Finally, a first-hand look at the future

The most exciting football I’ll watch over Winter Break probably won’t be the Liberty Bowl. In no way does that mean I’m more excited about recruiting than I am about an actual UGA game. I mean no disrespect to Jeffrey Godfrey and UCF; I’ve heard from 2 Live Crew frontman Uncle Luke all year about how good he is, and how he should be starting for Miami right now. I actually think the Liberty Bowl will be closer than it seems, simply because I’ve never been impressed with our defense against mobile QBs in the past. But I’ll most likely feel the most excited about UGA football in the week after New Year’s.

All eyes are gonna be on San Antonio and Tampa for the Army and Under Armour All-American games, and with good reason. The fallout from coaching shakeups will have the vultures of the coaching ranks out in full force for these next two months, we’ll hear plenty about whether or not Will Muschamp can switch some recruits from Texas to Florida, and if Kirby Smart indeed goes to Gainesville with him, we’ll hear the same about Alabama’s commits. Finishing the recruiting year off with a bang is big for the perception of a program, and even bigger for recruits sitting at home watching, and if all goes like it’s rumored to be going, the UGA coaching staff has done a phenomenal job planning for the future. A few things to watch for:

Army All-American Game:

You know how everyone says our defense will be fine when Grantham gets “his players” in the system? Well you’ll get a first-hand look at those players in this game.

Sterling Bailey and Ray Drew vs. Garrett Greenlea, Matthew Hegarty, Tyler Johnstone, Ryker Mathews, Greg Robinson:

This matchup will showcase two highly-ranked Georgia defensive linemen going against a solid corps of offensive linemen. The OL vs. DL drills should be fun to watch.

Safety Corey Moore and CB Damian Swann vs. WRs DeAnthony Arnett, Victor Blackwell, George Farmer, Trey Metoyer, Jaxon Shipley, Kasen Williams:

The Army game took more kids from the state of Georgia than I’ve noticed in recent years. The game always picks national playmakers though, and this year is no different; the lowest-ranked receiver on the West squad is ranked thirteenth by Rivals. Corey Moore is a competitive ballhawk who’s an impressive safety and coverage and one of the hardest-hitting safeties in the country. Swann showed his skills this past summer, when he shut down Charone Peake, who Rivals compares to Braylon Edwards, at the Mark Richt camp. He’s an exceptional athlete who could excel on both sides of the ball.

Under Armour All-American Game:

Quan Bray, Malcolm Mitchell, Justin Scott-Wesley, vs. Ha’Sean Clinton-Dix, Enrique Florence, Nick Waisome:

This should be a great matchup. It’s pretty much Georgia vs. Florida and Alabama. I’m anxious to see the fastest guy in Georgia and arguably the best three skill players in the South on either side of the ball (Quan Bray, Malcolm Mitchell, Nick Waisome) going at it.

If you have ESPNU, you should be able to watch Under Armour practices throughout the week of the game.

The best part of the weekend besides the actual game will be the recruiting announcements, we should expect to see Ray Drew, Jay Rome, Malcolm Mitchell, Damian Swann, and possibly Quan Bray make their choices known, likely committing to the Dawgs that weekend. The buzz around UGA’s recruiting class should be huge.

Significance of the Tech Game

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 – 8^th 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.

Since I've been gone..

(No Kelly Clarkson.)

Since the last time you heard from me, not much has happened on the recruiting front. The Dawgs got a commitment from Chris Hayes, a nose guard prospect from Spalding County High School. The main two stories since late July have been the fate of UGA QB commit Christian LeMay, and the commitment of James Wilder, Jr. to FSU, and the resulting fates of UGA RB targets.

First, I’ll profile Chris Mayes. Mayes is a 6’5, 290 pound prospect who’s only been playing high school football for the past year. From all accounts, he’s a project who has great athleticism and speed. He hasn’t had much time to be taught proper technique, but his upside seems to be big. Scout posted a short video of him at spring practice, in the video he looks to be pretty effective in pursuit and has a strong enough powerbase to bull-rush opponents. Once he hits the UGA strength and conditioning program, and works under Rodney Garner he’ll be ready to contribute. The fact that he’s a tweener makes me more optimistic about him playing in the 3-4.

The next plus that comes from this commitment is the fact that Mayes is good friends with Corey Moore and Xzavier Dickson. Many recruiting analysts believe that Dickson isn’t as much of an Alabama lean as he was months ago, even ESPN stated that he wanted to be a Bulldog, but his dad preferred he play for Nick Saban at Alabama, who offered him before UGA.

Next up: The Christian Lemay situation. After his 30-day suspension was handed down, Christian and his family decided to skip his senior season at Butler High School and finish his requirements in a ‘private setting.’ Christian, along with Devin Bowman, Chris Conley, and Corey Moore intends to enroll at UGA in January. According to the AJC, while getting these requirements taken care of, Christian will go through CrossFit training with Andy Hendel of Charlotte, and QB-specific training with Steve Calhoun of Armed and Dangerous, who has worked with two QBs who participated in the 2010 Elite 11 camp, and current Auburn QB Cameron Newton. I’m confident that LeMay will make significant progress in his training before Coach Bobo gets him on campus.

As for James Wilder, many people think that if UGA got Wilder that it’d hurt their chances with Isaiah Crowell. False. There were a few reports of Crowell, Orson Charles, Aaron Murray, and Jarvis Jones all teaming up to recruit Wilder at Dawg Night. While losing Wilder (even though I don’t think his recruitment is over) takes away a great recruiting pitch that would give the Dawgs 2011 class a huge amount of momentum, it gives the staff more time to put the full-court press on Crowell. If Crowell goes to Bama, look for the Dawgs to get Quan Bray. By no means am I selling short the ability of Bray, whom the Dawgs are already recruiting as a slot receiver who will get touches at running back as well.

Gabe Wright, Golf Carts, and Getting carried away

This weekend, Gabe Wright and his mother went to Athens for Dawg Night.

By some accounts, like the AJC, it was a great visit for Gabe, and vaulted UGA into his top two schools with Auburn.

However, some members of the recruiting world feel that UGA dropped to 4th behind Alabama, Auburn, and Tennessee.

Most of the reasoning behind this comes from one line in a Scout article, in which Gabe commented something to the effect that Bama's camp was organized better than UGA's, specifically harping on the fact that Alabama's staff gave him (and his mother, who has diabetes) a golf cart to go around in, while UGA did not.

First off, I think fans are paying a little too much attention to this line, he didn't say it'd be a factor in his decision. From following recruiting, it seems to be a law that the most obscure lines can and WILL be stretched to the opposite ends of perception by fans. And after this happens, they take to the message boards to trash the recruits with message board cliches like "so-and-so is just the type of player we DON'T need on this team, etc."

It's funny when a bunch of grown men whose livelihoods don't depend on football recruiting accuse these players of being prima-donnas. There are some prospects who take the recruiting game a bit too far, but c'mon. Its been said time and time again, that this is the most important decision in these kids' lives, and that's true. You really should question yourself when you want to rush these kids into their decision. If a kid rushes into an early decision on a college, not entirely sure of where he wants to play, he'll sit on the doubt for the length of the recruiting calendar, and most likely change his mind by National Signing Day. Signing Day switches hurt the program much more than missing out on a kid in the middle of the process. It leaves virtually no time to fill in the depth chart. Consider the lack in production at Tight End after Dwayne Allen's switch to Clemson in 2008.

The bottom line is, Gabe said what he felt. He wasn't unnecessarily keeping things confusing for the public, or spreading propaganda about UGA. If this actually happened over the weekend, it happened, and there's nothing a message board poster can do to change it. However, bashing the guy on the net definitely won't help.

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I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but..

Jordan Love was apparently arrested late last night. According to Marc Weiszer, Love was brought in over obstructing a police officer's investigation about fireworks set off outside McWhorter Hall. More details will come out as the day goes on.

However, we know the media's gonna take this and run with it. The Mark Richt-can't-control-his-players meme will arise again, and fans will debate over whether Love should be suspended or kicked off the team. Before the details emerge, I'll offer my opinion:

I believe that this was a dumb decision on Jordan Love's part. If he wasn't the one who set off the fireworks, it sounds like the whole 'Stop Snitchin' phenomenon on a small scale.

I follow Dawg players on Twitter, and if I remember correctly, one player commented on texts they got, telling them to refrain from setting off fireworks at the ECV building. I don't see why football players, or anybody else for that matter, would be setting off fireworks last night, especially since they'd have workouts in the morning, right?

Either way, I feel that Love should at least have to run stadiums overtime if he wasn't the one who set off the fireworks. If he did, he should at least be suspended for the first two games. The players have been talking all off-season about how focused they are, how much they want to improve. Its time for them to prove it off the field.

UPDATE: It appears that the APD is close to dropping the charges against Love. It seems that the only reason Love was arrested was because he didn't give his middle name to the police when questioned about the fireworks. Sounds completely bogus to me. There are stories going around the web on why Love did not provide his middle name to police, but in the interest of Jordan Love and his family I'll leave it up to you guys to find out why.

I'll post this as an update, just to show how drastic a person's knee-jerk reaction can be to a situation like this. Other journalists probably would have erased their posts or retracted their statements, but as always happens in situations like these, the truth came to the light. This time it was earlier than expected.

Gabe Wright update..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-iJlTRKbVw

This video made me feel a lot better about our chances with Carver-Columbus defensive tackle Gabriel Wright. I believe its only a matter of time before he commits to UGA, from the sound of this video I think it'll only happen after he gets his mom on campus. Not to mention his girlfriend is a Dawg fan. I find it hard to believe that Ms.Wright hadn't been to Athens before, he'd been visiting since 10th grade..

Anyway, these factors make me more optimistic.

• Rodney Garner's bond with him.
• The new Defensive staff, CTG's NFL Pedigree/recruiting pitch
• Him clearly liking the Dream Team concept, agreeing with the basic principle that if we hit in-state hard we could win championships.
• UGA (by most accounts) leading for Ray Drew, Damian Swann, Malcolm Mitchell, Isaiah Crowell, and already having top defensive prospects on board.
• Jarvis Jones' transfer
• Him feeling comfortable in Athens

The only cause for concern i see in his recruitment now is that:

• He's made bonds with a couple of assistant coaches, Chuck Smith at Tennessee and Tracy Rocker at Auburn
• A good part of his decision will be contingent upon our team's success. I'm optimistic about the season, but anything could happen.

Anyway, there are way more reasons to feel good about our chances with Wright, and if we get big commitments in the next few weeks (we're rumored to get some highly ranked guys as early as this weekend, which'll create BIG momentum for Dawg Night.), we'll only increase our chances with Wright.