Murray bypasses NFL draft to stay at UGA (updated w/ Richt reaction)
Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray ended the speculation Sunday night about whether he’s staying in school or going to the NFL. He’s staying, Murray announced via Twitter.
“Blessed to be the QB for the Dawgs, not ready to leave just yet,” Murray tweeted to his 64,000-plus followers. “Time to get back to work & help lead this team to a championship.”
Murray could not be immediately reached for further comment, and UGA made no official announcement of his decision. (UPDATE: Georgia coach Mark Richt reacted to Murray’s decision in a statement Monday morning: “I’m certainly pleased that after weighing his options Aaron has decided to remain at Georgia for his senior year. His leadership and productivity have been tremendous during what has been an outstanding career. This is great for Aaron and great for Georgia.”)
A three-year starter for the Bulldogs, Murray had been weighing whether to return for his final season of college eligibility or to enter the 2013 NFL draft.
He said previously that the NFL’s underclassmen advisory committee informed him he likely would be a second or third-round pick if he entered the draft.
Murray graduated from UGA last spring with a degree in psychology, and he enrolled in a graduate program in industrial-organizational psychology in the fall.
He is the first quarterback in SEC history to pass for more than 3,000 yards in three consecutive seasons. This past season, he passed for 3,893 yards and 36 touchdowns. In Georgia’s Capital One Bowl victory over Nebraska, he passed for 427 yards and five touchdowns. He leads the nation in pass efficiency rating for the 2012 season, just ahead of Alabama’s AJ McCarron, who plays in the BCS title game Monday night.
Murray has led Georgia to back-to-back SEC Eastern Division titles, although the Bulldogs lost in the SEC Championship game both times.
Murray’s return is a boon for the 2013 Georgia team, which expects to return all but two starters – receivers Tavarres King and Marlon Brown – from an offense that averaged 37.8 points per game.
– Tim Tucker, AJC
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513 comments Add your comment
RoJo
January 7th, 2013
9:57 am
Hutson Mason is a good kid and good student too, by that standard, he should be the starter.
RoJo
January 7th, 2013
9:59 am
I am not impressed by how many td’s and yards Murray goes for in a TEAM SPORT you are measured by WIN IN BIG GAMES.
By that TEAM standard, Murray is a big dissapointment (0-2 SEC Championship record, 1-2 in Bowl games, 2-11 record against teams that finish top 25).
MURRAY CANNOT LEAD.
Tide Roll's Tutor
January 7th, 2013
10:00 am
Looks like I need to add RoJo to my tutoring list. Need to work on some basic logic. To be kind, I will assume RoJo has not been following football that long. No one would put much stock in spring game performances, otherwise. I am NOT saying Mason is not a good quarterback. I think he is. But to think he is better than Murray at this point is ridiculous.
Let’s apply some logic to his claim that in every game, Mason has a higher pass efficiency rating than Murray. Too many variables to go by that standard- for one thing Mason has always been in a game in mop-up time, and not when the game is on the line.
Let’s take RoJo’s logic a bit further. Orwin Smith has a much higher yards per carry average than Herschel Walker, Bo Jackson, and Adrian Peterson. No doubt that makes Orwin a better back, right?
RoJo
January 7th, 2013
10:05 am
I didn’t bring up Hutson Mason, I just responded to others who say Murray is better, which, in any head to head match up, Spring game or regular season, or post season, Mason ALWAYS has a HIGHER PASSING EFFICIENCY RATING than Murray.
Is it common sense to continue to start a QB like Murray who is 2-11 record vs teams that finish top 25? That means you’ll have an 82% chance of losing?
Teammates have said Mason is ready to start, and they’d be VERY COMFORTABLE with MASON as their starting QB. Richt and Bobo have also said the same thing.
RoJo
January 7th, 2013
10:08 am
EVERY QB in the SEC ended up having a HIGHER ACCURACY against ranked teams than Murray.
The chances are VERY HIGH, since 100% of SEC starters outperformed Murray threre, that Hutson Mason would too.
sflanagan21
January 7th, 2013
10:10 am
BOOM! Now let’s get that young D up to speed and let’s go get some Crystal DAWGS!!! C LeMay, you would be a great receiver my man, HM, you will get your reps and in 14′ you will be our man.
JB
January 7th, 2013
10:11 am
Murray tested under fire. Mason has not. And for those who think we are not in tonights game because of Murray, Murray does NOT play defense. 350 yards rammed down our throat is why.
JB
January 7th, 2013
10:15 am
RoJo….. Get some water and supplies….you will be on here a longggggggg time making a case for starting Mason over Murray…….A longggggggg time.
kramerica
January 7th, 2013
10:22 am
Not much of a surprise. Projected to go 4-5th round.
JB
January 7th, 2013
10:28 am
I think the Nebraska DB’s thinks he pretty good, especially with his 1st,2nd,3rd receivers out and not playing. ( Bennett,M. Brown and Malcom Mitchell) 427 yards and 5 TD passes ( should of been 6) I think the Cornhusker secondary was highly ranked.
Moist Dawg
January 7th, 2013
10:31 am
Ignorant fans always love the backup. Its sickening. My sources tell me that mason isn’t the starter because he’s just not that good.
I bet this news scared the pants off nick Satan and the rest of the sec. They are in for an AMurraygency.
WDE
January 7th, 2013
10:32 am
Glad to have you back Mr.Murray your a DGD and only the dumbest of trolls can’t see that !
Murray's NFL projection
January 7th, 2013
10:34 am
Where is this 4th-5th round stuff coming from? I have heard 2nd-3rd. Anyone have some concrete data?
RoJo
January 7th, 2013
11:00 am
Todd McShay tweeted it was a good idea for Murray to stay at Georgia another year. McShay isn’t too high on Murray. Mel Kiper said in an ESPN article Murray should return for his Sr year, don’t think Kiper is high on Murray either. Murray will have to do a LOT MORE to impress the 2 ESPN experts in 2013, doing the same old stuff Murray’s done for 3 years, won’t impress the 2 ESPN experts. Murray’s height is a major issue, and you saw at the end of the Alabama game what NFL coaches feared, a tipped pass from an undersized Qb leading to a loss in a big game.
beanster
January 7th, 2013
11:02 am
Nothing is more convincing of a well thought out, accurate post than ALL CAPS on words the poster wants to emphasize. See 5150 and “RoJo”.
Morons.
DawginLex
January 7th, 2013
11:04 am
RoJo
January 7th, 2013
10:05 am
I didn’t bring up Hutson Mason, I just responded to others who say Murray is better, which, in any head to head match up, Spring game or regular season, or post season, Mason ALWAYS has a HIGHER PASSING EFFICIENCY RATING than Murray.
Is it common sense to continue to start a QB like Murray who is 2-11 record vs teams that finish top 25? That means you’ll have an 82% chance of losing?
Teammates have said Mason is ready to start, and they’d be VERY COMFORTABLE with MASON as their starting QB. Richt and Bobo have also said the same thing.
****************************
This is a lie. Murray’s teammates love him and respect him as a leader. They are thrilled he is coming back
Rojo, your spew is laughable. Mason will get some PT in 2013 but Murray is light years better.
Rojo, you remain a virgin nerd jealous idiot
RoJo
January 7th, 2013
11:05 am
I think Murray has some SEVERE LEADERSHIP ISSUES. Murray seems to think you LEAD by hours spent watching gamefilm.
That’s not translating to wins in big games (0-2 in SEC Championships, 1-2 in Bowl games, 2-11 vs teams that finish top 25).
Murray cannot LEAD his team to enough victories in big games. He just doesn’t get the job done.
That’s been his legacy so far at UGA,
OLD DOG
January 7th, 2013
11:06 am
Lots of of conversation which is always good on a blog; but. One game at a time and Clemson is first and the only important game now. It will be great to have AM’s experiance and leadership up there. Mason will get plenty of snaps this year and wil be ready for 2014. The D will be sound but have to grow so we may have to out score a few teams early but the D will come along and the O will be able to control the game and the clock with the running game to kep the opposition O off of the field. JUST A FEW OBSERVATIONS FROM AN OLD DAWG
Joe Jenkins.
January 7th, 2013
11:07 am
I’m happy Murray is coming back. But we will have a severe problem on defense if nobody can simply make plays. I can’t wait to see what Jordan Jenkins can do. They say that they were 9 future Nfl guys on this defense but I’m not buying that. I believe their were only 4 guys…..tree, Jarvis and Jenkins….Williams
Dawg4Life
January 7th, 2013
11:08 am
All the records does not mean anything if you don’t have a crystal ball or significant wins against ranked teams.
RoJo
January 7th, 2013
11:14 am
Murray hasn’t won enough big games to EARN HIS RIGHT TO LEAD THE TEAM. Just because richt says Murray is the leader, means nothing to players. Murray has to EARN it by winning more games and playing better in the big games. After 3 years of starting 40 games, all Murray has to show for it in Bowl games, Championship games, and 13 games against teams that finished in the top 25, is 2 LOUSY WINS. And Murray played TERRIBLE in one of those wins (Florida) and needed 6 turnovers by his defenses to bail out his 3 turnovers. That doesn’t EANR TRUST OR CONFIDENCE. Neither does spending 10,000 hours in a room by himself studying game film, but not being able to translate the study to WINS. Whatever Murray is doing, is NOT WORKING.
some sense
January 7th, 2013
11:16 am
Is Geathers on campus today???
atlbdawg
January 7th, 2013
11:17 am
UGA has a legit shot at the National Championship next year now. Murray and this offense will hopefully produce the same #’s next year as this year. A better Murray, better Gurley and Marshall, better O-Line, and Mitchell & Conley on the outside with Bennett Rome and Lynch working the middle of the field this offense will be the best in the SEC.
I also think our defense will be a lot more consistent next year as a collective unit. Hopefully Geathers will stay so our D-Line will have experience. But our young guys will step up and even if we lose one of the first three it is ok because we can handle loses early in the year and make a run and hopefully beat Alabama in an SEC rematch later this year, getting us to the National championship.
I seriously think Murray will shake the”top 25 disappearing act” and get us in the NC game.
Gorilla Biscuit
January 7th, 2013
11:17 am
He’ll be 4-0 against the techerheads.
OLD DOG
January 7th, 2013
11:18 am
ROJO where are your brains. This is a team game. Rambo makes the Int in the SC game and the whole thing turns around. FL doesn’t gve up 6 turnovers and we may not win ; plus AM’s completion late for a TD. Oh I forgot he only threw it Mitchell did all the work. The ball doesn’t get tiped against AL and we would be playing tonight. Forget my question about your brain you have watched to many GT games and only know how to try to place blame. I will never be satisfied with being second but 12-2 is not so bad. AL wins tonight and there will be no BCS team that goes undefeated. It’s tough to go undefeated especially in the SEC. Why don’t you try a FLA blog they have plenty to cry about after the great showing in the Sugar Bowl
OLD DOG
January 7th, 2013
11:22 am
Hey ROJO were did you play to get all of this knowledge; the Pop Warner league? I bet you even coached in the Pop Waner league and your team came in 7th in a 6 team league.
atlbdawg
January 7th, 2013
11:23 am
I have more trust right now in a 5th year returning starting QB than a up and coming no experience guy in Mason.
I do wish AM would play with more fire and not try to “out think” his opponents and just do things in a more natural way, as opposed to studying film all day. Also AM, please do not do that dorky far away hand slap in anger after you throw a pick next year. It is a very mediocre frustrated reaction and its shows a lack of either anger or acceptance.
AltamahaDawg
January 7th, 2013
11:24 am
Why would you guys waste time arguing with ROJOtroll, or his other 3 dozen names he uses in here? This is the guy who tried to start the LeMay should start meme this summer.
Do you really think he had Georgia’s best interest in mind? or exactly the opposite?
dawgs01
January 7th, 2013
11:31 am
Tim Tucker can you do an article on all bulldogs that made the pro bowl i can name five but i want to say it might be six and all the bulldogs in the playoffs i saw a ton this weekend hell the bengals had five in the starting lineup and both centers in the bengals and texans game were bulldogs jones and bolings those are young centers for the nfl the center is a tough spot for young guys in the league your the qb of the oline. saw great linebacker play from ellerbe had nine solos by the fourth quarter got injured in the third and the team is really hoping they get him back and chris clemons is just a monster he also got hurt and if they dont get him back the falcons got a much better chance without the griffin high grad on the field.
WDE
January 7th, 2013
11:32 am
Lets review Murray has won back to back SEC East titles and beaten a no.2 rated team this year…oh yeah and beaten another ranked team in the Bowl game…and the trolls want to start someone untested at QB?? Of course they do they are trolls…12-2 this year trolls…
RoJo
January 7th, 2013
11:34 am
Murray has never had a 200+ passer rating against a good SEC team like Florida, Miss St, LSU, Alabama, South Carolina, Tenn, Mizz or Vanderbilt.
Only against bottom tier SEC teams like Ole Miss, Auburn, and Kentucky.
beanster
January 7th, 2013
11:36 am
@ atlbdawg — One of the things I admire most about Murray is his ability to maintain his composure after making a mistake. The “dorky far away hand slap” is fine by me. What would you prefer him to do? Cuss and spit and yell a la Muschamp? Take it out on his teammate? No, sir. The final play of the SECCG was a perfect example of the ability I speak of. That had to be a crushing moment for him but he kept his cool. I think you should reconsider your position on the matter.
Tommy
January 7th, 2013
11:38 am
Mason may be gone?
RoJo
January 7th, 2013
11:39 am
Murray has never finished #1 in the SEC, against SEC teams, in:
1) Accuracy
2) Passing efficiency
3) yards
4) wins
DIT
January 7th, 2013
11:42 am
Gang, don’t get into the banter with the trolls that have nothing but negatives things to say about Murray. Bobo, who before this season I was not too impressed with, had a big turn-a-round and was spot on this year. We are very lucky to have Murray coming back. However, I do agree that CMR needs to work Mason into games as much as possible. He will need the experience.
I’m not going to jump on any wagon about a top 5 team, SEC East Championship or more. We will know after the 1st four games where our defense will be. The key will be the defense in 2013.
I hope we start the year around 13th to16th in the polls. Trust me, win the 1st 4 games and they will move up rapidly!
WDE
January 7th, 2013
11:43 am
Rojo in the last two years UF,Tenn,Vanderbilt and Miss St are all 0-2 vs Murray oh yeah and Mizz is 0-1 ……
RoJo
January 7th, 2013
11:44 am
Mark Richt said:
His leadership and productivity have been tremendous during what has been an outstanding career.
Wow, Murray’s leadership in big games, 2-11 record vs. teams that finish in the top 25, shows “outstanding leadership”?
Really, that’s a bizarre comment by Mark Richt.
Dena Benton
January 7th, 2013
11:49 am
I love your comments, Buzz Off, you are so right. I ‘m so happy Aaron is coming back his senior year. He has all the experience playing all these teams and is a great leader. I feel he will have a great year and a winning season. You are also right as far as everyone needs to get of the fire Bobo and Richt parade I’m so sick of hearing it. We have great coaches and great players, that play as a team and with heart. These blogs really separate the true DAWG fans from the let’s just run our mouths about negative comments, to me your not a true fan. GO DAWG!!! CAN”T WAIT TILL NEXT YEAR!!!!!!!!!
Joey
January 7th, 2013
11:49 am
“Murray is a big dissapointment (0-2 SEC Championship record, 1-2 in Bowl games, 2-11 record against teams that finish top 25).”
***************************************
How about we see what he did in his best season – 2012!
3-2 vs Top 25 teams, + 2 more wins over bowl winners (Miss, Tech).
1-0 and MVP in bowl game.
RoJo, my stats prove Murray’s getting better with every season, but don’t let that slow you down from harping on things that happened 2 and 3 years ago . . .
SouthGA Dawg
January 7th, 2013
11:50 am
I bet Alabama fans will agree AM is a damn good QB. He picked their defense apart. Nebraska had the #1 passing defense in the country. AM is a DGD and is loved a heck of a lot more than Pollack. If the Defense can land some beef the offense will be great and UGA will be back in ATL next year. LSU is losing everyone this year, Clemson losing QB, Tenn losing Bray,Fl. just lost back up QB and RB, Lattimore 2nd Knee repair, look for Ole Miss and Vandy to upset some teams next year. UGA is looking really good if we get OL, DL, RB and linebacker that we want.
DIT
January 7th, 2013
11:54 am
I thought the Clemson QB was coming back to Clemson? When did he change his mind?
Thomas
January 7th, 2013
11:57 am
I am glad he is coming back, but….. I hope Coach would have a open and honest competition in the spring. I am not convinced that Murry is a better QB than Mason… What harm to open it up like other positions.
Jville Dawg
January 7th, 2013
11:58 am
Some of you people are such idiots. Look say what you want, but Murray has done something a lot of great SEC QBs before him couldn’t do – avg 3000yds a season for 3 yrs.
Neither Manning did it, Heisman winner Danny Wuerfuel didn’t do it,
Also, everyone with any football acumen knows, the QB gets too much credit for wins, too much blame for losses.
A. Murray is not the reason we lost to Bama. Really what hurt us was the missed field goal early in the game. You simply can not leave points on the field against a team like Bama. We make that field goal, we’re down by one, ground the ball and kick a field goal that basically would have been the length of an extra point. If the defense doesn’t give up the long TD pass, My point is not to make if this if that excuses, but to simply say, you can’t say he didn’t show up in that game. He showed up against FL and threw for 427 and 5 TDs (Cap One Bowl record) against the #1 pass defense in the country. You can say he hadn’t showed up in some big games earlier in his career, which people seem to forget he was a freshman and sophmore for, but with the exception of the SC game he performed very well this season. Oh and let’s not forget he lost his #1 WR in freak accident during practice on Thursday before the SC game. His timing with the WRs was off not to mention the O-line got man-handled.
Anyone who doesn’t think A.Murray coming back this season is a good thing is just stupid. I can’t believe some of you would honestly want to trade his 3yrs of experience for a kid who’s looked good in spring games and limited mop up duty. unbelieveable.
RoJo
January 7th, 2013
12:01 pm
Against ranked teams, in passing effiency, and accuracy, Murray is getting worse each year at Georgia.
Dawgman
January 7th, 2013
12:02 pm
Chris Fountain, you hit it right on the head. There are some real idiots out there that don’t know their football. We had an awesome offense this year and the fans want to get rid of BoBo!!!!!!!!! We sure could do a lot worse! Nothing wrong with BoBo. Wait to you see what they do next year with Murray coming back!
RoJo
January 7th, 2013
12:09 pm
Say what you will, but when every QB in the SEC, finishes with better accuracy than Aaron Murray against ranked teams, something’s wrong.
I think it’s one of the reasons UGA is 2-11 vs teams that finish top 25.
Jarivs Jones made the team better this year and that led to the Florida win. The 6 turnovers by the defense won that game, Murray had FAR LESS to do with the win compared to Jarvis Jones.
Ogletree did the same thing against Nebraska. The forced fumble, and recovery by Ogletree, was cited by Nebraska players, as the key to their loss.
Defense won both games.
Strat Cat Dawg
January 7th, 2013
12:10 pm
Woo hoo!
Jville Dawg
January 7th, 2013
12:11 pm
T-Ro-LL Jo get a life. What kills me about people like you, is you know so much about UGA football, statistics, how they performed against this team or that team. You know our depth charts. I mean really who knows about an opposing team’s QB?!
I couldn’t tell you all the starting QBs in the SEC let alone who any of their backups are!
It’s sad and pathetic to spend as much time and energy on something you claim to care very little about.
Jville Dawg
January 7th, 2013
12:12 pm
“Opposing team’s BACK UP QB”
Records
January 7th, 2013
12:17 pm
While some can knock Murray for less than stellar big game performance, no one can knock his passion and desire. The kid dedicated himself in the off-season and came back a better player. his numbers against SC and FL were not good, but he turned it around against BAMA and NEB. If he puts forth the same focus this off season, he can lead UGA back to the SEC Championship game. If he improves ( and the defense helps out) then UGA has a chance to play for it all. IF, and that is a huge IF, UGA does win it all, then Conner Norman gets his number retired.