Everybody has been all over Mark Richt the last few seasons, calling for his head as his fanny burns on the hotseat. Some members of Bulldog Nation have also been thirsting for offensive coordinator Mike Bobo’s head after watching the offense struggle since Knowshon Moreno left town. Fans don’t quite get why the offense, with AJ Green leading the charge the last few seasons, hasn’t been piling up numbers like Mark Richt’s Florida State teams.
Honestly, it is a good question. The common response from the Bobo/Richt defenders is that Bobo’s offensive (no pun intended) play-calls are a part of Mark Richt’s philosophy, but that logic is flawed. I cannot believe that Richt would have abandoned his entire offensive philosophy when he came to Athens. Tweaked, yes. Evolved, yes. Completely abandoned the high-flying, electricity-filled point-a-minute scheme? I just cannot see it.
Which makes me believe that perhaps the offense just isn’t being coordinated the way Mark Richt really wants it to be. Richt is fiercely loyal so he would never call out Bobo through the media, but we saw him crack during a few postgame pressers last year. He questioned running plays with certain personnel in the game. He thought that some play-calls would have been better suited, but he never blamed Mike Bobo for losses.
Interesting because Bobo hasn’t been afraid to play the blame game. Case in point: last year’s Arkansas game. After Georgia mounted a serious comeback by sticking with the running game (something I thought that would have been left in the halftime lockerroom, but he knows better than I do, I guess), the Georgia defense held and gave the offense a chance to win the game with redshirt freshman Aaron Murray under center. On third down, Bobo decided to call one of the most drawn-out, slow-developing plays probably in all of the SEC and Murray was sacked out of field goal range. After the game (a loss), Bobo threw Murray under the bus, saying he needed to recognize what was going on and get rid of the ball. How about you NOT hang your FRESHMAN QB out to dry and give him a quick-hitting play with a high chance of success, even if it meant settling for a field goal attempt by one of the nation’s best kickers? (Though settling for the field goal has also been a complaint by the Bulldog Nation as sometimes it seems a draw is called on third and long to preserve the field goal try.)
This was just a week after Bobo didn’t trust Aaron Murray enough in Columbia to take the handcuffs off in a loss to the Gamecocks. The South Carolina defense was beatable, but from the casual fan’s point of view Murray was limited by Bobo in a game Georgia could have won.
I wonder what the future holds for offensive coordinator Mike Bobo. Will he unleash Murray this year the way DJ Shockley was in 2005? (Note: Bobo didn’t take over play-calling duties until late 2006) Will Bobo play it too conservative in the first two games against what figure to be highly-ranked teams, afraid that his offense will turn the ball over in a crucial spot? Will Bobo let it all hang out this year, figuring he has nothing to lose? I would hope that Bobo turns it loose and lets Murray try to live up to his potential and hype. That might be difficult with a patch-work offensive line, but if Bobo is worth his salt, he’ll figure out a way to replace AJ Green and use the backfield trio of Aaron Murray, Isaiah Crowell and Caleb King to make a run to the Georgia Dome for the SEC Championship.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Monday, June 27, 2011
Big B's GT Big Board
Brian Jones of Score Atlanta fame provided The Official Visit a "Big Board" for Georgia Tech as of 6/27/11. Big B provided the list and co-hosts Scott Janovitz and myself, Fletcher Proctor broke it down on The Official Visit on Sports Radio 790 The Zone (Every Monday from 8-10pm!) Enjoy!
1) Dalvin Tomlinson: 6-2, 270-pound DT/DE out of Henry County. He’s be the best recruit Tech has landed in the Paul Johnson era, and would fill a huge need to Tech along the defensive line, especially with his versatility. He’s been to Tech in the last month, and will most likely play end for them. He says he is comfortable there and thinks he could make a huge impact there. The Yellow Jackets will have to beat out Georgia, Auburn, Alabama, Indiana, Georgia, Clemson and South Carolina, to name a few. Will take his recruitment down to the end;
2) Roderick Chungong: 6-3, 250-pound DE out of Maryland. Tech needs athletic play makers along the defensive line and Chungong is just that. Not only that, but Tech is Chungong’s current leader and the Maryland product is expecting early playing time on the Flats. To me, this is just a matter of when;
3) Matt Dobson: 6-1, 206-pound QB out of Tallahassee. Has offers from FIU, Tech and Samford. The Yellow Jackets want a QB and this is their best bet. Dobson calls the Yellow Jackets his leader, and is waiting on offers from Louisville and Tennessee. He’s a dynamic athlete, could play safety;
4) Chris Moody: 6-0, 197-pound QB out of Henry County. Could be a nice package deal with Tomlinson. Not close to a decision yet, but Tech coaches are telling him he is close to losing his spot. He is also considering Clemson and UCF. Duke, UCF and Tech looking at Moody to play QB, Miss. State, Clemson and SC want him at DB. Will decide around fourth game of the season;
5) Derrick Nelson: 6-4, 285-pounder out of DC. Has offers from Tech, Delaware, Rutgers and Syracuse. Tech always need linemen, and Nelson says Tech, Rutgers and Temple are his leaders, and you have to like Tech’s chances there. He recently visited Tech and will be back in July. Wants to make a decision during his senior season, but says he sometimes thinks of committing earlier;
6) K’Hadree Hooker: 6-2, 280-pound DT/OG out of NC. Tech loves to recruit the Tar Heel State, and Hooker can play along either line. He has plans to visit Tech in the next month or so, and currently calls Tech, N.C. State and Virginia Tech his leaders, in no order. Another guy that won’t decide until the middle of his senior season;
7) Shadrach Thornton: 6-1, 207-pound RB out of Liberty County. Tech could definitely use a RB and he is the best left on their board. He recently excelled at a Tech camp and earned himself an offer as a result. He is seriously considering the Yellow Jackets, in addition to Kentucky, N.C. State, and Vandy. Kentucky offered first and is the leader, with Tech following close second, though they only just offered. Recruited to play A and B back at Tech;
8) Jonathan Jones: 5-10, 165-pound corner out of Carrollton. Jones is a major prospect and could be a lot higher on this list, but he plays a position at which Tech needs less help. He earned an Auburn offer over the weekend, recently took a trip to Miss. State, and has plans to visit Tennessee and FSU in mid-July. He says Tech will be in it until the end, however. He is open to taking visit on into his senior season, but also says he will commit over the summer if it feels right;
9) Kaiwan Lewis: 6-2, 227-pound LB out of New Jersey. Florida leads at the moment, but the Gators may go in another direction, which could really help Tech here. Lewis has plans to visit Tech in late July, and will also visit Tennessee, South Carolina, Florida and FSU during the month. He says he really likes coach Groh and wants to learn more about the school, so you can’t count Tech out until Lewis at least visits the school;
10) Jordan Jenkins: 6-3, 245-pound DE out of Harris County. Jenkins is clearly the best player on the board and continues to say Tech has a shot so, though I don’t believe him, he gets No. 10 on the list. He actually visited the Flats over the weekend and had a great time. Both his parents love Tech and he likes the engineering program. He won’t decide until December or January, but Tech has to beat out Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Auburn and others for the talented Jenkins.
1) Dalvin Tomlinson: 6-2, 270-pound DT/DE out of Henry County. He’s be the best recruit Tech has landed in the Paul Johnson era, and would fill a huge need to Tech along the defensive line, especially with his versatility. He’s been to Tech in the last month, and will most likely play end for them. He says he is comfortable there and thinks he could make a huge impact there. The Yellow Jackets will have to beat out Georgia, Auburn, Alabama, Indiana, Georgia, Clemson and South Carolina, to name a few. Will take his recruitment down to the end;
2) Roderick Chungong: 6-3, 250-pound DE out of Maryland. Tech needs athletic play makers along the defensive line and Chungong is just that. Not only that, but Tech is Chungong’s current leader and the Maryland product is expecting early playing time on the Flats. To me, this is just a matter of when;
3) Matt Dobson: 6-1, 206-pound QB out of Tallahassee. Has offers from FIU, Tech and Samford. The Yellow Jackets want a QB and this is their best bet. Dobson calls the Yellow Jackets his leader, and is waiting on offers from Louisville and Tennessee. He’s a dynamic athlete, could play safety;
4) Chris Moody: 6-0, 197-pound QB out of Henry County. Could be a nice package deal with Tomlinson. Not close to a decision yet, but Tech coaches are telling him he is close to losing his spot. He is also considering Clemson and UCF. Duke, UCF and Tech looking at Moody to play QB, Miss. State, Clemson and SC want him at DB. Will decide around fourth game of the season;
5) Derrick Nelson: 6-4, 285-pounder out of DC. Has offers from Tech, Delaware, Rutgers and Syracuse. Tech always need linemen, and Nelson says Tech, Rutgers and Temple are his leaders, and you have to like Tech’s chances there. He recently visited Tech and will be back in July. Wants to make a decision during his senior season, but says he sometimes thinks of committing earlier;
6) K’Hadree Hooker: 6-2, 280-pound DT/OG out of NC. Tech loves to recruit the Tar Heel State, and Hooker can play along either line. He has plans to visit Tech in the next month or so, and currently calls Tech, N.C. State and Virginia Tech his leaders, in no order. Another guy that won’t decide until the middle of his senior season;
7) Shadrach Thornton: 6-1, 207-pound RB out of Liberty County. Tech could definitely use a RB and he is the best left on their board. He recently excelled at a Tech camp and earned himself an offer as a result. He is seriously considering the Yellow Jackets, in addition to Kentucky, N.C. State, and Vandy. Kentucky offered first and is the leader, with Tech following close second, though they only just offered. Recruited to play A and B back at Tech;
8) Jonathan Jones: 5-10, 165-pound corner out of Carrollton. Jones is a major prospect and could be a lot higher on this list, but he plays a position at which Tech needs less help. He earned an Auburn offer over the weekend, recently took a trip to Miss. State, and has plans to visit Tennessee and FSU in mid-July. He says Tech will be in it until the end, however. He is open to taking visit on into his senior season, but also says he will commit over the summer if it feels right;
9) Kaiwan Lewis: 6-2, 227-pound LB out of New Jersey. Florida leads at the moment, but the Gators may go in another direction, which could really help Tech here. Lewis has plans to visit Tech in late July, and will also visit Tennessee, South Carolina, Florida and FSU during the month. He says he really likes coach Groh and wants to learn more about the school, so you can’t count Tech out until Lewis at least visits the school;
10) Jordan Jenkins: 6-3, 245-pound DE out of Harris County. Jenkins is clearly the best player on the board and continues to say Tech has a shot so, though I don’t believe him, he gets No. 10 on the list. He actually visited the Flats over the weekend and had a great time. Both his parents love Tech and he likes the engineering program. He won’t decide until December or January, but Tech has to beat out Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Auburn and others for the talented Jenkins.
TheFletch: BRING BACK BARNHART AND DURHAM!
The King is Dead! Long Live the King! No, that isn’t just a line from The Tudors or some other British movie/television drama. Apparently that is the new slogan of the PGA. Well not really, but it sure seemed that way with ESPN and NBC’s coverage of the US Open over Father’s Day weekend. With Tiger Woods out due to a gimpy knee, the stage was set for Rory McIlroy to bounce back from a disastrous Sunday back nine at Augusta to run away with the our national championship, shattering all of the tournament records, including several held by former world No. 1 Tiger Woods. What was so funny was the coverage all seemingly forgetting what Tiger Woods had gone for golf over the last 15 years simply because he hasn’t won a major since 2008, simply because he was tracked down at a major for the first time of his career in 2009, simply because he lost his No. 1 ranking, and simply because of that whole marriage-ending scandal thing. David Feherty of The Golf Channel seemed to be the first commentator to throw dirt on the career that was Tiger Woods. (I know plenty of players including Ian Poulter have done so over the last few months, but those twerps shouldn’t be listened to. In most cases the players were speaking though jealousy.) I will take into account that Feherty was likely trying to put his name out there to draw some interest for his new show, which debuted earlier this week on TGC, but Feherty was asked by one of his co-hosts whether Rory’s performance at Congressional in 2011 was more impressive than Tiger’s showing at the 2000 US Open at Pebble Beach, and Feherty said that Rory would have “kicked his arse.” What was so interesting about the comments was that he made them Friday afternoon with 36 holes left to play. As it turns out McIlroy went on to set all sorts of records over the next two rounds, but the egg would have been on Feherty’s face had McIlroy pulled a, well, a McIlroy and blow up over the next two days in a severe meltdown.
Feherty did seem to back off his statement the next day on an appearance on The Golf Channel’s The Morning Drive. Feherty “clarified” his statement, saying that McIlroy would have “kicked the arse,” of Woods if the “in the prime Woods” had been going through the same situation he is now, with the injury and the Perkins scandal, which wasn’t the question to begin with. The two co-hosts of The Morning Drive, Gary Williams and Eric Kuselias, both accepted Feherty’s opinion but then politely disagreed, saying that McIlroy was dominating but he is too much of an unknown to know what he will eventually do. Woods meanwhile was “murdering the scoreboards” according to Williams and was creating a vacuum that made competition impossible. I would have to agree with the boys from The Morning Drive. We SAW Woods own golf for a decade. Perhaps McIlroy will eventually do that, but I have a feeling that McIlroy would have pooped his pants if he ever appeared in a final Sunday pairing with Woods in his prime, much like Sergio Garcia, Aaron Baddeley, Lee Westwood, Justin Rose and all of the rest of the “next foreign sensations” did when matched up with the best in the world.
I am not certain what the problem is but can 790 The Zone please bring back Barnhart and Durham, and in a hurry to the midday time slot. Jamal Anderson is simply making my ears bleed. I know that this guy used to appear on ESPN’s First Take with Skip Bayless, but he was awful then and he hasn’t gotten much better now that he is working with Hans. He spends far too much time talking about what he read on Twitter (no one cares) and far too much time stumbling into an agreement with Hans. PLEASE bring back Barnhart and Durham. I don’t care that they would talk college football. That would be GREAT. This is SEC country (ACC too) and that CAN WORK down here. If you wanted to talk about recruits showing up, summer workouts, interview coaches, WE WILL TAKE IT! I don’t need a generic sports show which is what is being thrown out there now. It can be specific. But please bring Barnhart and Durham back. I just can’t take my ears bleeding anymore from Anderson.
Finally, on Football Night in Atlanta, 790 The Zone’s John Michaels argued that Falcons wide receiver Roddy White should have been higher than No. 24, where the players placed him in a recent survey ranking the top players in the league today. Matt Ryan, Michael Turner, Tony Gonzalez and John Abraham were also on the list, but it is interesting that Roddy White was No. 24. Michaels reasoned that White has been nearly unstoppable the last four seasons and was putting up Pro Bowl numbers with Joey Harrington as his quarterback and is now exploding with Ryan under center. In a recent list from The Sporting News ranking the top fifty baseball players, Jason Heyward checked in at No. 49 with Brian McCann towards the end of the list as well. That leads to the following question: Is Roddy White the best player, regardless of sport, in Atlanta? One could say that perhaps Joe Johnson or Al Horford should be thrown into the discussion, however neither showed up for the Chicago series, so they are out. Brian McCann has been an All-Star each of his first full five years with the Braves, but Roddy White has become one of the best wide receivers in the game. In a football-first town, maybe it is White over McCann, but if you were currently putting together a Mount Rushmore of current Atlanta sports stars, I would say it includes both along with Matt Ryan and Horford from the Hawks. Oh how I wanted to include a Dream player but alas. No Room!
Can You Believe He Said That
“If you look at the schedule, especially with the first game, Kellen Moore has to be the front-runner for the Heisman right now.”
That was 790 The Zone’s Chris Dimino talking about how the Georgia Bulldogs will be facing one of, if not THE Heisman favorites in the first game of the season. As a Georgia fan I remember the last time a Boise State quarterback came into a season-opening contest against Georgia as a Heisman contender and a high ranking. That one ended well for Mark Richt and his squad. Here is hoping history repeats itself Labor Day weekend.
Feherty did seem to back off his statement the next day on an appearance on The Golf Channel’s The Morning Drive. Feherty “clarified” his statement, saying that McIlroy would have “kicked the arse,” of Woods if the “in the prime Woods” had been going through the same situation he is now, with the injury and the Perkins scandal, which wasn’t the question to begin with. The two co-hosts of The Morning Drive, Gary Williams and Eric Kuselias, both accepted Feherty’s opinion but then politely disagreed, saying that McIlroy was dominating but he is too much of an unknown to know what he will eventually do. Woods meanwhile was “murdering the scoreboards” according to Williams and was creating a vacuum that made competition impossible. I would have to agree with the boys from The Morning Drive. We SAW Woods own golf for a decade. Perhaps McIlroy will eventually do that, but I have a feeling that McIlroy would have pooped his pants if he ever appeared in a final Sunday pairing with Woods in his prime, much like Sergio Garcia, Aaron Baddeley, Lee Westwood, Justin Rose and all of the rest of the “next foreign sensations” did when matched up with the best in the world.
I am not certain what the problem is but can 790 The Zone please bring back Barnhart and Durham, and in a hurry to the midday time slot. Jamal Anderson is simply making my ears bleed. I know that this guy used to appear on ESPN’s First Take with Skip Bayless, but he was awful then and he hasn’t gotten much better now that he is working with Hans. He spends far too much time talking about what he read on Twitter (no one cares) and far too much time stumbling into an agreement with Hans. PLEASE bring back Barnhart and Durham. I don’t care that they would talk college football. That would be GREAT. This is SEC country (ACC too) and that CAN WORK down here. If you wanted to talk about recruits showing up, summer workouts, interview coaches, WE WILL TAKE IT! I don’t need a generic sports show which is what is being thrown out there now. It can be specific. But please bring Barnhart and Durham back. I just can’t take my ears bleeding anymore from Anderson.
Finally, on Football Night in Atlanta, 790 The Zone’s John Michaels argued that Falcons wide receiver Roddy White should have been higher than No. 24, where the players placed him in a recent survey ranking the top players in the league today. Matt Ryan, Michael Turner, Tony Gonzalez and John Abraham were also on the list, but it is interesting that Roddy White was No. 24. Michaels reasoned that White has been nearly unstoppable the last four seasons and was putting up Pro Bowl numbers with Joey Harrington as his quarterback and is now exploding with Ryan under center. In a recent list from The Sporting News ranking the top fifty baseball players, Jason Heyward checked in at No. 49 with Brian McCann towards the end of the list as well. That leads to the following question: Is Roddy White the best player, regardless of sport, in Atlanta? One could say that perhaps Joe Johnson or Al Horford should be thrown into the discussion, however neither showed up for the Chicago series, so they are out. Brian McCann has been an All-Star each of his first full five years with the Braves, but Roddy White has become one of the best wide receivers in the game. In a football-first town, maybe it is White over McCann, but if you were currently putting together a Mount Rushmore of current Atlanta sports stars, I would say it includes both along with Matt Ryan and Horford from the Hawks. Oh how I wanted to include a Dream player but alas. No Room!
Can You Believe He Said That
“If you look at the schedule, especially with the first game, Kellen Moore has to be the front-runner for the Heisman right now.”
That was 790 The Zone’s Chris Dimino talking about how the Georgia Bulldogs will be facing one of, if not THE Heisman favorites in the first game of the season. As a Georgia fan I remember the last time a Boise State quarterback came into a season-opening contest against Georgia as a Heisman contender and a high ranking. That one ended well for Mark Richt and his squad. Here is hoping history repeats itself Labor Day weekend.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
That Magical Sophomore year...
What is it about sophomore quarterbacks in Mark Richt’s offense? I know technically Mike Bobo is the offensive coordinator, but let’s be real. This is Mark Richt offense we are working with here and honestly, Georgia fans have every right to be giddy. Two other quarterbacks have started from their freshman seasons under Richt in his eleven years in Athens, and current QB Aaron Murray is now the third. Just like David Greene and Matthew Stafford, Murray endured some rocky moments as a freshman signal-caller (he is a redshirt-sophomore like Greene; Stafford was a true sophomore in 2007). Greene and Stafford would go on in their sophomore seasons to lead Georgia to Sugar Bowl appearances; fans are hoping Murray can continue in the tradition this season.
Murray will have to face the daunting task of trying to perform behind a patchwork offensive line, whereas the lines protecting Greene and Stafford were solid. (Though Stafford’s line was just as much of a question mark entering the season; it turned out with Trinton Sturdivant and Clint Boling.) Murray also will be without a true No. 1 that Stafford and Greene also had on the outside. The running game in Stafford’s second year was boosted by a redshirt freshman Knowshon Moreno. Fans are hoping Murray’s running game will be super-boosted by true freshman Isaiah Crowell.
But Murray has the talent to exceed in Richt’s offense. Last season Murray transformed from a question mark to an exclamation point with his play, and many in the media are considering him a potential All-SEC quarterback by the end of the season. History could be seen as on his side as he has led championship teams before, winning a state title his senior season in high school. The SEC is different but Murray is a winner and his pedigree will have every chance to shine through this season. If he drives Georgia to at least a 1-1 start, which he is capable of doing, look out for big things this season from Murray. And if Georgia gets big things from its sophomore quarterback, history under Mark Richt shows that Bulldog Nation may be seeing sugar falling from the sky.
Murray will have to face the daunting task of trying to perform behind a patchwork offensive line, whereas the lines protecting Greene and Stafford were solid. (Though Stafford’s line was just as much of a question mark entering the season; it turned out with Trinton Sturdivant and Clint Boling.) Murray also will be without a true No. 1 that Stafford and Greene also had on the outside. The running game in Stafford’s second year was boosted by a redshirt freshman Knowshon Moreno. Fans are hoping Murray’s running game will be super-boosted by true freshman Isaiah Crowell.
But Murray has the talent to exceed in Richt’s offense. Last season Murray transformed from a question mark to an exclamation point with his play, and many in the media are considering him a potential All-SEC quarterback by the end of the season. History could be seen as on his side as he has led championship teams before, winning a state title his senior season in high school. The SEC is different but Murray is a winner and his pedigree will have every chance to shine through this season. If he drives Georgia to at least a 1-1 start, which he is capable of doing, look out for big things this season from Murray. And if Georgia gets big things from its sophomore quarterback, history under Mark Richt shows that Bulldog Nation may be seeing sugar falling from the sky.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Jordan Jenkins like Georgia (family) and Florida (home)
One of the nation’s best high school players never really thought he’d get the kind of attention he is currently garnering. Jordan Jenkins, considered by many to be not just the best player in the state of Georgia but perhaps the nation’s best defensive end prospect, says he is just thankful to be in a position to be able to select where he will attend college and play football. Jenkins recently spoke about the recruiting process and revealed the two schools that are ahead of every one else.
Though a defensive end on his Harris County (GA) squad, Jenkins believes he will be asked to also play a little bit of outside linebacker at the next level, which is he fine with. Jenkins noted in a recent interview that while he has mostly played with his hand in the dirt, he believes he can drop back into coverage due to his athleticism while also getting after the quarterback. Last year Jenkins played alongside defensive lineman LaMichael Fanning at Harris County after Fanning had given his verbal pledge to Alabama. Despite playing beside a player Nick Saban had his eye on, it was Jenkins that stood out, earning kudos from all of the major recruiting services and appearing on many junior watch lists. Now with all of the scholarship offers and all-star game invitations pouring in, Jenkins said that several schools have done enough to earn official visits but two stand out above the rest.
The in-state Georgia Bulldogs have been making big strides recently. “I like how family-oriented (coach) Mark Richt is,” said Jenkins. “I like all of the coaches.” Jenkins was particularly enthralled with defensive coordinator Todd Grantham. “Coach Grantham has a really great defense. He broke it down for me one day. It isn’t too simple but isn’t too hard for me not to understand.”
Jenkins hopes to play outside linebacker as well as a bit of defensive end in Athens, should he commit to the Bulldogs. He admitted that Grantham, Richt and Georgia are looking at him as an outside linebacker.
Many believed early on that Will Muschamp and the Florida Gators would land Jenkins early on in the process, especially after Jenkins’ father spoke so highly of the Florida program. Jenkins seems high on the Gators but perhaps not as high as he once was. “Nobody’s been in the lead recently,” Jenkins revealed. He would go on to say the Gainesville environment, “feels like another home. It feels so good down there.”
Jenkins had plenty of high praise for Coach Muschamp and Coach Dan Quinn, and the Florida coach may have one big advantage according to the rising senior. “He (Muschamp) reminds me of my high school coach.”
Georgia Tech and Auburn have also earned official visits according to Jenkins as both offer certain important factors. In regards to Georgia Tech, Jenkins really enjoyed his recent visit to the Flats and he said Al Groh is “another coach I really like.”
Auburn meanwhile has the teammate angle that appeals to Jenkins. “I know some of the recruits and some of the players already there, which is cool.” Jenkins mentioned Jeff Whitaker and Gabe Wright as two of the Tigers he has spoken with about the school.
What will it ultimately come down to though for Jenkins? Will the Auburn player connection be enough? “I like to have coaches that I’ll have a strong relationship with.” Jenkins also mentioned safety as a factor, in that he wants his parents not to worry about him for the next few years. Jenkins set a timetable of December or January for his decision and once on campus Jenkins said he wants to do his best and get his name out there. For one of the best players in the country, getting his name out there shouldn’t be a problem. Plenty of people will know all about him and they likely won’t be disappointed, unless he doesn’t pick their school.
Though a defensive end on his Harris County (GA) squad, Jenkins believes he will be asked to also play a little bit of outside linebacker at the next level, which is he fine with. Jenkins noted in a recent interview that while he has mostly played with his hand in the dirt, he believes he can drop back into coverage due to his athleticism while also getting after the quarterback. Last year Jenkins played alongside defensive lineman LaMichael Fanning at Harris County after Fanning had given his verbal pledge to Alabama. Despite playing beside a player Nick Saban had his eye on, it was Jenkins that stood out, earning kudos from all of the major recruiting services and appearing on many junior watch lists. Now with all of the scholarship offers and all-star game invitations pouring in, Jenkins said that several schools have done enough to earn official visits but two stand out above the rest.
The in-state Georgia Bulldogs have been making big strides recently. “I like how family-oriented (coach) Mark Richt is,” said Jenkins. “I like all of the coaches.” Jenkins was particularly enthralled with defensive coordinator Todd Grantham. “Coach Grantham has a really great defense. He broke it down for me one day. It isn’t too simple but isn’t too hard for me not to understand.”
Jenkins hopes to play outside linebacker as well as a bit of defensive end in Athens, should he commit to the Bulldogs. He admitted that Grantham, Richt and Georgia are looking at him as an outside linebacker.
Many believed early on that Will Muschamp and the Florida Gators would land Jenkins early on in the process, especially after Jenkins’ father spoke so highly of the Florida program. Jenkins seems high on the Gators but perhaps not as high as he once was. “Nobody’s been in the lead recently,” Jenkins revealed. He would go on to say the Gainesville environment, “feels like another home. It feels so good down there.”
Jenkins had plenty of high praise for Coach Muschamp and Coach Dan Quinn, and the Florida coach may have one big advantage according to the rising senior. “He (Muschamp) reminds me of my high school coach.”
Georgia Tech and Auburn have also earned official visits according to Jenkins as both offer certain important factors. In regards to Georgia Tech, Jenkins really enjoyed his recent visit to the Flats and he said Al Groh is “another coach I really like.”
Auburn meanwhile has the teammate angle that appeals to Jenkins. “I know some of the recruits and some of the players already there, which is cool.” Jenkins mentioned Jeff Whitaker and Gabe Wright as two of the Tigers he has spoken with about the school.
What will it ultimately come down to though for Jenkins? Will the Auburn player connection be enough? “I like to have coaches that I’ll have a strong relationship with.” Jenkins also mentioned safety as a factor, in that he wants his parents not to worry about him for the next few years. Jenkins set a timetable of December or January for his decision and once on campus Jenkins said he wants to do his best and get his name out there. For one of the best players in the country, getting his name out there shouldn’t be a problem. Plenty of people will know all about him and they likely won’t be disappointed, unless he doesn’t pick their school.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Big B's UGA Big Board
Brian Jones of Score Atlanta Fame brings a top ten list to The Official Visit every Monday night on Sports Radio 790 The Zone. Here Big B gives the top twelve players remaining on Mark Richt's Big Board for Dream Team II. With no further ado.....
1. John Theus: 6-6, 292-pound OT out of Bolles. The younger brother of Nathan Theus. His parents promise he is wide open, considering Florida, Alabama, Notre Dame and Arkansas, in addition to Georgia, which is everyone assumes he is going. Had a great visit to Gainesville over the weekend, however. Bolles is a Georgia pipeline now, though. Will he do what’s best for him? He will be at Florida for FNL and in Athens on July 15. Georgia landed good numbers here last year, but Dantzler is hurt and Ward is best of rest;
2. Jordan Jenkins: 6-3, 245-pound DE out of Harris County. Tremendous, strength, speed, athleticism and versatility. Has offers from just about everyone. Does it all, against pass and run. Long considered Florida his leader, dad is very involved in his decision. In recent update called Florida, Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, GTech and Tennessee his leaders. He is tough to get a read on, and won’t narrow things down until after his senior season is over. Georgia could always DEs, even though they already have Fields and Deloach, Ray Drew and Sterling Bailey;
3. Josh Harvey Clemons: 6-5, 208-pound athlete out of Lowndes. Could play DE, LB or WR. It was Herrera, Turene and Ramik Wilson last year, none this year, so LB is a huge need for UGA. He loves both Georgia and FSU and has been to both schools. Florida and Alabama want him at WR. He becomes more open to FSU by the day, so the sooner he ends things the better for UGA;
4. Keith Marshall: 5-11, 190-pound RB out of North Carolina. Considered top all-purpose back in the land. Georgia wants at least one back this year. UGA seems to have a strong shot here too, along with 11 other schools, like Auburn, Clemson, FSU, Michigan, UNC, Stanford, Alabama, and USC. He will graduate in December and enroll in January. Has a good relationship with coach McClendon. Crowell won’t matter here;
5. Joe Harris: 6-4, 320-pound OL out of Lithonia. Says he loves Tech, and his former teammate Jimmie Kitchen goes there, but I don’t buy it. He is also seriously considering Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, South Carolina and Mississippi State. I think Clemson is the leader at the moment, and Georgia has to make him a bigger priority. Alabama is also one to watch. Georgia could use a dominant guard, as this kid is better than anyone it got last year to play inside. Plus, he can play tackle as well.
6. Geno Smith: 5-11, 170-pound CB out of St. Pius. Georgia’s class last year included Devin Bowman, Quintavious Harrow, Nick Marshall, Malcolm Mitchell, Corey Moore, Chris Sanders, and Damian Swann, so DB isn’t a huge need, but still want one or two and Smith is as good as it gets. Says he grew up a Georgia fan and seems to like the school a lot, but leaves Georgia out of top fives repeatedly. His list currently includes Alabama, Auburn, Notre Dame, Tennessee and Texas. I think he ends up with Holsey at Auburn or in Athens;
7. Kenderious Whitehead: 6-5, 210-pounder out of Monroe Area. Listed as a DE, and his versatility makes him all the more valuable, but I believe he could be a special LB in Georgia’s system. He just earned himself a Georgia offer, which was big news for him. He says he has no leaders, is still open, but he doesn’t want to go far from home and likes the SEC, which means Georgia has some advantages. Wants to decide by summer’s end. It’s about making him a priority, but an offer from Notre Dame could change things;
8. Shaq Roland: 6-1, 170-pound WR out of South Carolina. Last year, Georgia landed Justin Scott-Wesley, Sanford Seay, and Chris Conley, and has C.J. Curry in 2012. Still, another skilled guy would be nice and Roland is down to Alabama, Florida, Georgia and South Carolina. He is a dynamic athlete with great speed, size and versatility, playing CB, WR, RB. Amazing with ball in his hands. Has a visit scheduled for today in Gainesville and for tomorrow in Athens. He will then make a decision. I’d call him an SC lean, but the upcoming trips could change that;
9. Dalvin Tomlinson: 6-2, 270-pound Dlineman out of Henry County. He can play DT or DE, which makes him all the more valuable. Even with Jonathan Jenkins and Jonathan Taylor in the fold, Georgia can really use some DLine help. He has taken visits to Alabama, Clemson, Indiana, Georgia Tech and Mississippi State. Right now talks about Georgia, GTech and Alabama the most. It’s very early here, but I get a Bama vibe;
10. Chaz Elder: 6-2, 180-pound CB out of Banneker. Makes this list because he’s good, likes Georgia and we aren’t sold the Bulldogs land Geno. Great size, speed and tackling ability. Visited Athens over the weekend and had a great time. Won’t make a decision anytime soon, but has a top four that includes Georgia, South Carolina, Clemson and LSU. If Georgia makes him a huge priority, I think he’s theirs to lose. Otherwise, he makes a perfect SC commitment;
11. Jordan Watkins: 6-5, 265-pound Dlineman out of Woodward. Another guy with great versatility. Georgia needs bodies on the dline. Watkins is good friends with Geno Smith, and both are considering Alabama, Tennessee and Notre Dame, and probably UGA. He will also consider Tech, Miami, FSU and Florida. He will take all his visits before deciding;
12. John Atkins: 6-4, 310-pound DT out of Thomson. Could be the nose guard Georgia goes to after Jonathan Jenkins. He took a recent visit to Auburn, and the Tigers currently lead as a result. He no longer has even a top five, but once called Georgia, Georgia Tech, Auburn, Alabama, Florida and Clemson his leaders. I’d watch Auburn, Florida and possibly Georgia, here.
1. John Theus: 6-6, 292-pound OT out of Bolles. The younger brother of Nathan Theus. His parents promise he is wide open, considering Florida, Alabama, Notre Dame and Arkansas, in addition to Georgia, which is everyone assumes he is going. Had a great visit to Gainesville over the weekend, however. Bolles is a Georgia pipeline now, though. Will he do what’s best for him? He will be at Florida for FNL and in Athens on July 15. Georgia landed good numbers here last year, but Dantzler is hurt and Ward is best of rest;
2. Jordan Jenkins: 6-3, 245-pound DE out of Harris County. Tremendous, strength, speed, athleticism and versatility. Has offers from just about everyone. Does it all, against pass and run. Long considered Florida his leader, dad is very involved in his decision. In recent update called Florida, Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, GTech and Tennessee his leaders. He is tough to get a read on, and won’t narrow things down until after his senior season is over. Georgia could always DEs, even though they already have Fields and Deloach, Ray Drew and Sterling Bailey;
3. Josh Harvey Clemons: 6-5, 208-pound athlete out of Lowndes. Could play DE, LB or WR. It was Herrera, Turene and Ramik Wilson last year, none this year, so LB is a huge need for UGA. He loves both Georgia and FSU and has been to both schools. Florida and Alabama want him at WR. He becomes more open to FSU by the day, so the sooner he ends things the better for UGA;
4. Keith Marshall: 5-11, 190-pound RB out of North Carolina. Considered top all-purpose back in the land. Georgia wants at least one back this year. UGA seems to have a strong shot here too, along with 11 other schools, like Auburn, Clemson, FSU, Michigan, UNC, Stanford, Alabama, and USC. He will graduate in December and enroll in January. Has a good relationship with coach McClendon. Crowell won’t matter here;
5. Joe Harris: 6-4, 320-pound OL out of Lithonia. Says he loves Tech, and his former teammate Jimmie Kitchen goes there, but I don’t buy it. He is also seriously considering Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, South Carolina and Mississippi State. I think Clemson is the leader at the moment, and Georgia has to make him a bigger priority. Alabama is also one to watch. Georgia could use a dominant guard, as this kid is better than anyone it got last year to play inside. Plus, he can play tackle as well.
6. Geno Smith: 5-11, 170-pound CB out of St. Pius. Georgia’s class last year included Devin Bowman, Quintavious Harrow, Nick Marshall, Malcolm Mitchell, Corey Moore, Chris Sanders, and Damian Swann, so DB isn’t a huge need, but still want one or two and Smith is as good as it gets. Says he grew up a Georgia fan and seems to like the school a lot, but leaves Georgia out of top fives repeatedly. His list currently includes Alabama, Auburn, Notre Dame, Tennessee and Texas. I think he ends up with Holsey at Auburn or in Athens;
7. Kenderious Whitehead: 6-5, 210-pounder out of Monroe Area. Listed as a DE, and his versatility makes him all the more valuable, but I believe he could be a special LB in Georgia’s system. He just earned himself a Georgia offer, which was big news for him. He says he has no leaders, is still open, but he doesn’t want to go far from home and likes the SEC, which means Georgia has some advantages. Wants to decide by summer’s end. It’s about making him a priority, but an offer from Notre Dame could change things;
8. Shaq Roland: 6-1, 170-pound WR out of South Carolina. Last year, Georgia landed Justin Scott-Wesley, Sanford Seay, and Chris Conley, and has C.J. Curry in 2012. Still, another skilled guy would be nice and Roland is down to Alabama, Florida, Georgia and South Carolina. He is a dynamic athlete with great speed, size and versatility, playing CB, WR, RB. Amazing with ball in his hands. Has a visit scheduled for today in Gainesville and for tomorrow in Athens. He will then make a decision. I’d call him an SC lean, but the upcoming trips could change that;
9. Dalvin Tomlinson: 6-2, 270-pound Dlineman out of Henry County. He can play DT or DE, which makes him all the more valuable. Even with Jonathan Jenkins and Jonathan Taylor in the fold, Georgia can really use some DLine help. He has taken visits to Alabama, Clemson, Indiana, Georgia Tech and Mississippi State. Right now talks about Georgia, GTech and Alabama the most. It’s very early here, but I get a Bama vibe;
10. Chaz Elder: 6-2, 180-pound CB out of Banneker. Makes this list because he’s good, likes Georgia and we aren’t sold the Bulldogs land Geno. Great size, speed and tackling ability. Visited Athens over the weekend and had a great time. Won’t make a decision anytime soon, but has a top four that includes Georgia, South Carolina, Clemson and LSU. If Georgia makes him a huge priority, I think he’s theirs to lose. Otherwise, he makes a perfect SC commitment;
11. Jordan Watkins: 6-5, 265-pound Dlineman out of Woodward. Another guy with great versatility. Georgia needs bodies on the dline. Watkins is good friends with Geno Smith, and both are considering Alabama, Tennessee and Notre Dame, and probably UGA. He will also consider Tech, Miami, FSU and Florida. He will take all his visits before deciding;
12. John Atkins: 6-4, 310-pound DT out of Thomson. Could be the nose guard Georgia goes to after Jonathan Jenkins. He took a recent visit to Auburn, and the Tigers currently lead as a result. He no longer has even a top five, but once called Georgia, Georgia Tech, Auburn, Alabama, Florida and Clemson his leaders. I’d watch Auburn, Florida and possibly Georgia, here.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Jarontay Jones to.....Virginia Tech. OK...
Respect is a funny thing these days, especially when it comes to recruiting. If you get in “too late,” as in only 10 months before National Signing Day, you are off the list. If you offer but then stop the calling, you are off the list. If you offer a pair of high school teammates but don’t show as much love to one, you are off the list. Stephenson’s Jarontay Jones, one of Georgia’s top defensive ends recently pledged to the Virginia Tech Hokies after several schools perhaps disrespected the athletic lineman that should dominate the Atlantic Coast Conference. If it is surprising that Jones selected Frank Beamer and the Hokies, he admitted in a recent interview on The Official Visit that Virginia Tech was in deed a bit of a darkhorse. “They (were) always in the race; they weren’t too far behind,” Jones said of Virginia Tech. Jones noted that he decided to get the process over with to focus on his senior season.
Jones was part of a group of four Stephenson players that were pegged as headed to Florida, especially after running back Mike Davis said yes to Will Muschamp and defensive lineman Jafar Mann also pledged to the Gators. In an interview a few months back, Jones sounded all but sold on the Gator program, and Mann even said that he believed Gator fans would have some good news in regards to Raphael Kirby and Jones. Kirby however declared his intentions to take his talents to South Beach and The U, and Jones shocked everyone by picking Virginia Tech. “Jafar (Mann) is a really good friend. He was a little upset,” revealed Jones. “At the end of the day it’s about me.” Jones did acknowledge that he felt some pressure to go to college with his friends, but he said that his teammates are happy for him regardless.
And why didn’t Jones decide on Florida or even Auburn, a school he revealed was neck-and-neck with the Gators just a few weeks ago? Some recruiting experts believe Muschamp and the Gators slow-played Jones. “No comment. They did kind of slow-play me, yeah.”
But Jones is excited about his future in Blacksburg. “The Hokies are the best place for me. I could definitely compete,” said Jones of the Virginia Tech program. “I have a better relationship with their coaches and they have me projected as a starter.” Jones noted that he eventually may be moved to defensive tackle from end. He called himself explosive and very aggressive against the run but noted in the interview that he could get better on the pass rush.
Jones was highly complimentary of the coaching staff’s stability with Beamer and defensive coordinator Bud Foster having been in Blacksburg for years. “I want to be there with them my whole career.” Beamer is the longest-tenured coach in the ACC, serving as his alma mater’s head coach since 1987.
Jones says he is “100% committed,” but he quickly added that he might make other visits. In fact, if he could change anything about recruiting at all, he said he would up the number of visits a recruit could take.
At the end of the day, Jones says he is happy that he is Virginia Tech-bound. The Hokies respected Jones enough to stick with him despite his interest in other schools early. Beamer played his cards right, especially the respect card itself, therefore Jarontay Jones will likely end up in Blacksburg and the ACC.
Jones was part of a group of four Stephenson players that were pegged as headed to Florida, especially after running back Mike Davis said yes to Will Muschamp and defensive lineman Jafar Mann also pledged to the Gators. In an interview a few months back, Jones sounded all but sold on the Gator program, and Mann even said that he believed Gator fans would have some good news in regards to Raphael Kirby and Jones. Kirby however declared his intentions to take his talents to South Beach and The U, and Jones shocked everyone by picking Virginia Tech. “Jafar (Mann) is a really good friend. He was a little upset,” revealed Jones. “At the end of the day it’s about me.” Jones did acknowledge that he felt some pressure to go to college with his friends, but he said that his teammates are happy for him regardless.
And why didn’t Jones decide on Florida or even Auburn, a school he revealed was neck-and-neck with the Gators just a few weeks ago? Some recruiting experts believe Muschamp and the Gators slow-played Jones. “No comment. They did kind of slow-play me, yeah.”
But Jones is excited about his future in Blacksburg. “The Hokies are the best place for me. I could definitely compete,” said Jones of the Virginia Tech program. “I have a better relationship with their coaches and they have me projected as a starter.” Jones noted that he eventually may be moved to defensive tackle from end. He called himself explosive and very aggressive against the run but noted in the interview that he could get better on the pass rush.
Jones was highly complimentary of the coaching staff’s stability with Beamer and defensive coordinator Bud Foster having been in Blacksburg for years. “I want to be there with them my whole career.” Beamer is the longest-tenured coach in the ACC, serving as his alma mater’s head coach since 1987.
Jones says he is “100% committed,” but he quickly added that he might make other visits. In fact, if he could change anything about recruiting at all, he said he would up the number of visits a recruit could take.
At the end of the day, Jones says he is happy that he is Virginia Tech-bound. The Hokies respected Jones enough to stick with him despite his interest in other schools early. Beamer played his cards right, especially the respect card itself, therefore Jarontay Jones will likely end up in Blacksburg and the ACC.
Monday, June 13, 2011
The Last 11 of the Post-Spring Score44
This is the final 11 of the Post-spring practice Score 44. We have revealed the list 11 at a time over the last few weeks of The Official Visit on Sports Radio 790 The Zone. Once again, the Score 44 is a fluid list of the top seniors in the state (on the gridiron in this case) and you can play your way into or off of the list. I came up with the names and my co-host Scott Janovitz breaks down the players....
Justin Taylor: 5-11, 200-pounder out of Booker T. Washington High. Committed to Alabama. Has been impressive in recent camps. Doesn’t have great speed or explosion, but is a powerful back that breaks tackles at an incredible rate. Fits well into Bama’s pro-style offense. Runs low to the ground for someone close to 6-0, has good pad level, and is a straight line runner. Isn’t going to make you miss in the open field, but gets the tough yards consistently. A bear to bring down;
Kurt Freitag: 6-3, 245-pound TE out of Buford. Has offers Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, FSU, Georgia Tech, Miami, UNC, South Carolina and Kentucky. Great hands and run after skills. Light and needs to gain weight. Better pass threat than blocker. Can he block on college level? Great downfield threat, but is he big or strong enough? Love his athleticism and ability to make tough catches, though;
Adam Griffiths: The state’s best kicker. Accurate, consistent, has a monster leg and is clutch. Can win you a game;
Kenderius Whitehead: 6-5, 210-pounder out of Monroe Area. Another physical freak at 6-5. Tremendous mobility, quickness and body control. Has offers from Georgia, Arkansas, Clemson, GTech, Miss. State, South Carolina, Tennessee, VTech, Notre Dame, Nebraska and more. This kid is a nightmare for QB’s and RBs alike. Very physical, but also relentless in pursuit. Maybe the best in the state at fighting off blocks;
James DeLoach: 6-3, 260-pounder out of Jenkins County. Committed to Georgia. Plays the game with violent aggression. Very good at TE due to physical blocking and elite speed. He is incredibly quick off the line, and makes collision with blockers a violent proposition. I love this kid’s attitude, physical tools and work ethic;
Davion Tookes: 5-10, 168-pounder out of Creekside. Committed to Virginia Tech. Great speed and quickness, dynamic athlete, and has a penchant for big plays. Needs to add A LOT of weight. His ability to turn and run is impressive, is also a valuable special teams player. Needs to improve his ability to read run, come up and limit yards with the hit;
Pat Gamble: 6-4, 315-pounder out of Jenkins County. Committed to Georgia Tech. He and teammate James Deloach are a package deal. Has tremendous size, strength, quickness combination. Tremendous quickness off the line makes him a legitimate pass rusher. Good agility, fights off blocks well. I think he is the best in the nation. Dominant against the run as well. Covers a ton of space, sideline to sideline;
Larry Jefferson: 6-5, 218-pounder out of Banneker. Committed to Louisville. Another exceptional athlete at 6-5, but needs to gain a ton of weight at just 208 pounds. Richt compares him to Demarcus Ware. Could play linebacker as well. Great agility and footwork. Doesn’t fight off blocks well and may be better at LB;
Ty Smith: 6-3, 228-pound TE out of Colquitt County. Committed to Georgia. Rush Propst loves this kid. We will see what he is really made of this year. Decent size, and good speed for a tight end. More of an Orson Charles type. Good hands, solid possession guy. Great safety blanket for QB;
Brandon Greene: 6-6, 280-pound OT out of Cedar Grove. Has offers from Louisville, Mississippi, and UCF, but is committed to Alabama. Quick off the ball, very good athlete. Needs to add size for sure, but is a dynamic athlete. Love his potential, just has to get bigger and stronger. Incredible quickness pulling in the run game and pass protecting. Might actually be better than Xzavier Ward;
Chase Roberts: 6-3, 285-pound OG out of GAC. Has no offers outside of Tech, but is committed to Georgia Tech. Another good looking athlete who plays with low center of gravity and with great balance. Fits perfectly in Tech’s scheme, especially as a pulling guard. Needs to gain a little weight, but has the frame to do so. Plays a physical game too. Really like him for Tech.
NOTE: Deion Bonner is not on the list due to ineligibility....
Justin Taylor: 5-11, 200-pounder out of Booker T. Washington High. Committed to Alabama. Has been impressive in recent camps. Doesn’t have great speed or explosion, but is a powerful back that breaks tackles at an incredible rate. Fits well into Bama’s pro-style offense. Runs low to the ground for someone close to 6-0, has good pad level, and is a straight line runner. Isn’t going to make you miss in the open field, but gets the tough yards consistently. A bear to bring down;
Kurt Freitag: 6-3, 245-pound TE out of Buford. Has offers Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, FSU, Georgia Tech, Miami, UNC, South Carolina and Kentucky. Great hands and run after skills. Light and needs to gain weight. Better pass threat than blocker. Can he block on college level? Great downfield threat, but is he big or strong enough? Love his athleticism and ability to make tough catches, though;
Adam Griffiths: The state’s best kicker. Accurate, consistent, has a monster leg and is clutch. Can win you a game;
Kenderius Whitehead: 6-5, 210-pounder out of Monroe Area. Another physical freak at 6-5. Tremendous mobility, quickness and body control. Has offers from Georgia, Arkansas, Clemson, GTech, Miss. State, South Carolina, Tennessee, VTech, Notre Dame, Nebraska and more. This kid is a nightmare for QB’s and RBs alike. Very physical, but also relentless in pursuit. Maybe the best in the state at fighting off blocks;
James DeLoach: 6-3, 260-pounder out of Jenkins County. Committed to Georgia. Plays the game with violent aggression. Very good at TE due to physical blocking and elite speed. He is incredibly quick off the line, and makes collision with blockers a violent proposition. I love this kid’s attitude, physical tools and work ethic;
Davion Tookes: 5-10, 168-pounder out of Creekside. Committed to Virginia Tech. Great speed and quickness, dynamic athlete, and has a penchant for big plays. Needs to add A LOT of weight. His ability to turn and run is impressive, is also a valuable special teams player. Needs to improve his ability to read run, come up and limit yards with the hit;
Pat Gamble: 6-4, 315-pounder out of Jenkins County. Committed to Georgia Tech. He and teammate James Deloach are a package deal. Has tremendous size, strength, quickness combination. Tremendous quickness off the line makes him a legitimate pass rusher. Good agility, fights off blocks well. I think he is the best in the nation. Dominant against the run as well. Covers a ton of space, sideline to sideline;
Larry Jefferson: 6-5, 218-pounder out of Banneker. Committed to Louisville. Another exceptional athlete at 6-5, but needs to gain a ton of weight at just 208 pounds. Richt compares him to Demarcus Ware. Could play linebacker as well. Great agility and footwork. Doesn’t fight off blocks well and may be better at LB;
Ty Smith: 6-3, 228-pound TE out of Colquitt County. Committed to Georgia. Rush Propst loves this kid. We will see what he is really made of this year. Decent size, and good speed for a tight end. More of an Orson Charles type. Good hands, solid possession guy. Great safety blanket for QB;
Brandon Greene: 6-6, 280-pound OT out of Cedar Grove. Has offers from Louisville, Mississippi, and UCF, but is committed to Alabama. Quick off the ball, very good athlete. Needs to add size for sure, but is a dynamic athlete. Love his potential, just has to get bigger and stronger. Incredible quickness pulling in the run game and pass protecting. Might actually be better than Xzavier Ward;
Chase Roberts: 6-3, 285-pound OG out of GAC. Has no offers outside of Tech, but is committed to Georgia Tech. Another good looking athlete who plays with low center of gravity and with great balance. Fits perfectly in Tech’s scheme, especially as a pulling guard. Needs to gain a little weight, but has the frame to do so. Plays a physical game too. Really like him for Tech.
NOTE: Deion Bonner is not on the list due to ineligibility....
Friday, June 10, 2011
TheFletch: Over-signing is an issue, What is the VS channel?
Recruiting was in the headlines last week as the SEC Coaches were peppered about the issue before the SEC meetings took place and several rules changes were organized to be put into place. The issue of oversigning was on the front burner as the conference decided to cap the number of signings at 25, down from 28 in an effort to stop coaches (Cough-Nick Saban. Cough, cough-Steve Spurrier. Hacking cough-Houston Nutt) from going past the 85/100 magic numbers and leaving kids out to dry with potentially no scholarship. The AJC as well as both of the local sports talk stations were weighing in on the topic, though in some cases the host-writer wasn’t exactly up on the rule. The AJC’s Michael Carvell DOES know about the rules, as does my The Official Visit co-host Scott Janovitz, and it is a shame that those two weren’t consulted more by the various outlets before information was passed along that wasn’t always 100% in the correct.
The University of Georgia’s Mark Richt seemed very willing to talk to the media, especially the AJC, though in one instance he came off as wishy-washy. In one piece, Richt was asked about the oversigning issue and he said that he had an opinion but he didn’t want to give it until he heard the other coaches’ viewpoints on it first. What? If you have an opinion on the topic, don’t be afraid to put it out there. It doesn’t matter if your opinion is different than everyone else’s. Take a stand.
Georgia Tech’s coach Paul Johnson is never one to shy away from giving an opinion. He said recently of the oversigning issue in an interview with the AJC, “We just don’t do it. It makes it hard sometimes to hit your target number but it is what it is. I don’t see how you can do that to kids, weed out guys for whatever reasons. No matter what anybody says, if you’re oversigning, some of that has to happen on occasion.” He was taking a stand on it but later in the piece came off a tad whiny. “It’s just like you take 25 kids every year and then cut the ones you don’t want. You do the math. You have 85 scholarships. If you’re signing 28 every year for four years, instead of 85, you have 112. It doesn’t add up.” Johnson offered a solution that will surely never pass but still he is out there, something that Mark Richt seemed afraid to do. “When you recruit a guy, and he says he’s coming, you give him a scholarship and he signs it. As soon as he signs it, he counts — he’s one of your 85. If you want to sign a kid who may or may not make it schoolwise, that’s on you. You will have to try to find someone else in August if he doesn’t make it. It would stop all this craziness, hat shows, verbal commitments, and all the foolishness that goes on with it. If the guy says they’re coming, put the papers in front of him and let him sign. When you’ve got 85, you’re through.”
If a tree falls in the woods but no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? If a bar holds a wake for a soon-to-depart NHL franchise headed to Moose Country, Canada, and no one shows, does the wake still make news? The answer to the second question is YES. Why, because several local radio personalities were in attendance and discussed it on the air. Last week Mike Bell of 790 The Zone’s Pollack & Bell hosted a “wake” for the Atlanta Thrashers who will soon become the Winnipeg Somethingorothers and apparently attendance was low to say the least. Jimmy Baron of Dave FM who has spoken on the topic of the Thrashers leaving during his morning drive show attended the wake and laughed that no one was there. I guess all of the Hockey Diehards were too busy buying Florida Panthers/Carolina Hurricanes/Nashville Predators gear to show up…
Speaking of hockey, how great were the first two games of the NHL Stanley Cup Finals? You have a scoreless Game One won with 18.5 seconds left in regulation with an amazing goal then a Game Two ending 12 seconds into overtime with a bouncing puck. I could not WAIT for Game Three. Too bad I could never find it on television. What? It was on the Versus Network? Huh? Versus? Why would the NHL put its championship series on the Versus Network? Don’t they want people to watch? I guess Spike TV wasn’t available because of Star Wars reruns and G4 was airing Web Soup? Versus? Did NBC not have room on its schedule? Was it the premiere of Biggest Loser Family Edition or something?
Andy Staples, the often-questionable writer from Sports Illustrated compiled a top twenty list of the best jobs in college football. Not surprisingly he had Texas as the top job in the country but No. 2 and No. 3 and No. 4 were interesting. Staples had The Ohio State University second. Really? Is the job in Columbus that great of a gig? It seems like they ran John Cooper off for not beating Michigan enough, despite being one heck of a coach that played for national titles. Staples had Oklahoma ahead of Florida as the Sooners gig was No. 3 and the Gators No. 4, respectively. Hmmm. I would have put Florida at No. 2 based on the state that it is in, the conference it is in and the fact that Florida is seriously the BEST JOB OUTSIDE of Texas for the last two decades. The Georgia Bulldogs position checks in at No. 5, ahead of LSU and Alabama, which is interesting. Athens is beautiful and the talent base is stronger than Louisiana and Alabama, but the tradition just isn’t what Alabama is. I would think that the Bama job might be though of a little higher. Other shocks included USC at No. 11 (too low), Michigan at No. 12 (way too low), and Arizona State (18) and Arizona (19) WAY TOO HIGH. Clearly this list was merely meant for people like me as well as the local radio shows to talk about Andy Staples, but is it worth people talking about you when they question your intelligence? I don’t think so.
Can You Believe He Said That
And Auburn fans, be happy with what happened (in 2004). You would have been waterboarded if you had faced USC.
That was 680 The Fan’s Perry Laurentino saying last Tuesday on the Rude Awakening what I have been claimed for years. Yes USC had its 2004 title taken away, but let’s be real here: the Trojans were still the champions from that season. If USC had played Auburn instead of OU, perhaps the score would have been 55-21 instead of 55-19. You love that you never played and lost. That way you can always say, “Yeah, but we would’ve….”
The University of Georgia’s Mark Richt seemed very willing to talk to the media, especially the AJC, though in one instance he came off as wishy-washy. In one piece, Richt was asked about the oversigning issue and he said that he had an opinion but he didn’t want to give it until he heard the other coaches’ viewpoints on it first. What? If you have an opinion on the topic, don’t be afraid to put it out there. It doesn’t matter if your opinion is different than everyone else’s. Take a stand.
Georgia Tech’s coach Paul Johnson is never one to shy away from giving an opinion. He said recently of the oversigning issue in an interview with the AJC, “We just don’t do it. It makes it hard sometimes to hit your target number but it is what it is. I don’t see how you can do that to kids, weed out guys for whatever reasons. No matter what anybody says, if you’re oversigning, some of that has to happen on occasion.” He was taking a stand on it but later in the piece came off a tad whiny. “It’s just like you take 25 kids every year and then cut the ones you don’t want. You do the math. You have 85 scholarships. If you’re signing 28 every year for four years, instead of 85, you have 112. It doesn’t add up.” Johnson offered a solution that will surely never pass but still he is out there, something that Mark Richt seemed afraid to do. “When you recruit a guy, and he says he’s coming, you give him a scholarship and he signs it. As soon as he signs it, he counts — he’s one of your 85. If you want to sign a kid who may or may not make it schoolwise, that’s on you. You will have to try to find someone else in August if he doesn’t make it. It would stop all this craziness, hat shows, verbal commitments, and all the foolishness that goes on with it. If the guy says they’re coming, put the papers in front of him and let him sign. When you’ve got 85, you’re through.”
If a tree falls in the woods but no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? If a bar holds a wake for a soon-to-depart NHL franchise headed to Moose Country, Canada, and no one shows, does the wake still make news? The answer to the second question is YES. Why, because several local radio personalities were in attendance and discussed it on the air. Last week Mike Bell of 790 The Zone’s Pollack & Bell hosted a “wake” for the Atlanta Thrashers who will soon become the Winnipeg Somethingorothers and apparently attendance was low to say the least. Jimmy Baron of Dave FM who has spoken on the topic of the Thrashers leaving during his morning drive show attended the wake and laughed that no one was there. I guess all of the Hockey Diehards were too busy buying Florida Panthers/Carolina Hurricanes/Nashville Predators gear to show up…
Speaking of hockey, how great were the first two games of the NHL Stanley Cup Finals? You have a scoreless Game One won with 18.5 seconds left in regulation with an amazing goal then a Game Two ending 12 seconds into overtime with a bouncing puck. I could not WAIT for Game Three. Too bad I could never find it on television. What? It was on the Versus Network? Huh? Versus? Why would the NHL put its championship series on the Versus Network? Don’t they want people to watch? I guess Spike TV wasn’t available because of Star Wars reruns and G4 was airing Web Soup? Versus? Did NBC not have room on its schedule? Was it the premiere of Biggest Loser Family Edition or something?
Andy Staples, the often-questionable writer from Sports Illustrated compiled a top twenty list of the best jobs in college football. Not surprisingly he had Texas as the top job in the country but No. 2 and No. 3 and No. 4 were interesting. Staples had The Ohio State University second. Really? Is the job in Columbus that great of a gig? It seems like they ran John Cooper off for not beating Michigan enough, despite being one heck of a coach that played for national titles. Staples had Oklahoma ahead of Florida as the Sooners gig was No. 3 and the Gators No. 4, respectively. Hmmm. I would have put Florida at No. 2 based on the state that it is in, the conference it is in and the fact that Florida is seriously the BEST JOB OUTSIDE of Texas for the last two decades. The Georgia Bulldogs position checks in at No. 5, ahead of LSU and Alabama, which is interesting. Athens is beautiful and the talent base is stronger than Louisiana and Alabama, but the tradition just isn’t what Alabama is. I would think that the Bama job might be though of a little higher. Other shocks included USC at No. 11 (too low), Michigan at No. 12 (way too low), and Arizona State (18) and Arizona (19) WAY TOO HIGH. Clearly this list was merely meant for people like me as well as the local radio shows to talk about Andy Staples, but is it worth people talking about you when they question your intelligence? I don’t think so.
Can You Believe He Said That
And Auburn fans, be happy with what happened (in 2004). You would have been waterboarded if you had faced USC.
That was 680 The Fan’s Perry Laurentino saying last Tuesday on the Rude Awakening what I have been claimed for years. Yes USC had its 2004 title taken away, but let’s be real here: the Trojans were still the champions from that season. If USC had played Auburn instead of OU, perhaps the score would have been 55-21 instead of 55-19. You love that you never played and lost. That way you can always say, “Yeah, but we would’ve….”
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Malcolm Mitchell is my new player to watch
Most of Bulldog Nation was excited earlier this week when Isaiah Crowell reported to Athens to assume his spot atop the depth chart at tailback. Bulldog Nation was also likely tracking defensive tackle John Jenkins as the mammoth lineman was scheduled to report last weekend, assuming his grades were up to snuff. And plenty of folks will be keyed up about Ray Drew coming in to take Justin Houston’s old spot as pass-rusher extraordinaire.
Folks may be missing out on a player that could make an even bigger impact on each game this upcoming football season: Malcolm Mitchell. The Valdosta product is set to step onto the Athens campus a threat to make plays in all three phases of the game: offense, defense and special teams. I know that we’ve heard this song and dance before, most recently with Branden Smith, but with Mitchell, you get the feeling that an impact will actually be real and not shelved due to injury. The coaches have raved about the possibilities that Mitchell brings to the table and why not? Last year under a new coach, Mitchell not only played safety/corner, but also out at wide receiver, proving at times to be more of a scoring threat than teammate Jay Rome to haul in TD passes. Mitchell can take a reverse and take it to the house, much like Fred Gibson was a threat to during in his time in Athens. Mitchell was also a threat to return each and every kick directed at him to the house thanks to his blazing speed. Georgia already has plenty of options in the return game, but Mitchell’s past shows that if the coaches chose him, he’d be a playmaker.
At 6’1, 190, you also get the idea that Mitchell can become far more physical than Smith was as wide receiver and could develop into a safety if he chooses to at Georgia. Mitchell was often matched up against the opponent’s top receiver to play corner, but he would also shift to safety to better take advantage of his speed and cover the entire field. If he chooses to, he could be the prototype for Scott Lakatos’ vision of cornerbacks: tall, physical yet with the ability to run and jump with the taller receivers. No disrespect to the other corners on the roster, but Mitchell would be taller than all save for Nick Marshall, another true freshman that could see some time on offense in the Wild Dawg. Imagine sliding in the 6’1 corner that is JUST as fast as Alshon Jeffery in Georgia’s SEC opener.
While Jenkins and Crowell will get all of the pub, Mitchell could make an impact in all three phases of the game and he certainly possesses the ability to do so. We will see if Mitchell has a strong summer and can make plays Saturday afternoons like he could Friday nights.
Folks may be missing out on a player that could make an even bigger impact on each game this upcoming football season: Malcolm Mitchell. The Valdosta product is set to step onto the Athens campus a threat to make plays in all three phases of the game: offense, defense and special teams. I know that we’ve heard this song and dance before, most recently with Branden Smith, but with Mitchell, you get the feeling that an impact will actually be real and not shelved due to injury. The coaches have raved about the possibilities that Mitchell brings to the table and why not? Last year under a new coach, Mitchell not only played safety/corner, but also out at wide receiver, proving at times to be more of a scoring threat than teammate Jay Rome to haul in TD passes. Mitchell can take a reverse and take it to the house, much like Fred Gibson was a threat to during in his time in Athens. Mitchell was also a threat to return each and every kick directed at him to the house thanks to his blazing speed. Georgia already has plenty of options in the return game, but Mitchell’s past shows that if the coaches chose him, he’d be a playmaker.
At 6’1, 190, you also get the idea that Mitchell can become far more physical than Smith was as wide receiver and could develop into a safety if he chooses to at Georgia. Mitchell was often matched up against the opponent’s top receiver to play corner, but he would also shift to safety to better take advantage of his speed and cover the entire field. If he chooses to, he could be the prototype for Scott Lakatos’ vision of cornerbacks: tall, physical yet with the ability to run and jump with the taller receivers. No disrespect to the other corners on the roster, but Mitchell would be taller than all save for Nick Marshall, another true freshman that could see some time on offense in the Wild Dawg. Imagine sliding in the 6’1 corner that is JUST as fast as Alshon Jeffery in Georgia’s SEC opener.
While Jenkins and Crowell will get all of the pub, Mitchell could make an impact in all three phases of the game and he certainly possesses the ability to do so. We will see if Mitchell has a strong summer and can make plays Saturday afternoons like he could Friday nights.
Monday, June 6, 2011
The third installment of the Score44
This is the third installment of the post-spring Score 44. We have done the first 22 of the Score 44 over the last few weeks on The Official Visit. Tune in next week for the final 11 of the 44. Scott Janovitz weighs in with his thoughts....
Greyson Lambert: 6-5, 195-pound QB out of Wayne County. His team was terrible and his stock seems to be dropping little by little as time goes on. Does have offers, however, from Alabama, BC, Clemson, Georgia, Miami, Miss. State, N.C. State and UVA. I think it’s a Clemson-Georgia battle right now. Has nice size, good accuracy and arm strength. Struggles moving in the pocket and throwing on the run. Quick release, throws deep ball well, and fade along the sideline, tough throw;
Mike Davis: 5-9, 192-pound RB out of Stephenson. Committed to Florida. His one knock is breakaway speed, but he is plenty fast. Runs with power, speed and tremendous quickness, cut-back ability. He sees the field and running lanes as well as any back I’ve seen this year;
Scotty Hosch: 6-3, 190-pound QB out of North Gwinnett. We like him more than most. Smart, can deal with a lot, quick release, good arm strength and excels on crossing routes. No offers just yet, but he has excelled to date at everything his coaches have asked of him;
Nick Tompkins: 5-10, 185-pound RB out of Brookwood. Gaining offers by the week. Has ones from Army, BC, Cal, Cincy, Duke, GTech, Maryland, Michigan State, Miss. Miss. State, Purdue and West Virginia. Tremendous speed, quickness and make-you-miss ability. Looks like he’s running on skates. He and Davis are the two best HS backs in the state. Kid has nice power for his size too. His jump-cut is Fred Tayor-esque and the state’s best go-to move;
Imani Cross: 6-1, 220-pound RB out of North Hall. Committed to Tennessee. If he stays healthy, his stock has chance to improve more than any other. The kid is a physical freak with tremendous size, speed and agility. Also catches the ball extremely well for a big back. This guy could be elite, don’t know what he is yet;
Dakota Ball: 6-2, 292-pounder out of Pepperell. Committed to Alabama. Good size, good athlete once he gets moving, but not nearly as explosive off the line as Taylor and some others. Not sure if he’s an end in 3-4 or a tackle. Good against the run. Fights off blocks well, and plays with great motor. Good pass rush skills off the edge;
Dillon Lee: 6-4, 220-pounder out of Buford. Committed to Alabama. Impressive straight line speed and blitz ability, but doesn’t have the lateral quickness of elite LBs. A great player in his own right, but plays in a smaller classification, and just isn’t a freak like some others. Tremendous in pass coverage. Little risk, and still high reward. Does everything well. His change of direction skills are exceptional for someone over 6-4. Plays the game physically and mean. Any school in America would be happy to have Dillon. Will play MLB at Alabama;
Jafar Mann: 6-4, 275-pounder out of Stephenson. Committed to Florida. A beast against the run, maybe the best outside of Taylor. Does a good job getting into backfield, and fighting double teams. Can be incredibly explosive for a big body at DT, but needs to play with more consistency and effort. Has the potential to dominate. Surprisingly agile and explosive in space. Has all the tools;
Carlos Hood: 6-4, 275-pounder out of Stephenson. Committed to South Carolina. Right now, more of a run-stuffing nose. Can dominate at times. Has impressive quickness off the line, which helps him get into the backfield at times. Very good against the run, not a dominant pass rusher, but decent speed and quickness.
Jarontay Jones: 6-1, 240-pounder out of Stephenson. Committed to Virginia Tech. People question his height at just 6-1 listed, but he is big, physical, a dominant athlete with great aggression and explosion. As good against the pass as he is against the run. His lack of length helps him get effective leverage in the pass rush. As good as anyone outside of Jenkins at using speed and strength. Nice, smart, gets recruiting;
Quinteze Williams: 6-4, 260-pounder out of Sandy Creek. Committed to Florida. Agile and quick for someone 6-5. His versatility makes him particularly enticing. Good swim move, and overall pass rush moves. Can play in the middle, but his future is as a big DE. Hard to really evaluate because he makes the game look so effortless, less violent. Seems to just run right by people, but doesn’t appear to moving as fast as other elite DEs. Can take on big blocks to stuff and fill against the run. Because of physical size, his potential is immense.
For the final 11, tune in to The Official Visit next Monday, 8-10pm or come back here next monday on SBF
Greyson Lambert: 6-5, 195-pound QB out of Wayne County. His team was terrible and his stock seems to be dropping little by little as time goes on. Does have offers, however, from Alabama, BC, Clemson, Georgia, Miami, Miss. State, N.C. State and UVA. I think it’s a Clemson-Georgia battle right now. Has nice size, good accuracy and arm strength. Struggles moving in the pocket and throwing on the run. Quick release, throws deep ball well, and fade along the sideline, tough throw;
Mike Davis: 5-9, 192-pound RB out of Stephenson. Committed to Florida. His one knock is breakaway speed, but he is plenty fast. Runs with power, speed and tremendous quickness, cut-back ability. He sees the field and running lanes as well as any back I’ve seen this year;
Scotty Hosch: 6-3, 190-pound QB out of North Gwinnett. We like him more than most. Smart, can deal with a lot, quick release, good arm strength and excels on crossing routes. No offers just yet, but he has excelled to date at everything his coaches have asked of him;
Nick Tompkins: 5-10, 185-pound RB out of Brookwood. Gaining offers by the week. Has ones from Army, BC, Cal, Cincy, Duke, GTech, Maryland, Michigan State, Miss. Miss. State, Purdue and West Virginia. Tremendous speed, quickness and make-you-miss ability. Looks like he’s running on skates. He and Davis are the two best HS backs in the state. Kid has nice power for his size too. His jump-cut is Fred Tayor-esque and the state’s best go-to move;
Imani Cross: 6-1, 220-pound RB out of North Hall. Committed to Tennessee. If he stays healthy, his stock has chance to improve more than any other. The kid is a physical freak with tremendous size, speed and agility. Also catches the ball extremely well for a big back. This guy could be elite, don’t know what he is yet;
Dakota Ball: 6-2, 292-pounder out of Pepperell. Committed to Alabama. Good size, good athlete once he gets moving, but not nearly as explosive off the line as Taylor and some others. Not sure if he’s an end in 3-4 or a tackle. Good against the run. Fights off blocks well, and plays with great motor. Good pass rush skills off the edge;
Dillon Lee: 6-4, 220-pounder out of Buford. Committed to Alabama. Impressive straight line speed and blitz ability, but doesn’t have the lateral quickness of elite LBs. A great player in his own right, but plays in a smaller classification, and just isn’t a freak like some others. Tremendous in pass coverage. Little risk, and still high reward. Does everything well. His change of direction skills are exceptional for someone over 6-4. Plays the game physically and mean. Any school in America would be happy to have Dillon. Will play MLB at Alabama;
Jafar Mann: 6-4, 275-pounder out of Stephenson. Committed to Florida. A beast against the run, maybe the best outside of Taylor. Does a good job getting into backfield, and fighting double teams. Can be incredibly explosive for a big body at DT, but needs to play with more consistency and effort. Has the potential to dominate. Surprisingly agile and explosive in space. Has all the tools;
Carlos Hood: 6-4, 275-pounder out of Stephenson. Committed to South Carolina. Right now, more of a run-stuffing nose. Can dominate at times. Has impressive quickness off the line, which helps him get into the backfield at times. Very good against the run, not a dominant pass rusher, but decent speed and quickness.
Jarontay Jones: 6-1, 240-pounder out of Stephenson. Committed to Virginia Tech. People question his height at just 6-1 listed, but he is big, physical, a dominant athlete with great aggression and explosion. As good against the pass as he is against the run. His lack of length helps him get effective leverage in the pass rush. As good as anyone outside of Jenkins at using speed and strength. Nice, smart, gets recruiting;
Quinteze Williams: 6-4, 260-pounder out of Sandy Creek. Committed to Florida. Agile and quick for someone 6-5. His versatility makes him particularly enticing. Good swim move, and overall pass rush moves. Can play in the middle, but his future is as a big DE. Hard to really evaluate because he makes the game look so effortless, less violent. Seems to just run right by people, but doesn’t appear to moving as fast as other elite DEs. Can take on big blocks to stuff and fill against the run. Because of physical size, his potential is immense.
For the final 11, tune in to The Official Visit next Monday, 8-10pm or come back here next monday on SBF
TheFletch: Arch fills in for Pollack and it was GREAT
Memorial Day was last week and that means just two things: Summer is HERE and subs filling in on local sports radio stations. While I am psyched Summer is here (though it has been 90 degrees for about a month now), I felt mixed emotions about the subs filling in on 680 The Fan as well as 790 The Zone. While it is certainly nice hearing sports being talked about during the 6-10 AM slot on 680 The Fan (instead of discussing Avril Lavigne like the Rude Awakening crowd was doing its first day back from vacation), I do miss the local flavor of Atlanta/Athens/Georgia being discussed instead of simply a national show. I thought Dari Nowkhah and Jalen Rose, filling in for Mike & Mike on ESPN Radio, which filled in for The Rude Awakening, were fine, especially discussing the Jim Tressel resignation announcement. I just miss some of the local spin to talk about how the Braves were doing with the series against Cincinnati. Oh well.
Also, shrewd move on Tressel’s part to wait until Memorial Day when all of the major players (except for Colin Cowherd) were taking the day off, to announce your resignation. This way he could simply take a beating from the understudies instead of the major players and the news was quasi-lost in the holiday news cycle. Ohio State and Tressel made a wise move deciding to announce it then.
In case you missed it, Sports Central XL held its final webcast of the 2010-2011 GHSA sports season last Wednesday and helped give away some of the Regions Bank Directors’ Cup awards to top programs across the GHSA for this past year. If you want to go back and watch the special episode, check out the replay on gpb.org/sports/xl or hit the link through gaprepnews.com. It was a wild first year for the web program and I can simply say that I was thrilled to be a part of the show along with Alex Ewalt and Mark Harmon. Look for the show to kick back up this August when football gets hot and heavy once again. Georgia Public Broadcasting is expanding its Georgia high school football coverage with two games every Friday this year, one on GPB-TV and one on the website. The schedules are still being nailed down but be sure and check gpb.org/sports and scoreatl.com for the complete schedules. GPB won’t be the only place to catch Georgia high school football this year. WSB and PlayON! Sports recently announced that the two will partner up to broadcast twelve live games on Thursday nights this year. WSB’s Zach Klein and the AJC’s Michael Carvell will call the games after Klein teamed with Chip Towers last year. The games will air Thursday nights at 7:30 on Channel 2.2, a WSB digital channel, then will re-air Friday night/Saturday morning at 1:06 AM.
After a wildly successful first year, the Score 44 is coming back for another run for the upcoming football season. The first eleven debuted two weeks ago on The Official Visit on Sports Radio 790 The Zone and the second eleven were revealed last week. You can hear the third batch this Monday on 790 The Zone from 8-10 PM, and you can also view the list after it is announced on scoreatl.com. As a reminder, this list is constantly changing as senior players can play their way on or off the list with their performances on Thursday, Friday and/or Saturday nights. The changes are announced during The Official Visit, Sports Central XL as well as on the pregame broadcasts for the GPB.org game of the week.
While it doesn’t get the publicity that the NFL or even the NBA draft gets, the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft will be broadcast on the MLB network this Monday. After not having a first round pick last year, the Atlanta Braves will be selecting late in the first round at No. 28. This will be the third straight year that the MLB network will air Day One of its draft, and the MLB Network, which has a growing collection of former players and standout commentators, will also air a draft preview show from 6-7 PM. Sadly the MLB draft will not offer the drama that the NFL and NBA sometimes offers with wild draft-day trades as teams cannot trade picks, but sometimes you will see big-name players drop because he might be represented by a super-agent such as Scott Boras and teams might be scared to draft said player over signability issues. I will certainly be watching this year’s draft simply because I am a fan of the MLB Network personalities moreso than the NFL Network’s personalities. They seem like laid back guys who are happy to still be around the game more than some of the former players on the NFL Network who feel they are deserving of a job simply because they used to play.
Finally, I have said it before in this space but it still holds true: as much as I enjoy the Opposites Attract of 790’s Pollack & Bell in the afternoon, whenever “Arch” fills in for Pollack, his chemistry with Bell is simply a home run. Arch and Bell seem to be cut from the same cloth, and the inside jokes and obscure movie references go over so well with the listener that it is truly enjoyable to listen to the two of them together. It sounds like the fun is real, unlike sometimes when it sounds as though Bell has to oversell the fun because Pollack doesn’t get in on the joke. I hope 790 really does plan to use Arch more now that The Zone is the home of the Falcons. And speaking of fill-ins, I would, in an ideal world, love to hear when 680’s John Kincade is out on vacation as he was last week, to have the King of College Football Chuck Oliver stand in with Buck for four solid hours of college football talk. A guy can dream can’t he?
Can You Believe He Said That
While you mourn the loss of a franchise, they’re waving goodbye with one middle finger.
The AJC’s Jeff Schultz was certainly not happy about losing a hockey franchise but Atlanta is simply TOO big of a market NOT to have a hockey team. Eventually a team like Phoenix, or probably one of the Canadian hockey teams (Edmonton?) will be short on cash and Atlanta will come up as a potential destination. So we don’t have hockey for a few years. Relax. Hockey WILL return but hopefully Don Waddell and the ASG stays away.
Also, shrewd move on Tressel’s part to wait until Memorial Day when all of the major players (except for Colin Cowherd) were taking the day off, to announce your resignation. This way he could simply take a beating from the understudies instead of the major players and the news was quasi-lost in the holiday news cycle. Ohio State and Tressel made a wise move deciding to announce it then.
In case you missed it, Sports Central XL held its final webcast of the 2010-2011 GHSA sports season last Wednesday and helped give away some of the Regions Bank Directors’ Cup awards to top programs across the GHSA for this past year. If you want to go back and watch the special episode, check out the replay on gpb.org/sports/xl or hit the link through gaprepnews.com. It was a wild first year for the web program and I can simply say that I was thrilled to be a part of the show along with Alex Ewalt and Mark Harmon. Look for the show to kick back up this August when football gets hot and heavy once again. Georgia Public Broadcasting is expanding its Georgia high school football coverage with two games every Friday this year, one on GPB-TV and one on the website. The schedules are still being nailed down but be sure and check gpb.org/sports and scoreatl.com for the complete schedules. GPB won’t be the only place to catch Georgia high school football this year. WSB and PlayON! Sports recently announced that the two will partner up to broadcast twelve live games on Thursday nights this year. WSB’s Zach Klein and the AJC’s Michael Carvell will call the games after Klein teamed with Chip Towers last year. The games will air Thursday nights at 7:30 on Channel 2.2, a WSB digital channel, then will re-air Friday night/Saturday morning at 1:06 AM.
After a wildly successful first year, the Score 44 is coming back for another run for the upcoming football season. The first eleven debuted two weeks ago on The Official Visit on Sports Radio 790 The Zone and the second eleven were revealed last week. You can hear the third batch this Monday on 790 The Zone from 8-10 PM, and you can also view the list after it is announced on scoreatl.com. As a reminder, this list is constantly changing as senior players can play their way on or off the list with their performances on Thursday, Friday and/or Saturday nights. The changes are announced during The Official Visit, Sports Central XL as well as on the pregame broadcasts for the GPB.org game of the week.
While it doesn’t get the publicity that the NFL or even the NBA draft gets, the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft will be broadcast on the MLB network this Monday. After not having a first round pick last year, the Atlanta Braves will be selecting late in the first round at No. 28. This will be the third straight year that the MLB network will air Day One of its draft, and the MLB Network, which has a growing collection of former players and standout commentators, will also air a draft preview show from 6-7 PM. Sadly the MLB draft will not offer the drama that the NFL and NBA sometimes offers with wild draft-day trades as teams cannot trade picks, but sometimes you will see big-name players drop because he might be represented by a super-agent such as Scott Boras and teams might be scared to draft said player over signability issues. I will certainly be watching this year’s draft simply because I am a fan of the MLB Network personalities moreso than the NFL Network’s personalities. They seem like laid back guys who are happy to still be around the game more than some of the former players on the NFL Network who feel they are deserving of a job simply because they used to play.
Finally, I have said it before in this space but it still holds true: as much as I enjoy the Opposites Attract of 790’s Pollack & Bell in the afternoon, whenever “Arch” fills in for Pollack, his chemistry with Bell is simply a home run. Arch and Bell seem to be cut from the same cloth, and the inside jokes and obscure movie references go over so well with the listener that it is truly enjoyable to listen to the two of them together. It sounds like the fun is real, unlike sometimes when it sounds as though Bell has to oversell the fun because Pollack doesn’t get in on the joke. I hope 790 really does plan to use Arch more now that The Zone is the home of the Falcons. And speaking of fill-ins, I would, in an ideal world, love to hear when 680’s John Kincade is out on vacation as he was last week, to have the King of College Football Chuck Oliver stand in with Buck for four solid hours of college football talk. A guy can dream can’t he?
Can You Believe He Said That
While you mourn the loss of a franchise, they’re waving goodbye with one middle finger.
The AJC’s Jeff Schultz was certainly not happy about losing a hockey franchise but Atlanta is simply TOO big of a market NOT to have a hockey team. Eventually a team like Phoenix, or probably one of the Canadian hockey teams (Edmonton?) will be short on cash and Atlanta will come up as a potential destination. So we don’t have hockey for a few years. Relax. Hockey WILL return but hopefully Don Waddell and the ASG stays away.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
I'd go with a Little Love for Georgia
As the weather heats up, so does the competition at several spots for the upcoming season. While many people will look at the wide receiver spot or the linebacker spot for the fiercest battles, I want to look at the cornerback spot opposite Brandon Boykin. The 5-10 cover-corner elected to return to Athens for his senior season and should be cemented as one of the starters as well as the kick return specialist. But who will line up opposite Boykin? Typically Boykin has been thrown up against the other team’s premiere receiver and has held his own, but last year teams picked on the other corners and targeting their own second options to great success.
After the spring practice wrapped, the speedy Sanders Commings was listed atop the depth chart with Jordan Love penciled in at No. 2. Commings has great size at 6’2, 217 with the ability to run just as fast as the opponent’s wide receiver, but last year, particularly in the Arkansas game, Commings was picked on for big plays. Love has nice size as well for a corner 6’0, 190, but has one less year of live bullets compared to Commings. Branden Smith is an interesting dilemma as he has rarely stayed healthy during his time in Athens and most of his big plays have come from his stints on offense. Smith was a highly sought-after prospect from Atlanta when he came to Georgia. Bulldog Nation likely feel like time is running out for the now junior. Derek Owens is small at 5’9, 166, but he played in all twelve games last year and did well on special teams. He could be depended upon as a nickelback this year.
As far as freshmen, Damian Swann and Malcolm Mitchell both played both ways in high school one year ago but both could see time at cornerback. Swann is more likely to be a corner in the regular rotation as the coaches seem to like Mitchell’s potential on offense. Nick Marshall was a superstar do-it-all for his high school team, playing QB, RB, and CB but he pledged to Georgia as a cornerback. Mark Richt thinks he may be used in the Wild Dawg formation which could limit his reps early on for the defensive rotation.
If I were to guess who would get the start opposite Boykin, I would think that Richt will side with experience, and that means Commings. However, if defensive secondary coach Scott Lakatos were to ask for my opinion, I would roll the dice with Love on the other side and Owens playing the nickel. If they take lumps fine, but Commings took his lumps early last year yet I am still wondering why he is atop the depth chart. I know one game doesn’t make a career but I still shake my head at the Arkansas game. Give me some new blood and hopefully Love and Owens will be able to last for a few years in Athens.
After the spring practice wrapped, the speedy Sanders Commings was listed atop the depth chart with Jordan Love penciled in at No. 2. Commings has great size at 6’2, 217 with the ability to run just as fast as the opponent’s wide receiver, but last year, particularly in the Arkansas game, Commings was picked on for big plays. Love has nice size as well for a corner 6’0, 190, but has one less year of live bullets compared to Commings. Branden Smith is an interesting dilemma as he has rarely stayed healthy during his time in Athens and most of his big plays have come from his stints on offense. Smith was a highly sought-after prospect from Atlanta when he came to Georgia. Bulldog Nation likely feel like time is running out for the now junior. Derek Owens is small at 5’9, 166, but he played in all twelve games last year and did well on special teams. He could be depended upon as a nickelback this year.
As far as freshmen, Damian Swann and Malcolm Mitchell both played both ways in high school one year ago but both could see time at cornerback. Swann is more likely to be a corner in the regular rotation as the coaches seem to like Mitchell’s potential on offense. Nick Marshall was a superstar do-it-all for his high school team, playing QB, RB, and CB but he pledged to Georgia as a cornerback. Mark Richt thinks he may be used in the Wild Dawg formation which could limit his reps early on for the defensive rotation.
If I were to guess who would get the start opposite Boykin, I would think that Richt will side with experience, and that means Commings. However, if defensive secondary coach Scott Lakatos were to ask for my opinion, I would roll the dice with Love on the other side and Owens playing the nickel. If they take lumps fine, but Commings took his lumps early last year yet I am still wondering why he is atop the depth chart. I know one game doesn’t make a career but I still shake my head at the Arkansas game. Give me some new blood and hopefully Love and Owens will be able to last for a few years in Athens.
Raphael Kirby taking his talents to Coral Gables
On a team where seven players have already accepted major FBS scholarship offers and potentially seven more could be signing up to play in BCS conferences come National Signing Day, some might think that it would be hard to stand out at Stephenson (GA) High School. Raphael Kirby is ready for the challenge. Kirby, who transferred in to play with the supreme talent that Stephenson boasts his senior season, recently pledged to the Miami Hurricanes and he talked about his 100% commitment to “The U” last night on The Official Visit.
“I decided to put an end to the process when I really found out where I wanted to be,” Kirby said of his declaring his intentions to go to Miami at Stephenson’s recent spring game. “I wanted to get (the decision) out of the way.” Kirby had over thirty offers when he elected to take his talents to Coral Gables.
Many assumed that Kirby would follow teammates Jafar Mann and Mike Davis and head to Florida, especially after it was rumored that Florida led for the standout linebacker. “I always liked Miami and it seemed like a better fit (than Florida),” said Kirby of his decision to bypass Gainesville for Miami.
The decision wasn’t easy at first because of the relationships Kirby said he built with each set of coaches recruiting him. “I had great relationships with a lot of the schools, but Miami especially.” In the end he liked Miami because the private school is “distinguished.”
“My mom and I like the balance (of school and football) and I’m really big on education,” Kirby said of his choice of “The Linebacker U.” The draw of restoring the glory to “The U” was also a big pull though, said Kirby. “We’re looking in this class and the next class to get ‘The U’ back to where it needs to be.” And Kirby believes new coach Al Golden is the man to do that. “He’s a great coach.”
Interestingly enough Kirby has never stepped foot on the Miami campus, but that didn’t stop him from wanting to spend his future there. “I’ll go for a visit in a week or two,” said Kirby of his plans to eventually tour the campus. In fact Miami is the only official visit Kirby said he will take. He noted he didn’t want to commit to a school simply because of facilities because every school has facilities. He said he wanted to go based on education and relationships with coaches. “The coaches came first.”
As far as the in-state powers that were going after Kirby’s talents, the linebacker said that the University of Georgia did recruit him hard, but “I sort of wanted to get out of state and I had to do what was best for me.”
Now that Kirby has decided upon Miami, he said he will focus on his senior season and trying to stand out on a team loaded for a potential state title run. “I want to be a leader and we’ll work out every day.” Kirby said he plans on trying to improve himself by harnessing his ability to make big plays when it counts this upcoming season.
But what does two years hold for Kirby? “I plan to come in and make an impact somewhere. If it’s special teams or linebacker, just somewhere,” said Kirby. For the linebacker that was smart enough to step back and avoid peer pressure to make the best life decision for him, you get the feeling that he will be able to make and true impact on the entire Miami program when he does take his talents to Coral Gables.
“I decided to put an end to the process when I really found out where I wanted to be,” Kirby said of his declaring his intentions to go to Miami at Stephenson’s recent spring game. “I wanted to get (the decision) out of the way.” Kirby had over thirty offers when he elected to take his talents to Coral Gables.
Many assumed that Kirby would follow teammates Jafar Mann and Mike Davis and head to Florida, especially after it was rumored that Florida led for the standout linebacker. “I always liked Miami and it seemed like a better fit (than Florida),” said Kirby of his decision to bypass Gainesville for Miami.
The decision wasn’t easy at first because of the relationships Kirby said he built with each set of coaches recruiting him. “I had great relationships with a lot of the schools, but Miami especially.” In the end he liked Miami because the private school is “distinguished.”
“My mom and I like the balance (of school and football) and I’m really big on education,” Kirby said of his choice of “The Linebacker U.” The draw of restoring the glory to “The U” was also a big pull though, said Kirby. “We’re looking in this class and the next class to get ‘The U’ back to where it needs to be.” And Kirby believes new coach Al Golden is the man to do that. “He’s a great coach.”
Interestingly enough Kirby has never stepped foot on the Miami campus, but that didn’t stop him from wanting to spend his future there. “I’ll go for a visit in a week or two,” said Kirby of his plans to eventually tour the campus. In fact Miami is the only official visit Kirby said he will take. He noted he didn’t want to commit to a school simply because of facilities because every school has facilities. He said he wanted to go based on education and relationships with coaches. “The coaches came first.”
As far as the in-state powers that were going after Kirby’s talents, the linebacker said that the University of Georgia did recruit him hard, but “I sort of wanted to get out of state and I had to do what was best for me.”
Now that Kirby has decided upon Miami, he said he will focus on his senior season and trying to stand out on a team loaded for a potential state title run. “I want to be a leader and we’ll work out every day.” Kirby said he plans on trying to improve himself by harnessing his ability to make big plays when it counts this upcoming season.
But what does two years hold for Kirby? “I plan to come in and make an impact somewhere. If it’s special teams or linebacker, just somewhere,” said Kirby. For the linebacker that was smart enough to step back and avoid peer pressure to make the best life decision for him, you get the feeling that he will be able to make and true impact on the entire Miami program when he does take his talents to Coral Gables.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
The NEXT 11 of the Post-spring Score 44
This is the next 11 of the post-spring practice Score 44, which was revealed last night on The Official Visit. If you missed the first 11, click on the link to the right. The breakdown is from my co-host Scott Janovitz
Markuss Eligwe: 6-3, 210-pounder out of Stone Mountain. Committed to Florida State. Considered to be one of the best athletes in the entire country. Fast, agile, and has the frame to be physically dominant. Solid against the run and the pass. Tremendous potential at the position. Still has a lot of developing to do;
Jordan Watkins, Woodward Academy, DT
Dalvin Tomlinson: DE Henry County
Leonard Floyd: 6-4, 215-pound DE out of Dodge County. Does a great job fighting off blocks and is a very fluid athlete, at DE, TE and WR;
Jacob Sealand: 6-2, 216-pound LB out of Tucker. Committed to Vanderbilt. Doesn’t have great size, but plays aggressive and has great straight line speed. Does a good job fighting off blocks for a player his size. Excellent speed and very willing against the run. Vandy got a good one. Due to speed, very effective blitzer. Really like his heart and hustle;
Kenno Loyal: 5-10, 234-pound RB out of Columbia. Big, physical back with good speed and excellent lateral quickness for his size. Great moves through the hole and impressive vision and feel for the game. Needs to show he can produce and dominate. Offers from GTech, Kentucky, Louisville, Mississippi, N.C. State, and Penn State, among others;
Jhaustin Thomas: : 6-5, 230-pound DE out of Columbia. Big, physical, quick. Most fluid athlete of them all for his size. Not a dominant pass rusher at this point. But very active, good against the run, gets upfield and into backfield;
Jason Croom: 6-5, 212-pound WR out of Norcross. Big, physical wideout with good hands. Can do a better job using his height on jump balls, but is actually a very impressive player after the catch. Has all the physical tools to be elite;
Josh Dawson: 6-4, 225-pound DE out of Tucker. Big physical kid, plays with nice body control and balance for a player his size. Very good against the run. At this point, better against run than as a pass rusher;
Mike Hilton: 5-9, 175-pound RB/S out of Sandy Creek. Can play either in college. Mike is simply a play maker and one worth a scholarship from just about anyone;
Ricky Parks: 6-3, 230-pound TE out of Callaway. Has offers from Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Georgia, GTech, Miss. State, USC and South Carolina. A dynamic athlete with the ball in his hands and has decent size for a TE. How good of a pass catcher, route runner and blocker can he be?
Markuss Eligwe: 6-3, 210-pounder out of Stone Mountain. Committed to Florida State. Considered to be one of the best athletes in the entire country. Fast, agile, and has the frame to be physically dominant. Solid against the run and the pass. Tremendous potential at the position. Still has a lot of developing to do;
Jordan Watkins, Woodward Academy, DT
Dalvin Tomlinson: DE Henry County
Leonard Floyd: 6-4, 215-pound DE out of Dodge County. Does a great job fighting off blocks and is a very fluid athlete, at DE, TE and WR;
Jacob Sealand: 6-2, 216-pound LB out of Tucker. Committed to Vanderbilt. Doesn’t have great size, but plays aggressive and has great straight line speed. Does a good job fighting off blocks for a player his size. Excellent speed and very willing against the run. Vandy got a good one. Due to speed, very effective blitzer. Really like his heart and hustle;
Kenno Loyal: 5-10, 234-pound RB out of Columbia. Big, physical back with good speed and excellent lateral quickness for his size. Great moves through the hole and impressive vision and feel for the game. Needs to show he can produce and dominate. Offers from GTech, Kentucky, Louisville, Mississippi, N.C. State, and Penn State, among others;
Jhaustin Thomas: : 6-5, 230-pound DE out of Columbia. Big, physical, quick. Most fluid athlete of them all for his size. Not a dominant pass rusher at this point. But very active, good against the run, gets upfield and into backfield;
Jason Croom: 6-5, 212-pound WR out of Norcross. Big, physical wideout with good hands. Can do a better job using his height on jump balls, but is actually a very impressive player after the catch. Has all the physical tools to be elite;
Josh Dawson: 6-4, 225-pound DE out of Tucker. Big physical kid, plays with nice body control and balance for a player his size. Very good against the run. At this point, better against run than as a pass rusher;
Mike Hilton: 5-9, 175-pound RB/S out of Sandy Creek. Can play either in college. Mike is simply a play maker and one worth a scholarship from just about anyone;
Ricky Parks: 6-3, 230-pound TE out of Callaway. Has offers from Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Georgia, GTech, Miss. State, USC and South Carolina. A dynamic athlete with the ball in his hands and has decent size for a TE. How good of a pass catcher, route runner and blocker can he be?
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