We are now two weeks and two days from National Signing Day, otherwise known as Second Christmas for Recruiting Geeks. We here at Le Blog are geeks about many things – the RPI, "Mad Men", the History Channel - but not recruiting.
It’s not that we don’t care. Recruiting is vitally important. It’s just that following every whim and quote by a teenager is a precarious business. We prefer to take the large view: Who has committed, who is still out there, and how does it fill a team’s needs.
So in the continuation of a new feature we offer the recruiting update for the passive fan. We’ll update this every Monday through the signing period.
This is broken into three parts:
- First, a ranking of the most important current Georgia commitments. And by “most important,” I mean a combination of immediate impact, long-range potential, and filling a need position. Basically, a very subjective list that will be easy to laugh at five years from now, if not next week.
- Next, the top remaining targets on Georgia’s big board: Not to say anyone not on the list has no chance of signing with Georgia, but according to the experts, these are the main focus at this point for the Bulldogs.
- An update on what to watch this week, in terms of potential announcements.
So as the dear departed Heath Ledger would say, here ... we ... go:
The most important current commitments (With height, weight and star-rankings by Scout.com and Rivals.com)
1. QB Christian LeMay, Matthews, NC
6-2 …. 188 ..4 stars by Scout-4 stars by Rivals
2. MLB Amarlo Herrera, College Park, Ga.
6-2 …. 215 …4-4
3. CB Nick Marshall, Rochelle, Ga.
6-2 …. 186 ….4-4
4. DB-ATH Damian Swann, Atlanta, Ga.
6-0 …. 175 … 4-4
5. S Corey Moore, Griffin, Ga.
6-1 …. 185 ….4-4
6. OT Zach DeBell, Tarpon Springs, Fla.
6-7 …. 265 ….3-4
7. C David Andrews, Norcross, Ga.
6-2 …. 276 ….3-3
8. S Chris Sanders, Tucker, Ga.
6-0 …. 173 …4-3
9. OT Watts Dantzler, Dalton, Ga.
6-7 …. 310 … 3-3
10. WR Justin Scott-Wesley, Camilla, Ga.
5-11 … 202 …3-4
11. WR Chris Conley, Dallas, Ga.
6-2 … 185 …..4-3
12. DE Sterling Bailey, Gainesville, Ga.
6-4 …. 230 …..3-4
13. DT Chris Mayes, Griffin, Ga.
6-5 …. 292 …..3-4
14. LB Ramik Wilson, Tampa, Fla.
6-3 …. 218 …. 3-3
15. G Hunter Long, Memphis, Tenn.
6-4 …. 290 ……3-3
16. CB Devin Bowman, Ridgeland, Ga.
6-0 …. 175 ….3-3
17. WR Sanford Seay, Leesburg, Ga.
6-2 … 198 ….. 3-3
18. LS Nathan Theus, Jacksonville, Fla.
6-3 …. 252 ….. 2-2
The most important (known) players left on the board
1. RB Isaiah Crowell, Columbus, Ga.
6-0 ….. 210 …. 5-4
2. DE Ray Drew, Thomasville, Ga.
6-5 ….. 248 …. 4-4
3. DT John Jenkins, Mississippi Gulf Coast JUCO
6-4 …. 340 ….. 4-4
4. TE Jay Rome, Valdosta, Ga.
6-6 ….. 240 …… 5-4
5. CB Malcolm Mitchell, Valdosta, Ga.
6-1 …… 190 ….. 4-4
6. LB Quintavious Harrow, Columbus, Ga.
5-11 ….. 190 ….. NR-NR
There will almost certainly be other off-the-radar players that Georgia will sign. The offer to Harrow, for instance, came out of nowhere last week. And it’s a good bet that a player or two that has made a commitment to another school is still getting a call or two. But for the moment, based on the current information, the above list is the main focus.
What to watch this week:
- Rome and Mitchell are scheduled to make their commitments on Thursday night. Rome is set to make his announcement on ESPNU, which also wants Mitchell to announce, but he’s not on board with that. Mitchell’s decision essentially comes down to Georgia and Alabama, while Rome, who also just visited Alabama, is also considering Clemson and Tennessee.
Rome may be the player with the best potential on the board. But given Georgia’s depth at tight end, and the more immediate needs at other positions, that’s why he’s rated behind the other guys.
- Crowell and Harrow, high school teammates at Carver, are supposed to visit Georgia this weekend. Harrow could commit then, while Crowell has said he’s going to take it to signing day.
Monday, January 17, 2011
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46 comments:
Have you heard any more details on the Marcus Downtin situation?
Trey, if you didn't see my mailbag last week where I addressed it, here it is.
http://ugadogsblog.blogspot.com/2011/01/another-mailbag-hoops-football-and.html
At this point I don't think there's much more to it.
What is "Man Men"?
Well I would. Put Jenkins at atleat number two af far as how important of a recruit he could be. I understand th we have to get Crowell. Hes just a player we have to get.
Drew in the future might be the best player we get this year along with Rome. Both of them are on the way to being future NFL first round draft picks.
Although Jenkins will make an immediate impact on defense next year. He could be our Mount Cody, or Nick Fairley. If just one player can make your defense it's a disruptive defensive lineman.
Look at our defense compared to Auburns. We have a better defense no doubt about it. Stats and all tell you that. Yet I doubt we could stop Oregon the way they did. Give us a Fairley or Jenkins and that could be different.
We will already have at least a top four sec defense next season in my opinion. We get Jenkins and there's no telling. Look at Alabamas second season in the 3-4.
Just wondering who does everyone here use the most for there recruiting news?
Rivals, Scout, or ESPN? Or somebody else.
I put more into the Rivals ranking then any of the others. If you go back and look they seem to get it right more than others.
Scout is good also. There site is much easier to navigate then Rivals. I love there commitment ticker also.
Espn on the other hand you basically have to pay for everything so I can't read most of there stuff. Although they have there own TV network so more people might see there rankings. They also have Crowell as the number one RB. Nobody else has him as number one.
So who's the best? Also would it be worth it to pay for the premium services for any of these sites?
ChrisDawg, not to pick on you, and goodness knows I'm not perfect, but ...
Next person to mess up the there/their rule gets banned from the blog.
That is all.
Thanks Seth, that violation always annoys me!
Seth, I know you acknowledged that there are several "surprises" that may happen. Have you heard any word about whether we are pursuing Vaughters after Harbaugh's decision?
@ChrisDawg
I definitely WOULD NOT pay for any of those recruiting site's services. Just hop on the free message boards at Rivals or Scout and you can get some pretty good inside info. A particularly good poster is 'Lowndes25' over at dawgpost.com (he has some good inside info).
Also, the boards are full of guessing and at the end of the day the only thing you will be paying for (if you choose to subscribe) is a summary of a recruit's visits to different schools, a few quotes from the recruit, and some GUESSING on the part of the site as to what team they will choose.
Do not waste your money on those sites. Just enjoy the free content and wait till February 2nd when we will all know who chose where.
And as a side note, considering how often Seth misspells words in his blog, I wouldn't be too offended about the their/there comment. Haha.
Seth do you know how many slots we have?
Also what did ChrisDawg do? Just curious so I don't get in trouble down the road.
Not sure exactly how many slots UGA has - that's in flux until Tanner Strickland makes a decision, and who knows if any of the recruits won't qualify. But I've been told number of scholarships won't be an issue in UGA's recruiting class.
And ChrisDawg didn't do anything bad. I was being a bit facetious, but as that other poster pointed out, the there/their thing can be annoying.
Thanks
The only thing I would disagree on is the Jenkins kid. I would have him at #2 if not #1 with the departure of Houston on the defense. We do not have that type of player for the nose position on our roster. The argument could be made about RB. King and Ealey have not lived up to the hype but not sure that half the problem is not the line. JMO.
Roaddawg80
Thanks for the analysis, Seth. I'm going through football withdrawal so football themed posts are good therapy for me.
Seth, do you think Cooper's leaving SCDP after Don's NYT ad really signaled his exit from the agency/show? I know he was more irrelevant in season 4, but it's Bertrand Cooper damnit! How can there be "Mad Men" without him?
And to those who will comment negatively about TV talk - I invite you to engage in an act with yourself that would either be taken as a high estimate of your athleticism or an insult.
I agree with Roaddawg. Our line has been pushed around, and the coaches don't let one back stay in the game long enough to get something going. You can't try to figure out who has the hot hand, you have to let your main guy pound it until it starts working.
Hopefully, if Crowell commits the coaches will let him be the every-down guy and make plays.
More on basketball...less on drama queen 17 year olds who are looking for a day in the sun with their "announcements".
Seth-
I used to feel the same way about the recruiting stuff. But now, if you look at the difference 1 or 2 great players can make, it really is important to get ther 1-2 players you need ot turn it around. Auburn got Cam and Fairley. Florida got Tebow & Percy. Bama got Mt. Cody & Ingram. South Carolina got Marcus Latt.
Georgia needs a big nasty NT, #1, and a big RB #2. Other than that, I don't think the rest of the class matters all that much.
Only 2 recurits that will make a huge impact in 2011 would be John Jenkins & Isaiah Crowell. Probably won't get either one. But if you get them both, it could be a big turnaround.
Jenkins and Crowell -- in either order. Everything else is icing on the cake.
Aren't Harrow and Crowell cousins?
I see what you did they're, Seth.
It's not just about who you get, there is a flip side to the coin. If we get Crowell, Drew, Mitchell et al we keep UF, AU, UA from getting them.
I still don't agree that Lemay is the number 1 on your list. Does he have great potential? Ya. Is he highly ranked? Ya. But unless an injury or a colossal meltdown by Murray, Lemay may never see the field, especially since we are still pursuing a QB in the 2012 class as well who could unseat Lemay as QB-in-waiting, who won't see the field until, at the earliest, his third year in the program.
I won't rank them all but my list would be:
Swann
Bailey
Moore
Herrera
Marshall
JSW
Followed by Lemay and others then
Lemay is probably the future of UGA. He might be red-shirted in 2011, hope not, but might be. But man, the guy's very talented, and just wins, and leads.
Seen his highlight video, wow:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5G_W0aP0NI0
@Anon 8:03
People said the same about Murray. And look, I'm not saying Lemay won't be a star, but at this point he's probably redshirting. Murray was claimed to be the future for the past two years, I don't see how with the commitment of an unproven HS QB changes anything. Murray is the starter for 2011 and 2012, and if he comes back for his senior year, 2013 as well. Lemay won't get his chance to shine until his redshirt junior year. No of course, injuries could change all this and there's always the possibility Murray's production could fall off a cliff, but really, who really expects that?
Who expected joe tereshinski iii to nbe the starter against florida 1 season.
Who thinks there was a difference between dj shockley starting after greene left and joe cox starting after stafford.
1) Lemay is a big deal.
2) Lemay already on campus is a big deal.
I think you guys are missing the point. Is Lemay a great get? Definitely. But the only good he's going to do for the team is scout team work this year. I just don't see how he's the most important piece of the class that's already committed (key there). Was DJ Shockley the man when he got his one year to shine? Absolutely! And during his tenure there were packages for him to get him on the field with the ball in his hands leading up to his senior year, purely designed to take advantage of his mobility. But as for 2011, 2012, and probably even 2013, Lemay doesn't help the team win unless there is an injury. And for that reason alone is I would rank him lower on my list. That's all.
okay, just to point out why we're pursuing a 2* longsnapper:
1) He is the highest rated LS in the nation and has been said to be near NFL caliber right now
2) He is the older brother of 2012 OT John Theus 6'6" 292lbs is a future high 4* to 5* range OT
Landing the older Theus now will help us greatly next year with his monster of a brother. Plus having a money LS on scholly will great.
Anyone notice in the AJC article how Ray Drew talked about playing on a D Line with 4 down linemen......I hope that's not a cryptic way of saying he's not going to play in a 3-4 like Georgia's......
I have done a good bit of research and this is my opinions on some of the recruits.
Crowell: pretty sure it's gonna be Ga. Bama has signed Dee Hart and they have Richardson and Lacy. Another serious option Auburn has Dyer. Also we offered his best friend a scholarship. He says that doesn't matter but I seriously doubt it.
Rome: he and his father have stated that Ga is in the lead. Word is that he has been trying to recruit other players to Ga.
Jenkins: in a recent article he stated himself and Drew wanted to play on the same team and he wanted to play the nose position. Out of all his remaining choices only Ga runs the 3-4. Jenkins also stated that Drew told him where he is going to commit. Word is that Richt was getting Drew to recruit Jenkins to Ga on there Miami visit.
Drew: as stated above he wants to play with Jenkins. Many insiders say he is going to Ga. I belive he is toying around with everyone with his comments. he says he wants to play in the 4-3. He says on his Facebook that he's not going to Ga. I think he's just trying to have fun with the situation.
Mitchell: I'm not sure about Mitchell. He might be Bama bound. It is interesting that him and Rome are announcing the same day. Although they are announcing in different places and at different times. Drew says he will be at both announcements.
If I was forced to guess right now I would say we get them all but Mitchell.
Some additopnal food for thought.....
http://www.redandblack.com/2011/01/17/commitments-believe-richt%E2%80%99s-%E2%80%98dream-team%E2%80%99-will-be-strong/
Seth-
Agree with you putting Lemay #1. Not even close. Lemay is the highest rated and ranked player in the class so far. As QB, he'll touch the ball more than anyone else. Took his team to the state championship for the first time in school history. Plays well under pressure, seems oblious to big moments, as cool as Cam Newton. He'll start in 2011, and lead Georgia to a National Championship before he elaves. Murray couldn't beat a team with a winning record. Not one. Murray DEFINATELY is not good under pressure or against good teams.
Lemay is the guy behind the scenes getting all these big names signed on. That's leadership. Lemay is only gonna be as good as the guys he brings with him, as good as he is, he can't do it alone, he needs studs on defense and offense.
I wonder if any of these comments about how good Lemay is are from Lemay himself?
Seriously I have thought about it before. I know if I was in there same situations I would be on the net reading all about it. These are not NFL players. These are high school football players that are for the most part from smaller towns.
Most of them won't make it to the NFL and they will only go through something like this once. You know there reading these articles on ajc, rivals, scout..... I bet if someone says something bad about them they stick up for themselves.
Same with the UGA players. I'm sure they have posted even here before. There's a high probability that a few of these anons have been UGA players themselves. I'm not saying this is something that happens a lot but I bet it happens. They are human.
Scout says Lemay's strengths are poise & leadership, what's lacking in Murray. Say the dude is calm under pressure, like Cam Newton. That's why he'll start. Remember how Murray fell apart in the Florida game with his 4 turnovers?
http://michigan.scout.com/a.z?s=162&p=8&c=1&nid=4152948
Has anyone else seen the updated Rivals rankings?
Ray Drew has moved all the way up to number nine overall in the entire nation! He also got the highly coveted fifth star.
Crowell moved up also and was upgraded to now being a five star player.
Mitchell moved up a good bit also but he is just right outside of a five star ranking.
Rome I believe might of went down in the rankings. Not a five star.
Im not big into the star rankings and all but if we can get these players this will possibly be the best recruiting class in recent history. After a season like we just had we need some good news.
I'm not sure of the exact numbers but we could have like eight of the rivals 100! That is huge! For many programs just getting one of these players would be big time.
Anon 4:07, are you serious? Murray was the lone bright spot on our team this year. He would've won SEC Freshman of the Year if it weren't for Lattimore. He'll have another year under his belt next year.
Lemay will be a true freshman. He hasn't played in a football game since his junior season of HS. And you people think that he will start? A true freshman QB will replace an incumbent QB who came off a great season, excluding two games? Unbelievable. You should be embarrassed.
Stafford was even more highly regarded than Lemay, and do you remember how good Stafford's freshman year was? Come on, don't be foolish.
This should shock me, but it really doesnt. AARON MURRAY WAS THE RINGLEADER OF THE 2009 RECRUITING CLASS. I just find it interesting that people are so quick to write this kid off because he went 6-7 this year, his redshirt freshmen season, with an average defense, an underperforming o-line, and an inept offensive coordinator. And yet he still had one of the greatest freshmen QB seasons in UGA history. Just last year players were in Awe of Murrays huddle presence and ability to lead on the field. There's a 0.01% chance Lemay starts over Murray this year.
As for anon @2:09:
Being the highest rated recruit in the class holds no bearing on immediate impact, especially at the QB position. Everyone needs to take a step back and breathe before giving Lemay all this man-love. I dont care what he did in HS, because the minute he stepped on campus, he was and is 3rd string at best for now and will redshirt to preserve his eligibility.
Seth, if you're weighing your rankings based heavily on what Lemay may become in 2013/2014 coupled with his ranking then thats your opinion, and I may just weigh my opinion based on impact in the next two years more. Apples and oranges. But to those who feel Lemay will unseat Murray and lead the DAWGS to the promised land in 2011/2012, you're crazy.
Christian Lemay or Hutson Mason will lead the Dogs in 2011. They can't possible be worse than Aaron Murray. Murray didn't beat a single team with a winning record. He beat up on teams like Idaho State and Vanderbilt. He had his chance, we all know what Murray can do, how he competes against the best, and he fell WAY short of the task. You HAVE to be able to beat Florida and bring your 'A' game there, Murray brought his 'F' game there. Looking forward to the Murray era ending, and a new era beginning for Mason or Lemay.
That is a good point. If Murray's "all that", why couldn't he beat Colorado or South Carolina or Arkansas or Mississippi State or Auburn or Florida? None of them? I am unimpressed with Aaron Murray. No poise.
Lemay is the best LEADER Georgia has recuited since David Pollack, and that's high praise. You woin't be able to sit this kid on the bench, he's too clutch.
Anon @7:24
Refer back to Aaron Murray's stats from the season. He had a better freshmen season than Stafford statistically and no one was calling for Stafford's head after year one. If you really had a real opinion, have a real name other than "anonymous", that way I can just skip your comments as I read through these.
How is a kid who's never played a college game already a "leader" and "too clutch"? I gurantee he won't be a leader to a group of juniors and seniors who he's earned no respect. And last I checked, it's a team sport. If we can't establish the running game, then the passing game will falter as well. All some of you see our wins and losses and you're not seeing the whole product on the field.
January 18, 2011 8:57 PM
This article about this class, not 2008 class with Murray.
Seth, you're right. Lemay is #1 on this list. Voted #1 on ESPN Rise. Voted Gatorade Player of the Year. emay all da way.
Ray Drew could be the #1 impact player, remember Pollack?
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