Recent dismissals, arrest leave Georgia with secondary concerns
The dismissal last week of three Georgia football players coupled with the legal trouble facing Sanders Commings has left put the Bulldogs in a pinch in the secondary.
Initially thought to be a team strength heading into the 2012 season, Georgia’s defensive backfield is suddenly left precariously thin and extremely vulnerable after head coach Mark Richt booted off the team Nick Marshall and Chris Sanders. Including the departure of three other defensive backs since the start of last season — Jakar Hamilton, Derek Owens and Jordan Love all left, allegedly of their own volition — that leaves the Bulldogs with just nine scholarship defensive backs heading into spring practice next month.
Included in that number is senior and starting cornerback Sanders Commings. However, Commings is not expected to be available for at least the first couple of games next season due to his arrest on a domestic violence/simple battery charge last month. Unless those charges end up getting dropped, Commings is likely looking at a suspension of at least two games.
Game 2 is, of course, on the road against pass-happy Missouri. The Tigers return starting quarterback James Franklin, leading receiver T.J. Moe and two other receivers with 20 or more catches from last season. Meanwhile, they added wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham, the nation’s No. 1 overall recruiting prospect, on national signing day.
The Bulldogs will play most of the season with four senior starters — Commings and Branden Smith at the corners and Bacarri Rambo and Shawn Williams at the safeties. Rising sophomore Damian Swann figures to fill in for Commings. But Swann is likely to be the starting nickelback as well and, as we’ve seen, Georgia probably plays 66 percent of the time in its nickel package.
So which players will be the sixth and seventh defensive backs on the field for the Bulldogs is the real issue here. It will have to come from a group that includes sophomore safeties Marc Deas, Corey Moore and Quintavious Harrow, redshirt freshman Devin Bowman and true freshman and recent signee Sheldon Dawson of Memphis. Georgia also has several walkons in the secondary, including juniors Blake Sailors and Luis Capella and sophomore Connor Norman. But generally if you’re having to play walkons you’ve got problems.
The lack of depth could affect the Bulldogs in other places as well. Branden Smith, for instance, was expected to return kicks and take some snaps on offense. But the Bulldogs might need to weigh the risk of Smith multitasking against the possibility of injury and/or fatigue. They’re going to need Smith to play great on defense next season, first and foremost.
And what about Georgia’s defense beyond this season? Again, all four starters are seniors. Who are the cornerbacks of the future? Are they on campus yet? Are there some 2013 prospects that are good enough to come in and start in the SEC?
Granted, that is a somewhat pessimistic view. As we’ve seen from defensive coordinator Todd Grantham, he has a decidedly NFL mentality when it comes to playing time, keeping his starters in the game for the entirety regardless of time or score. And his very mantra is to put the 11 best players on the field regardless of their declared position. You’ll never hear a coach, particularly that one, say they can’t get it done.
Here’s another thought: Would Georgia dare play Malcolm Mitchell on that side of the ball? The rising sophomore was the Bulldogs’ most explosive wide receiver last season. But he was, after all, considered one of the best DBs in the nation coming out of Valdosta High. Could he play defense even part-time?
All food for thought. It’s not my intention to preach doom-and-gloom for Georgia’s secondary. Again, at full strength and with everybody present and accounted for, there are few defensive backfields in the nation that can compare. But suffice it to say, injuries or further attrition of any sort could spell big trouble for this secondary.
Again, a brief rundown:
LOST DBs
- S Jakar Hamilton, transfer
- CB Jordan Love, transfer
- CB Nick Marshall, dismissed
- CB/S Chris Sanders, dismissed
- CB/S Derek Owens, transfer
STARTERS
- CB Sanders Commings, Sr.
- CB Branden Smith, Sr.
- SS Shawn Williams, Sr.
- FS Bacarri Rambo, Sr.
RETURNEES
- CB Damian Swann, So.
- S Marc Deas, So.
- S Corey Moore, So.
- S Quintavious Harrow, So.
- CB Devin Bowman, RFr.
ADDITIONS
- CB Sheldon Dawson, TFr.
WALKONS
- CB Luis Capella, Jr.
- CB Corey Dunson, Jr.
- SS Autin Herod, Jr.
- SS Connor Norman, So.
- CB Blake Sailors, Jr.
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321 comments Add your comment
Beast from the East
February 7th, 2012
4:11 pm
Much depends on WHO you play OOC. UF’s OOC stats were bolstered by the weak schedule. Funny thing is, the one team that we lost to OOC was FSU, which only had 95 yards against us. The ACC sure can light up the scoreboard can’t they? LOL!
Joey
February 7th, 2012
4:12 pm
“also word is Nick Marshall may end up at GMC and be allowed to return to UGA in 2012″
***********************************************
Man, I hope that’s right. I wish Richt would suspend players like these three players, and also a player like Mett, for a whole season, leaving open the possibility of those guys learning a lesson, becoming model citizens, then redeeming themselves on and off the field, rather than kicking them off the team, only to watch other programs snatching them up, like LSU with Mett.
Everybody makes mistakes, big or smal,l when they are teens, away from their parents for the first time.
AltamahaDawg
February 7th, 2012
4:13 pm
We don’t need Smith playing on the offense. Wasn’t really that effective. Way better options this year.
SouthGaBrave
February 7th, 2012
4:14 pm
After being labeled as “late to offer” many guys in the past few years, our staff at UGA seems to be putting those days behind us. Here’s info from a story on Vonn Bell, who may be one of the top DB prospects in the state next year:
Bell made plays all over the field en route to making first-team All-State. He tallied a school record 180 tackles, 119 solo, two tackles for loss, five interceptions, five fumbles recovered, three fumbles returned for touchdowns and three forced fumbles. He also had 37 rushes for 280 yards and five touchdowns, and 31 catches for 487 yards and six touchdowns. Bell, who sees himself as an aggressive ball hawk at the next level, got his first offer — from Georgia — a month ago. The news did not surprise Mariakas at all.
“With his tackling ability and speed to the football, he is a no-brainer for most colleges,” Mariakas said.
Since that first offer, Alabama, Tennessee and Arkansas offers have come in the last five days. LSU is another school Bell would like to earn an offer from. Although he considers everyone even as he tries to keep his options open, Bell was happy to get his first offer from the Bulldogs, and has since kept in steady contact with the Bulldogs’ head coach.
“Getting the first offer from Georgia was really big for me because they are in the most powerful conference in the SEC,” Bell said. “That meant a lot to me and my family. I have not met the coaches yet, but I call and talk to Mark Richt all the time. It is awesome to see him on TV then talk to him. He is really relaxed and I like him. I think he is a man of his word. I hope to meet him soon.”
Beast from the East
February 7th, 2012
4:15 pm
Joey,
I get what you’re saying but theft from a teammate is one of those things that gets you booted almost anywhere. Not sure who did what, but that’s the rumor.
TDF
February 7th, 2012
4:18 pm
UGA76
February 7th, 2012
4:09 pm
Forgive me as I could only make it 2 lines through your post.
Stop saying late in recruting ppl you have no clue what you are talking about. We had a very bad head recruiter before Garner took over and he was always behind in evaluations. Which is something the coaches have to see before they offer someone. We arent like bama and just offer every 4 adn 5* out there.
but now that he is gone our evaluaitions are getting done a lot quicker and you can see that by some offers already going out to 2014 guys. And we were one of the first to offer robert n. the number 1 player for 2013.
We didnt have 27 schollys open. 4 walkons got to renew theirs for the 2012 season well before NSD. And we never would have taken 27 bc that would have left no room for early enrollees for 2013, which we have 3 already committed that want to come in early, and now room for possibly 5 more.
Trust in Richt he is one of the best recruiters in the biz. he knows what he is doing.
And as for JUCO they have been in deep talks with several for a while. Look for a few offers to go out in the next 2 weeks.
GTBob
February 7th, 2012
4:18 pm
Maybe because we play twice as many SEC games as OOC games?
The rankings are based on yards per game. Why would the number of opponents matter? Keep in mind when Alabama plays Kent St and only gives up 90 yards, that counts. Same for LSU and the 95 they gave up against Northwestern St.
GTBob
February 7th, 2012
4:19 pm
The ACC sure can light up the scoreboard can’t they? LOL!
Florida averaged 2.97 yards per play in that game. I wouldn’t brag too much.
TDF
February 7th, 2012
4:21 pm
GTBob
February 7th, 2012
4:18 pm
YPG dont mean anything. We outgained LSU and lost.
PPG is best factor, if you are only going to pick one.
TDF
February 7th, 2012
4:22 pm
GTBob
February 7th, 2012
4:19 pm
Sorry but ACC is a complete joke.
AltamahaDawg
February 7th, 2012
4:24 pm
SO is sexual assault.
SouthGaBrave
February 7th, 2012
4:24 pm
UGA76,
OL offers: Delando Crooks, Shamire Devine, Brandon Kublanow, DeVondre Seymour, Laremy Tunsil
DB offers: Tray Matthews (committed), Vonn Bell, Taj Letman (JUCO), Shaq Wiggins, plus Mario Alford (JUCO) who could be added to this class
ILB offers: Reuben Foster (committed to Bama, but recruitment far from over) & Johnny O’Neal, plus Nigel Bowden may be offered soon
The coaches are getting out front in the scouting/recruiting of these 2013 guys. Debate the merits of our ethical stance on recruiting all you want (it holds us back, but retains morals), but our 9 coaches are the only ones who to film evaluation, recruiting, and contacting of these kids……while some of our border states don’t quite stay within those guidelines.
Beast from the East
February 7th, 2012
4:27 pm
“Florida averaged 2.97 yards per play in that game. I wouldn’t brag too much.”
Who’s bragging? UF had their worst offense since the late 70’s and still managed to outgain Clown U. Brantley gave that game to Clown U.
GTBob
February 7th, 2012
4:31 pm
PPG is best factor, if you are only going to pick one.
As you wish:
PPG Rank (All games)/(Non Conference)
Bama 1 / 1 – Good
LSU 2 / 17 – Bad Drop
USC 10 / 43 – Terrible drop
Florida 20 / 14 – Good
UGA 23 / 40 – Terrible drop
It doesn’t really change too much. I would disagree also that its a better metric.
Stinger2
February 7th, 2012
4:32 pm
GTBob needs to delte GT from his tag and just be a Bob.
He is an embarassment to GT fans like myself who come on the UGA blogs only to keep up with whats going on. I never make a negative comment about UGA.
GTBob
February 7th, 2012
4:33 pm
Sorry but ACC is a complete joke.
I agree. Its very similar to the SEC east.
Joey
February 7th, 2012
4:34 pm
Actually, 2nd degree sexual battery, AD. It’s funny LSU has not stigma now with Mett on the Tiger squad, with a full scholarship
All I’m saying if some other program is gonna offer Mett (like 3 months after he got kicked off UGA’s football team) maybe it’s time for Richt and Co to revise some rules/penalties.
Or not.
GTBob
February 7th, 2012
4:35 pm
GTBob needs to delte GT from his tag and just be a Bob.
Shouldn’t you be rooting for UGA? It’s not the last Saturday in November so I figure you still have your go dawgs jammies on.
BigTimeTechFan
February 7th, 2012
4:37 pm
Players they got should be able to handle SEC, the SEC QB’s are weak, only real good one is at Arkansas and UGA does not play them.
It would be different if they had to play ACC ball with good QB’s, against the likes of Tajh Boyd, EJ Manuel, Logan Thomas, Bryn Renner, Sean Renfree, plus the ACC has better receivers also, and better OL, DL, LB’s
RD
February 7th, 2012
4:43 pm
UGA has 11 scholarships remaining on the table. That’s 74 players on scholarships as of today.
Are the Dawgs going to provide scholarships to 11 walkons to get to 85?
What happened to roster management?
TDF
February 7th, 2012
4:43 pm
GTBob
February 7th, 2012
4:31 pm
hahahahaha PPG shows a lot more than YPG. Like I said you can out gain an opponent and lose, but you cant out score an opponent and lose. Learn to use logic moron.
The best metric would be a combo formula of the two.
And like Lex said OOC is half the sample size that SEC games are.
TDF
February 7th, 2012
4:44 pm
GTBob
February 7th, 2012
4:33 pm
hahahahahaha o you mean the the division that will have 2 top ten teams for 2012??? yup must really suck.
Joey
February 7th, 2012
4:46 pm
How did the SEC East do against the ACC this season, Bob? I ain’t looking it up, but the East champs and runners up did pretty well, I recall.
So, it must be somewhat less of a joke. In fact most conferences in the NCAA were “a joke” compared the LSU and Bama.
Bob
February 7th, 2012
4:47 pm
This has been a recurring problem with Richt…leaving scholarships on the table is like being on probation and losing them. Then, he complains about our lack of depth. However, he doesn’t complain about his $3M a year salary or inability to beat a top 20 team. Folks, with all the resources at UGA, it’s past time for a coaching change.
TDF
February 7th, 2012
4:47 pm
BigTimeTechFan
February 7th, 2012
4:37 pm
hahahahahahahha, the ACC doesnt have a single position that they are better at then the SEC sorry, not even close. Big 12 is the closest for any position.
ACC is a complete joke. I laughed so hard at that comment I had to email it around to my fellow bulldogs.
TDF
February 7th, 2012
4:48 pm
Bob
February 7th, 2012
4:47 pm
Man you are stupid. Run along no more commenting for you moron.
GTBob
February 7th, 2012
4:49 pm
Like I said you can out gain an opponent and lose, but you cant out score an opponent and lose. Learn to use logic moron.
If you only use PPG then your teams offense has a significant impact on your teams defensive numbers. Turnovers, and quick three and outs kill a defense on the score board. Are you also really arguing about statistical sample size between 4 and 8? Neither one are anywhere near high enough for true statistical analysis so I guess college sports should just stop tracking all stats.
TDF
February 7th, 2012
4:49 pm
Bob
February 7th, 2012
4:47 pm
FYI tech was like 17 when we beat them so you have no arguement move along.
My Dawg
February 7th, 2012
4:50 pm
Big Time Tech Fan – Have you lost your mind? The ACC has better OL, DL, & LB’s? The SEC wins Championships through great defensive play first and foremost. Don’t let being a Tech Fan blind you from the facts!
Bob
February 7th, 2012
4:51 pm
@TDF…thanks for your uninformed and stupid comments. Were you born this way or just recently affected? And what part of my opinion do you disagree?
GTBob
February 7th, 2012
4:52 pm
hahahahahahahha, the ACC doesnt have a single position that they are better at then the SEC sorry, not even close.
The QB’s in the SEC are easily the worst of any major conference, and probably the Mountain West also.
TDF
February 7th, 2012
4:54 pm
GTBob
February 7th, 2012
4:49 pm
Same arguement can be made about YPG. The only difference is the one with the most points, not yards wins.
Yes I will argue that you cant compare stats where one has twice as many samples as the other.
Did i say stats shouldnt be kept anymore??? No thats just you crying bc your analysis doesnt hold water. Sorry nerd try again.
TDF
February 7th, 2012
4:55 pm
Bob
February 7th, 2012
4:51 pm
hahahahaha well if you wouldnt spew garbage about something you clearly dont know about then Im going to point it out, thats what I do here.
Scroll back to page 2 and see my comments to JB and you will understand why everything in your post is wrong and dumb.
TDF
February 7th, 2012
4:56 pm
GTBob
February 7th, 2012
4:52 pm
hahahahahahah thats hillarious. sorry but try again!
BigTimeTechFan
February 7th, 2012
4:56 pm
@TDF
ACC has way better players, that’s why it so hard for teams to come out undefeated, also ACC schedule is so hard, teams are so beat up for rivalry week and bowl games they tend to lose a lot.
put a good team in the SEC and they come out undefeated.
Hotdawg
February 7th, 2012
4:57 pm
Heard from a good source that Bowman was practicing at punt returner. He has that Boykin type speed and agility.
BigTimeTechFan
February 7th, 2012
4:57 pm
Check that, I’ll give DL to SEC
OH the hate continues, so I will play too
February 7th, 2012
4:58 pm
GT has been to three of the older bUT STILL MAJOR BOWL GAMES since 1955.
1955 Sugar Bowl and they won !!! END of the early 1950s Dodd highwater mark, however.
1967 Orange Bowl and a very ugly loss to so so Florida.
2009 Orange Bowl and another humiliating loss to slow, Iowa farm boys, most with German or Scandanavian ancestry too. SLOW but they HALTED Dwyer and Nesbitt and held the tow to UNDER 55 yds in the fisrt half.
Folks ………………….these are the only major bowl games Georgia Tech has been to in 57 years. 1955, 67 and 2009. Sad.
Citrus Bowl in 1990 you say?? Not in 1990. It was then small ball and a no where bowl game. Today it is the Cap One and it has morphed into one of the very premium bowls right at the very top levels. IN 1990 it was sort of like today’s Pappa John’s Bowl.
Go Dogs.
GTBob
February 7th, 2012
4:59 pm
Did i say stats shouldnt be kept anymore??? No thats just you crying bc your analysis doesnt hold water. Sorry nerd try again.
My analysis is sound. You just don’t want to accept the fact that the SEC is a poor offensive conference.
TDF
February 7th, 2012
4:59 pm
BigTimeTechFan
February 7th, 2012
4:56 pm
Sounds like you just took everything thats true about the SEC and just put ACC. If you really think this, well……… dont forget your helmet on the short bus to school.
TDF
February 7th, 2012
5:00 pm
GTBob
February 7th, 2012
4:59 pm
Your analysis is crap sorry. Not even close to good
Bob
February 7th, 2012
5:01 pm
TDF…I looked back as you suggested and all I read were personal attacks, crude remarks, and your opinion. No facts. I guess you’re mad because your shift leader complained about your work attitude and ethics. By the way, the Tech team ranked 17th when we played them finished where? Richt is not able to beat a top 20 team anymore.
7576DAWG
February 7th, 2012
5:02 pm
GT Bob
CMR uses this tactic a lot and I’m sure other top program do also. Against non conference opponent’s most of the coaches will play their starter’s for only the first quarter and maybe the second . Most of the time a team like Georgia will be playing a big SEC opponent next and a few of the linemen or linebacker’s have something’s hurting or pulled but not bad enough to keep them out of the non- conference game but the coach uses the easier non- conference game as an excuse not to play the hurt player, at all. Many time’s I have noticed that Georgia , Alabama and Florida will give up 17 to 24 point’s to a non conference opponent but they will score 50 and could have scored a lot more. All the great team’s do this same thing. Southern Cal, Penn State, Ohio State , the list is endless.
For most of the team’s in the SEC the only stats that mean anything is from SEC opponent’s.
GTBob
February 7th, 2012
5:04 pm
hahahahahahah thats hillarious. sorry but try again!
Really?
SEC: 5 QB’s in the top 100. ACC: 11 QBs in the top 80.
GTBob
February 7th, 2012
5:06 pm
All the great team’s do this same thing.
Yes, all the teams do the same thing, which means the numbers shouldn’t be more skewed for the SEC then anyone else.
RawDawg
February 7th, 2012
5:18 pm
@GTBob
31 – 17, is that enough offense for ya?
Beast from the East
February 7th, 2012
5:18 pm
“SEC: 5 QB’s in the top 100. ACC: 11 QBs in the top 80.”
That’s a bit misleading. The SEC actually plays defense. Outside of Clown U and VT, who plays defense in the ACC?
Beast from the East
February 7th, 2012
5:22 pm
GTBob,
Ask WVU how good one of the top ACC teams can make your offense look. Most points EVER given up in a major bowl game. EVER! Think maybe that’s why the ACC’s QB’s appear better on paper than the SEC’s? Nah, couldn’t be that…makes too much sense.
AltamahaDawg
February 7th, 2012
5:26 pm
It’s not about “stigma”. LSU signing him after he makes amends is a completely different thing that had he been at LSU at the time of the arrest. And don’t think for a minute that Richt didn’t do everything he could to get him that second chance at LSU. So you are saying that LSU would have just suspended him for a year? Aside from the handful of functional problems i have with that, I just don’t ever remember anybody doing that. maybe, its certainly not the norm. I think if it made sense, you’d see it pretty often. have you?
You also seem to be making 2 different points it seems to me. 1. What fair/best for the kid. 2. What we should be doing to block other schools from getting our former players. My guess is that Richt is FAR more concerned about the first one.
I get your point (on some other cases, mett was a bad example to make), but I imagine over the years coaches have already given that every consideration.
Gary
February 7th, 2012
5:33 pm
Not sure leaving your best on the field for 4 quarters is working out for Georgia. Works well a a smaller opponent, but those boys get tired when they face depth and talent. If you don’t have substitutions you are going to loose in the fourth quarter. I am pretty sure we let some teams hang with us last year we should have burried. It is not all on the defense and god knows you don’t want to bring in a kid for one play if that puts 7 on the board for the other team, but we need depth. I think Gratham can coach up a decent 3 star.