Yesterday Georgia announced it had placed five players on Phil Steele's All-America teams and 14 on his All-SEC teams. That's a pretty impressive tally, putting the Bulldogs on par with reigning national champ Alabama.
But while having 14 players make Steele's All-SEC teams, here's my question: Could there be more by season's end?
With that said, here are five players who didn't make Steele's preseason list who I think could turn into All-SEC caliber performers by year's end.
5. Branden Smith. If things fall right, Smith could find his name on the All-SEC teams twice at year's end. He's in line to earn a significant amount of time at corner -- and possibly the starting job -- and as a five-star recruit with blazing speed, there's no reason to think he won't develop into a legit playmaker. He could also end up returning punts this season and, if he avoids the fumbling problems he had last year, could turn in a Brandon Boykin-esque performance.
4. Akeem Dent. Last year was a lost one for Dent, but he made some nice strides in 2008 and appears to be fully healthy for 2010. He's the veteran leader of the linebacking corps, and he'll be counted on heavily in Todd Grantham's 3-4 defense. If he can turn in the type of senior season he's capable of having, that would be huge news for both Dent's future prospects in the NFL and for Georgia's defense as a whole.
3. Tavarres King. Perhaps Kris Durham should be here instead. Or maybe Marlon Brown or Rantavious Wooten. But someone is going to be the beneficiary of all the attention A.J. Green gets, which means there will be plenty of opportunities for another WR to step up and turn in a strong season.
2. Abry Jones. Any kid that impresses Rodney Garner within a few weeks of arriving on campus as a true freshman has to have something going for him. Jones is strong and fast and could be a force as a pass rusher in the 3-4. How well he holds up against the run as part of the new-look D line will likely be what defines his sophomore campaign, but the potential is definitely there.
1. Cornelius Washington. Justin Houston's inclusion on Steele's first-team All-SEC list was well deserved, but Washington -- the other starting OLB -- is going to be given a chance to shine this year, too. For one, his skill set makes him a perfect fit at OLB, whereas he was a bit out of place in the more traditional DE in a 4-3. Secondly, Houston had such a strong 2009 season that he'll have to command more attention from the opposition, which could help free things up for Washington. The sophomore showed flashes last season, had an excellent G-Day performance, and I'll be shocked if he doesn't become a consistent threat as a pass rusher in 2010.
I should probably also include Caleb King on this list, but I'm guessing Phil Steele essentially flipped a coin on Georgia's running backs and went with Washaun Ealey as his rep. Odds are only one of the two will make an All-SEC team, but the chances are strong for either one. And, if by chance both prove to be All-SEC worthy by year's end, there's probably a good chance Georgia will be playing for an SEC title, too.
So… who do you think might also step up and surprise?
Friday, May 21, 2010
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17 comments:
Hale, I agree Branden Smith is poised to have a big year! Can't wait to see what this kid can do with another of year of weights and another off-season in the system. All Five are excellent choices and is why college football can't get here soon enough! GATA and GOOOOO Dawgs!!!
I feel like Vance Cuff will play well this year....maybe not All-SEC caliber, but I think he'll be a solid player that usually isn't given much thought.
Gotta watch out for Aron White, all he does is catch TD's!
Christian Robinson.
Completely agree on Cuff, John P.
The entire secondary has that kind of potential. Boykin, Smith, Cuff, Rambo, Hamilton. Laktos has a lot to work with this year. One of the most talented secOndarys in recent memory. Let's see if the results on the field live up to the potential on paper.
You do remember Orson Charles was a team-mate of Murray's in high-school, i don't see how he doesn't get the ball more this coming year.
+1 Orson Charles. Just depends on how many looks he get with all those TEs.
As I've said before, where's the love for DeAngelo Tyson? He may be the Dawgs best returning D lineman.
As per Dent, I'll believe it when I see it. He's usually been out of position and not a tackling machine like Curran. Belin has a lot of work to do with the inside 'backers, but the talent is there if he can coax it out. Belin was right when he asked about 'who's been teaching you guys to tackle the last 5 years?'
I don't see it with B. Smith, tough to play man coverage when your 170lbs and not very strong. He's got Sean Bailey's metabolism.
I think Dowtin shows out this year, Belin will make him an All-SEC level LB.
Also think Josh Davis, if he stays healthy, will dominate his side.
+1 Aron White... If coach Bobo stops playing politics I think Aron will become a tight end to look out for as one of the best in the SEC....
Phil Steele did not flip any coin on Washaun Ealey and Caleb King.
Ben Dukes on his WebPages goes into it in chart form, about our Offense here at UGA.
http://dawgsview.blogspot.com/2010/04/thing.html
Our Players are not coached up on Offense.
Ben, thank you for putting so much time into what is so hard to do, the charts.
In 2007 with Matthew Stafford, our Passing Offense is # 83.
In fact, if you look at our Passing Production in the entire Coach Richt Era, the only 2 years where we did not pass more than 200 yards a game are Matthew Stafford’s freshman year where he was the only QB to play in all 13 games and in 2007.
# 79 Passing in 2006 and # 83 Passing in 2007.
Anemic.
Last year with Joe Cox, we were only slightly better at 201 yards passing a game and that is the 3rd worst ever in the Coach Richt Era.
# 80 Passing in 2009.
Those who say that Joe Cox was great passing, are simply put, wrong-headed about what they must see on your chart table.
The same can be said about Matthew Stafford, that he really did not produce passing the football.
He didn’t.
It is not possible to look at the production, or lack thereof, on Offense throwing the football and say that our Offensive Coaching Staff took advantage of the Passing of Matthew Stafford.
With him, we won no SEC Championship and in fact were never even invited to the game.
In 2008, we handed our Offensive Coaching Staff, Knowshon Moreno. With Knowshon Moreno our Offensive Coaching Staff managed only # 56 in the nation.
How can you have Knowshon Moreno and in the only 3 games that we played 2008 lose all 3 while allowing him an average of only 14 carries per game, all 3 losses. All 3 games – the only 3 games that year – our Offensive Coaching Staff allowed 31 to nothing to Alabama, 42 unanswered points by Florida and 29 unanswered points to Georgia tek. All 3 losses, and in the 3 losses, our Offensive Coaching Staff allowed Knowshon Moreno to average only 14 carries per game.
Miserable.
For the entire Coach Richt Era, our Passing averages # 48.
For the entire Coach Richt Era, our Rushing averages # 55.
You looked at the entire Coach Richt Era on Offense in The SEC and found that on Offense, we are MIDDLING.
For the entire Coach Richt Era, our Total Offense is # 52.
We are not in the Top 50.
Pardon me, but not in the Top 50 for the entire Coach Richt Era on Offense.
This season, in this state which produces the # 3 most high school players who go on to the NFL from the state of Georgia, we whiffed signing the Offensive Players. Is this due to the Offensive Coaching Staff the entire Coach Richt Era catching up with us ? You and many others have detailed that in NFL Drafts, that UGA has dropped off significantly since the Jim Donnan Recruits have all graduated, and that we really have NEVER produced Offensive Draft Picks with this Offensive Coaching Staff.
For God’s sake Ben, they not only Redshirted Knowshon Moreno so that we only got to see him only 2 years, but in 2008 with Knowshon Moreno, we
With Knowshon Moreno 2008 we are # 56 in Rushing.
With Matthew Stafford 2006 & 2007, we are # 79 & # 83 in Passing.
4 years in a row now consecutively coming into this season we average 21 fumbles every single year.
4 years in a row now consecutively coming into this season we average 14 interceptions every single year.
4 years in a row now consecutively coming into this season we average # 96 in the NCAA in Penalties.
Watching the games the last 4 years, on Offense we cannot line up and run a play like we have ever practiced the play without a Penalty. When we did, we either fumbled or threw an Interception. On 3rd and long, we called running plays.
We could not figure out to start Orson Charles until game 12, with his 23 catches his freshman year because Aron White caught 3 his freshman year.
We royally missed it too with Knowshon Moreno, not only Redshirting him so we got to see him only 2 years but in our most Disappointing Season, ever, we in 2008 averaged only 14 carries per game in the only 3 big games of the season. We ended up # 56 in Rushing 2008.
We recruited Marlon Brown and did not Redshirt him, throwing him a grand total of only 2 Passes all year. What our Offensive Coaching Staff could teach AJ Green but cannot teach Marlon Brown ?
Branden Smith is also another probably best recruit we did sign and we threw him also only 2 Passes all year. How in the hell can this happen ?
We ripped the Redshirt Off the # 11 Running Back Recruit in the nation, Washaun Ealey in the 3rd Quarter of the Game # 5. Do we have ANY clue what we are doing on Offense, I ask you Ben ?
Washaun goes on to lead the team in Rushing. He only gets to Start 2 games, and they not even the last 2 games.
Let’s look at these position coaches, is that allowed if we are to discuss this ?
We have a great former running back, coaching wide receivers. Is that obvious from the glaring issues ?
We have our own former wide receiver, coaching running backs. How has he done ? Look at his decisions, look at his production, look at his personnel moves, look at his results, and share with me how this has worked out please ?
We have a former Quarterback coaching tight ends. How do you think he has done with his personnel decisions, his production when for example the year before last, we had 0 tight ends who caught as many as 5 catches on the entire season.
And, if we are going to discuss the Offense and try to make conclusions on the Offense based up Chart Tables, let’s take the gloves off shall we in discussing Mike Bobo ?
You see Ben, you allude to Mike Bobo, but you don’t actually say it. It’s like the gal on Rex Robinson’s WebPages yesterday giving him total hell for what he already apologized for before she posted the ripping comments on him as a former player daring to say the Truth.
Take the Gloves Off, Ben.
# 52 the entire Coach Richt Era on Offense.
We are NOT ANY GOOD ON OFFENSE.
You know that Ben. I know that. That gal knows that. Rex Robinson knows that. Hells Bells, Coach Richt knows that, doesn’t he ? Why else would he tell all the Offensive Coaching Staff that he is going to do what he promised us all he would do when Vince Dooley hired him at 2 a.m. December 20, 2000.
You discussed it here Ben that Coach Richt was involved in actually preparing a QB one year for the next year, that Coach Richt was involved in actually preparing an Offense to take advantage of the talent he had.
So, Coach Richt looked at the same thing you looked at here Ben, and Coach Richt said he had to go to every OFFENSIVE MEETING – said this just 3 weeks ago.
How do you think Mike Bobo feels ?
Public Announcement in the press that Coach Richt is TAKING OVER the OFFENSE.
Put yourself in Mike Bobo’s shoes.
How does that feel ?
Go ahead and say it, we face South Carolina in Game 2 this up-coming season and if we do not – without a QB prepared again this year as we did not in 2006 at 9-4 and as we did not in 2009 at 8-5 – if we do not beat South Carolina at night on the road without a QB prepared yet again this up-coming season (and no one behind him) if we don’t beat South Carolina, Coach Richt has a LOSING RECORD vs SEC East teams at 10-11 then the last 5 years that night.
Bad news.
Who cares where we rank nationally and it is # 52 the entire Coach Richt Era on Offense, we cannot get out of our own Division of our Own Conference and therefore are not given the Opportunity to beat a Top 10 Final AP Poll team in our Bowl Game on the National Stage.
We have not in the Coach Richt Era beat a Top 10 Final AP Poll team in any bowl game.
We have lost 8 games to Top 10 Final AP Poll teams and won only 2 in the Coach Richt Era.
We have lost 8 more games to teams not ranked in the Top 25 Final AP Poll in the Coach Richt Era.
We have squandered the talent given to us.
We have had a MIDDLING offense.
Do you really believe that we are going to Beat Florida this up-coming season at 2-7 coming in Ben ?
With a team who has 1 Quarterback and he totally unprepared. So unprepared that not only did we recruit him injured in his leg and ankle, but that our Offensive Coaching Staff allowed this 1 man to throw his throwing arm out, missing in all 21 Practices last Fall.
I have as much optimism as the next guy, but I like you and Rex call it like it is.
I say we are not going to fix this by saying we are going to beat Florida and Win The SEC, play in a bowl game and beat a Top 10 Final AP Poll team and have an Offense for that averages in the Top 50 in the nation with this Offensive Coaching Staff.
I say that because Coach Richt said that 3 weeks ago, admitting they are not getting the job done.
We better have an Offense that is a well-oiled machine that looks like they know what they are doing that takes advantage of the players they have to take advantage of this season for the first time on Offense, or Ben I will come back in here and summarize that we waited a year late to do something about this Offensive Coaching Staff.
Our players are not coached up on Offense. I do not care if my posts are fodder for the next negative article. What I care about is doing something about the Decline in UGA football the last 4 years, and see little hope for the Offensive Staff this up-coming season either coaching up our guys on Offense. That is what I care about.
I think Coach Richt needs to be our Head Coach, not do their job he hired them to do and then said oh well, it’s not working out. You can keep your job. I’ll do my job and yours.
A couple of suprise players for 2010.
1) Cordy Glenn. By the end of the season, he will be high on the priority charts for many NFL teams (2012 draft). He's got the size. He's got desire (wasn't he MVP of the spring?). He's got talent to the left and right and backs following his blocks.
2) Marcus Dowtin. He probably won't be starting by September. But by mid-season, I expect us to recall our emotions the first time we witnessed Curran taking charge out there on the field. If he's going to take any post-season hardware, he'll have to really show up mid-season and beyond.
But I do expect him to be a bright nugget on that 2010 defense by October.
This "Anonymous" guy is exhausting.
I think he's the ae guy that used to post lengthy diatribes on the Athens Banner Herald forums.
Enough with the repetition, loser.
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