***************************
That is the only lie listed aboove.
Mark richt hasn’t run off 24 players.
They left for a lot of different reasons.
They weren’t all run off. Some were, but not all
KeepDreaming
February 2nd, 2012
10:04 am
I think Grandpappy needs to drink his Ovaltine!!!
Mudcatjoe
February 2nd, 2012
10:05 am
Looks like Grandpa is the only one with any sense in that family! Another overrated prospect.
KP
February 2nd, 2012
10:06 am
Hanky Panky- you’ve been reported. bozo
duronimo
February 2nd, 2012
10:07 am
I believe this class is much better academically. I also see the matter of character being taken seriously. This will result in much less turnover.
Benall
February 2nd, 2012
10:08 am
Dang. Grand Daddy acting like this kid is the Second Coming. I really hope he lives up to the hype. But, to be honest, I smell a BUST!!!
Dawg07
February 2nd, 2012
10:12 am
Great to be a DAWG.
skeeter
February 2nd, 2012
10:13 am
“Thanks for finally clarifying…that the kid is still only 17 years old and that that is why his guardian had to sign the letter – yesterday everyone kept saying he was 18 so why should he have to have the guardian sign…”
Actually, NCAA rules don’t permit an athlete to sign without a parent/guardian until they are 21…..
Jeff
February 2nd, 2012
10:16 am
2012 Dawgs will be NASTY! Great defense, revamped offensive line, 3rd season for Murray, good stable of running backs, another solid recruiting class…things are looking up for us Dawg fans and GT fans know it. They read all this good stuff about UGA and they’re envious. I would be too. Must SUCK to be a Tech fan. They get no recognition really. Can’t beat UGA, and can’t get out of their own conference alive. Must SUCK to be a GT fan.
WELL IT’S GREAT TO BE A GEORGIA BULLDOG!
Jeff
February 2nd, 2012
10:21 am
John Theus is a mauler! He’s ready RIGHT NOW! Is he an early enrollee? Boy I hope so. That guy is ready to play left tackle right now! Mark Beard also should be one of our tackles or guards. He’s the JUCO lineman. The line could look like this:
LT: John Theus
LG: Mark Beard
C: David Andrews (Damn I wish Ben Jones had another year)
RG: Chris Burnette
RT: Watts Dantzler
Jeff
February 2nd, 2012
10:25 am
Nevermind, Theus isn’t an early enrollee. Only Marshall, Bauta, and Beard.
Felicia
February 2nd, 2012
10:27 am
Congratulations!!! The fact that he is going to college and prayerfully will make a success out of his life, shows the deep rooted Family love and sacrifice that has been made for him over the years…waited until he could convince his Grandfather…? I absolutely love it!!!!! However, I do have an issue with the article: all of the typos!!!! OMG, who wrote this….sorry, couldn’t get that out of my head while reading this sotry. (typo intended). Lol!!!
Cobb Dawg
February 2nd, 2012
10:28 am
Solid class. Welcome to the UGA family JHC. I think this is a decision that you will be very glad you made.
Ray
February 2nd, 2012
10:31 am
Okay glad this is over, but people need to realize the Grandpa probably was just making sure than JHC was sure on his decision. It’s just like when everyone else goes off to college. My parents gave me the same thing are you sure do you want to look around maybe, and honestly my dad would have been the same way with me if I played football he wants to be able to watch me if I play not drive 2,500 miles just to watch one game you know. That’s a whole lot of stress plus he has a job.
Sometimes I guess I wish people would think before saying certain things.
gomdawg
February 2nd, 2012
10:31 am
I heard that they was going to use him on offense and defense ???? GO DAWGS WELCOME TO UGA
Dawgs
February 2nd, 2012
10:31 am
From Valdosta, GA, Gainesville, FL is about 3 hours closer than Athens, GA….IDIOT!
Kramer
February 2nd, 2012
10:33 am
SWEEEEEEET!!!!!!
birddawg92
February 2nd, 2012
10:34 am
Good get, but once again, not nearly enough OLs in this class. UGA has not established a decent offensive line in 30 years.