Seven walk-ons awarded scholarships; two of them may start
ATHENS – Georgia coach Mark Richt on Sunday awarded scholarships to seven walk-on players.
Two of them — tailback Brandon Harton and defensive back Blake Sailors — are former walk-ons who were placed on scholarship last year and were renewed for the coming year. The other five are all getting aid at UGA for the first time, including fullback Merritt Hall and safety Connor Norman, who figure to start or play significant roles early in the season. The other recipients are cornerback Luis Capella, receiver Rhett McGowan and linebacker Kosta Vavlas.
Georgia, of course, is infamously low on its scholarship numbers for the coming. It had 72 before Sunday’s actions by Richt. As it is, the Bulldogs remain six below the NCAA maximum allotment of 85.
Here’s a look at the seven recipients:
DB Luis Capella, junior, Augusta: Capella (5-10, 176) is third-string cornerback and special teams player. He graduated from Richmond Academy and has made the AD’s honor roll and the SEC academic honor the past two seasons.
FB Merritt Hall, redshirt freshman, Alpharetta: Hall (5-11, 238) earned the No. 1 spot on the depth chart during spring practice and was named “outstanding walk-on.” He remains Georgia’s starting fullback heading into the second week of preseason camp.
TB Brandon Harton, junior, Reidsville: Harton (5-6, 174) earned a scholarship last season and played in five games. He led the Bulldogs in rushing against Kentucky with 101 yards on 23 carries.
SE Rhett McGowan, junior, Calhoun: An all-state player and team captain at Calhoun High, McGowan (6-0, 190) has played in nine games the last two seasons. He finished with 7 catches for 84 yards last year and caught a touchdown pass against New Mexico State.
DB Connor Norman, redshirt sophomore, Duluth: Norman (5-10, 208), who attended Peachtree Ridge High, played in all 14 games for the Bulldogs last season, mainly on special teams, and recorded 13 tackles. He could start at free safety if Bacarri Rambo is sidelined as expected. Norman received a most improved award in 2011 and outstanding walk-on on defense this spring.
DB Blake Sailors, junior, Athens: Sailors (5-11, 186) is a cornerback and special teams stalwart who has played in every Georgia game the past two seasons. A 2009 graduate of Oconee High, this is the second year in a row Sailors earned a scholarship
LB Kosta Vavlas, redshirt sophomore, Tarpon Springs, Fla.: Vavlas (6-0, 219) is an inside linebacker who is currently listed as third-team “Mo” behind Alec Ogletree and Christian Robinson. He played in all 14 games last season, finished with 19 tackles and received a most valuable special teams award.
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220 comments Add your comment
AFDawg
August 13th, 2012
5:07 pm
Skint at 5:16 — preferred walk-ons do get recruited. You need to understand the entire recruiting process before making erroneous statements like that.
BillDog
August 13th, 2012
5:23 pm
Glad to see the walk-ons ear some scholarships. When Nebraska was the top team in the country, they had a strong walk-on program with some making first team every year.
You have to love football to be a walk-on!!!!!
Newnandawg
August 13th, 2012
5:48 pm
If Richt had signed more than 19 recruits last year (pathetic), we wouldn’t be giving walk-ons scholarships.
You think Bama or LSU is has extra scholarships to hand out? No. They use them on SEC and National Championship Caliber recruits.
UGA has the resources. We just don’t have the coach.
dwagdawg
August 13th, 2012
6:11 pm
topdawg
August 13th, 2012
1:12 pm
@Goldenrod UGA’s walk-ons are better than Georgia Tech’s starters!!
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Then how about the Saturday after Thanksgiving you convince CMR to play nothing but walkons against GT’s starters…….
Skint
August 13th, 2012
7:23 pm
They might get recruited, but not at an SEC or major program. How many walk ons does Saban run out there early against an SEC team. How about Urban Meyer? Hell I was hoping Muschamp would recruit players like him. Our special teams are not good because we run our walk ons out there to cover kicks and punts.
@dwagdawg
August 13th, 2012
8:05 pm
Fact is tech has few players on there roster that would be on Georgias roster. Tech 2nd team B back (laskey) only other offers were Navy and Air Force. Several of Techs scholarship players only offers were from mid major or FCS programs.Conversely its a long list of players that held offers from Tech that chose Georgia. There’s a reason PJ recruiting classes are rated in the 50’s .its a big part of why Tech is 14-12 over the past 2 seasons playing in one of the weakest conferences in America with a schedule ranking in the 70’s.
Huh?
August 13th, 2012
8:09 pm
AltamahaDawg…I was avoiding agreeing with the SIMPLICITY of your point? Geez…you are reaaaally strectching now.
I believe it was YOU that suggested that what we should really be discussing was UGA’s tough policy on punishing players. I said that I would be happy to discuss that, then you changed the subject.
So…for the record…I don’t care what number you use regarding the number of walk-ons that got scholarships…the title of the article says 7…you want to use the number 3…ok whatever. My point, is that the reason those walk-ons got scholarships is due to the off-field issues…
dwagdawg
August 13th, 2012
8:38 pm
@dwagdawg
August 13th, 2012
8:05 pm
Fact is tech has few players on there roster that would be on Georgias roster. Tech 2nd team B back (laskey) only other offers were Navy and Air Force. Several of Techs scholarship players only offers were from mid major or FCS programs.Conversely its a long list of players that held offers from Tech that chose Georgia. There’s a reason PJ recruiting classes are rated in the 50’s .its a big part of why Tech is 14-12 over the past 2 seasons playing in one of the weakest conferences in America with a schedule ranking in the 70’s.
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bark bark bark bark bark woof woof woof whimper whine whimper whine bark bark ruff ruff….
my challenge is simple……play a team of walk-ons against GT’s starters the Saturday after Thankksgiving and let’s see what happens, since topdawg thinks UGA’s walkons are better than GT’s starters…….didn’t ask for all the extra woofin, dawg-too-scared-to-use-a-handle…..
dwagdawg
August 13th, 2012
8:41 pm
oh yeah, and congrats to the walkons for earning a scholarship….
AltamahaDawg
August 13th, 2012
8:50 pm
On the contrary. I never suggested that. I suggested that you just think your school just wouldn’t have attrition from off field issues, but because …………was your real agenda. Frankly I never offered any explaination of policies, because frankly I assumed none that makes any difference to you.
AltamahaDawg
August 13th, 2012
8:52 pm
Yep, The article says 7. YOU pointed out 4 was normal. Stop pretending that three is some out of left field number, or the math is fuzzy..It’s YOUR number, based on YOUR comments. 7-4=3
@dwagdawg
August 13th, 2012
9:32 pm
it is my handle , and Georgia does use a ton of wal ons especially against tech when they were up by 3 tds in 3rd quarter. 4 and 5th team RB. 10-1 . 5.5 decades of domination. I said mnay of techs players wouldn’t be on Georgia roster, and very few would even be on the 2-3 deep even with attrition. Add to that Tech bush league coaching staff. No wonder its 7th or 8th in a wek ACC.
@dwagdawg
August 13th, 2012
9:33 pm
and i should spell check.
The Tide is Rolling and Nothing can stop it
August 13th, 2012
9:43 pm
Hey Chip,
Why do you keep deleting me? I’m simply pointing out the various reasons that the team you write for can’t make it to big boy football.
Huh?
August 13th, 2012
11:29 pm
AltamahaDawg…is that what you do?…misquote others, and then try to make that the point?
I never said 4 was normal. I said 2 was normal. It was YOU that used the funny math and subtracted 2 from 5 and made it 3. I stand by what I said…2 is normal…5 (or 7) isn’t.
And you most certainly did suggest it…you tried to tell me what I was really getting at…and then suggested that maybe we should talk about how at other schools the players wouldn’t have been kicked off to begin with (suggesting that UGA’s policies are tougher than anybody else).
The point is…you want to put a positive spin on all of the scholarships given to walk-ons. Ok, so do it…don’t let me stop you. I happen to believe that it has more to do with other players getting kicked off the team. However, don’t try to make believe that I have avoided anything or that I said something I didn’t. You don’t like what I’m saying, and you want to argue about it.
Huh?
August 13th, 2012
11:53 pm
and AltamahaDawg…the number is 7, not 5…or 3…
2 of the players were walk-ons from last year that got a 1 year scholarship….so, they were considered non-scholarship players again this year…until Richt game them another year on scholarship…so the nuimber is in fact 7. If you still insist on subtracting 1-2 (which is what I said was normal), then go ahead. However, you are still at 5-6. Which is way high.
kingdaddy
August 14th, 2012
7:10 am
Congrats to all the hard work these kids put in. One thing is for sure, none of these kids take for granted their chance to get to play for the UGA. They are all DGDs and deserve our respect…
AltamahaDawg
August 14th, 2012
8:50 am
Nope.
Go Dawgs
August 14th, 2012
10:39 am
I think Connor is better than Rambo also- plus none of the drama!!!!! Hopefully he makes a statement and Mr. Rambo gets a clear message……if he does, then Connor should still start even after Rambo returns……send a clear message that we are sick and tired of guys that cause problems…..
flo-ri-duh
August 14th, 2012
3:09 pm
Walkons don’t get scholarships at places like Aubarn, Bummer. Tick Hound “U”. Game Crocks and LSU- but they do “get taken care of”.