It’s been a long season, I know. But if all goes how it’s supposed to, the Tech game marks the rise of the Georgia program.
I’m a homer. I know. But bear with me.
I’m not saying that UGA will be immediately “back,” like Sports Illustrated deemed Bama in 08, but we’ll get a glimpse of the Dawgs’ full potential by this time next year.
It seemed like every game this year gave us Dawg fans a new reason to be optimistic and three that would suggest that coach Richt has been passed by in the SEC. We lacked consistency, one of the main characteristics of a talented, but young team. UGA always brings in top talent, but the development of said talent is what separates good programs from elite programs. For a while, it seemed that every fanbase would agree that UGA did the least with the most talent in the college football world. I truly believe that things have changed for the better. The Dawgs had Top 10 classes according to Rivals every year, until last year. Maybe the thud we took was enough to shake some life back into the Georgia program. We lost out on nationally ranked prospects like JuWaun James, Mack Brown, and most infuriatingly, Da’Rick Rogers (after being committed to us for about a year) on National Signing Day.
Alabama fans threw it in our faces all off-season. According to them, Tennessee and Auburn fans, the debacle that was the Class of 2010 was just the beginning. Until further notice, they were going to invade Georgia like General Sherman, pillage our second-rate university, steal all of our recruits, and eventually send Coach Richt packing, finally free to do the missionary work he’d been rumored to be eyeing all along. I’d read rival boards and across the SEC it was a forgone conclusion that Coach Richt was a great guy who most parents would love to have their sons play for, but not a championship caliber coach in this day in age.
Allow me to politely disagree.
I wasn’t convinced that UGA was a program on the decline after the Florida loss last year, and I was even less convinced after the Florida loss this year. These Dawgs are different than the 2007/2008 Dawgs. These Dawgs can make plays, and these Dawgs have fight. Maybe it’s the addition of Coach Grantham, Belin, and Lakatos. Maybe it’s Greg McGarity. Maybe Once again, the consistency is lacking, but by the time Aaron Murray is a junior, he’ll have a supporting cast around him that should make the Dawgs elite. Tavarres King has established himself as a deep threat and a reliable receiver. Orson Charles is unlike anything the SEC has seen in a while. In the first year of our new scheme, we’ve already seen playmaking ability in each level of the defense by guys like Sanders Commings, Abry Jones, Cornelius Washington, and Christian Robinson. Aaron Murray is a star. Not much need to expound here, the kid is close to breaking the UGA single-season TD record in his first year. While Greene, Shockley, and Stafford didn’t have AJ Green to throw to, they all had more reliable running games to lean on. Let’s not take anything away from Murray here, the kid has shown an incredible maturity in the pocket (even just by escaping sacks and throwing the ball away) for a redshirt freshman.
All things considered, the Tech game this weekend is the largest recruiting weekend we’ve had in a long time, and in the weeks following the game, we’re due to find out about any changes McGarity sees fit to make. Rodney Garner said that he's received RSVPs from about 90 recruits from the 2011, 2012, and 2013 classes set to be in Athens. The shift in recruiting shows the willingness of coach Richt to change his methods. UGA has recruited nationally for all of Richt’s tenure, but with the talent of the 2011 class (and perhaps the way the 2010 class ended up) Richt shifted his focus to the home front. When Coach Grantham was hired as defensive coordinator, he famously stated that he evaluated players from Georgia for 11 years in the NFL, and that if UGA could get the top talent within a five-hour radius of the school, then the Dawgs could be better than Florida, Texas, and Southern Cal. Richt bought in to that logic, and along with the coaching staff came up with the Dream Team concept. The response has been overwhelmingly positive from the recruits. This class is extremely close, the guys constantly talk on Facebook and have also acted as recruiters themselves, working on the top targets.
The 2011 class has been heralded by the best in Georgia in a long time. It’s caused ESPN analysts to (finally) put the state of Georgia in the Top 3 talent-producing states with Texas and Florida. This class stands out to me, not only because of the Dream Team approach and what it means to our in-state recruiting, but if the class fills out how many think it will, it will include:
· Christian LeMay - a Top 3-ranked QB with amazing accuracy and a quick release who’ll enroll in January.
· Isaiah Crowell - Top 3- ranked RB, who has been compared to a bigger, stronger CJ Spiller
· Justin Scott-Wesley, Chris Conley, Zach Witchett - (If his commitment sticks) the fastest receiver in the nation, one of the fastest in GA history, a prospect that has greatly improved in the past 12 months of play.
· Jay Rome - The nation’s best tight end prospect.
· 5 or 6 offensive linemen who should be ready to contribute (if needed) by their sophomore years.
· Ray Drew, Xzavier Dickson, Sterling Bailey - The #1, #3, and #8 ranked defensive end/outside linebackers in the nation
· Corey Moore – 8th ranked safety in the country.
· Nick Marshall - An athlete who holds the state record for passing touchdowns in a career, and is also a highly-coveted basketball prospect. Marshall will play corner at UGA so he can play both basketball and football.
· Amarlo Herrera – a Top 10 ranked inside linebacker
· Damian Swann - Top 5 cornerback, kick returner, all-around playmaker
Not only is this class full of talent, it’s one of the first full classes that UGA has signed in a while, the Dawgs look to sign anywhere from 25-to 28 players, since Conley, LeMay, and Moore all plan to enroll in January, their scholarships will count towards last year’s class. Barring injury, this class should prove to be one of the best in the SEC in the next few years. Cynical fans will wonder what the difference is between this class and any of the highly coveted classes Richt brought in earlier in the decade. Aside from the large number of the class and the talent and camaraderie the class has developed, UGA seems to finally have a staff in place that is entirely focused on coaching the players to their full potential. It can be frustrating to think how players like Brandon Miller, Kiante Tripp, and Akeem Hebron would’ve turned out with the right staff around them. The new defensive staff and athletic director have re-energized this program. Grantham and the staff on D have shown that they believe at putting the best players on the field in position to make plays, no matter their class.
The willingness to change is what excites me. Rather than embracing the status quo, citing the circumstances that the staff has had no control over, like the injuries in 08, the staff seems set to do whatever it takes to get UGA back on the national scene. The Boise State game next season is evidence of that. Going into the bowl game (provided that we do beat Tech on Saturday), us fans have a lot to look forward to over the next few weeks, and a prime-time game against the Nerds in Athens will be the first domino in what should be a huge off-season for the Dawgs. Fans have been clamoring for a change in strength and conditioning since we got pushed around by Bama in 2008, and many (including me) expect to see an overhaul in the S&C program this offseason. Getting stronger at the point of attack will go a long way for our offensive line’s development; we’ll need it, because our line looks to be very inexperienced after next season.
Some people thought Bobo would be gone after the season, but with the production of the offense over the second half of the season, I would expect to see him back in Athens next year. Rumors have began to swirl that Tony Ball will be let go after the season. While our WR play has been solid, we haven’t had truly amazing results from receivers not named Adriel Jeremiah Green. We have viable backup options, but they haven’t shown the ability to repeatedly make great plays that would warrant double teams in AJ’s absence. Now, if these rumors prove to be true, it’ll be another aggressive decision that shows the Dawgs aren’t complacent as they seemed two seasons ago. When teams around us are constantly switching coaches to get the best players, and subsequently get the best out of those players, we have to make the necessary moves to stay afloat. One of the main reasons Rogers was sold on Tennessee late in the process was their addition of Charlie Baggett to their coaching staff. Baggett has an NFL pedigree, he coached Randy Moss and Chris Carter with the Minnesota Vikings. Which top-flight wide receiver wouldn’t want to get coached by a guy like him? Thanks to this hire, the Vols could have the best receiving corps in the SEC for the next few years, with Matt Milton, Justin Hunter (whom they swayed from LSU at the last minute), and Da’Rick Rogers. No disrespect to coach Ball, but if our coaches can’t consistently bring in top talent at each position as well as develop it, then we can’t expect to field the best teams.
It’s not a given that UGA can bring in a guy as coveted as Baggett. However, the Dawgs are showing signs of life in the cut-throat SEC. I’m not saying that all of these speculations will come true, and even if they do it’s not a guarantee that the Dawgs’ll win the SEC in the near future. Hell, if we have another season like this next year I wouldn’t expect Richt to be back. But things are looking good from my point of view. So, fellow Dawg fans, this weekend will be the beginning of what looks to be a whirlwind offseason. Sanford Stadium should be rocking, and there are rumors of a blackout. I can’t make it, but if you’re going to the game, make all the recruits feel at home, and keep the place loud until the clock hits zero.
