Georgia’s defense prepares to bring Alec Ogletree, Bacarri Rambo back into fold
Defensive coordinator Todd Grantham is not saying it just yet, but he's darn glad to have linebacker Alec Ogletree back in the fold. (AJC photo by Brant Sanderlin)
ATHENS – Georgia has survived the Great Suspension Plague of 2012.
While no one is still coming right out and saying as much, we know from outside testimony, school policies, indirect hints and good old-fashioned horse sense that star linebacker Alec Ogletree and All-American free safety Bacarri Rambo are returning from four-game suspensions this week. And they’re getting back just in the nick of time as next on the dance card is Tennessee and its high-octane offense.
Ogletree and Rambo are the last two of four defensive starters that were missing for the Bulldogs this first part of the season as a result of internal team discipline. Cornerback Sanders Commings and outside linebacker Chase Vasser were benched two games each for off-season arrests.
Retrospectively, some might say that there was no great challenge there; that it was only Missouri, Vanderbilt, Buffalo and Florida Atlantic and that the Bulldogs should have been able to handle them with four starters out. But nobody could have foreseen what the Tigers and Commodores would present heading into the season. And the book is still out on how good or bad Georgia’s first two SEC opponents are.
What we do know is Georgia, now ranked No. 5 and undefeated at 4-0, came through the ordeal unscathed. And it was a lot harder than it looked.
Not only did coach Todd Grantham have to get inexperienced players ready to play major roles — including converting receiver Malcolm Mitchell into a starting boundary corner — but he had to do so while also repping the suspended players in to the mix and making sure they stayed sharp.
“That’s probably been the most difficult thing,” said Grantham, in his third season as Georgia’s defensive coordinator. “You’ve got to look at developing guys and have a vision as the season goes along getting your best guys on the field. At the same time you have to get some young guys ready to play this moment. So it’s a balancing act between preparing guys to play the game and do well in the game and continuing to develop guys who maybe weren’t playing for whatever reason. That’s been the challenge. I think we’ve done a pretty good job with it. Now we’ll try to continue to develop guys and play the best ones available.”
Now comes Phase II of the transition. Phase I, bringing back Commings and Vasser, was relatively smooth. Commings spoke of being a little rusty in his first game back at free safety in more than a year. But the secondary part of the Phase II would appear fairly simple. The Bulldogs will merely plug in their All-American back at free safety and Commings will roll back in at boundary corner, where he belongs.
The linebacker part of the equation is not quite as easy. First of all, the player that has been playing Ogletree’s “Mo” inside linebacker position — Amarlo Herrera — has been doing so at a high level. The 6-foot-2, 245-pound sophomore from College Park leads the team and is ninth in the SEC with 30 tackles. He also has a couple of tackles for loss, two pass break-ups and an interception return for a touchdown.
“I’ve been doing pretty good,” Herrera said with a grin.
But Ogletree (6-3, 232) brings another whole element to the position. He’s faster, rangier and more of an up-field pressure threat. The combination of him on the inside and Jarvis Jones on the outside — with Big John Jenkins in the middle — is problematic for offenses.
For his part, Herrera says he’ll take whatever comes.
“That’s tricky because you know Tree’s going to play,” Herrera said. “He has to. He’s a great player.”
Said senior Christian Robinson, who splits time between both the “Mo” and “Mike” positions: “The way it worked last season is we had five different guys at inside linebacker all playing. I could see that happening again. It’s basically just the next guy in. You can’t win the whole season with 11 guys. You need a lot of guys to contribute. I imagine we’ll continue to rotate and we’ll have a bunch of hungry guys ready to make plays.”
Georgia’s defense hasn’t stunk without its full complement of players, but neither has it been the dominant unit everyone expected. The Bulldogs enter Saturday’s game against Tennessee ranked 7th in the SEC in points allowed (16.5 ppg) , 8th in total defense (343.2 ypg) and 8th against the rush (135.5 ypg).
The prospect of a deep and motivated inside linebacker corps has to excite the Bulldogs and certainly must unsettle Georgia’s opponents. And with the pass-happy Vols coming to town, it certainly is a relief to be back at full strength.
“I think as we move forward it will give us a little bit of depth,” Grantham said. He, too, was smiling.
MORE ON GEORGIA FOOTBALL
- Notebook: Bobo docked 30 days recruiting for secondary violation
- A look at Georgia’s next opponent: Tennessee
- QB Aaron Murray’s bookish approach works for him, Bulldogs
- Dawg Talk: Richt, Georgia wary of explosive Tennessee Vols
- Notebook: OG Chris Burnette attracts attention with dramatic marriage proposal
- Georgia-South Carolina game time, TV broadcast set
- Video of Chris Burnette’s marriage proposal at church
- Video: Offense, defense, special teams come together in 48-3 win over Vandy
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216 comments Add your comment
LeftCoastDawg
September 26th, 2012
4:42 pm
Flat Tire is truly out of air. You are comparing Herrera’s 37 tackles to Ogletree’s 52?? Go back and look at the tape and figure out who Herrera got his tackles against….not team, but which string players or at what point in the game (was the game decided, etc…) Also, speed shouldn’t be a subject when you’re talking about D-1 SEC LBs. There shouldn’t be much difference, especially for the upper-echelon teams.
AltamahaDawg
September 26th, 2012
4:42 pm
What is fair to Hererra is that IF he is better, he will play. If Ogletree is better, he should play. What on earth are you suggesting is fair other than tha?.
I’d love to see Hererra beat out Tree. #1, He’d be damn good to do it. #2. It would be great to see his (lack of getting into trouble) pay off. A great story.
But not a damn thing fair about “letting” Hererra play if he doesn’t win the job outright this week.
I think where we are different on this, is that it seems to me as if you are using the football position on the field AS an instrument of punishment for Tree. To me, his punishment was all about him. And he got what he got. Who plays that position now, is a different thing all together.
.
DC Dirty Bird
September 26th, 2012
4:44 pm
At the end of the day, winning means putting the best 11 (eligible) players on the field.
HoneyBadger Has the Munchies
September 26th, 2012
4:44 pm
Huh…very objective and valid points. Dawgs fan here so i do not see your bulletins and remarks as a “hater.” As a UGA we tend to get a little excited…..as do other SEC fans. UGA is just “starved” for some more SEC Championships and a National Title
Blue Ridge Dawg
September 26th, 2012
4:44 pm
Huh- – You have behaved well today. Very good.
Joey
September 26th, 2012
4:45 pm
Do we really doubt Grantham will not put the best player on the field? Herrera himself said, “..Tree’s going to play,” Herrera said. “He has to. He’s a great player.”
Reality Check
September 26th, 2012
4:45 pm
@ Flat Tire – I’m not saying that Herrera shouldn’t play. Herrera has played great so far this season and will continue to play. If you read what I said above, I stated that there is no way Tree is going to sit and watch like you suggested in an earlier post. You bring up the stats and yes Herrera’s are good so far. However, stats do not tell the whole story. Tree has much more athleticism and explosiveness than almost everyone on Georgia’s roster and the coaches are the ones that say that. As a result, he opens up doors for the defense. Nevertheless, for your enjoyment, here are some stats. In 8 games (really 7 and a quarter because of his injury against Boise) Tree had 55tackles, 7.5 TFL’s, and 3 sacks while not being completely healthy. Now you tell me again why this beast should sit the bench. Is it his character? Give me a break.
Sackman SlammerTime
September 26th, 2012
4:45 pm
ITs Sackman Slammer Time!
AltamahaDawg
September 26th, 2012
4:45 pm
And don’t EVEN start to pretend this subjective justice crap now, Mr. Wake me up when we get to the NC cause thats all I really care about.
Phil Fulmer
September 26th, 2012
4:46 pm
Spoon me please @ Dooley
Huh?
September 26th, 2012
4:48 pm
Honey Badger…I completely understand on the excitement…I really do.
Joey
September 26th, 2012
4:49 pm
Flat Tire, Herrera played for over half the year for Ogletree last season, when he broke his foot. “Tree came back vs UF and it was night and day how much better the D got.
Herrera is a good player. Ogletree will be a top 30 player in the NFL Draft, and will be a star the rest of this season.
Enjoy it.
tell me again
September 26th, 2012
4:52 pm
Tree and Rambo have done their time. If they are still the best players then they get on the field. If Herrera has surpassed Tree then he should stay. But, the conventional wisdom is that Herrera is very good, but Tree is great. There is a reason Tree is a starter and Rambo too.
PTC DAWG
September 26th, 2012
4:55 pm
How much playing time would these guys have missed at one of our Rivals?
I am amazed that we continue to punish ourselves in this way.
GATA vs the Vols…
joe jenkins
September 26th, 2012
4:57 pm
Finally i can’t wait to see tree on the field. Even though herrera has played great….tree is the ultimate athlete….maybe grantham can get them on the field at the same time. It all starts this sat…this game means everything
Huh?
September 26th, 2012
4:58 pm
PTC Dawg…I’m not sure what you meant when you said “I am amazed that we continue to punish ourselves in this way…” So, do you want to be like Florida, SC and the other schools that you critisize all the time for not punishing players?
Tyler Bray
September 26th, 2012
4:58 pm
I am heading to Athens a day early so Tree, Rambo and I can hit the pipe a few times.
ga gator
September 26th, 2012
5:01 pm
Huh? I don’t know about Carolina but Muschamp has kicked 11 Meyer recruited players off the team in less than 2 years and most of them were 4 and 5 star recruits. Know what you are talking about before posting; it makes everything else you say sound made up.
joe jenkins
September 26th, 2012
5:02 pm
@huh…..Hey bro i hope kentucky beats the chickens sat….that would be funny as hell. ya’ll beat the last ya’ll played them at home…maybe the joker will make spurrier cry
Huh?
September 26th, 2012
5:03 pm
ga gator…know what you are reading before you jump on somebody else…
I am not critisizing FL…UGA fans do…they always have something to say about FL, SC, Auburn and a host of other schools for not punishing players the way they think they should.
Huh?
September 26th, 2012
5:05 pm
Joe…I hope so, but it’s a tall order. I’ll do my best ; )
hop
September 26th, 2012
5:09 pm
One cannot play an entire game with the speed that is now in college football.
We now have the depth to play people on defense who are not winded,tired but have their energy to match today’s hight powered offense.
Georgia putt the hammer down last year against Bray IN Knoxville ,as we rushed him until he was hurt.
the rush this year will look similiar to the one Florida did to UT this year and the Dawg defense is much better than the Florida “D’.
GTBob
September 26th, 2012
5:10 pm
I am amazed that we continue to punish ourselves in this way.
Lets see, you guys are 4-0 without playing a moderately good team. You play another bad team this weekend with no chance of losing. Yeah, you guys are really suffering without the drugees in the lineup.
Paddy
September 26th, 2012
5:14 pm
Chill guys!!!!!!!!!!!!! Its called depth. It is what every very good team has and we have it it spades. Coaches dream of having this kind of squad to go up against the best in the SEC. Lets all take a deep breath and enjoy what is about to happen. It should be fun to watch!!
MaconKnight
September 26th, 2012
5:14 pm
This game will be won in trenches in dont think Tn has enough depth along the lines to win UGA should out muscle both lines and impose their will on Tn. Tn’s new 3/4 def. is not getting the job if watched them aganist FL they couldnt stop the run, They wont be able to UGA’s run game. That will cause them to bring a safety in box and TK, MM or MB will be open deep, Murray will continue his great play, the coaches need to hammer into the teams head of what happen 2004, and use it as movitation.
dawgfan
September 26th, 2012
5:15 pm
“Lets see, you guys are 4-0 without playing a moderately good team. You play another bad team this weekend with no chance of losing. Yeah, you guys are really suffering without the drugees in the lineup.”
Jealous much Bob?
bamadawg
September 26th, 2012
5:16 pm
Both should have been playing before now. I thought they were suspended for 10 & 20 % of the season not 17-18% and 33%.
GTBob
September 26th, 2012
5:18 pm
MaconKnight, so you are predicting a UGA win? That is quite a risky prediction. Personally ill be shocked if Tenn is within 28 points. These two playing wont even affect the game.
Joey
September 26th, 2012
5:18 pm
hop, you need to watch a UF game. Their D has outperformed ours so far this season, though we have been playing without 3-5 starters.
The Gators have a really tough, fast D – I believe they will beat LSU in about 10 days. Their offense doesn’t compare to ours, but their young QB is playing well.
GTBob
September 26th, 2012
5:19 pm
Jealous much Bob?
Yes. I am very jealous of your schedule. It would be pretty boring to watch though.
flo-ri-duh
September 26th, 2012
5:22 pm
Ogletree is only a junior so don’t send him to the pros so fast. Bray has only been sacked twice all season. Just getting him to rush his throws will do.
chilidawg
September 26th, 2012
5:26 pm
They should be well rested…
PaulPaul
September 26th, 2012
5:35 pm
GT Bob
Glad you are posting. We Bulldawgs get exuberant and you tend to balance us. I grew up a Tech fan in Atlanta because of the Dodd teams. Almost went to Tech glad I did not. Aeronautical engineering would not have made me a good living. My degree from UGA made me lots of money and introduced me to Georgia football. Good luck til you play us it will be a horrible beat down for you guys unfortunately.
ARdawg
September 26th, 2012
5:38 pm
Last year Herrera wasn’t half the player that was Tree, this year a much different story. Herrera has proved himself quickly approaching the talent of Tree. Let’em both play
DawginLex
September 26th, 2012
5:40 pm
flat tire
You gripe and moan and groan and complain about us not winning and then you want to sit our best linebacker and our best payer at getting interceptions.
I guarantee you, Rambo will have a pick against Bray and Shaw.
I want to win now damit. I could care less about the other guys who got to play. Tree and Rambo make our defense elite
Only an idiot would sit them now
ARdawg
September 26th, 2012
5:42 pm
GTBoob
Yet your team is losing playing moderately “so so” teams. You are making those assumptions and the Bugs play the Presbyterian Blue Hose and Duke, Maryland, Virginia. A bit hypocritical aren’t you?
BDK
September 26th, 2012
5:42 pm
I would like to know how the Vols are a really bad team. At some point, GTBob is going to have to give some praise to UGA. Will it be after they beat South Carolina, the #6 team at their place? I don’t think so. GTBob is already thinking of his excuses for that one. This game is the biggest test yet. If the dogs win the next 2 games and go to 6-0, GTBob owes the dawg fans an apology.
Layinlow
September 26th, 2012
5:42 pm
The biggest plus to getting these guys back is not only what it will do for our defense but also our offense. When Rambo takes over at safety commings can go back to corner and Mitchell becomes our big play threat on offense again. Pound em with gurley then strike deep with Mitchell. And then out of nowhere hit Marshall with a screen pass to get him out in the open field. Sound sweet? This can be the most explosive offense we have had in a long time if Murray can continue to play at a high level.
Georgia’s defense prepares to bring Alec Ogletree, Bacarri Rambo back into fold – Georgia – Dawg News
September 26th, 2012
5:43 pm
[...] Georgia’s defense prepares to bring Alec Ogletree, Bacarri Rambo back into fold ← Back to Home Tags: christian robinson, discipline, focal, great, linebacker, mark [...]
DawginLex
September 26th, 2012
5:43 pm
Mizzou and Vandy would beat Tech
OkieDawg
September 26th, 2012
5:45 pm
Note to Georgia’s defensive front 7: Tyler Bray to Hunter and Patterson could be the difference in the game. That is a dynamic trio for sure. So don’t take them lightly.
Another Note: Rambo will be rusty in the secondary so help lighten the load on our entire secondary. If Bray is on his back, the only place he can pass the ball is straight up.
BobDawg
September 26th, 2012
5:55 pm
DawginLex… how you B????
John
September 26th, 2012
5:56 pm
Where has Herschel Talker been? Lol
Paddy
September 26th, 2012
5:57 pm
The early returns show that Mizzou is not quite ready for the SEC, but they will be in a couple of years.
John
September 26th, 2012
5:58 pm
Enter your comments here
bcall123169
September 26th, 2012
5:59 pm
they get a get out of jail free card,have to say ur dogs r looking good though
UGA 5-0
September 26th, 2012
6:00 pm
I like the quote by Herrera. He is a selfless player, and will be a terrific player for UGA this year, and the next. Maybe we will get lucky and he won’t go to the NFL his jr year. I don’t have any doubt he has the talent to do so!
Joshua
September 26th, 2012
6:02 pm
Huh?
Georgia is going to dismantle Tennessee – you can come see me on Monday while I bask in my rightness.
SM9
September 26th, 2012
6:05 pm
GTBob
Your school is a joke
Destin Dawg
September 26th, 2012
6:26 pm
play ‘em all… keep ‘em fresh !! stay focused.. be humble.. one game at a time… Go all the way Dawgs !!!