So....now what?

Again, moving forward.


So what now? We're down to a top heavy depth chart at defensive back in terms of experience. Once Williams, Rambo, Smith and Commings move on after 2012 we're left with:

Juniors - Deas  Harrow  Moore  Swann

Sophomores - Bowman and Dawson

That's it. Five scholarship defensive backs plus whoever we sign in the class of 2013. The other position affected by yesterday's news fairs little better:

Seniors - Wooten

Juniors - Bennett  Conley  Mitchell

Sophomores - Scott-Wesley

Freshmen - Tibbs (assuming a redshirt in 2012)

Just 48 hours ago I was mildly upset at only pulling in one receiver with this year's class. But comparatively speaking, Ball's squad is in much better shape moving forward than Lakatos'.

Which begs the question(s). Do we move Malcolm Mitchell to DB, at least part time? I think we'll at least attempt to sign some JUCO players to build depth. But don't we need to see what he can do on the other side of the ball this spring? Even if it's just a look?

Seay dismissed. Marshall next? (UPDATED)

UPDATE - Marshall's former high school coach says the defensive back is also done at UGA. Chris Sanders is also done.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Sanford Seay has been dismissed from the team. Reportedly, Nick Marshall is also going to be dismissed. Fox 5 broke the news last night, but meetings on the issue are happening this morning.

Seay is accused of stealing money from another student in a university dorm room. It is believed that criminal charges will not be filed in the case.

Atlanta Fox 5 is also reporting that cornerback Nick Marshall will also be dismissed for the incident.

Seay redshirted last season as a freshman.

Marshall, from Wilcox County, recorded five tackles in 13 games with a role on special teams. He had designs on playing for the Bulldogs’ basketball team in future seasons and was viewed as athletic enough to offer playmaking abilities on offense as well.

Seay was a scout team player last season after arriving from Lee County High School. He was unlikely to be in the rotation at receiver this season.

At the very least Marshall is in a heap of trouble. If the allegations are true, Richt and McGarity have no choice. Guess they can always join Deion Bonner on Rocky Flop.

Signing Day: a look at 2012, then ahead to 2013

Someone evidently sneezed on the table of Butts-Mehre donuts. By Wednesday night I was wiped out. Hence, Thursday turned into National Sinus Day for me and I just couldn't get to any kind of analysis of what we learned on Wednesday (and in the case of JHC, Thursday morning). So in between doses of the dextromorphan...let me drop a couple pennies.


First, thanks to those who came by for the liveblog. Things on the floor weren't as exciting as NSD 2011, but it was still cool hanging out with y'all through the sinewy cyberwebs of teenage angst.


The pros. This class excites me for a lot of reasons. The first of which is how Richt and staff addressed needs and did it with authority. We have the top player from four states and the top player from Georgia the second year in a row. The greatest example of Georgia's aggressiveness on the class of 2012 recruiting trails is at the tailback position. Not one but two legitimate threats at running back will add instant depth. In this day and age where more and more 4 star and 5 star kids are looking to play early and often right away, getting two great backs like Gurley and Marshall is outstanding. And don't fall asleep on Quayvon Hicks. There's no redshirt in his future either. He has the talent to back up his winning atittude.


Next up would have to be the defensive front. Grantham got almost everyone he wanted and needed, even guys he was late to the sofa on. Jenkins, Taylor, Harvey-Clemons, Atkins...these fit the bill of putting defensive playmakers close to the line of scrimmage and molding them to wield their destructive force.


Pair those points with the fact that we sign two elite specialists to kick the ball and we have a really good class.


The cons. No mysteries unfortunately. Bummer.


It's hard to start on the offensive line when you get two guys that can probably start right away in Theus and Beard. But the fact is we've had classes before where we didn't super size the beef and eventually that comes back to hurt you. We had scholarships available and left them on the table by missing out on Avery Young and Brandon Greene (and of course the loss of Chester Brown hurts here too). Not all of it was the staff's fault as many felt Young would sign with Georgia. Yet we're forced to move forward with three.


Other positions of need that fell short were defensive back and wide receiver. I really thought we had Patterson and he would have been a nice compliment to Blake Tibbs. At defensive back we got the one at the top of Lakatos' board, but we're losing four starters after the 2012 season. This becomes a position of great need as well heading into the class of 2013. 


The Harvey-Clemons Situation. On second thought, more on this later. Suffice it to say I'm glad things worked out for the kid to go where he wanted to go.


Moving forward. With the hot seat talk laid to rest and a favorable schedule this Fall (not to mention a good start already), the 2013 class should be a big one for Georgia. Even bigger is that it's apparent that Coach Grantham is just as menacing on the recruiting trail as he is on the sidelines. He closed some big names for this class and hopefully that intensity can carry over well throughout the staff and into next year.


Speaking of next year, some names to keep an ear out for: 

• OL Trenton Brown from Georgia Military College. Huge already and almost ready to play at a big time college. Most of which are lining up to talk to the 6'7" 330lb behemoth.
• OL Laremy Tunsil of Lake City FL. Will likely be one of the top if not the top prospect from the Sunshine State in 2013. Great frame and can flat out block. Georgia wants this kid even more after losing Young.
• LB Reuben Foster of Troup Co. We signed plenty of pass rushers yesterday but will need some ILB help. While everyone is talking about Nkemdiche in Grayson, Foster will likely be the best player in Georgia for 2013's class. Currently committed to Bama.
• S Taj Letman of Holmes CC. We have Tray Matthews committed and he wants to enroll early, but we'll also need other DBs ready to step in and play. Letman could fit the bill as either a good sized corner or safety.

Those are just a few. A lot can happen in a year. But we're off to a good start for 2013 and might get at least three on campus by January. All in all I would say the Georgia staff is pretty hot right now. Having a handful of kids commit in the national spotlight will do that for you. 


Congrats to the new Dawgs on making a great choice. I think there's even more that are ready to do the same.

SEC Video: Signing Day Recap

Hannah Chalker updates us on the news from Signing Day in the SEC.

JHC's family finally finds the Staples button

Well, that was easy.

Grantham is ready for all SEC games, including little Vanderbilt bitches

By the time Coach Grantham made it to the Blind Pig yesterday, the crowd was primed and ready.

Grantham addresses crowd at 
Blind Pig on Signing Day    (h/t Ed P)

NSD Video: Richt addresses fans

I think I've decided to wait until later today or tomorrow to post some reactions. My brief summary is that this was a really good signing day for Coach Richt and Co. There are obvious concerns which we'll expound on. But overall we addressed some big needs with some quality players.


Now, onto the video. Kudos to Nama on the filmwork.

National Signing Day 2012

Ok, so you want to know what you're getting into here today. Well here are the links to previous NSD posts, both live and semi-live: 2011  2010  2009 That should give you a frame of reference. Here's some other reading material while we wait for Richt to turn on the fax machine.

- The Dawgcast's Annual Reverse Recruiting Show looks at the 2008 class and how it lived (or didn't live) up to expectations.

- Leather Helmet's  Signing Day Eve Thread and Podcast
- Tyler's perspective on NSD as well as some guesses on the mystery recruits
- Speaking of which, Dawg Day Afternoon has an idea who it is
- Chad Simmons' Signing Day Eve Insider Report ($$)
- ESPNs Recruiting Confidential - some top prospects "spill all" about life as a national recruit ($$)

The rules for the liveblog are simple: read, ask questions, make comments, be respectful. If you don't see your comment right away, be patient. We have to approve them manually and if there's something happening on the floor then the liveblog must take a brief backseat. We'll have pictures and videos up as well as bonus commentary. Also feel free to weigh in on a poll/trivia question.


Other than that, grab a comfortable seat, take the business phone off the hook and be ready for what is shaping up to be a GREAT DAY TO BE A BULLDOG! And if you like what you have here, by all means....click DONATE below. No amount too small and some prizes will be given away to at least three contributors.

On with the show...

NSD Liveblog - preview

The event reminder for tomorrow's liveblog is below. You can add your email address and it will automatically buzz you before the event goes live.

I'll have these links tomorrow as well. But in case you're looking for "prep work" right now, here's some stuff to get you up to speed, including links to previous NSD posts: 

2011  2010  2009  

The Dawgcast's Annual Reverse Recruiting Show looks at the 2008 class and 

how it lived (or didn't live) up to expectations.

Leather Helmet's  Signing Day Eve Thread and Podcast

Tyler's perspective on NSD as well as some guesses 

on the mystery recruits

Speaking of which, Dawg Day Afternoon has an idea who it is

Chad Simmons' Signing Day Eve Insider Report ($$)

ESPNs Recruiting Confidential - some top prospects "spill all" 

about life as a national recruit ($$)

Recruiting Roundup: NSD Eve, part two

With those preliminaries out of the way, onto some updates.

Sheldon Dawson committed last night

• Sheldon Dawson, all Dawg! Tennessee's top prospect becomes Georgia's 17th commitment.
• Dawson's commitment is huge for many reasons. Not the least of which is the fact that he is the Dawgs' first DB commit in this class. He can be a big playmaker all over the field.
• Josh Harvey-Clemons will apparently narrow his choices down to two schools this evening on a local radio show. Hard to give an educated guess since he and his family are pretty well bunkered in. But if you twisted my arm I'd say Florida and Georgia.
• Brandon Greene says he's all Bama. But he's evidently bringing two hats to his announcement on Wednesday. I can see this either of two ways: 1) after pissing Saban off by visiting Athens he doesn't want to lose his place at the Tide table, so he keeps saying he's Bama despite the fact that he wants at least some intrigue in his LOI ceremony. 2) he wants to surprise everyone Wednesday and get as dramatic as possible. Regardless, I think he's still one to watch.
• Rumors of Chester Brown possibly being able to navigate through the immigration issues and sign with Georgia appear to be dead. He'll sign tomorrow ($$) with a new school at a new position.
• Other rumors about the mystery recruit(s) abound. Who could they be? Another defensive back? Another big offensive lineman?

Once again, here are the times for tomorrow's announcements, along with my prediction for where they sign.

Dalvin Tomlinson - 8:45 Bama

Jaquay Willliams - 8:45 Auburn

Josh Harvey-Clemons - 9:00, ESPNU Georgia

Brandon Greene - 9:00 Bama

Kenderious Whitehead - 9:00 NC State

Will Redmond - 9:30 Miss State

Josh Dawson - 10:00 Georgia

Cordarrelle Patterson - 11:30 Georgia

Avery Young - 2:00, ESPNU Georgia

Lastly, this class is shaping up to be a good one. I don't really get into recruiting rankings and who has how many stars and all that. Instead, I think it's important to address needs, make every effort to sign the talent in Georgia and build quality depth for the future. I think we have a really good chance to cover those bases tomorrow. Should be a fun day! Hope you'll join us.

Recruiting Roundup: NSD Eve, part one

In 24 hours we'll be knee deep in fax paper.


I hope most of you can come to Athens, but if you can't...you can get all of your National Signing Day news right here. Plus a little extra.

Butts-Mehre before the 2010 NSD

I'll have a liveblog up and ready to go first thing in the morning. Certain recruiting writers and beat guys' twitter feeds will be automatically fed into it. I've got a list I work off of. If you notice someone that is missing, let me know in the comments and I'll add them tonight.

Once we (my official videographer Nama might be joining me) get up there we'll have some updates, pictures and videos uploaded into the liveblog.
You'll be able to ask questions and chat with each other as well. Keep in mind that comments have to be approved with this platform. So if you don't see your comment right away it's because our attention is drawn elsewhere. Like hopefully towards Chuck Dowdle announcing that Josh Harvey-Clemons signature is in.

Tomorrow will also be the last day of the January Pledge Drive. So for those of you who have already given or those who decide to donate by close of business tomorrow, we will have some prizes to give out from the Dawg Blawg closet.


It's going to be a busy day. Here's the target list schedule I have as of this moment. 

Dalvin Tomlinson - 8:45
Jaquay Williams - 8:45

Josh Harvey-Clemons - 9:00, ESPNU/ESPN3

Brandon Greene - 9:00
Kenderious Whitehead - 9:00
Will Redmond - 9:30

Josh Dawson - 10:00
Cordarrelle Patterson - 11:30
Avery Young - 2:00, ESPNU

Lastly, I would like to take an opportunity to give some shout outs. I make a big deal here about spreading the love in the Dawgosphere. We are truly lucky as fans to have such a large cyber footing. Beat writers, bloggers, podcasts, message boards. Since I entered the arena I think the acreage has tripled with at least two more pay sites, the evolution of Twitter and countless more blogs.

Recruiting is a funny business. I don't always enjoy following it because you learn quickly that it's all about relationships, which means someone is always going to get hurt. In turn that leads to some pretty murky waters. I don't know how the writers that cover it 24/7/365 manage their way. But the guys at DawgPost, UGA Rivals, DawgNation, Georgia 247 and Carvell at AJC, not to mention the beat guys that delve into it once the season draws to a close, they all do a tremendous job.

And a very special shout-out to ecdawg and Socrates over at Leather Helmet. They've raised a bar in terms of blogs that cover recruiting that I for one will never attempt to clear. It's one thing for me to post snippets and summarizations with links for my readers. Those guys are blazing their own trail and we're all better off for it. 

Make sure you go ahead and work enough today to make up for tomorrow ahead of time. National Signing Day might just command your full attention.

On the air with Coach Fox

Coach Fox talks about this week's upcoming road games against Auburn and Tennessee.

Monday's Meatloaf - pierced ears one day, mini skirts to follow

What could possibly be worse than working late on a Friday? Well, gather close and listen up.


I'm a simple man. I don't like french food and would rather young boys with an eye for my girls never darken my doorway. Now, some of you readers probably have some fine young men that are as well mannered as a boy can possibly be. Perhaps they even eat broccoli. Kudos to you and your parenting skill set, I have a beer in my beer fridge with your name on it. I have no real problem with your boy, honestly. I'd just rather not think of dealing with them around my house. Just keep them at your home, away from my gun and we can all continue to get along just swimmingly.

Almost as scary as Bernie's gun.

Sure, my girls aren't even out of elementary school yet; they're just beginning to enter into an age group considered "pre-teens". And for the most part they still think of boys as being made from snails, dirt worms and mud. In addition and according to dinner table reports, most of them eat their boogers and fart in public as well. Yet this phenomenon called "pre-teens" is like parenting teenagers while the training wheels are still on. There are no curfews or driving restrictions to argue over. But there is plenty of wardrobe differentiations and truly crappy music to toss household harmony out the window on its nearly deaf ear. Indeed, "pre-teens" are like miniature dobermans with baby teeth. Their bite isn't as painful or as lasting, but it can still scare the hell out of you.


Like a good dad I have paid attention to particular milestones that my children have accomplished as well as ones they are still aiming for. For instance, just last year they took their first steps as toddlers. And on Friday my oldest got her ears pierced. Yes, for those of you without the joys of progeny...it happens that quickly! And despite reminding the eldest that the set-in-stone-preestablished-age-for-getting-ears-pierced-is-TWELVE!! as recently as THURSDAY NIGHT after dinner, there they were when I got home Friday night...waiting on my approval. Her ten year old ears punctured and bruised by some "jeweled" adornment. As if there was anything I could do about it then.


Except threaten her within an inch of her life if she ever blares Miley Montana while arguing with her mother over appropriate clothing for Sunday School. If some part-time employee at the mall can put those damn things in, I'm quite sure I can get them out.

Today's Ingredients

• The Senior Bowl was Saturday. Looks like Boykin's injury wasn't as bad as originally thought.
• Although the Lady Dawgs lost to the Vols in hoops (again), the GymDogs and ladies' tennis enjoyed a good weekend.
• It's shaping up to be an exciting finish to the 2012 recruiting class. Socrates updates us on what we might expect in a couple days. 
• Never too early to look at 2013. And Chad Simmons says West Laurens LB Johnny O'Neal felt the love ($$) Saturday from Georgia coaches.
• In case you missed it, sUGAr falling finds that ClemPson commit Chad Kelly (spurned from the egotistical loins of Super Bowl runner up MVP Jim Kelly) is putting the "DO" in DOUCHE.
• News last week about some of Coach Donnan's victims in the ponzi scheme was despicable. Displaced Dawg relates it all back to his time at UGA, more specifically in front of Loran Smith's microphone.
• Can a man as big as Weis take the high road? Blutarsky tackles the question.
• You've got to be kidding me. A 17 year old girl has somehow managed to survive by subsisting on McDonald's Chicken McNuggets alone since the age of two. When I was two chickens still came from your mama's best frying pan.

Maybe I'm not such a bad parent after all. On the rare occasion that we take our kids to McDonalds they at least get the fish. That is fish right?

Anyway, it's time for Darren the Intern's weekly report. Last week he installed web cams along I-85 so we could monitor traffic in the not so congested Peach Pass lanes. It never made it to the front page of the AJC or the film at 11, but Governor Deal had an all out hissy fit. Darren even spent a few nights in jail. So this week he delivered his report hand written on toilet paper.

Hello Reader. Darren the Intern here. The Peach Pass lanes are a valuable asset to commuting travelers coming into Atlanta from Gwinnett County. They help commuters everyday reach their destination safely and expediently. What's more, the lanes provide non-stop access to...

Ok, well. It appears Darren has been tampered with and reprogrammed. But rest assured, if you're willing to pay to use something that used to be free, that lane is open with no waiting.


Speaking of waiting, not much of that left for recruitniks. This time Wednesday we'll be wiping the powered donut sugar from our faces and listening for the fax machine. Stop by tomorrow for a run down of what will be the blog's 4th Annual NSD Liveblog, including how you could win prizes just by visiting. But until then, here's a fork. Your lunch is ready to be pierced.


Bernie

Recruiting Roundup: 2 days til NSD

Again, great reads on former Georgia players reflecting back on their recruitment going on over at DawgNation. Check out yesterday's on David Weeks, former offensive lineman and how his official visit to Tech went. Good stuff.


We're down to 48 hours. Here's a couple updates.


Sheldon Dawson. Simmons reports ($$) that he had a good visit to Oxford and now plans to announce sometime Wednesday instead of today. This likely means that Admiral Akbar set a trap and the Rebels now stand a good chance at Tennessee's top player. Hopefully reason prevails over proximity.


Jaquay Williams. Surprised Auburn with an unofficial visit this weekend as he tagged along with teammate Will Adams. It feels like this would easily be Georgia's signature had Auburn not been with Williams' longer. He may just have to flip a coin on Wednesday.


Josh Harvey-Clemons. Radi lets JHC clear up some rumors.

Recruiting Roundup: 3 days til NSD

Just a quick update as I'm away from the laptop this weekend. But it looks more and more like Jaquay Williams will stick with Auburn. Georgia has made a late push, but since he went to Opelika this weekend I don't think that bodes well in the end. (Georgia did offer two of Williams' teammates yesterday. Demarre Kitt is a 2014 WR and Shaq Wiggins is a 2013 DB.) I still think the Dawgs are in the hunt for the state's top wide receiver. We'll see what Jaquay decides come Wednesday.

Richt wasn't able to visit Josh Dawson's home last night as planned. Evidently there was a family matter to attend to. But Grantham joined Garner at the Dawson home and gave big pitch. Grantham is the hottest recruiter in the south, perhaps the nation right now. Can he turn the Tucker OLB/DE to Athens? We'll find out at 9:45 on Wednesday.

Have a a great day Dawgs!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone