Yesterday I took a look at the top uncommitted prospects left on Alabama's recruiting board. Today, I'll be giving you a couple of prospects that are currently committed elsewhere who the Crimson Tide has a legitimate shot at landing on Signing Day. Of course, turnabout is fair play, and while Bama is looking to pick someone else's pocket, others are looking to get their hand in Bama's. We'll start by taking a look at some current Tide verbals who may end up wearing something other than Crimson next season.
Tide Commits On The Move...?
Daryl Collins, Wide Receiver (Alabama)
Rivals: 3* Scout: 3*
Committed to Bama Since: 3/23/2010
The long-time commit currently finds himself on the wrong end of the Tide's numbers crunch. Bama is currently carrying way more verbal commitments than they actually have room to accept (around 10 more, to be precise) and looking to add a few more. In particular, they're a bit overstocked at the wide receiver position with 4 true WR commits and a few more guys who can play the spot but may go to defense. Of the 4 true WRs, Collins is by far the least heralded. It may sound harsh, but he's the sort of solid player with some upside that you take as insurance in case your bigger targets don't pan out. Unfortunately for Collins, Bama hit it big with nearly all of it's WR targets, namely Marvin Shinn and Danny Woodson, Jr. As of today, Bama is still willing to honor Collins' commitment but only with a greyshirt offer (meaning he won't be able to join the team on scholarship until next spring). Obviously that's not the most desirable situation for a recruit, so, with the blessing of Bama's coaching staff, Collins has recently been exploring his options with Kentucky, Louisville, and Southern Miss. Of the three, Kentucky seems to be his most likely destination, if he wants to play next season.
My Best Guess: Switching to Kentucky
LaMichael Fanning, Defensive End (Georgia)
Rivals: 4* Scout: 4*
Committed to Bama Since: 4/17/2010
Another long-time commit that's recently been taking a look around. Fanning is quite a physical specimen (6'6", 285 lbs.) with huge upside but is rumored to be a longshot to be academically eligible to enroll this fall (not surprising for a guy who's bounced around to four different high schools), and there's some scuttlebutt that the Tide wouldn't be disappointed if he committed elsewhere so they don't get a surprise in August if he were to somehow get eligible and have to conjure up a roster spot for him. Fanning spent this past weekend on an official visit to Auburn but hasn't talked to the media since, so it's unclear where he stands right now.
My Best Guess: Sticking with Bama
Isaac Luatua, Offensive Lineman (California)
Rivals: 3* Scout: 3*
Committed to Bama Since: 6/8/2010
This one is all hunch. Luatua has gone almost totally under ground since his commitment to the Tide in June. He has taken no official visits and hasn't talked to the recruiting media in months. But it sure is a long way from La Miranda, California, to Tuscaloosa. And just because it hasn't been documented in the press doesn't mean he hasn't been looking. I'm not going to call for it, but don't be surprised if he ends up signing somewhere closer to home tomorrow.
My Best Guess: Sticking with Bama
As of today, I think every other Tide commit is as solid as solid gets, and it would be a major surprise if anyone other than these 3 went elsewhere. Now we'll hit the flipside.
Rival Commits On The Market...?
Brent Calloway, Athlete (Alabama)
Rivals: 4* Scout: 4*
Currently Committed To: Auburn
I'm not going to rehash the sordid details of this one. If you need to, you can catch up here, just scroll down a bit. I think most Bama fans had written off Calloway following that whole fiasco. But apparently Nick Saban hadn't. He convinced Calloway to take an unexpected official visit to Tuscaloosa last weekend and made one last push to convince him to sign with the Tide. How successful was he? Calloway isn't talking. To anybody. And likely won't until he signs his LOI tomorrow. However, it's worth noting that at the same time Calloway was on his visit, his adoptive father was quoted in an incendiary article lambasting the way his son switched his commitment and not-so-subtly knocking the credibility of Auburn's coaches. While his father did say the ultimate decision would belong to Calloway, I think it's safe to say which choice the family supports. And you really can't underestimate that. So it would seem the late momentum is with the Tide. But the Auburn coaches are nothing if not dogged recruiters (to put it nicely) and they tend to not lose guys once they get their hooks into them.
My Best Guess: Sticking with Auburn
Robenson Therezie, Safety (Florida)
Rivals: 4* Scout: 4*
Currently Committed To: Auburn
If the rumors are to be believed, Therezie actually contacted Tide coaches and said he would be committing to Bama at the Under Armor All-American game. But then the game came and he instead announced for Auburn. He's since remained committed to the Tigers but has also kept his ears open to other overtures, and Bama has stayed on him. In fact, it could be argued the Tide has more momentum with Therezie than Auburn, despite maintaining his commitment. But like I just said, for whatever reason (coughcough), this AU staff doesn't lose guys too often.
My Best Guess: Sticking with Auburn
So for those of you keeping track, I've predicted Bama to pick up one uncommitted prospect tomorrow, lose one current commitment, and strike out on their two main committed targets for a net of...0. Watch out for Nickolas Brassel, though. And there may be a little more smoke coming from Jeoffrey Pagan than I previously gave us credit for.
I'll check back in sometime tomorrow to evaluate where we're at.
Showing posts with label SEC. Show all posts
Showing posts with label SEC. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Monday, January 31, 2011
Bama Recruiting Overload: Uncommitted Hype
With less than 48 hours remaining until Signing Day, the year-long recruiting hype train is, really, just getting warmed up. The next 3 days are going to be filled with a non-stop barrage of rumors and innuendos, never letting up until every last teenager has done something silly with a baseball cap and every last LOI is faxed. And as has been the case every year since Nick Saban arrived in Tuscaloosa, Alabama is expected to be at the forefront of it all on February 2nd, for better or for worse (but mostly better). Will Bama fans be feeling triumphant when it's all said and done, as they were in 2008 and 2009 when the Tide reeled in #1 rated signing classes? Or will we be left feeling melancholic and strangely disappointed after missing out on several high-profile prospects late in the game like last year (though still finishing with a consensus Top 5 class, mind you)?
As regular readers may have picked up on by now, I'm a little bit jaded to the whole recruiting phenomenon. But don't get me wrong: I have no doubt that recruiting is the lifeblood of a college football team. It's a fact. The teams that do it the best consistently tend to be the best teams on the field in the fall. And I want Alabama to be one of those teams. I think I'm mainly just turned off to the industry of recruiting and the culture of general insanity that's grown up around it (and really exploded over the last 5 years or so). As Pat Forde said in regards to the Cam Newton situation, and I think generalizes to the broader state of the recruiting industry, we've all gotten a little too far into the sausage factory.
All that said, this here's a college football blog, and recruiting is going to be THE story in college football this week. So I'm gonna do my duty to add to the insanity by giving you the best coverage of Alabama's 2011 recruiting class that I'm capable of (which may not be much).
Much like last recruiting cycle (and likely every cycle from here on out as long as Saban is around), Bama hoarded commitments early in the process and will be spending most of the end of the cycle protecting their current commits from poachers and chasing after a select few elite prospects. This way of doing things led to somewhat of a sleepy Signing Day in 2010, but that doesn't look to be the case this year. The Tide is still a legit player for several big-time recruits capable of making an instant impact on campus. So today, I'm kicking things off with a look at the top uncommitted prospects that Alabama is still actively recruiting and has a realistic shot at signing.
Jadeveon Clowney, Defensive End (South Carolina)
Rivals: 5* Scout: 5*
The Competition: South Carolina
This guy needs no introduction. He's #1 on everybody's board, but his recruitment has essentially been a two-horse race between Bama and his home state Gamecocks since this past summer. At one point, there was even a status update on his Facebook page saying that he had chosen the Tide, but that turned out to be a false alarm. Actually, I'm still not sure what that was about. If all things were equal, I think he'd be a lock to Alabama. He projects as a prototypical Jack linebacker (pass rush specialist) in Saban's scheme. However, distance from home is a big concern for his family, particularly his mother and she seems to be the identified "decision maker" in his recruitment. She recently accompanied her son on an official visit to Tuscaloosa (her first trip to T-town), and word is Mrs. Saban worked Mama Clowney hard. But was it too little too late? No one knows since Clowney has reportedly shut down all communication in the lead up to his announced signing date of February 14th. But the Gamecocks have developed an improbably strong pull amongst in-state recruits over the past few years, and I'd have to consider them the slight betting favorite.
My Best Guess: South Carolina
Cyrus Kouandjio, Offensive Tackle (Maryland)
Rivals: 5* Scout: 5*
The Competition: Auburn, Iowa, New Mexico
If Clowney is the top guy on Bama's board, Cyrus isn't far behind. He's 6'7", 322 lbs, and has an incredibly well-developed physique for a high school OL. He looks chisled out of stone. More to the point, he looks like a 4-year starter at left tackle. His older brother, Arie, signed with the Tide last year and redshirted this past season. Needless to say, Nick Saban and his coaching staff have a long-standing relationship with the family and have to be considered the heavy favorites to land the big guy. But you shouldn't assume this is a "lay down" either. Cyrus is on the record regarding his reservations about competing against his brother for playing time (reportedly allayed by the coaching staff laying out their plans for Arie at RT or guard only) and has repeatedly declined to name a leader and has taken every one of his official visits, including back to back trips to Iowa and Auburn. Auburn is a late addition to Cyrus' Top 5 and mainly got there by virtue of Miami falling off his list after the sacking of Randy Shannon. There was some talk that Auburn would make a logical alternative to Bama if his concerns about competing with his brother won out (due to being an easier trip for his parents to visit both), but it's really difficult for me to believe Auburn could pull him from Bama after getting into the game so late. If that were to happen, I'm sorry, but something smells funny on the Plains, as usual.
My Best Guess: Alabama
Isaiah Crowell, Running Back (Georgia)
Rivals: 5* Scout: 5*
The Competition: Georgia
At one point, Crowell was the Tide's #1 running back target in this class. Maybe he still is (if so, it didn't stop Bama from taking the commitment of fellow 5* RB Dee Hart and get him enrolled this spring). Crowell's commitment has been a bit of a roller coaster. Early in the process, he was basically a lock for Bama. Georgia made some significant strides with him over the summer to make it a 50/50 race. But then the Dawgs went on that horrible losing streak early in the season and lost momentum. Since the season ended, Georgia has put an all-out blitz on Crowell, sending small armies of coaches to visit him at once and offering a scholarship to his previously no-scholarship-offer-having friend. So they worked it back to something close to 50/50 again, with maybe a slight edge to UGA. I think the tipping point for his decision was the commitment of Hart, though. You just DON'T get two backs of that caliber in the same class. Not enough carries to go around. Bama is still fighting for him, but ultimately I think this plays out like Auburn's pursuit of Marcus Lattimore after already taking Michael Dyer last year. It's one or the other, never both.
My Best Guess: Georgia
Nickolas Brassell, Wide Receiver (Mississippi)
Rivals: 4* Scout: 4*
The Competition: Ole Miss
The one-time Mississippi State commit now seems to no longer even be considering the Bulldogs. After his decommitment (what a word), it was widely assumed Brassell would quickly follow his good friend Tobias Singleton to Ole Miss, but that was not the case. Brassell kept his options open which left the door cracked for the Tide to get in as a serious player for his signature. In fact, Bama was able to score his last official visit this past weekend. And while Bama isn't exactly hurting for receivers in this class (already holding commitments from 4 pure wideouts), Saban is leaving no stone unturned as he attempts to find his next #1 receiver after the departure of Julio Jones. There is also some scuttlebutt that Saban may have talked to Brassell about making a move to defensive back (which IS a position the Tide could use a little help with in this class) on his visit. His openness to this possibility will probably go a long way towards influencing his decision. Right now, this one is too close to call.
My Best Guess: 50/50
Jeoffery Pagan, Defensive End (North Carolina)
Rivals: 4* Scout: 4*
The Competition: Georgia
Much like Brassell, Bama got serious about Pagan (one-time Florida commit turned Clemson commit turned uncommitted) late in the process. On the surface, it bodes well for Bama that Pagan decided to part ways with Clemson following his official visit in Tuscaloosa. The Tide had a tremendous amount of momentum at the time, but that was quickly derailed when Ray Drew committed to Georgia. Pagan has a good relationship with Drew, and the general consensus was that Pagan was going to end up wherever Drew did as long as it wasn't Auburn. Well, it wasn't Auburn. Bama is going to keep working on him, but it would be a major surprise if he inks anywhere other than Georgia.
My Best Guess: Georgia
So there you have it. Of the top uncommitted guys, I say we get Kouandjio, maybe Brassell, and that's it. Not a very inspiring projection for Signing Day, I know, but you have to keep in mind Alabama already has Rivals' #1 ranked recruiting class WITHOUT any of these guys. While they likely wouldn't hold onto that spot (who cares?) with strong finishes from the likes of FSU or Georgia, the fact is it's an incredibly strong class as it stands right now. It only gets better with the addition of any of these guys, not worse without them.
So that's that.
I plan to be back tomorow to look at which current Bama commitments might end up elsewhere come Signing Day and which other schools' commitments may end up in Crimson when it's all said and done.
As regular readers may have picked up on by now, I'm a little bit jaded to the whole recruiting phenomenon. But don't get me wrong: I have no doubt that recruiting is the lifeblood of a college football team. It's a fact. The teams that do it the best consistently tend to be the best teams on the field in the fall. And I want Alabama to be one of those teams. I think I'm mainly just turned off to the industry of recruiting and the culture of general insanity that's grown up around it (and really exploded over the last 5 years or so). As Pat Forde said in regards to the Cam Newton situation, and I think generalizes to the broader state of the recruiting industry, we've all gotten a little too far into the sausage factory.
All that said, this here's a college football blog, and recruiting is going to be THE story in college football this week. So I'm gonna do my duty to add to the insanity by giving you the best coverage of Alabama's 2011 recruiting class that I'm capable of (which may not be much).
Much like last recruiting cycle (and likely every cycle from here on out as long as Saban is around), Bama hoarded commitments early in the process and will be spending most of the end of the cycle protecting their current commits from poachers and chasing after a select few elite prospects. This way of doing things led to somewhat of a sleepy Signing Day in 2010, but that doesn't look to be the case this year. The Tide is still a legit player for several big-time recruits capable of making an instant impact on campus. So today, I'm kicking things off with a look at the top uncommitted prospects that Alabama is still actively recruiting and has a realistic shot at signing.
Jadeveon Clowney, Defensive End (South Carolina)
Rivals: 5* Scout: 5*
The Competition: South Carolina
This guy needs no introduction. He's #1 on everybody's board, but his recruitment has essentially been a two-horse race between Bama and his home state Gamecocks since this past summer. At one point, there was even a status update on his Facebook page saying that he had chosen the Tide, but that turned out to be a false alarm. Actually, I'm still not sure what that was about. If all things were equal, I think he'd be a lock to Alabama. He projects as a prototypical Jack linebacker (pass rush specialist) in Saban's scheme. However, distance from home is a big concern for his family, particularly his mother and she seems to be the identified "decision maker" in his recruitment. She recently accompanied her son on an official visit to Tuscaloosa (her first trip to T-town), and word is Mrs. Saban worked Mama Clowney hard. But was it too little too late? No one knows since Clowney has reportedly shut down all communication in the lead up to his announced signing date of February 14th. But the Gamecocks have developed an improbably strong pull amongst in-state recruits over the past few years, and I'd have to consider them the slight betting favorite.
My Best Guess: South Carolina
Cyrus Kouandjio, Offensive Tackle (Maryland)
Rivals: 5* Scout: 5*
The Competition: Auburn, Iowa, New Mexico
If Clowney is the top guy on Bama's board, Cyrus isn't far behind. He's 6'7", 322 lbs, and has an incredibly well-developed physique for a high school OL. He looks chisled out of stone. More to the point, he looks like a 4-year starter at left tackle. His older brother, Arie, signed with the Tide last year and redshirted this past season. Needless to say, Nick Saban and his coaching staff have a long-standing relationship with the family and have to be considered the heavy favorites to land the big guy. But you shouldn't assume this is a "lay down" either. Cyrus is on the record regarding his reservations about competing against his brother for playing time (reportedly allayed by the coaching staff laying out their plans for Arie at RT or guard only) and has repeatedly declined to name a leader and has taken every one of his official visits, including back to back trips to Iowa and Auburn. Auburn is a late addition to Cyrus' Top 5 and mainly got there by virtue of Miami falling off his list after the sacking of Randy Shannon. There was some talk that Auburn would make a logical alternative to Bama if his concerns about competing with his brother won out (due to being an easier trip for his parents to visit both), but it's really difficult for me to believe Auburn could pull him from Bama after getting into the game so late. If that were to happen, I'm sorry, but something smells funny on the Plains, as usual.
My Best Guess: Alabama
Isaiah Crowell, Running Back (Georgia)
Rivals: 5* Scout: 5*
The Competition: Georgia
At one point, Crowell was the Tide's #1 running back target in this class. Maybe he still is (if so, it didn't stop Bama from taking the commitment of fellow 5* RB Dee Hart and get him enrolled this spring). Crowell's commitment has been a bit of a roller coaster. Early in the process, he was basically a lock for Bama. Georgia made some significant strides with him over the summer to make it a 50/50 race. But then the Dawgs went on that horrible losing streak early in the season and lost momentum. Since the season ended, Georgia has put an all-out blitz on Crowell, sending small armies of coaches to visit him at once and offering a scholarship to his previously no-scholarship-offer-having friend. So they worked it back to something close to 50/50 again, with maybe a slight edge to UGA. I think the tipping point for his decision was the commitment of Hart, though. You just DON'T get two backs of that caliber in the same class. Not enough carries to go around. Bama is still fighting for him, but ultimately I think this plays out like Auburn's pursuit of Marcus Lattimore after already taking Michael Dyer last year. It's one or the other, never both.
My Best Guess: Georgia
Nickolas Brassell, Wide Receiver (Mississippi)
Rivals: 4* Scout: 4*
The Competition: Ole Miss
The one-time Mississippi State commit now seems to no longer even be considering the Bulldogs. After his decommitment (what a word), it was widely assumed Brassell would quickly follow his good friend Tobias Singleton to Ole Miss, but that was not the case. Brassell kept his options open which left the door cracked for the Tide to get in as a serious player for his signature. In fact, Bama was able to score his last official visit this past weekend. And while Bama isn't exactly hurting for receivers in this class (already holding commitments from 4 pure wideouts), Saban is leaving no stone unturned as he attempts to find his next #1 receiver after the departure of Julio Jones. There is also some scuttlebutt that Saban may have talked to Brassell about making a move to defensive back (which IS a position the Tide could use a little help with in this class) on his visit. His openness to this possibility will probably go a long way towards influencing his decision. Right now, this one is too close to call.
My Best Guess: 50/50
Jeoffery Pagan, Defensive End (North Carolina)
Rivals: 4* Scout: 4*
The Competition: Georgia
Much like Brassell, Bama got serious about Pagan (one-time Florida commit turned Clemson commit turned uncommitted) late in the process. On the surface, it bodes well for Bama that Pagan decided to part ways with Clemson following his official visit in Tuscaloosa. The Tide had a tremendous amount of momentum at the time, but that was quickly derailed when Ray Drew committed to Georgia. Pagan has a good relationship with Drew, and the general consensus was that Pagan was going to end up wherever Drew did as long as it wasn't Auburn. Well, it wasn't Auburn. Bama is going to keep working on him, but it would be a major surprise if he inks anywhere other than Georgia.
My Best Guess: Georgia
So there you have it. Of the top uncommitted guys, I say we get Kouandjio, maybe Brassell, and that's it. Not a very inspiring projection for Signing Day, I know, but you have to keep in mind Alabama already has Rivals' #1 ranked recruiting class WITHOUT any of these guys. While they likely wouldn't hold onto that spot (who cares?) with strong finishes from the likes of FSU or Georgia, the fact is it's an incredibly strong class as it stands right now. It only gets better with the addition of any of these guys, not worse without them.
So that's that.
I plan to be back tomorow to look at which current Bama commitments might end up elsewhere come Signing Day and which other schools' commitments may end up in Crimson when it's all said and done.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Kentucky Wildcats: 2010 Exit Survey
2010 CFBZ Prediction: 4th in the SEC East
2010 Actual Finish: 5th in the SEC East (6-7, 2-6)
Rich Brooks finished the last of his seven seasons at Kentucky in 2009, leading Kentucky to four straight winning seasons and four straight bowl berths at the end of his run. Joker Phillips took over the helm this year and is tasked with trying to get Kentucky over the hump in the SEC East and turn them into a contender. In Joker's debut season their were some good moments for the Wildcats (opening the season with a win over Louisville and beating SEC Champ South Carolina top that list) and there were some struggles (going 2-6 in the SEC and 1-5 on the road). After only one year on the job the jury is still out on Joker but we do know that he has some big shoes to fill on offense with Mike Hartline and Randall Cobb departing. We caught up with the Kentucky based SB Nation blog A Sea of Blue to get their take on 2010 and a sneak peak into 2011.
1. Kentucky finished the year 6-7 and 2-6 in the SEC. Do you consider Joker Phillips inaugural season a success, a failure or somewhere in the middle?
Somewhere in between, I would say. It's impossible to call a losing season overall a success, and 2-6 in the SEC just not good.
I think mostly that Phillips earns a pass on this season because most people understand that it was his first season as head coach, and head coach is not the same as offensive coordinator. Short of failure, perhaps, but certainly a disappointment. The defense was just plain incompetent, and the offense was too hot and cold.
2. What were your favorite moments of the year?
Number one would have to be defeating South Carolina in Lexington. Kentucky has suffered long at the hands of Steve Spurrier, and that long losing streak against the Gamecocks has been one of the major targets of UK football fans. It was especially satisfying to come back from down 18 at the half to win in the game's closing minutes.
Number two would be defeating Louisville for the fourth straight time. Louisville is a huge rival, and they had a 4-game streak against Kentucky between 2003 and 2006. It was really nice to get revenge for that.
Finally, seeing Randall Cobb break the single-season all-purpose yards record at UK. Cobb has been a Godsend for Kentucky football, and that feat just cemented his well-deserved legend here at UK.
3. If you could have a "re-do" for one game, which would it be?
Ole Miss in Oxford. Kentucky had every chance to win that football game, and blew it. That would have possibly put the Wildcats on a great trajectory for a special season, and we allowed it to slip away with turnovers.
4. Which players surprised you the most with their performance last year?
That's easy -- Mike Hartline. Hartline went from a player who couldn't throw a spiral one time out of 10 to the SEC's second-leading passer. It was a transformation that almost nobody in the Big Blue Nation expected, but it made the difference between a bowl season and maybe a four-win season.
5. Star receiver Randall Cobb and QB Mike Hartline must be replaced next season. Who will step up to take their place?
Good question. Morgan Newton would seem to be the odds-on favorite to take Hartline's spot, but many, including me, fear that Joker Phillips is going to give short shrift to the talented Ryan Mossakowski, who is a better pure passer and the more highly rated of the two coming out of high school. At least we do have options at quarterback, but Newton failed to impress in the loss to Pittsburgh in the BBVA Compass bowl.
For Cobb, there are no clear successors at the spot. La'Rod King showed great promise as our #3 receiver this year, but it seems a stretch for him to replace the multidimensional Cobb. Brian Adams and Matt Roark both made a few plays this year, but most Wildcat fans are skeptical about them as starters. Highly touted Aaron Boyd has been a disappointment, and hardly ever saw the field this year. It's hard to imagine him stepping up, but he has the talent if he ever gets the work ethic right.
Incoming freshman Demarco Robinson is an intriguing and overlooked prospect, and he has the kind of skills that could make him an impact player somewhat in the mold of Randall Cobb. He isn't a QB like Cobb was in high school, but he is an explosive athlete who can catch, run, and play the return game.
The player I really hope does well is junior wideout Gene McCaskill, who suffered an injury last year. He showed great promise before he was hurt, and if he comes back 100%, he could be a big playmaker at the wideout spot.
2010 Actual Finish: 5th in the SEC East (6-7, 2-6)
Rich Brooks finished the last of his seven seasons at Kentucky in 2009, leading Kentucky to four straight winning seasons and four straight bowl berths at the end of his run. Joker Phillips took over the helm this year and is tasked with trying to get Kentucky over the hump in the SEC East and turn them into a contender. In Joker's debut season their were some good moments for the Wildcats (opening the season with a win over Louisville and beating SEC Champ South Carolina top that list) and there were some struggles (going 2-6 in the SEC and 1-5 on the road). After only one year on the job the jury is still out on Joker but we do know that he has some big shoes to fill on offense with Mike Hartline and Randall Cobb departing. We caught up with the Kentucky based SB Nation blog A Sea of Blue to get their take on 2010 and a sneak peak into 2011.
1. Kentucky finished the year 6-7 and 2-6 in the SEC. Do you consider Joker Phillips inaugural season a success, a failure or somewhere in the middle?
Somewhere in between, I would say. It's impossible to call a losing season overall a success, and 2-6 in the SEC just not good.
I think mostly that Phillips earns a pass on this season because most people understand that it was his first season as head coach, and head coach is not the same as offensive coordinator. Short of failure, perhaps, but certainly a disappointment. The defense was just plain incompetent, and the offense was too hot and cold.
2. What were your favorite moments of the year?
Number one would have to be defeating South Carolina in Lexington. Kentucky has suffered long at the hands of Steve Spurrier, and that long losing streak against the Gamecocks has been one of the major targets of UK football fans. It was especially satisfying to come back from down 18 at the half to win in the game's closing minutes.
Number two would be defeating Louisville for the fourth straight time. Louisville is a huge rival, and they had a 4-game streak against Kentucky between 2003 and 2006. It was really nice to get revenge for that.
Finally, seeing Randall Cobb break the single-season all-purpose yards record at UK. Cobb has been a Godsend for Kentucky football, and that feat just cemented his well-deserved legend here at UK.
3. If you could have a "re-do" for one game, which would it be?
Ole Miss in Oxford. Kentucky had every chance to win that football game, and blew it. That would have possibly put the Wildcats on a great trajectory for a special season, and we allowed it to slip away with turnovers.
4. Which players surprised you the most with their performance last year?
That's easy -- Mike Hartline. Hartline went from a player who couldn't throw a spiral one time out of 10 to the SEC's second-leading passer. It was a transformation that almost nobody in the Big Blue Nation expected, but it made the difference between a bowl season and maybe a four-win season.
5. Star receiver Randall Cobb and QB Mike Hartline must be replaced next season. Who will step up to take their place?
Good question. Morgan Newton would seem to be the odds-on favorite to take Hartline's spot, but many, including me, fear that Joker Phillips is going to give short shrift to the talented Ryan Mossakowski, who is a better pure passer and the more highly rated of the two coming out of high school. At least we do have options at quarterback, but Newton failed to impress in the loss to Pittsburgh in the BBVA Compass bowl.
For Cobb, there are no clear successors at the spot. La'Rod King showed great promise as our #3 receiver this year, but it seems a stretch for him to replace the multidimensional Cobb. Brian Adams and Matt Roark both made a few plays this year, but most Wildcat fans are skeptical about them as starters. Highly touted Aaron Boyd has been a disappointment, and hardly ever saw the field this year. It's hard to imagine him stepping up, but he has the talent if he ever gets the work ethic right.
Incoming freshman Demarco Robinson is an intriguing and overlooked prospect, and he has the kind of skills that could make him an impact player somewhat in the mold of Randall Cobb. He isn't a QB like Cobb was in high school, but he is an explosive athlete who can catch, run, and play the return game.
The player I really hope does well is junior wideout Gene McCaskill, who suffered an injury last year. He showed great promise before he was hurt, and if he comes back 100%, he could be a big playmaker at the wideout spot.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Big Recruiting Day For Georgia
It was just about a week and a half ago when Georgia landed their first three verbal commitments since August in the form of DB Damian Swann, LB Ramik Wilson and WR Sanford Seay. With National Signing Day quickly coming up on us two Georgia targets chose Wednesday to make their verbal commitments. TE Jay Rome, #18 on the ESPNU 150, and teammate WR/DB Malcolm Michell, #45 on the ESPNU 150, both announced their college intentions today but did it at different locations (which caused me to think they might be going separate ways). Jay Rome went first and announced on ESPNU that he would be attending Georgia over Alabama. I was expecting this as Rome has been rumored as a heavy lean towards Georgia for the last several weeks. And why not, Georgia has a really good recent history with TEs making it to the NFL (Leonard Pope, Ben Watson, Randy McMichael, Jermaine Wiggins). I'm not sure what kind of immediate impact Rome will have on the field as Georgia has Orson Charles and Aron White ahead of him but I think he will see the field this year and could set up some good mis-matches if on the field at the same time as Charles.
Next up was Malcolm Mitchell. Mitchell announced his intentions at a local restaurant and on a radio show. Jay Rome made it back from his ESPNU trip, which was filmed in Tallahassee, in time to be decked out in Georgia gear for the announcement. Mitchell started off by announcing that Florida was still in the mix and he thanked Georgia coaches (which is the recruiting kiss of death). But in the end Mitchell, who himself said that Alabama had led the whole way in his recruiting, chose Georgia. Mitchell is very interesting because he can go both ways on the field and Rivals has him listed as the #1 CB prospect in the Nation and #30 overall. Recruiting rankings are so subjective but it still feels good when you read that Georgia has Rivals #1 and #3 CB recruits from this years class. But will Mitchell play CB or will he play WR at Georgia? Obviously WR is a little more wide open in the immediate future with the departure of AJ Green and Kris Durham and CB is in decent hands with 3 returning players (Boykin, Commings and Smith). Mitchell caught 77 passes for 1,419 yards and 13 TDs in his senior season. His coach called him "the best athlete I've ever coached."
Also this week, Georgia scored a commitment from DB Quintavious Harrow, who just happens to be a friend and teammate of Isaiah Crowell. Harrow did not have any previous offers but did take a visit to Alabama on January 14th according to Scout.com. Harrow is undersized at DB but could be an asset in the kick game and on special teams with his 4.4 speed. Some have said that he didn't get any offers because his academic standing was in question until recently. Scout has him listed as a 2-star prospect. Harrow is not somebody who looks to contribute immediately but could be a Tim Jennings or Tyson Browning type down the road (although both of them were rated higher by recruiting services).
These two kids (Rome and Mitchell) haven't even stepped on campus and we don't know if they will be all they are cracked up to be but it was a feel good moment that Georgia needed. After a dismal season things are starting to look up with the latest flurry of verbal commitments and Texas poaching our OL coach (yes I think this is a positive, the Georgia OL has been awful the last two years and this past season was one of...if not THE...most underperforming units in all of college football). Now we await word on RB Isaiah Crowell, DE Ray Drew and NT John Jenkins. If Georgia lands 2 of those guys then this really might be the "Dream Team" that the Georgia coaches are touting.
Next up was Malcolm Mitchell. Mitchell announced his intentions at a local restaurant and on a radio show. Jay Rome made it back from his ESPNU trip, which was filmed in Tallahassee, in time to be decked out in Georgia gear for the announcement. Mitchell started off by announcing that Florida was still in the mix and he thanked Georgia coaches (which is the recruiting kiss of death). But in the end Mitchell, who himself said that Alabama had led the whole way in his recruiting, chose Georgia. Mitchell is very interesting because he can go both ways on the field and Rivals has him listed as the #1 CB prospect in the Nation and #30 overall. Recruiting rankings are so subjective but it still feels good when you read that Georgia has Rivals #1 and #3 CB recruits from this years class. But will Mitchell play CB or will he play WR at Georgia? Obviously WR is a little more wide open in the immediate future with the departure of AJ Green and Kris Durham and CB is in decent hands with 3 returning players (Boykin, Commings and Smith). Mitchell caught 77 passes for 1,419 yards and 13 TDs in his senior season. His coach called him "the best athlete I've ever coached."
Also this week, Georgia scored a commitment from DB Quintavious Harrow, who just happens to be a friend and teammate of Isaiah Crowell. Harrow did not have any previous offers but did take a visit to Alabama on January 14th according to Scout.com. Harrow is undersized at DB but could be an asset in the kick game and on special teams with his 4.4 speed. Some have said that he didn't get any offers because his academic standing was in question until recently. Scout has him listed as a 2-star prospect. Harrow is not somebody who looks to contribute immediately but could be a Tim Jennings or Tyson Browning type down the road (although both of them were rated higher by recruiting services).
These two kids (Rome and Mitchell) haven't even stepped on campus and we don't know if they will be all they are cracked up to be but it was a feel good moment that Georgia needed. After a dismal season things are starting to look up with the latest flurry of verbal commitments and Texas poaching our OL coach (yes I think this is a positive, the Georgia OL has been awful the last two years and this past season was one of...if not THE...most underperforming units in all of college football). Now we await word on RB Isaiah Crowell, DE Ray Drew and NT John Jenkins. If Georgia lands 2 of those guys then this really might be the "Dream Team" that the Georgia coaches are touting.
Alabama Bric-A-Brac is Back
Well, the offseason has thoroughly settled in on us, so it's time for the return of my completely irregular updates on what's happening with Alabama football, or just whatever I think is pertinent to talk about at any given moment. I figured now would be a good time to tie up some loose ends from the past couple of weeks as we get ready for the inevitably wild conclusion of the 2011 recruiting season that will no doubt be fueling the blog for the next week or so.
Let's get this started...
The NFL Draft: No Surprises
Last time I checked in, we speculated on which Bama juniors would be declaring for the Draft. Three were absolute no-brainers to leave school early, and they did as expected. Marcell Dareus, Julio Jones, and Mark Ingram will all be 1st round picks (probably in that order), so congrats to them. However, there was a great deal of uncertainty surrounding the decisions of Dont'a Hightower, Mark Barron, Courtney Upshaw, and Marquis Maze.
Hightower announced his intentions to return to Alabama for his senior(?) season alongside Dareus, Jones, and Ingram, ending that press conference on a somewhat happy note. A week later, Barron held his own presser and also stated he would be returning to school. Neither Upshaw nor Maze made public decisions, but the deadline to declare came and went without either filing their draft papers. I was a bit taken off guard by Maze's decision, as most of the information I was getting said that his mind had been made up to turn pro for some time.
All in all, I think everyone made the right decision for their respective careers.
I'm really excited about Mark Barron coming back. Due to graduation, attrition, and suspension, the Tide began the 2010 season with only one safety with any significant playing experience (that being Barron). When the Tide begins the 2011 season, the Tide will have FOUR safeties with that experience once Robbie Green returns from his NCAA suspension. The secondary will go from being a major weakness to a major strength next season.
Another Coaching Change: Nick Saban Is Never Surprised
In yet another "blink and you'll miss it" shakeup of the coaching staff, offensive line coach Joe Pendry retired and was quickly replaced by Miami (FL) OL coach Jeff Stoutland.
Pendry actually came out of retirement to join Nick Saban on his first staff at Alabama. There was a good deal of skepticism surrouding that hire in 2007, but he ultimately silenced his critics when he forged two of the most dominating offensive lines I've ever seen in 2008 and 2009. In addition to being the OL coach, Pendry also served as what you might call an unofficial "co-offensive coordinator" during his time at Bama. It's unclear if Stoutland will serve in a similar capacity, but it's doubtful.
I'm not terribly familiar with Stoutland's work, so I don't have much of an opinion on the hire. I will say I wasn't impressed by much of anything that happened at Miami over the past few seasons, but who knows how much of that was top-down incompetence stemming from Sleepyhead Shannon himself. (I'd guess a lot.) All I know is that he was Pendry's recommendation to take over and Saban doesn't miss on hiring assistants too often.
So we'll see how it goes. He certainly has big shoes to fill, and I hear Pendry intends to remain in Tuscaloosa in some sort of "advisory role" for the team.
Army High School All-American Game Madness
With the lack of any major surprises coming in the form of Draft departures, the biggest tremors felt in the Bama fanbase came at the Army All-American game. The broadcast began with long-time Alabama commit Brent Calloway (then a 5* prospect according to Rivals) publicly decommitted from the Tide and then said he would choose a new college destination later in the game. Which he did...and it was Auburn.
So that was weird and just plain sucked. In a later interview concerning his decision, Calloway basically came out and said he had been scared off by Alabama's depth chart. A tweener athlete who played running back and linebacker in high school, Calloway projects very highly as an LB in college and not very highly at all at running back. Bama was offering him the opportunity to at least attempt to play RB first, but Calloway noted Bama's 6 scholarship RBs on the roster and didn't like his odds of getting playing time there. Bama is likewise stacked at linebacker, and, as Calloway noted, they're generally much bigger than him.
And with all that in mind, as well as the encouragement of friend and Auburn commit Jonathan Rose, Calloway elected to take his talents to Auburn, where the paths to playing time at running back and linebacker are much clearer.
You always hate to lose a great athlete like Calloway, but I have no problem with his decision. I do have an issue with the way he did it, attempting to humiliate Bama on national TV, but...you know...he's a high school kid. They do dumb things. And I have no doubt he was encouraged to do it by some of the sleazebags on the AU staff. Good luck to him.
But it wasn't all bad news!
After the Calloway business was said and done, the Tide FINALLY nailed down a public commitment from 5* RB and the Army Player of the Year, Dee Hart. Hart has wanted to be at Alabama all along but various issues have always gotten in the way, most recently Hart's desire to be an early enrollee which Bama didn't have room for. But apparently they got that ironed out, and Hart donned the crimson cap, at last. Or rather...he pulled out a Bama hat...said he was going to Bama...and then put the hat on the head of his friend, teammate, fellow 5* prospect, and long-time Bama commit Hasean Clinton-Dix.
Quite the bromance those two have.
Good Journey, BJ Scott
It's official.
And now for the mea culpa...
Okay, last summer I wrote this glowing mini-biography on him: Alabama's X-Factor: BJ Scott.
And then a funny thing or two happened on the way to his breakout game. Or two.
First and foremost, JUCO transfer Dequan Menzie, once thought lost for the season with an Achilles injury, made a miraculous recovery over the summer and earned one of Bama's 3 primary cornerback spots in fall camp. Saban doesn't sign JUCO players not to play, so it was no surprise a (mostly) healthy Menzie locked up a spot in the playing rotation.
At the same time, true freshman Demarcus Milliner had a mental breakthrough and started picking up the defensive schemes quickly. Reportedly, this was the aspect of the game that Scott struggled with the most. And Saban will ALWAYS favor the player who does a better job handling the mental aspect of his scheme. (See also: Milliner's fellow true freshman CJ Mosely leapfrogging several guys at linebacker by displaying a "Rolando-like" grasp of the defense.)
And just like that...Scott lost his starting job. By the time fall camp was over, he had even been passed over as (what I would call) the "emergency" corner by LSU-transfer Phelon Jones. He saw extremely limited playing time during the season and ultimately suffered an ankle injury that shut him down at the end. The one bright spot for Scott in 2010, and perhaps in his entire Bama career, was his garbage time interception in the Tennessee game that caused a minor earthquake of jubilation on the Tide sideline.
So, I'll just admit it...I was wrong on this one. Horribly wrong. And I'm really disappointed for BJ, who, by all accounts, is a good guy and teammate. Hopefully, he'll have a great two years at South Alabama.
Oh, and don't let anyone tell you that he was cast off to make room for new recruits. Completely unfounded. In fact, as recently as a week ago, Saban had met with Scott to try to convince him to stay. Even if he was never going to play a meaningful down at Alabama, you don't get rid of guys with his work ethic and attitude who are as popular with the team as BJ was/is.
That said, I think BJ's story serves as a cautionary tale during the Silly Season that is recruiting in January and February. He himself was once a 5* propect on his way to star at one of the most storied programs in college football...Today, he leaves having accomplished nothing individually and will finish his career on an unclassified team that didn't even EXIST when he graduated high school. The moral of the story? Chill OUT, people. I'm as interested in recruiting as the next guy, but keep stuff in perspective. These are kids, and nobody REALLY knows how they're going to turn out in 3 or 4 years time.
It's not worth freaking out over if your coveted 5* offensive tackle signs with your hated rival. (Foreshadowing?) It's definitely not worth stalking a kid's Facebook page and posting insults about him. Or whatever.
With that in mind, I'll be back some time soon to fuel that insanity with a check-up on Alabama's 2011 recruiting class! Who's coming!? Who's going!? I HAVE THE ANSWERS.
Let's get this started...
The NFL Draft: No Surprises
Last time I checked in, we speculated on which Bama juniors would be declaring for the Draft. Three were absolute no-brainers to leave school early, and they did as expected. Marcell Dareus, Julio Jones, and Mark Ingram will all be 1st round picks (probably in that order), so congrats to them. However, there was a great deal of uncertainty surrounding the decisions of Dont'a Hightower, Mark Barron, Courtney Upshaw, and Marquis Maze.
Hightower announced his intentions to return to Alabama for his senior(?) season alongside Dareus, Jones, and Ingram, ending that press conference on a somewhat happy note. A week later, Barron held his own presser and also stated he would be returning to school. Neither Upshaw nor Maze made public decisions, but the deadline to declare came and went without either filing their draft papers. I was a bit taken off guard by Maze's decision, as most of the information I was getting said that his mind had been made up to turn pro for some time.
All in all, I think everyone made the right decision for their respective careers.
I'm really excited about Mark Barron coming back. Due to graduation, attrition, and suspension, the Tide began the 2010 season with only one safety with any significant playing experience (that being Barron). When the Tide begins the 2011 season, the Tide will have FOUR safeties with that experience once Robbie Green returns from his NCAA suspension. The secondary will go from being a major weakness to a major strength next season.
Another Coaching Change: Nick Saban Is Never Surprised
In yet another "blink and you'll miss it" shakeup of the coaching staff, offensive line coach Joe Pendry retired and was quickly replaced by Miami (FL) OL coach Jeff Stoutland.
Pendry actually came out of retirement to join Nick Saban on his first staff at Alabama. There was a good deal of skepticism surrouding that hire in 2007, but he ultimately silenced his critics when he forged two of the most dominating offensive lines I've ever seen in 2008 and 2009. In addition to being the OL coach, Pendry also served as what you might call an unofficial "co-offensive coordinator" during his time at Bama. It's unclear if Stoutland will serve in a similar capacity, but it's doubtful.
I'm not terribly familiar with Stoutland's work, so I don't have much of an opinion on the hire. I will say I wasn't impressed by much of anything that happened at Miami over the past few seasons, but who knows how much of that was top-down incompetence stemming from Sleepyhead Shannon himself. (I'd guess a lot.) All I know is that he was Pendry's recommendation to take over and Saban doesn't miss on hiring assistants too often.
So we'll see how it goes. He certainly has big shoes to fill, and I hear Pendry intends to remain in Tuscaloosa in some sort of "advisory role" for the team.
Army High School All-American Game Madness
With the lack of any major surprises coming in the form of Draft departures, the biggest tremors felt in the Bama fanbase came at the Army All-American game. The broadcast began with long-time Alabama commit Brent Calloway (then a 5* prospect according to Rivals) publicly decommitted from the Tide and then said he would choose a new college destination later in the game. Which he did...and it was Auburn.
So that was weird and just plain sucked. In a later interview concerning his decision, Calloway basically came out and said he had been scared off by Alabama's depth chart. A tweener athlete who played running back and linebacker in high school, Calloway projects very highly as an LB in college and not very highly at all at running back. Bama was offering him the opportunity to at least attempt to play RB first, but Calloway noted Bama's 6 scholarship RBs on the roster and didn't like his odds of getting playing time there. Bama is likewise stacked at linebacker, and, as Calloway noted, they're generally much bigger than him.
And with all that in mind, as well as the encouragement of friend and Auburn commit Jonathan Rose, Calloway elected to take his talents to Auburn, where the paths to playing time at running back and linebacker are much clearer.
You always hate to lose a great athlete like Calloway, but I have no problem with his decision. I do have an issue with the way he did it, attempting to humiliate Bama on national TV, but...you know...he's a high school kid. They do dumb things. And I have no doubt he was encouraged to do it by some of the sleazebags on the AU staff. Good luck to him.
But it wasn't all bad news!
After the Calloway business was said and done, the Tide FINALLY nailed down a public commitment from 5* RB and the Army Player of the Year, Dee Hart. Hart has wanted to be at Alabama all along but various issues have always gotten in the way, most recently Hart's desire to be an early enrollee which Bama didn't have room for. But apparently they got that ironed out, and Hart donned the crimson cap, at last. Or rather...he pulled out a Bama hat...said he was going to Bama...and then put the hat on the head of his friend, teammate, fellow 5* prospect, and long-time Bama commit Hasean Clinton-Dix.
Quite the bromance those two have.
Good Journey, BJ Scott
It's official.
And now for the mea culpa...
Okay, last summer I wrote this glowing mini-biography on him: Alabama's X-Factor: BJ Scott.
And then a funny thing or two happened on the way to his breakout game. Or two.
First and foremost, JUCO transfer Dequan Menzie, once thought lost for the season with an Achilles injury, made a miraculous recovery over the summer and earned one of Bama's 3 primary cornerback spots in fall camp. Saban doesn't sign JUCO players not to play, so it was no surprise a (mostly) healthy Menzie locked up a spot in the playing rotation.
At the same time, true freshman Demarcus Milliner had a mental breakthrough and started picking up the defensive schemes quickly. Reportedly, this was the aspect of the game that Scott struggled with the most. And Saban will ALWAYS favor the player who does a better job handling the mental aspect of his scheme. (See also: Milliner's fellow true freshman CJ Mosely leapfrogging several guys at linebacker by displaying a "Rolando-like" grasp of the defense.)
And just like that...Scott lost his starting job. By the time fall camp was over, he had even been passed over as (what I would call) the "emergency" corner by LSU-transfer Phelon Jones. He saw extremely limited playing time during the season and ultimately suffered an ankle injury that shut him down at the end. The one bright spot for Scott in 2010, and perhaps in his entire Bama career, was his garbage time interception in the Tennessee game that caused a minor earthquake of jubilation on the Tide sideline.
So, I'll just admit it...I was wrong on this one. Horribly wrong. And I'm really disappointed for BJ, who, by all accounts, is a good guy and teammate. Hopefully, he'll have a great two years at South Alabama.
Oh, and don't let anyone tell you that he was cast off to make room for new recruits. Completely unfounded. In fact, as recently as a week ago, Saban had met with Scott to try to convince him to stay. Even if he was never going to play a meaningful down at Alabama, you don't get rid of guys with his work ethic and attitude who are as popular with the team as BJ was/is.
That said, I think BJ's story serves as a cautionary tale during the Silly Season that is recruiting in January and February. He himself was once a 5* propect on his way to star at one of the most storied programs in college football...Today, he leaves having accomplished nothing individually and will finish his career on an unclassified team that didn't even EXIST when he graduated high school. The moral of the story? Chill OUT, people. I'm as interested in recruiting as the next guy, but keep stuff in perspective. These are kids, and nobody REALLY knows how they're going to turn out in 3 or 4 years time.
It's not worth freaking out over if your coveted 5* offensive tackle signs with your hated rival. (Foreshadowing?) It's definitely not worth stalking a kid's Facebook page and posting insults about him. Or whatever.
With that in mind, I'll be back some time soon to fuel that insanity with a check-up on Alabama's 2011 recruiting class! Who's coming!? Who's going!? I HAVE THE ANSWERS.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
South Carolina Gamecocks: 2010 Exit Survey
2010 CFBZ Prediction: 3rd Place in SEC East
2010 Actual Finish: 1st Place in SEC East (9-5, 5-3)
In 2010 the South Carolina Gamecocks finally reached the top of the SEC East. Thanks to down years from Florida, Georgia and Tennessee and wins over all of those teams the Gamecocks finally took their turn at the top in their half of the SEC. South Carolina had some big wins this year with the biggest coming against Alabama as they knocked off the #1 team in the country. Freshman RB Marcus Lattimore was amazing at times, finishing 3rd in the SEC in rushing yards, and showed how one guy at a skill position can really make a difference for a team. The other guy who should be singled out is Alshon Jeffrey. In a league of stud receivers (A.J. Green, Julio Jones, Randall Cobb, etc) Jeffrey led the league in receptions, receiving yards and TD receptions. 2010 ended on a sour note for the Gamecocks as they got spanked by eventual National Champion Auburn 56-17 in the SEC Championship Game and then lost to FSU in the Chik-fil-A Bowl 26-17. Those two losses might just help to keep the Gamecocks heads on straight going into next year as they challenge for their second consecutive SEC East Crown. We caught up with South Carolina blog Leftover Hot Dog to find out their thoughts on the Gamecocks of 2010.
Despite ending the season on a down note (losses to Auburn and FSU) South Carolina finally broke through and won the SEC East. What were your favorite memories from the season?
Doing the impossible...beating then number one Alabama at home on national tv, beating Florida in the "Swamp" for the first time to claim the SEC East and then taking part in the SEC Championship Game itself. Those are my favorite things about 2010 Gamecock football and what will be used to build the program.
Which player was the biggest surprise of the season?
The biggest surprise was the quick development of Marcus Lattimore. Everyone knew he was good coming out of high school but he was really good his freshman season at USC. He is one of the main reasons South Carolina had a special season. He accounted for 19 USC touchdowns and won many postseason Freshman of the Year awards. Safe to say, he is the real deal and will be a topic of conversation in 2011.
Which player are you most excited about for next season?
I could say Marcus Lattimore or potential USC recruit Jadeveon Clowney but I will go with Alshon Jeffery. The Gamecocks key passing target was another reason the Gamecocks had success in 2010 and are primed for more good things in 2011. The wideout can catch anything and has the speed to stretch the field. He had 88 catches for 1,517 yards and 9 TDs in 2010. Expect even more in 2011 as he will claim sole possession of the "Best WR in SEC" title now UGA's Green is gone.
Stephen Garcia has one more year in Columbia. Is he the man next year or will we continue to see more of Connor Shaw?
Stephen Garcia is someone you love and hate. 2010 was a great year for him as he threw for 3,059 yards and 20 TDs. But the backup QB is the most loved player and Connor Shaw has the talent to lead the team. I don't see it happening in 2011, at least to start. This is Garcia's team and he guided them to the SEC Championship. You will see Connor Shaw get a chance but I feel Garcia will get the nod to begin 2011 as the QB for Coach Spurrier. Now will Garcia hold onto the starting spot...well that is up to Garcia.
5. What does South Carolina need to improve the most this off-season to try and retain their SEC East Title?
South Carolina needs to add depth all around, improve linebacker play, get the secondary playing better as a unit, improve the offensive line and not be satisfied with what was accomplished in 2010. Do all that and hello SEC title as Carolina will return a lot of talent and the SEC East is still building so the opportunity to repeat as champs is present in 2011.
2010 Actual Finish: 1st Place in SEC East (9-5, 5-3)
In 2010 the South Carolina Gamecocks finally reached the top of the SEC East. Thanks to down years from Florida, Georgia and Tennessee and wins over all of those teams the Gamecocks finally took their turn at the top in their half of the SEC. South Carolina had some big wins this year with the biggest coming against Alabama as they knocked off the #1 team in the country. Freshman RB Marcus Lattimore was amazing at times, finishing 3rd in the SEC in rushing yards, and showed how one guy at a skill position can really make a difference for a team. The other guy who should be singled out is Alshon Jeffrey. In a league of stud receivers (A.J. Green, Julio Jones, Randall Cobb, etc) Jeffrey led the league in receptions, receiving yards and TD receptions. 2010 ended on a sour note for the Gamecocks as they got spanked by eventual National Champion Auburn 56-17 in the SEC Championship Game and then lost to FSU in the Chik-fil-A Bowl 26-17. Those two losses might just help to keep the Gamecocks heads on straight going into next year as they challenge for their second consecutive SEC East Crown. We caught up with South Carolina blog Leftover Hot Dog to find out their thoughts on the Gamecocks of 2010.
Despite ending the season on a down note (losses to Auburn and FSU) South Carolina finally broke through and won the SEC East. What were your favorite memories from the season?
Doing the impossible...beating then number one Alabama at home on national tv, beating Florida in the "Swamp" for the first time to claim the SEC East and then taking part in the SEC Championship Game itself. Those are my favorite things about 2010 Gamecock football and what will be used to build the program.
Which player was the biggest surprise of the season?
The biggest surprise was the quick development of Marcus Lattimore. Everyone knew he was good coming out of high school but he was really good his freshman season at USC. He is one of the main reasons South Carolina had a special season. He accounted for 19 USC touchdowns and won many postseason Freshman of the Year awards. Safe to say, he is the real deal and will be a topic of conversation in 2011.
Which player are you most excited about for next season?
I could say Marcus Lattimore or potential USC recruit Jadeveon Clowney but I will go with Alshon Jeffery. The Gamecocks key passing target was another reason the Gamecocks had success in 2010 and are primed for more good things in 2011. The wideout can catch anything and has the speed to stretch the field. He had 88 catches for 1,517 yards and 9 TDs in 2010. Expect even more in 2011 as he will claim sole possession of the "Best WR in SEC" title now UGA's Green is gone.
Stephen Garcia has one more year in Columbia. Is he the man next year or will we continue to see more of Connor Shaw?
Stephen Garcia is someone you love and hate. 2010 was a great year for him as he threw for 3,059 yards and 20 TDs. But the backup QB is the most loved player and Connor Shaw has the talent to lead the team. I don't see it happening in 2011, at least to start. This is Garcia's team and he guided them to the SEC Championship. You will see Connor Shaw get a chance but I feel Garcia will get the nod to begin 2011 as the QB for Coach Spurrier. Now will Garcia hold onto the starting spot...well that is up to Garcia.
5. What does South Carolina need to improve the most this off-season to try and retain their SEC East Title?
South Carolina needs to add depth all around, improve linebacker play, get the secondary playing better as a unit, improve the offensive line and not be satisfied with what was accomplished in 2010. Do all that and hello SEC title as Carolina will return a lot of talent and the SEC East is still building so the opportunity to repeat as champs is present in 2011.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Georgia Bulldogs Notes
- In case you were bogged down by snow in the south or live under a rock then you know that Adriel Jeremiah Green has declared for the NFL draft. It's not a big shocker for anybody. A.J. is a Top 10 pick, who could even go #1 in the draft. In 3 years at Georgia A.J. made a big mark on the UGA record books. He is 3rd in school history in catches with 166, he's 3rd in school history with 2,619 receiving yards, and he's 2nd in school history with 23 TD receptions. And those stats are with missing 7 games in his 3 years on campus (4 due to NCAA suspension and 3 due to injury). A.J. will be remembered as one of the best receivers in the history of the program and most likely the most gifted. Now it's time for Tavarres King to step up and be the man...unless someone else beats him to it.
- Only one week ago it had been several months (August to be exact) since someone had told Mark Richt and Georgia that they were verbally committing to play football for the Dawgs in 2011. Now it's a week later and 3 guys have been added to the mix. I already touched on Damian Swann and added Sanford Seay to the list of 2001 commitments. The latest guy is LB Ramik Wilson of Tampa (Fla). Wilson is an athletic 6'3, 225 pounder who played LB, TE and returned punts and kick-offs for his high school team. He had 18 sacks for his State Championship winning High School team last year. He has the body and make-up to fit as an Inside Linebacker in the 3-4 but is said to be athletic enough to play other positions if needed or ILB doesn't fit him. Scout.com pegs him as a 3-star recruit and has him listed as the #28 OLB prospect in the country. Rivals also has him as a 3-star recruit but lists him as the #16 ILB prospect in the Nation. He was also offered by Florida, USC, and Arkansas among others.
- Wilson could be put into action quickly if he has the right tools as two Bulldogs have been released from their scholarships and will transfer. Nick Williams, frustrated with being switched between safety and line backer was the first given his release. The latest is Marcus Dowtin. Dowtin looked like he had an inside track on a starting position next to Christian Robinson this upcoming season but it looks like off the field issues have derailed his Bulldog career. Last week Georgia became aware that Dowtin had been involved in a bar fight and charged with second-degree assault way back in May. Dowtin was also listed as a DNP/Coach's Decision in Georgia's loss to UCF (coaches apparently were unaware of this issue when the game was played). It's tough to see a guy with the talent of Dowtin go but the program has to be cleaned up and we cannot afford guys making mistakes like this and even worse not coming clean with the coaches when something does happen. Looks like we could be seeing a lot of Richard Samuel, or a young pup, at ILB this coming fall.
- Another recruiting nugget...Much sought after JUCO DT John Jenkins has officially de-committed to Okie State. Georgia has been hot on his trail as they've visited him twice (in Connecticut) over the past month and they have him scheduled to hit campus on January 21st. Jenkins has his final 4 as Georgia, Miami (Fl), Florida, and Auburn. Jenkins is well aware of the Dawgs needs in the middle of the defense and said "I want to be that missing link they are looking for." If the Dawgs can land Jenkins he could have a major impact for the Dawgs 3-4 defense.
LINKS TO CLICK
- Fran Tarkenton voices his displeasure with the State of the Georgia football program on a local radio program.
- AJC Recruiting Blogger, Chip Towers, talks "AJC Fab 50" and lists who is committed where and who is in consideration for non-commits. Isaiah Crowell is #1, Ray Drew is #2, Jay Rome is #3- lots of top talent is still un-signed.
- Stanford commit James Vaughters (#4 on the "AJC Fab 50") is taking a wait and see attitude on Jim Harbaugh's replacement but if he re-opens his recruitment Georgia should be one of the finalists.
- UGA VIII, Georgia's brand new mascot introduced this past fall, has been diagnosed with lymphoma. He is said to be responding well to treatment.
- Pre-Snap Read has their final re-ranking of the year up (1-120) and has Georgia finishing as #55 in the country. The best 6-7 team in the Nation. The 2nd best 6-7 team in the Nation? The nerds finished #61, also 6-7. Oh, what an awful year it was.
- Only one week ago it had been several months (August to be exact) since someone had told Mark Richt and Georgia that they were verbally committing to play football for the Dawgs in 2011. Now it's a week later and 3 guys have been added to the mix. I already touched on Damian Swann and added Sanford Seay to the list of 2001 commitments. The latest guy is LB Ramik Wilson of Tampa (Fla). Wilson is an athletic 6'3, 225 pounder who played LB, TE and returned punts and kick-offs for his high school team. He had 18 sacks for his State Championship winning High School team last year. He has the body and make-up to fit as an Inside Linebacker in the 3-4 but is said to be athletic enough to play other positions if needed or ILB doesn't fit him. Scout.com pegs him as a 3-star recruit and has him listed as the #28 OLB prospect in the country. Rivals also has him as a 3-star recruit but lists him as the #16 ILB prospect in the Nation. He was also offered by Florida, USC, and Arkansas among others.
- Wilson could be put into action quickly if he has the right tools as two Bulldogs have been released from their scholarships and will transfer. Nick Williams, frustrated with being switched between safety and line backer was the first given his release. The latest is Marcus Dowtin. Dowtin looked like he had an inside track on a starting position next to Christian Robinson this upcoming season but it looks like off the field issues have derailed his Bulldog career. Last week Georgia became aware that Dowtin had been involved in a bar fight and charged with second-degree assault way back in May. Dowtin was also listed as a DNP/Coach's Decision in Georgia's loss to UCF (coaches apparently were unaware of this issue when the game was played). It's tough to see a guy with the talent of Dowtin go but the program has to be cleaned up and we cannot afford guys making mistakes like this and even worse not coming clean with the coaches when something does happen. Looks like we could be seeing a lot of Richard Samuel, or a young pup, at ILB this coming fall.
- Another recruiting nugget...Much sought after JUCO DT John Jenkins has officially de-committed to Okie State. Georgia has been hot on his trail as they've visited him twice (in Connecticut) over the past month and they have him scheduled to hit campus on January 21st. Jenkins has his final 4 as Georgia, Miami (Fl), Florida, and Auburn. Jenkins is well aware of the Dawgs needs in the middle of the defense and said "I want to be that missing link they are looking for." If the Dawgs can land Jenkins he could have a major impact for the Dawgs 3-4 defense.
LINKS TO CLICK
- Fran Tarkenton voices his displeasure with the State of the Georgia football program on a local radio program.
- AJC Recruiting Blogger, Chip Towers, talks "AJC Fab 50" and lists who is committed where and who is in consideration for non-commits. Isaiah Crowell is #1, Ray Drew is #2, Jay Rome is #3- lots of top talent is still un-signed.
- Stanford commit James Vaughters (#4 on the "AJC Fab 50") is taking a wait and see attitude on Jim Harbaugh's replacement but if he re-opens his recruitment Georgia should be one of the finalists.
- UGA VIII, Georgia's brand new mascot introduced this past fall, has been diagnosed with lymphoma. He is said to be responding well to treatment.
- Pre-Snap Read has their final re-ranking of the year up (1-120) and has Georgia finishing as #55 in the country. The best 6-7 team in the Nation. The 2nd best 6-7 team in the Nation? The nerds finished #61, also 6-7. Oh, what an awful year it was.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Georgia Bulldogs: 2010 Exit Survey
2010 CFBZ Prediction: 2nd Place in SEC East
2010 Actual Finish: Tied for 3rd Place in SEC East (6-7, 3-5)
The 2010 season is one that everybody affiliated with the University of Georgia wants to forget. Everything that could go wrong, just about did go wrong. There were a myriad of off the field issues before the season started (which included one of the candidates to be their starting QB getting booted off the team). The star receiver (A.J. Green) was suspended for the first 4 games of the season for violating NCAA rules. The running backs couldn't stay out of trouble, couldn't stay healthy and couldn't hold onto the football. The highly touted Offensive Line was an epic failure. Even the new mascot, UGA VIII, who just debuted this year was diagnosed with cancer. Some thought Georgia had a chance to win the SEC East this year because Florida was thought to be preparing for a down year. But after starting 1-4 all Georgia could think about was winning one game, much less a conference title. One writer in Alabama has had Mark Richt on the hot seat for the past 2 or 3 years, well that time has come as his first losing season in Athens has just finished up. I am a graduate of the University of Georgia and I blog about Georgia for this very site so sometimes I'm not always unbiased. Because of that I went outside to get another opinion on the state of football in Athens. Once again we are joined by our friends at the Leather Helmet Blog as they give us their opinions about the 2010 season and take a quick peak at 2011.
Who were the most surprising players this past season?
Without a doubt the most surprising player for the Dawgs this year was Aaron Murray:
That stat-line says it all. When you consider he played the first 4 games without A.J. Green, Murray's performance is even more impressive. The off-season was spent planning ways to get the ball to Green. Green removed himself and Murray still produced a better passer rating than Stafford - not bad.
Alec Ogletree, a true freshman DB, became a starter after mid-season and will be a player to watch next year. There were others who were positive surprises but this was not a season that will be remembered for superlatives at UGA.
The biggest surprise for Georgia fans this year was the abject failure of the offensive line (making Murray's performance even more impressive). The Dawgs began the year with an experienced unit that had come on toward the end of 2009 and was expected to be a strength in 2010. If Georgia can not run the ball consistently there is little chance that the passing game will be effective. Richt's passing game relies on play action and play action does not work without a running game.
Many observers feel the offensive line problems (and D-line to some extent) are a result of a strength and conditioning program. S&C was allowed to become less effective over the past 4 years. Richt fired his S&C coordinator (and close friend) who came from FSU with him. We will see in the opener against Boise State if the problem was conditioning.
If you could have a "re-do" from any game this year which would it be and why?
Georgia lost seven games. There is no one game that, if magically changed to a win, would have turned the season around. However, I would have to pick the most embarrassing loss - Colorado. At least UCF was a conference champion and won 10 games. Both games were appalling failures.
Who are you looking most forward to watching in 2011?
Murray would have to be my first choice. He will build on the spectacular numbers he put up this year and that will be fun to watch. The most interesting group to watch will be the defense in 2011. There was definite improvement by Todd Grantham's defense in 2010. The second year will produce even more improvement, especially if he can land the type of body he needs for the nose position. S&C changes will bring defensive aggressiveness back to levels that Georgia fans demand. Combine better conditioning, more aggression and better familiarity with Grantham's 3-4 and there should be much better production from the defense.
Which players need to elevate their game the most in 2011?
Georgia is not in position to think that if this player or that player has improved stats in 2011 there will be dramatic improvement in the record. In the SEC games that UGA lost they were beaten across the line of scrimmage and that is where players must elevate their games. There is a contingent of Dawg fans who believe UGA is operating with a talent deficit to the elite of the SEC. Their contention is that recruiting has suffered over the past few years and poor talent evaluation is responsible for the Dawgs' problems. I do not believe that to be accurate. There are talent differences in UGA, Florida, Alabama and LSU but differences are minor and vary from year to year. Georgia has adequate talent in place or arriving in 2011. It is the coaching staff (including S&C) that will determine Georgia's fate. Coach Richt said in his end of the year presser that his team "was close." He's right but he and his staff have got to get the team in championship condition then instill the attitude of junkyard dawgs and sic 'em on Boise in September. Another year like 2010 will send Richt to ESPN.
2010 was a huge disappointment to every Dawg fan. In your eyes what are the biggest changes that need to be made in 2011?
Coach Richt has two problems to solve - offensive and defensive line play. He has to correct problems on both lines of scrimmage. With the exception of the nose position talent is in place. Both lines have to undergo a transformation in conditioning. That conditioning regime will go a long way toward putting fire back into line play at Georgia. But to get his team to ready compete for the SEC East title, Mark Richt is going to have to change. He will have to move out of his comfort zone. The competitive fire that he says is burning inside him needs to flash-over and scorch his team. His offensive linemen have to know that if it's 4th and 1 on the 2 - he is going to go for it and they had better not let anyone touch the ball-carrier before that yard is gained. Failure can not be an acceptable outcome.
I hope he is successful. I'm not betting the rent.
2010 Actual Finish: Tied for 3rd Place in SEC East (6-7, 3-5)
The 2010 season is one that everybody affiliated with the University of Georgia wants to forget. Everything that could go wrong, just about did go wrong. There were a myriad of off the field issues before the season started (which included one of the candidates to be their starting QB getting booted off the team). The star receiver (A.J. Green) was suspended for the first 4 games of the season for violating NCAA rules. The running backs couldn't stay out of trouble, couldn't stay healthy and couldn't hold onto the football. The highly touted Offensive Line was an epic failure. Even the new mascot, UGA VIII, who just debuted this year was diagnosed with cancer. Some thought Georgia had a chance to win the SEC East this year because Florida was thought to be preparing for a down year. But after starting 1-4 all Georgia could think about was winning one game, much less a conference title. One writer in Alabama has had Mark Richt on the hot seat for the past 2 or 3 years, well that time has come as his first losing season in Athens has just finished up. I am a graduate of the University of Georgia and I blog about Georgia for this very site so sometimes I'm not always unbiased. Because of that I went outside to get another opinion on the state of football in Athens. Once again we are joined by our friends at the Leather Helmet Blog as they give us their opinions about the 2010 season and take a quick peak at 2011.
Who were the most surprising players this past season?
Without a doubt the most surprising player for the Dawgs this year was Aaron Murray:
| ||||||||||||||||||
Alec Ogletree, a true freshman DB, became a starter after mid-season and will be a player to watch next year. There were others who were positive surprises but this was not a season that will be remembered for superlatives at UGA.
The biggest surprise for Georgia fans this year was the abject failure of the offensive line (making Murray's performance even more impressive). The Dawgs began the year with an experienced unit that had come on toward the end of 2009 and was expected to be a strength in 2010. If Georgia can not run the ball consistently there is little chance that the passing game will be effective. Richt's passing game relies on play action and play action does not work without a running game.
Many observers feel the offensive line problems (and D-line to some extent) are a result of a strength and conditioning program. S&C was allowed to become less effective over the past 4 years. Richt fired his S&C coordinator (and close friend) who came from FSU with him. We will see in the opener against Boise State if the problem was conditioning.
If you could have a "re-do" from any game this year which would it be and why?
Georgia lost seven games. There is no one game that, if magically changed to a win, would have turned the season around. However, I would have to pick the most embarrassing loss - Colorado. At least UCF was a conference champion and won 10 games. Both games were appalling failures.
Who are you looking most forward to watching in 2011?
Murray would have to be my first choice. He will build on the spectacular numbers he put up this year and that will be fun to watch. The most interesting group to watch will be the defense in 2011. There was definite improvement by Todd Grantham's defense in 2010. The second year will produce even more improvement, especially if he can land the type of body he needs for the nose position. S&C changes will bring defensive aggressiveness back to levels that Georgia fans demand. Combine better conditioning, more aggression and better familiarity with Grantham's 3-4 and there should be much better production from the defense.
Which players need to elevate their game the most in 2011?
Georgia is not in position to think that if this player or that player has improved stats in 2011 there will be dramatic improvement in the record. In the SEC games that UGA lost they were beaten across the line of scrimmage and that is where players must elevate their games. There is a contingent of Dawg fans who believe UGA is operating with a talent deficit to the elite of the SEC. Their contention is that recruiting has suffered over the past few years and poor talent evaluation is responsible for the Dawgs' problems. I do not believe that to be accurate. There are talent differences in UGA, Florida, Alabama and LSU but differences are minor and vary from year to year. Georgia has adequate talent in place or arriving in 2011. It is the coaching staff (including S&C) that will determine Georgia's fate. Coach Richt said in his end of the year presser that his team "was close." He's right but he and his staff have got to get the team in championship condition then instill the attitude of junkyard dawgs and sic 'em on Boise in September. Another year like 2010 will send Richt to ESPN.
2010 was a huge disappointment to every Dawg fan. In your eyes what are the biggest changes that need to be made in 2011?
Coach Richt has two problems to solve - offensive and defensive line play. He has to correct problems on both lines of scrimmage. With the exception of the nose position talent is in place. Both lines have to undergo a transformation in conditioning. That conditioning regime will go a long way toward putting fire back into line play at Georgia. But to get his team to ready compete for the SEC East title, Mark Richt is going to have to change. He will have to move out of his comfort zone. The competitive fire that he says is burning inside him needs to flash-over and scorch his team. His offensive linemen have to know that if it's 4th and 1 on the 2 - he is going to go for it and they had better not let anyone touch the ball-carrier before that yard is gained. Failure can not be an acceptable outcome.
I hope he is successful. I'm not betting the rent.
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Georgia Bulldogs Recruiting Update
Before this week Georgia had not received a verbal commitment since August 15th. If it was scripted in Hollywood I'm not sure that this season could have gone worse for the Georgia program. It started with off-season issues (too may to list here), continued with their star player getting suspended for the first 4 games of the season for violating NCAA rules and then piled on when Georgia lost 4 consecutive games early in the season. Georgia rebounded winning 5 of 7 (including a devastating OT loss to Florida) but then laid an egg in their bowl game against Conference USA's UCF. This year ended with the first losing season in Mark Richt's era at Georgia. The Bulldog faithful are seriously doubting if Richt can turn this program around. He has made some minimal changes going into the off-season (a change a Strength & Conditioning, which was sorely needed, was the biggest change), and AD Greg McGarity says he has taken a lot of administrative duties off of Richt's plate so that he can concentrate more on his football duties. All that being said, the key to Richt's turning Georgia around and the key to Georgia getting turned around in the next four years is this year recruiting class. The talent in the state of Georgia this year is deeper than any other year in recent memory and Georgia is still in the fight for many key "Super 11" talents.
Today might be the first step in Georgia closing out strong in recruiting this year as CB Damian Swann has verbally committed to Georgia at the All-American bowl in San Antonio. Rivals has Swann listed as the 5th best recruit in state, the 8th best Nationally at his position and 56th in the Nation. Scout has Swann listed as 6th Nationally at his position. He was also offered by Alabama, Florida, Ohio State and USC so you can tell how highly thought of he is just by those that wanted him. Depending on the decision made by Brandon Boykin (I feel it would be in his best interest to return for his senior season) he could be put into the mix in his first year. Swann also has the talent to return kicks and play on the offensive side of the football.
Looking at who the Bulldogs have left to target there are a few guys that I think would really make an impact at Georgia if they committed. RB Isaiah Crowell of Columbus is a 5-Star guy that is down to Alabama and Georgia. Crowell has the opportunity to come in and play and make an impact immediately at Georgia. Crowell is listed at #5 on the ESPN 150. Ray Drew is a 4-Star DE from Thomasville who fits a need at DE or OLB in the 3-4 and could come in and challenge for playing time immediately. Drew is listed as #5 on the ESPN 150. Getting 2 of the Top 5 guys on the ESPN 150 would be great news for the future. Another huge need for Georgia is help along the DL and although he's committed to Oklahoma State, Jonathon Jenkins (a 4-Star JUCO) is the type of player who could come in and give the DL an immediate boost. Florida, Auburn and Georgia have all been in to visit this guy recently, he's an impact player. If they can't get Jenkins they have to get an answer at DT because right now it doesn't look like the answer is on the roster.
A guy that might not have a huge immediate impact because of the depth at his position but could be a huge get for the future of the program is TE Jay Rome out of Valdosta. Rome is a 4-Star guy that ESPN has at #18 on their ESPN 150. Rome would fit in nicely with Georgia's history of quality TEs that have gone on to NFL success. WR Malcolm Mitchell, another 4-Star guy from Valdosta, could also come in and have an instant impact at Georgia. Georgia has some talent at WR with Tavarres King, Marlon Brown, Logan Gray and Rantavious Wooten but I think 1 or 2 young guys will be able to come in and add depth at WR and secure some consistent playing time. And last but not least is 6'7" OL Xzavier Ward from Moultrie. It's hard for a OL to come in and play immediately but this is a position of need for Georgia because of how much the current OL under-performed this year.
Those are the six guys that I really see as the most important right now for Georgia. In my wildest dreams Georgia won't get all of those guys but if they can get 4 of those 6 they could help Georgia start it's turnaround. So did I miss anybody that could be an immediate impact at a position of need?
Here is a quick look at who is currently committed to Georgia for the 2011/2012 season:
QB- Christian LeMay
Matthews, NC
Scout.com Star Rank- ****
Scout.com Position Rank- #8
Rivals Star Rank: ****
ESPN 150: #79
Committed: 4/30/10
CB Damian Swann
Scout.com Star Rank- ****
Scout.com Position Rank- #6
Rivals Star Rank- ****
ESPN 150: #90
Committed: 1/8/11
LB- Amarlo Herrera
College Park, GA
Scout.com Star Rank- ****
Scout.com Position Rank- #12
Rivals Star Rank- ****
Committed: 2/15/10
S- Corey Moore
Griffin, GA
Scout.com Star Rank- ****
Scout.com Position Rank- #10
Rivals Star Rank- ****
Committed: 1/30/10
S- Chris Sanders
Tucker, GA
Scout.com Star Rank- ****
Scout.com Position Rank- #20
Rivals Star Rank- ***
Committed: 1/30/10
WR- Chris Conley
Dallas, GA
Scout.com Star Rank- ****
Scout.com Position Rank- #34
Rivals Star Rank- ***
Committed: 4/16/10
C- David Andrews
Norcross, GA
Scout.com Star Rank- ***
Scout.com Position Rank- #6
Rivals Star Rank- ***
Committed: 2/22/10
CB- Devin Bowman
Rossville, GA
Scout.com Star Rank- ***
Scout.com Position Rank- #37
Rivals Star Rank- ***
Committed: 4/17/10
WR- Justin Scott-Wesley
Camilla, GA
Scout.com Star Rank- ***
Scout.com Position Rank- #54
Rivals Star Rank- ****
ESPN 150: #99
Committed: 5/5/10
DE- Sterling Bailey
Gainesville, GA
Scout.com Star Rank- ***
Scout.com Position Rank-#34
Rivals Star Rank- ****
ESPN 150: #134
Committed: 5/14/10
DB/QB/ATH Nick Marshall
Rochelle, GA
Scout.com Star Rank- ****
Scout.com Position Rank (CB)- #12
Rivals Star Rank- ****
Committed: 6/9/10
OT Watts Dantzler
Dalton, GA
Scout.com Star Rank- ****
Scout.com Position Rank- #21
Rivals Star Rank- ***
Committed: 6/19/10
OG Hunter Long
Eads, TN
Scout.com Star Rank- ***
Scout.com Position Rank- #40
Rivals Star Rank- ***
Committed: 6/23/10
OT Zach DeBell
Tarpon Springs, FL
Scout.com Star Rank- ****
Scout.com Position Rank- #29
Rivals Star Rank- ****
Committed: 7/16/10
OL Nathan Theus
Jacksonville, FL
Scout.com Star Rank- **
Rivals Star Rank- **
Committed: 7/16/10
DT Chris Mayes
Griffin, GA
Scout.com Star Rank- ***
Scout.com Position Rank- #50
Rivals Star Rank- ****
Committed: 8/22/10
WR Sanford Seay
Leesburg, GA
Scout.com Star Rank- **
Scout.com Position Rank- #181
Rivals Star Rank- ***
Committed: 1/6/11
Today might be the first step in Georgia closing out strong in recruiting this year as CB Damian Swann has verbally committed to Georgia at the All-American bowl in San Antonio. Rivals has Swann listed as the 5th best recruit in state, the 8th best Nationally at his position and 56th in the Nation. Scout has Swann listed as 6th Nationally at his position. He was also offered by Alabama, Florida, Ohio State and USC so you can tell how highly thought of he is just by those that wanted him. Depending on the decision made by Brandon Boykin (I feel it would be in his best interest to return for his senior season) he could be put into the mix in his first year. Swann also has the talent to return kicks and play on the offensive side of the football.
Looking at who the Bulldogs have left to target there are a few guys that I think would really make an impact at Georgia if they committed. RB Isaiah Crowell of Columbus is a 5-Star guy that is down to Alabama and Georgia. Crowell has the opportunity to come in and play and make an impact immediately at Georgia. Crowell is listed at #5 on the ESPN 150. Ray Drew is a 4-Star DE from Thomasville who fits a need at DE or OLB in the 3-4 and could come in and challenge for playing time immediately. Drew is listed as #5 on the ESPN 150. Getting 2 of the Top 5 guys on the ESPN 150 would be great news for the future. Another huge need for Georgia is help along the DL and although he's committed to Oklahoma State, Jonathon Jenkins (a 4-Star JUCO) is the type of player who could come in and give the DL an immediate boost. Florida, Auburn and Georgia have all been in to visit this guy recently, he's an impact player. If they can't get Jenkins they have to get an answer at DT because right now it doesn't look like the answer is on the roster.
A guy that might not have a huge immediate impact because of the depth at his position but could be a huge get for the future of the program is TE Jay Rome out of Valdosta. Rome is a 4-Star guy that ESPN has at #18 on their ESPN 150. Rome would fit in nicely with Georgia's history of quality TEs that have gone on to NFL success. WR Malcolm Mitchell, another 4-Star guy from Valdosta, could also come in and have an instant impact at Georgia. Georgia has some talent at WR with Tavarres King, Marlon Brown, Logan Gray and Rantavious Wooten but I think 1 or 2 young guys will be able to come in and add depth at WR and secure some consistent playing time. And last but not least is 6'7" OL Xzavier Ward from Moultrie. It's hard for a OL to come in and play immediately but this is a position of need for Georgia because of how much the current OL under-performed this year.
Those are the six guys that I really see as the most important right now for Georgia. In my wildest dreams Georgia won't get all of those guys but if they can get 4 of those 6 they could help Georgia start it's turnaround. So did I miss anybody that could be an immediate impact at a position of need?
Here is a quick look at who is currently committed to Georgia for the 2011/2012 season:
QB- Christian LeMay
Matthews, NC
Scout.com Star Rank- ****
Scout.com Position Rank- #8
Rivals Star Rank: ****
ESPN 150: #79
Committed: 4/30/10
CB Damian Swann
Scout.com Star Rank- ****
Scout.com Position Rank- #6
Rivals Star Rank- ****
ESPN 150: #90
Committed: 1/8/11
LB- Amarlo Herrera
College Park, GA
Scout.com Star Rank- ****
Scout.com Position Rank- #12
Rivals Star Rank- ****
Committed: 2/15/10
S- Corey Moore
Griffin, GA
Scout.com Star Rank- ****
Scout.com Position Rank- #10
Rivals Star Rank- ****
Committed: 1/30/10
S- Chris Sanders
Tucker, GA
Scout.com Star Rank- ****
Scout.com Position Rank- #20
Rivals Star Rank- ***
Committed: 1/30/10
WR- Chris Conley
Dallas, GA
Scout.com Star Rank- ****
Scout.com Position Rank- #34
Rivals Star Rank- ***
Committed: 4/16/10
C- David Andrews
Norcross, GA
Scout.com Star Rank- ***
Scout.com Position Rank- #6
Rivals Star Rank- ***
Committed: 2/22/10
CB- Devin Bowman
Rossville, GA
Scout.com Star Rank- ***
Scout.com Position Rank- #37
Rivals Star Rank- ***
Committed: 4/17/10
WR- Justin Scott-Wesley
Camilla, GA
Scout.com Star Rank- ***
Scout.com Position Rank- #54
Rivals Star Rank- ****
ESPN 150: #99
Committed: 5/5/10
DE- Sterling Bailey
Gainesville, GA
Scout.com Star Rank- ***
Scout.com Position Rank-#34
Rivals Star Rank- ****
ESPN 150: #134
Committed: 5/14/10
DB/QB/ATH Nick Marshall
Rochelle, GA
Scout.com Star Rank- ****
Scout.com Position Rank (CB)- #12
Rivals Star Rank- ****
Committed: 6/9/10
OT Watts Dantzler
Dalton, GA
Scout.com Star Rank- ****
Scout.com Position Rank- #21
Rivals Star Rank- ***
Committed: 6/19/10
OG Hunter Long
Eads, TN
Scout.com Star Rank- ***
Scout.com Position Rank- #40
Rivals Star Rank- ***
Committed: 6/23/10
OT Zach DeBell
Tarpon Springs, FL
Scout.com Star Rank- ****
Scout.com Position Rank- #29
Rivals Star Rank- ****
Committed: 7/16/10
OL Nathan Theus
Jacksonville, FL
Scout.com Star Rank- **
Rivals Star Rank- **
Committed: 7/16/10
DT Chris Mayes
Griffin, GA
Scout.com Star Rank- ***
Scout.com Position Rank- #50
Rivals Star Rank- ****
Committed: 8/22/10
WR Sanford Seay
Leesburg, GA
Scout.com Star Rank- **
Scout.com Position Rank- #181
Rivals Star Rank- ***
Committed: 1/6/11
Tennessee Volunteers: 2010 Exit Survey
2010 CFBZ Prediction: 5th Place in SEC East
2010 Actual Finish: Tied for 3rd Place in SEC East (6-7, 3-5)
Around this time last year Tennessee's Head Coach Lane Kiffin exited stage to go coach USC. The Tennessee fans who had defended all of his shenanigans did not take the news well. The program was left embarrassed and in very bad condition. Tennessee hired Nick Saban disciple Derek Dooley, who was coming off of a 4-8 season at Louisiana Tech. Needless to say Tennessee had some huge question marks coming into the season. Despite going 6-7 Tennessee probably exceeded a lot of people's expectations by finishing in a tie for 3rd in the down SEC East. Tennessee found a couple of answers during the year in freshmen Tyler Bray and Justin Hunter. It will be interesting to see how Dooley builds on this year and if he can get the Vols back to the top tier of the SEC. We talked to the Tennessee Blog Vols In the Fall to find out their take on the 2010 Volunteers and get a quick peek into 2011.
At the beginning of the year you said that a 6-6 season (and a bowl) would be a successful year for the Vols. With the season over and the Vols finishing 6-7 do you consider the season to be a success, a failure or somewhere in between?
It is hard to believe that a Volunteer would consider a 6-and-7 campaign a success, but I do. When Lane Kiffin left Knoxville in January 2010, it was the beginning of a couple of very tense weeks. New coach Derek Dooley didn't have much time to (1) recruit before National Signing Day, (2) attempt to save previous commitments, and (3) assemble a coaching staff. This was all on top of the fact (known to those in the know) that 2010 would be a season with much less in the tank than 2009. That proved to be the case. This was the least talented and thinnest squad since 1977, Johnny Major's first team at UT (which finished 4-7).
When we were at 2-and-6 going into November, the end of the world as we knew it was in our sights. But, Dooley made some tough choices, and the players never, ever quit. They had already made progress, partly seen in the way they were beginning to "play 4 quarters" even though they were losing games by buckets full of points. November was the litmus test. Even with a relatively easy schedule, the team could have tanked, but they kept improving on their way to a perfect November (including extending the streak against Kentucky to 26) and a bowl game.
The great disappointment of the bowl loss to North Carolina notwithstanding, the season was a success because of the way the coaches and players dealt with adversity from January through October 2010. Vol fans as a whole are not satisfied with a losing record, but there is a load of optimism. Think about this: if LSU and North Carolina had not been granted a final play in their games against Tennessee, the Vols would have finished with an 8-5 record. That's how close we were to respectability.
If you could have a "re-do" for one game which would it be?
That's easy - the game against LSU in Baton Rouge. We stopped the Tigers near our goal line and the clock ran to 0:00, with Tennessee ahead. Players, coaches, and fans were going bonkers with an upset of mega proportions. Unfortunately, the Vols had 13 men on the field for that last play. LSU got one more play and scored on a 1-yard run to win. It was the most heartbreaking loss I can remember, with the possible exception of the loss to North Carolina under oddly similar circumstances only more than two months later.
What were your favorite moments from the 2010 season?
Most of them occurred in November, when we rattled off four consecutive wins to salvage the season. The game of the year was the destruction of Ole Miss in Knoxville. Our offense went wild, scoring more than 50 points for the second consecutive week. It was a beautiful fall afternoon drenched in sunlight, and the Vols played near perfect football against a fairly good Ole Miss squad that went on to lose out.
Which player was the biggest surprise of the season and on the flipside who was the biggest disappointment?
The biggest surprise has to go to freshman QB Tyler Bray. Matt Sims was the starter for the first 8 games, replaced in the second half at South Carolina by Dooley in favor of Bray, who then started the remaining 5 games, including the bowl game. He was a godsend - he sparked the entire team with enthusiasm, and gave the offense a giant flamboyant passing attack. In only 5+ games, he threw for 1850 yards, 18 TDs, and 10 INTs. He threw for over 300 yards in 4 of his 5 games that he started. All of a sudden, it was pass, pass, pass...
...which in part was because of the running game, the biggest disappointment of the season, along with the kicking game. It's hard to fault Tauren Poole, who ran for more than 1,000 yards, 5th in the SEC. But it was a massive struggle for him to get that far, and in most games, our running attack was more liability than strength, going quarters/games with little ground yardage. Most of the problem was the offensive line - with three true freshman, there was little in the way of effective run blocking. The kicking game was equally disappointing. Tennessee went through punt returner after punt returner because it seemed nobody could/wanted to catch the ball. And, our kickoffs were generally very shallow, giving the opponent needless advantages.
What does Tennessee need to improve this off-season to get back into the SEC East race?
The running game has to get resurrected via recruiting, coaching, and strength training of OL and RBs. Running the ball has been a staple of Tennessee football for the last decade-plus. It will be necessary for that part of our game to recover for UT to be competitive. We are fairly well-stocked at WR and DBs for next season, but could also use improvement at LB and DL, in addition to the inadequacies of the OL and RBs.
Don't look for Tennessee to be anywhere near the top of the SEC East in 2011. Instead, look for another season around the .500 mark (7-and-5 seems like my pre-season pick right now). But if all continues to improve, 2012 and 2013 could see The Big Orange competing again for a conference title.
2010 Actual Finish: Tied for 3rd Place in SEC East (6-7, 3-5)
Around this time last year Tennessee's Head Coach Lane Kiffin exited stage to go coach USC. The Tennessee fans who had defended all of his shenanigans did not take the news well. The program was left embarrassed and in very bad condition. Tennessee hired Nick Saban disciple Derek Dooley, who was coming off of a 4-8 season at Louisiana Tech. Needless to say Tennessee had some huge question marks coming into the season. Despite going 6-7 Tennessee probably exceeded a lot of people's expectations by finishing in a tie for 3rd in the down SEC East. Tennessee found a couple of answers during the year in freshmen Tyler Bray and Justin Hunter. It will be interesting to see how Dooley builds on this year and if he can get the Vols back to the top tier of the SEC. We talked to the Tennessee Blog Vols In the Fall to find out their take on the 2010 Volunteers and get a quick peek into 2011.
At the beginning of the year you said that a 6-6 season (and a bowl) would be a successful year for the Vols. With the season over and the Vols finishing 6-7 do you consider the season to be a success, a failure or somewhere in between?
It is hard to believe that a Volunteer would consider a 6-and-7 campaign a success, but I do. When Lane Kiffin left Knoxville in January 2010, it was the beginning of a couple of very tense weeks. New coach Derek Dooley didn't have much time to (1) recruit before National Signing Day, (2) attempt to save previous commitments, and (3) assemble a coaching staff. This was all on top of the fact (known to those in the know) that 2010 would be a season with much less in the tank than 2009. That proved to be the case. This was the least talented and thinnest squad since 1977, Johnny Major's first team at UT (which finished 4-7).
When we were at 2-and-6 going into November, the end of the world as we knew it was in our sights. But, Dooley made some tough choices, and the players never, ever quit. They had already made progress, partly seen in the way they were beginning to "play 4 quarters" even though they were losing games by buckets full of points. November was the litmus test. Even with a relatively easy schedule, the team could have tanked, but they kept improving on their way to a perfect November (including extending the streak against Kentucky to 26) and a bowl game.
The great disappointment of the bowl loss to North Carolina notwithstanding, the season was a success because of the way the coaches and players dealt with adversity from January through October 2010. Vol fans as a whole are not satisfied with a losing record, but there is a load of optimism. Think about this: if LSU and North Carolina had not been granted a final play in their games against Tennessee, the Vols would have finished with an 8-5 record. That's how close we were to respectability.
If you could have a "re-do" for one game which would it be?
That's easy - the game against LSU in Baton Rouge. We stopped the Tigers near our goal line and the clock ran to 0:00, with Tennessee ahead. Players, coaches, and fans were going bonkers with an upset of mega proportions. Unfortunately, the Vols had 13 men on the field for that last play. LSU got one more play and scored on a 1-yard run to win. It was the most heartbreaking loss I can remember, with the possible exception of the loss to North Carolina under oddly similar circumstances only more than two months later.
What were your favorite moments from the 2010 season?
Most of them occurred in November, when we rattled off four consecutive wins to salvage the season. The game of the year was the destruction of Ole Miss in Knoxville. Our offense went wild, scoring more than 50 points for the second consecutive week. It was a beautiful fall afternoon drenched in sunlight, and the Vols played near perfect football against a fairly good Ole Miss squad that went on to lose out.
Which player was the biggest surprise of the season and on the flipside who was the biggest disappointment?
The biggest surprise has to go to freshman QB Tyler Bray. Matt Sims was the starter for the first 8 games, replaced in the second half at South Carolina by Dooley in favor of Bray, who then started the remaining 5 games, including the bowl game. He was a godsend - he sparked the entire team with enthusiasm, and gave the offense a giant flamboyant passing attack. In only 5+ games, he threw for 1850 yards, 18 TDs, and 10 INTs. He threw for over 300 yards in 4 of his 5 games that he started. All of a sudden, it was pass, pass, pass...
...which in part was because of the running game, the biggest disappointment of the season, along with the kicking game. It's hard to fault Tauren Poole, who ran for more than 1,000 yards, 5th in the SEC. But it was a massive struggle for him to get that far, and in most games, our running attack was more liability than strength, going quarters/games with little ground yardage. Most of the problem was the offensive line - with three true freshman, there was little in the way of effective run blocking. The kicking game was equally disappointing. Tennessee went through punt returner after punt returner because it seemed nobody could/wanted to catch the ball. And, our kickoffs were generally very shallow, giving the opponent needless advantages.
What does Tennessee need to improve this off-season to get back into the SEC East race?
The running game has to get resurrected via recruiting, coaching, and strength training of OL and RBs. Running the ball has been a staple of Tennessee football for the last decade-plus. It will be necessary for that part of our game to recover for UT to be competitive. We are fairly well-stocked at WR and DBs for next season, but could also use improvement at LB and DL, in addition to the inadequacies of the OL and RBs.
Don't look for Tennessee to be anywhere near the top of the SEC East in 2011. Instead, look for another season around the .500 mark (7-and-5 seems like my pre-season pick right now). But if all continues to improve, 2012 and 2013 could see The Big Orange competing again for a conference title.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Decision Day Looming for Bama Juniors
The buzz around Tuscaloosa is that the Crimson Tide's draft-eligible juniors will be making their intentions known very soon, some possibly as early as tomorrow. With that in mind, I thought I'd take a moment to review their performance this past season, consider where they likely figure into the NFL Draft, and give you my best guess on whether they'll stay or go. And my opinion on whether they really should or not. We'll start with the easy ones...
Marcell Dareus
2010 Stats: 5 sacks, 11 tackles for a loss
Dareus went from relative anonymity to being projected as a Top 5 draft pick almost overnight following his performance in the 2010 BCS Championship game. He seemed poised to dominate in his final season, but his year was thrown off track before it even began when he fell into a scandal with an agent (you may have heard about it). He missed two games, but then suffered a high ankle sprain in his 2nd game back at Arkansas. He would struggle with that injury for the rest of the season, which lessened his ability to fight through the constant double-teams he drew. As a result, his statistical productivity fell far below expectations. However, he played his best games at the end of the year against Auburn and Michigan State, and his draft stock does not appear to have dropped significantly. Most mock drafts still have him going in the Top 5 and none have him going later than the Top 10. His freakish mix of size and athleticism is too much to pass up on.
What Should He Do? He should ABSOLUTELY enter the Draft. You can't turn your nose up at that kind of money.
What WILL He Do? He ABSOLUTELY will enter the Draft. It's been a foregone conclusion since Mel Kiper's first 2011 big board came out.
Mark Ingram
2010 Stats: 875 rushing yards, 282 receiving yards, 14 total TDs
Much like Dareus, Ingram didn't have quite the follow-up to his Heisman-winning 2009 season that had been expected. A freak knee injury the week of the Tide's season opener kept him out of 2 games. But while he looked sharp immediately upon his return, the grind of the SEC schedule clearly wore down his surgically-repaired knee. He also wasn't helped out by an offensive line that was far less dominant up the middle than the 09 unit. Nonetheless, Ingram remains far and away the top-rated running back in this year's draft. Most mocks have him projected somewhere between 11 and 19, which sounds about right for a back without elite top-end speed. He's going to fall more in the Knowshon Moreno range than the Adrian Peterson range.
What Should He Do? GO. Running backs only have so many hits in them, so you better start getting paid for them as quickly as possible. With the aforementioned lack of CJ Spiller-esque speed, it's unlikely he could improve his draft stock in his senior season. At least this year, he's certain to be the first back off the board, which will be a big check.
What WILL He Do? He's gone already. At least that's what Barry Sanders Jr. said Saban told him a few days ago.
Julio Jones
2010 Stats: 78 catches, 1133 receiving yards, 135 rushing yards, 9 total TDs
Julio bounced back from an injury-marred sophomore slump and finally fulfilled the promise he showed as a freshman. Oddly, he was at his most productive after breaking his hand on his first catch in the South Carolina game. Of all the Bama juniors, Julio did the most to help his draft stock this season. He's gone from being perceived as maybe a fringe 1st round pick to the solid #2 receiver behind AJ Green, likely getting drafted somewhere in the top 15 picks. If Justin Blackmon from Oklahoma State declares, he may push Julio for that spot based on his production this season, but Julio is a genetic freak who will dominate the workout circuit and his team-first attitude will draw raves from coaches.
What Should He Do? He should enter the draft. It's possible he could increase his productivity next year with a strong-armed new QB (McCarron OR Sims)...or his productivity could be dragged down by a strong-armed new QB. It's a crap shoot there. Meanwhile, he'll face similar competition for the #1 receiver spot from the likes of Alshon Jeffery or Blackmon in the 2012 draft. The risk/reward is just too great.
What WILL He Do? This is a closer call than you might think. Julio is an interesting cat, to say the least, and he doesn't look at things the way most big-time wide receivers do. He loves playing at Alabama and, unlike most college athletes, actually comes off as sincere when he talks about his desire to get his degree. That said, there are a lot of ways to finish your degree in 2011 that don't involve playing college football and a 1st round NFL contract will pay for it just as well as a scholarship will. Ultimately, the money will be too much.
Dont'a Hightower2010 Stats: 70 tackles, 3.5 tackles for a loss
Prior to suffering a catastrophic knee injury against Arkansas in 09, most would have guessed Hightower was a lock for the draft today. But, despite a preternaturally quick recovery that saw him back in contact drills by spring practice, Hightower struggled to regain his footing on the field this season. Beginning the season in two knee braces, he was noticeably slower and seemed to struggle taking over for Rolondo McClain at the Mike position. A move back to Will and the loss of a knee brace midway through the season seemed to help, but he was still clearly less than 100%. A completely knee-brace free Hightower appeared in the Capital One Bowl and looked faster and more violent than he had all year. As of today, his draft buzz is practically nil and he would have to do a significant amount of work in the evaluation period to get his stock back up to pre-injury levels.
What Should He Do? He should return for his senior season (or redshirt junior season, however they're classifying it this week). It's probably in his best interests to take another offseason getting his knee back to 100% so he can have a dynamite senior season and maybe crack the top 2 rounds. This year, I think the 3rd round is his ceiling, and that's no given.
What WILL He Do? I'm fairly certain he'll be back. He's a smart guy. The potential lockout may be a factor here as well. The 2nd and 3rd tier (and below...) prospects are really the only guys who's draft decisions will be affected by the threat of no season, and that's where Hightower is right now.
Mark Barron
2010 Stats: 75 tackles, 3 interceptions, 6 pass breakups, 2 sacks
Barron followed-up his breakout sophomore season with another strong year. He was slightly less productive but that was mainly due to opponents choosing to take their shots elsewhere in an inexperienced secondary. Like Julio, Barron is an incredible physical specimen who might actually play linebacker in other systems. He, too, would likely dominate the workout circuit. He was a lock to declare for the draft until about halfway through the Iron Bowl, when he tore a pectoral muscle attempting to break up a pass. His recovery time is currently thought to be 4-6 months, meaning there's no way he'll be able to show scouts much of anything prior to draft day.
What Should He Do? No question: he should stay. Prior to the injury, he was a surefire second rounder with the possibility to work his way into the 1st like Kareem Jackson did last year. Now, there's no limit to how far he could fall. He needs to stay in school, rehab his pec, and have a good, healthy senior season. He'll cost himself a lot of money entering the draft this year.
What WILL He Do? This one is tough. I think Barron knows the best thing to do, from a football perspective, is return for his senior season. However, there's also some word that his family has a tough financial situation and he's feeling obligated and/or pressured to go pro now to support them. This is too close to call right now.
Courtney Upshaw
2010 Stats: 52 tackles, 14.5 tackles for a loss, 7 sacks
Upshaw was my pick to be this season's breakout player, but, much like Dareus, a high ankle sprain suffered in the very first game of the season derailed those projections. He recovered well enough to play his best game of the season against Auburn, after which he indicated he would be returning for his senior season. And then he showed up at the Capital One Bowl and played the lights-out game of the year. Now his return is not so certain. He's currently getting post-bowl performance buzz similar to what Dareus was getting at this time last year. He has great size and athleticism, and NFL scouts are always looking for elite pass rushers.
What Should He Do? I honestly think he could go either way. Like a lot of Bama's top guys, he'll test out very well on the workout circuit and could very easily earn a 2nd round grade this year. I also think he could return for his senior season and raise his stock to the 1st round as a top pass rusher. It just depends on if he wants to take the injury risk.
What WILL He Do? My gut says he'll be with the Tide in 2011. He also may be one of those 2nd tier players who could be scared off by the lockout.
Marquis Maze
2010 Stats: 38 receptions, 557 receiving yards, 3 receiving TDs, 1 passing TD
This might be a surprising name. Maze has been one of the great underrated (and some might argue, underutilized) players for the Tide over the past 3 years. He's been a very consistent player the past 2 seasons with great speed and mobility and good hands. That said, while he clearly has all the tools to be great, he has yet to actually prove himself as more than a capable supporting player. He certainly doesn't have very strong draft buzz, if any at all. And yet, the word for a while has been that Maze will declare for the draft. Why? Who knows. There is some speculation that he may have a baby on the way and needs the NFL check to support the new addition, but take that for what it's worth.
What Should He Do? Stay in school. If you're a 5'10" receiver, you better be special if you hope to get drafted. Maze hasn't shown anything like "special" yet. He needs to return next season, free from Julio's shadow, and show what he can do as the 1st option at receiver. I'm 100% sure that he will NOT be drafted this year. Maybe he'll make a team as a free agent, but I don't see how that chance is worth giving up a free college degree.
What WILL He Do? He has his mind made up. He's entering the draft. I've been hearing that he has considered this his final year since before the season started. I don't get it, but best of luck to him.
I'll be back to check upon these guys as their decisions become official.
Marcell Dareus
2010 Stats: 5 sacks, 11 tackles for a loss
Dareus went from relative anonymity to being projected as a Top 5 draft pick almost overnight following his performance in the 2010 BCS Championship game. He seemed poised to dominate in his final season, but his year was thrown off track before it even began when he fell into a scandal with an agent (you may have heard about it). He missed two games, but then suffered a high ankle sprain in his 2nd game back at Arkansas. He would struggle with that injury for the rest of the season, which lessened his ability to fight through the constant double-teams he drew. As a result, his statistical productivity fell far below expectations. However, he played his best games at the end of the year against Auburn and Michigan State, and his draft stock does not appear to have dropped significantly. Most mock drafts still have him going in the Top 5 and none have him going later than the Top 10. His freakish mix of size and athleticism is too much to pass up on.
What Should He Do? He should ABSOLUTELY enter the Draft. You can't turn your nose up at that kind of money.
What WILL He Do? He ABSOLUTELY will enter the Draft. It's been a foregone conclusion since Mel Kiper's first 2011 big board came out.
Mark Ingram
2010 Stats: 875 rushing yards, 282 receiving yards, 14 total TDs
Much like Dareus, Ingram didn't have quite the follow-up to his Heisman-winning 2009 season that had been expected. A freak knee injury the week of the Tide's season opener kept him out of 2 games. But while he looked sharp immediately upon his return, the grind of the SEC schedule clearly wore down his surgically-repaired knee. He also wasn't helped out by an offensive line that was far less dominant up the middle than the 09 unit. Nonetheless, Ingram remains far and away the top-rated running back in this year's draft. Most mocks have him projected somewhere between 11 and 19, which sounds about right for a back without elite top-end speed. He's going to fall more in the Knowshon Moreno range than the Adrian Peterson range.
What Should He Do? GO. Running backs only have so many hits in them, so you better start getting paid for them as quickly as possible. With the aforementioned lack of CJ Spiller-esque speed, it's unlikely he could improve his draft stock in his senior season. At least this year, he's certain to be the first back off the board, which will be a big check.
What WILL He Do? He's gone already. At least that's what Barry Sanders Jr. said Saban told him a few days ago.
Julio Jones
2010 Stats: 78 catches, 1133 receiving yards, 135 rushing yards, 9 total TDs
Julio bounced back from an injury-marred sophomore slump and finally fulfilled the promise he showed as a freshman. Oddly, he was at his most productive after breaking his hand on his first catch in the South Carolina game. Of all the Bama juniors, Julio did the most to help his draft stock this season. He's gone from being perceived as maybe a fringe 1st round pick to the solid #2 receiver behind AJ Green, likely getting drafted somewhere in the top 15 picks. If Justin Blackmon from Oklahoma State declares, he may push Julio for that spot based on his production this season, but Julio is a genetic freak who will dominate the workout circuit and his team-first attitude will draw raves from coaches.
What Should He Do? He should enter the draft. It's possible he could increase his productivity next year with a strong-armed new QB (McCarron OR Sims)...or his productivity could be dragged down by a strong-armed new QB. It's a crap shoot there. Meanwhile, he'll face similar competition for the #1 receiver spot from the likes of Alshon Jeffery or Blackmon in the 2012 draft. The risk/reward is just too great.
What WILL He Do? This is a closer call than you might think. Julio is an interesting cat, to say the least, and he doesn't look at things the way most big-time wide receivers do. He loves playing at Alabama and, unlike most college athletes, actually comes off as sincere when he talks about his desire to get his degree. That said, there are a lot of ways to finish your degree in 2011 that don't involve playing college football and a 1st round NFL contract will pay for it just as well as a scholarship will. Ultimately, the money will be too much.
Dont'a Hightower2010 Stats: 70 tackles, 3.5 tackles for a loss
Prior to suffering a catastrophic knee injury against Arkansas in 09, most would have guessed Hightower was a lock for the draft today. But, despite a preternaturally quick recovery that saw him back in contact drills by spring practice, Hightower struggled to regain his footing on the field this season. Beginning the season in two knee braces, he was noticeably slower and seemed to struggle taking over for Rolondo McClain at the Mike position. A move back to Will and the loss of a knee brace midway through the season seemed to help, but he was still clearly less than 100%. A completely knee-brace free Hightower appeared in the Capital One Bowl and looked faster and more violent than he had all year. As of today, his draft buzz is practically nil and he would have to do a significant amount of work in the evaluation period to get his stock back up to pre-injury levels.
What Should He Do? He should return for his senior season (or redshirt junior season, however they're classifying it this week). It's probably in his best interests to take another offseason getting his knee back to 100% so he can have a dynamite senior season and maybe crack the top 2 rounds. This year, I think the 3rd round is his ceiling, and that's no given.
What WILL He Do? I'm fairly certain he'll be back. He's a smart guy. The potential lockout may be a factor here as well. The 2nd and 3rd tier (and below...) prospects are really the only guys who's draft decisions will be affected by the threat of no season, and that's where Hightower is right now.
Mark Barron
2010 Stats: 75 tackles, 3 interceptions, 6 pass breakups, 2 sacks
Barron followed-up his breakout sophomore season with another strong year. He was slightly less productive but that was mainly due to opponents choosing to take their shots elsewhere in an inexperienced secondary. Like Julio, Barron is an incredible physical specimen who might actually play linebacker in other systems. He, too, would likely dominate the workout circuit. He was a lock to declare for the draft until about halfway through the Iron Bowl, when he tore a pectoral muscle attempting to break up a pass. His recovery time is currently thought to be 4-6 months, meaning there's no way he'll be able to show scouts much of anything prior to draft day.
What Should He Do? No question: he should stay. Prior to the injury, he was a surefire second rounder with the possibility to work his way into the 1st like Kareem Jackson did last year. Now, there's no limit to how far he could fall. He needs to stay in school, rehab his pec, and have a good, healthy senior season. He'll cost himself a lot of money entering the draft this year.
What WILL He Do? This one is tough. I think Barron knows the best thing to do, from a football perspective, is return for his senior season. However, there's also some word that his family has a tough financial situation and he's feeling obligated and/or pressured to go pro now to support them. This is too close to call right now.
Courtney Upshaw
2010 Stats: 52 tackles, 14.5 tackles for a loss, 7 sacks
Upshaw was my pick to be this season's breakout player, but, much like Dareus, a high ankle sprain suffered in the very first game of the season derailed those projections. He recovered well enough to play his best game of the season against Auburn, after which he indicated he would be returning for his senior season. And then he showed up at the Capital One Bowl and played the lights-out game of the year. Now his return is not so certain. He's currently getting post-bowl performance buzz similar to what Dareus was getting at this time last year. He has great size and athleticism, and NFL scouts are always looking for elite pass rushers.
What Should He Do? I honestly think he could go either way. Like a lot of Bama's top guys, he'll test out very well on the workout circuit and could very easily earn a 2nd round grade this year. I also think he could return for his senior season and raise his stock to the 1st round as a top pass rusher. It just depends on if he wants to take the injury risk.
What WILL He Do? My gut says he'll be with the Tide in 2011. He also may be one of those 2nd tier players who could be scared off by the lockout.
Marquis Maze
2010 Stats: 38 receptions, 557 receiving yards, 3 receiving TDs, 1 passing TD
This might be a surprising name. Maze has been one of the great underrated (and some might argue, underutilized) players for the Tide over the past 3 years. He's been a very consistent player the past 2 seasons with great speed and mobility and good hands. That said, while he clearly has all the tools to be great, he has yet to actually prove himself as more than a capable supporting player. He certainly doesn't have very strong draft buzz, if any at all. And yet, the word for a while has been that Maze will declare for the draft. Why? Who knows. There is some speculation that he may have a baby on the way and needs the NFL check to support the new addition, but take that for what it's worth.
What Should He Do? Stay in school. If you're a 5'10" receiver, you better be special if you hope to get drafted. Maze hasn't shown anything like "special" yet. He needs to return next season, free from Julio's shadow, and show what he can do as the 1st option at receiver. I'm 100% sure that he will NOT be drafted this year. Maybe he'll make a team as a free agent, but I don't see how that chance is worth giving up a free college degree.
What WILL He Do? He has his mind made up. He's entering the draft. I've been hearing that he has considered this his final year since before the season started. I don't get it, but best of luck to him.
I'll be back to check upon these guys as their decisions become official.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Bama's First Coaching Change of the Offseason: Davis Out, Rumph In
There had been some rumors of potential coaching turnover on the Crimson Tide staff over the past month or two, but the first actual move was both sudden and unexpected. After weeks of speculation surrounding Kirby Smart and the defensive coordinator position at Florida (going nowhere, by the way), it was Bama defensive line coach Bo Davis who quietly boarded a plane bound for Austin, Texas, Monday morning. Initial word was that it was for an "interview," but it quickly became apparent that any interview was nothing more than a formality. Though no official announcement has been made, most credible news sources are in agreement today that Davis has accepted a job as the Longhorns' new "Defensive Tackles Coach."
And yet, almost as suddenly as news of Davis' departure for Texas began to make the rounds, one name immediately sprang up as his replacement: Clemson defensive ends coach Chris Rumph. And now, reports are that Rumph has notified Clemson that he's coming to Tuscaloosa.
So, time to answer a few questions on the change:
First, what exactly happened here?
This is just my opinion with nothing to support it except my understanding of how these things work, but this all happened a bit too quickly and bit too tidily to not have been pre-orchestrated by Nick Saban. It's actually a fairly common practice for a head coach who's not happy with the job an assistant has done, but also personally likes the assistant, to facilitate a move elsewhere instead of straight-up firing him. Saban did the same thing for Major Applewhite after the disasterous 2007 season. I mean, this is a lateral move for Davis at best (it could even be looked at as somewhat of a demotion considering he's going from being "defensive line" coach to "defensive tackles" coach), and I highly doubt he's getting a significant pay raise for it, as he was already well paid for his role at Alabama. And he has no real ties to Texas that I'm aware of. The move doesn't make a lot of sense for Davis.
On the other hand, Saban openly expressed his disappointment and frustration with the defense's lack of success in generating sacks and tackles for a loss in the lead up to the bowl game (as have I, all season long here), and that obviously starts with the defensive line. It was evident in his statements that the injuries to key players like Marcell Dareus were not an adequate excuse for the lack of production. The motivation was clearly there for Saban to make a move. The fact that Rumph was seemingly waiting in the wings the moment Davis to Texas was a done deal definitely leads creedance to the theory of intelligent design at play in this situation.
Next, what does this mean for Bama going forward? Is this an upgrade or a downgrade?
I'll start by giving Davis his due. He's a solid recruiter, and he did a very nice job of molding some lesser talents into a solid DL unit in his first few seasons at Alabama. And, yes, he has to get credit for helping refine Dareus into the quarterback killdozer he is when healthy (though MD really stepped onto campus a full-grown man ready to play). However, if we're being honest, his 2010 DL unit was a bit of a mess, despite having more talent than nearly any other line in the nation. On paper, they were a strong unit (#9 rush defense), but when you actually watched the games, their play was maddening. Endless big plays were left on the field. Numerous tackles for a loss (#65 nationally) and sacks (#54) were missed due to poor tackling, and opposing offense were frequently bailed out with timely offsides penalties. To put it bluntly...In a season of disappointments, the defensive line was perhaps the biggest.
Conversely, Clemson's defensive line enjoyed an incredibly productive season under the guidance of Rumph (and defensive tackle coach Dan Brooks), highlighted by the emergence of stud DE Da'Quan Bowers, who lead the nation in sacks, finished #2 in tackles for a loss, and collected numerous awards and honors. As a unit, his line finished 5th in rushing TDs allowed, always a stat of great importance to Saban. Rumph also has a very strong reputation as a recruiter. In fact, the consensus #1 recruit in the nation, Jadeveon Clowney, has gone on the record saying his relationship with Rumph was the only reason he was going to take an official visit to Clemson.
Oh, by the way, his recruitment is currently seen as a two team race between South Carolina and...Alabama. Think this might help?
So, yeah, I think this looks like a very positive move right now.
Finally, is this the end or just the beginning of Bama's staff changes?
The beginning. I don't think we'll see too many more changes this offseason, but there will be at least one more. I really think offensive coordinator Jim McElwain will be on the move before too long. I think McElwain to Texas rumors have a lot of substance to them.
And yet, almost as suddenly as news of Davis' departure for Texas began to make the rounds, one name immediately sprang up as his replacement: Clemson defensive ends coach Chris Rumph. And now, reports are that Rumph has notified Clemson that he's coming to Tuscaloosa.
So, time to answer a few questions on the change:
First, what exactly happened here?
This is just my opinion with nothing to support it except my understanding of how these things work, but this all happened a bit too quickly and bit too tidily to not have been pre-orchestrated by Nick Saban. It's actually a fairly common practice for a head coach who's not happy with the job an assistant has done, but also personally likes the assistant, to facilitate a move elsewhere instead of straight-up firing him. Saban did the same thing for Major Applewhite after the disasterous 2007 season. I mean, this is a lateral move for Davis at best (it could even be looked at as somewhat of a demotion considering he's going from being "defensive line" coach to "defensive tackles" coach), and I highly doubt he's getting a significant pay raise for it, as he was already well paid for his role at Alabama. And he has no real ties to Texas that I'm aware of. The move doesn't make a lot of sense for Davis.
On the other hand, Saban openly expressed his disappointment and frustration with the defense's lack of success in generating sacks and tackles for a loss in the lead up to the bowl game (as have I, all season long here), and that obviously starts with the defensive line. It was evident in his statements that the injuries to key players like Marcell Dareus were not an adequate excuse for the lack of production. The motivation was clearly there for Saban to make a move. The fact that Rumph was seemingly waiting in the wings the moment Davis to Texas was a done deal definitely leads creedance to the theory of intelligent design at play in this situation.
Next, what does this mean for Bama going forward? Is this an upgrade or a downgrade?
I'll start by giving Davis his due. He's a solid recruiter, and he did a very nice job of molding some lesser talents into a solid DL unit in his first few seasons at Alabama. And, yes, he has to get credit for helping refine Dareus into the quarterback killdozer he is when healthy (though MD really stepped onto campus a full-grown man ready to play). However, if we're being honest, his 2010 DL unit was a bit of a mess, despite having more talent than nearly any other line in the nation. On paper, they were a strong unit (#9 rush defense), but when you actually watched the games, their play was maddening. Endless big plays were left on the field. Numerous tackles for a loss (#65 nationally) and sacks (#54) were missed due to poor tackling, and opposing offense were frequently bailed out with timely offsides penalties. To put it bluntly...In a season of disappointments, the defensive line was perhaps the biggest.
Conversely, Clemson's defensive line enjoyed an incredibly productive season under the guidance of Rumph (and defensive tackle coach Dan Brooks), highlighted by the emergence of stud DE Da'Quan Bowers, who lead the nation in sacks, finished #2 in tackles for a loss, and collected numerous awards and honors. As a unit, his line finished 5th in rushing TDs allowed, always a stat of great importance to Saban. Rumph also has a very strong reputation as a recruiter. In fact, the consensus #1 recruit in the nation, Jadeveon Clowney, has gone on the record saying his relationship with Rumph was the only reason he was going to take an official visit to Clemson.
Oh, by the way, his recruitment is currently seen as a two team race between South Carolina and...Alabama. Think this might help?
So, yeah, I think this looks like a very positive move right now.
Finally, is this the end or just the beginning of Bama's staff changes?
The beginning. I don't think we'll see too many more changes this offseason, but there will be at least one more. I really think offensive coordinator Jim McElwain will be on the move before too long. I think McElwain to Texas rumors have a lot of substance to them.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Georgia Ends Season With Embarrassing Loss to UCF
There is really nothing more that you can say about the Georgia Bulldogs 2010 season other than it was an embarrassing disappointment. Despite going 8-5 last year and 6-7 this year Mark Richt still owns a career record of 96-34 at Georgia. The major question this off-season is if he can save his coaching tenure with his performance in 2011. It's obvious that the administration has some confidence in him but the fanbase has definitely turned against him after this latest embarrassing loss.
The Liberty Bowl loss to UCF is the worst loss in recent memory for Georgia. Georgia's defense, which has been up and down this year under 1st year DC Todd Grantham, played good enough to win. When you only give up 10 points to your opponent you should win 100% of the time. Former Georgia Bulldogs National Championship QB and current 680 the fan personality Buck Belue summed up Georgia's performance pretty well in one of his latest blogs:
Here is what I witnessed, sitting on the thirty-five yard line. There guys whipped our guys. And I know the popular criticism is to slam the Georgia coaches, but I start my criticism with the players. The 'Dogs lost too many individual battles across the board. Especially with the game on the line in the 4th quarter. Let me count'm: Trinton Sturdivant chop blocks on the next to last possession, which put them in a 1st-and-25 situation. Final drive: Tav King has a key drop. Aaron Murray took some bad sacks---late in the game the QB has to get rid of it and not take a sack, or order to stop the clock. Those were rookie mistakes. The O-Line couldn't give Murray a clean pocket late. Sturvidant got whipped by Bruce Miller.
The Liberty Bowl loss to UCF is the worst loss in recent memory for Georgia. Georgia's defense, which has been up and down this year under 1st year DC Todd Grantham, played good enough to win. When you only give up 10 points to your opponent you should win 100% of the time. Former Georgia Bulldogs National Championship QB and current 680 the fan personality Buck Belue summed up Georgia's performance pretty well in one of his latest blogs:
Here is what I witnessed, sitting on the thirty-five yard line. There guys whipped our guys. And I know the popular criticism is to slam the Georgia coaches, but I start my criticism with the players. The 'Dogs lost too many individual battles across the board. Especially with the game on the line in the 4th quarter. Let me count'm: Trinton Sturdivant chop blocks on the next to last possession, which put them in a 1st-and-25 situation. Final drive: Tav King has a key drop. Aaron Murray took some bad sacks---late in the game the QB has to get rid of it and not take a sack, or order to stop the clock. Those were rookie mistakes. The O-Line couldn't give Murray a clean pocket late. Sturvidant got whipped by Bruce Miller.
Georgia players did not step up. Bulldog players got whipped by UCF players. That's what I saw. This wasn't about getting "out-coached." We got outplayed. We did not look strong, or physical.
And that's where we sit after a 6-7 year with more than our share of 3-star and 4-star talents and some 5-star guys sprinkled in. The biggest disappointment for me this year has been the OL and DL inability to win individual battles. The OL was the biggest sore point in the UCF game as they just got beaten up by guys smaller than them. Aaron Murray didn't have time to throw and the running game never developed. We supposedly have 3 or 4 guys talked about as having NFL type talent on the OL but none of them have lived up to their potential this year. On the DL, we are undersized and in desperate need of a JUCO DT or two (see also: Auburn and Alabama success with this) to plug in to take up space.
Going into next year I see Georgia's major weaknesses on both lines of scrimmage and in the backfield (specifically at RB and FB). The loss of Shaun Chapas is going to hurt more than you think. Can Georgia address their OL and DL this off-season? Can they add a play-maker at RB (like South Carolina did with Marcus Lattimore)? Those are the major questions that need to be answered if Mark Richt can save his job in 2011.
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Georgia Bulldogs Pre-Bowl Season Grades
It's hard to imagine that the 2010 season for Georgia would have ended up with 6 wins and 6 losses. It seemed that everything that could go wrong, did go wrong early in the season. Whether it was kids getting trouble, Georgia turning the ball over at the most inopportune times or guys cramping up at pivotal moments of the game. Georgia started off an unthinkable 1-4 losing heart breakers to Arkansas and Colorado and fumbling away games to South Carolina and Mississippi State. Georgia bounced back on the second half of their schedule going 5-2 losing another heart breaker in OT to Florida and losing to the #1 team in the Nation. Georgia has a lot of work to do to get back to being a top tier team in the SEC and in the SEC East. Georgia is now 14-11 over the last two years so let's take a look at the report card for this season and see where Georgia needs the most help in getting back to the top.
QUARTERBACK:
For most people, myself included, this was the biggest question mark for the Bulldogs offense coming into the season. During the off-season Zach Mettenberger was booted off the team for misdemeanor sexual battery and lying to his head coach (but hey, he found a landing spot with LSU and Les Miles) and it left Georgia with only 3 scholarship QBs, one of which would move to WR after losing the QB race. Redshirt Freshman Aaron Murray was chosen as the starter and Georgia fans were excited but didn't really know what to expect. So how did Aaron Murray do? He was flat out, bar none, the best freshman QB in the NCAA this year. No disrespect to guys like Taylor Martinez, Jake Heaps, Jeff Godfrey, Danny O'Brien, or Nathan Scheelhaase but Murray was the man. Murray finished with 24 TDs versus only 6 interceptions (his 24 TDs tied him with the likes of Eric Zeier and D.J. Shockley in Georgia folklore and he is fast on the trail of Matthew Stafford's junior season). Murray also rushed for 4 TDs. Murray finished with a 61.8% completion rate and had an efficiency rating of 162.72 (which ranked him in the Top 10 Nationally for all QBs ahead of guys like Ricky Stanzi, Dan Persa, Tyrod Taylor, Terrelle Pryor, Brandon Wheedon, Christian Ponder, and Jake Locker). It's hard to imagine Aaron Murray having a better freshman season. It really makes you wonder how bad everyone else was that caused us to be 6-6.
GRADE: A+
RUNNING BACK:
Going into the season I was pretty excited about our tandem of RBs but my excitement didn't come to fruition. Washaun Ealey and Caleb King both had off-field problems that kept them from playing in all of the games and neither guy really found themselves this year. Both guys showed flashes of being very good SEC caliber RBs and both guys fumbled the ball at critical points in games causing us to have the record that we do. The only reason that the Georgia RBs don't get an "F" from me on their grade is because Shaun Chapas is such a great FB.
GRADE: D
WR/TE:
The biggest disappointment here was having A.J. Green miss the first 4 games of what is basically his "senior" season. It's so difficult because as a fan you have to play the "What If" game. What if we had him against Arkansas? What if Colorado wasn't his first game and he didn't cramp up in the game due to inactivity? I think if we had A.J. that minimally we are 8-4 but we didn't have him. Once A.J. got in the games he was amazing. Despite missing 4 games he still tied for 5th in the SEC in catches and his 9 TDs tied him for 1st in the SEC (a league with Alshon Jeffrey, Julio Jones and Randall Cobb). The breakout star this year of the WR corps was Kris Durham. Durham averaged an SEC best 21 yards per catch and it just seemed like he came down with every tough catch that he needed to. Tavarres King also had a decent year with 23 receptions, an average of 20+ ypc and 3 TDs. TE Orson Charles started to break-out towards the end of the year and finished with 24 catches and 2 TDs. The new Strength & Conditioning coach has told Orson that he's going to put 50 pounds on him AND make him faster. Looking to next year, Georgia needs Tavarres King to step up and be the #1 receiver and they need guys like Marlon Brown and Logan Gray to step up and be #2 and #3 targets unless a freshman comes in and takes the world by storm. I would also like to see more Brandon Smith and possibly some Nick Marshall at receiver next year with the absence of A.J. and Durham. Overall, I can't really think of the receivers letting us down more than once this year (this is where I don't mention Aron White's drop against Florida that became an interception). I'm very satisfied with the play of our receivers, I just which we would have had A.J. and would have utilized Orson more in the offense.
GRADE: B+
OFFENSIVE LINE:
Going into the year this was the position that everybody thought would be the biggest strength of the team. Well, they were wrong. The OL for the first half of the season was terrible. The biggest issue was the run blocking as they couldn't open holes for anybody and just got whipped at the line of scrimmage. Some changes were made and in the second half of the season they seemed to play pretty well but you still had plays where the RBs were getting blown up as they got the ball handed off to them and that should never happen. This unit needs significant improvement next year.
GRADE: D
DEFENSIVE LINE:
They say that the game is won in the trenches, on the OL and on the DL. Those were the two aspects of the game where the Dawgs got whipped the most this year. The likes of South Carolina, Mississippi State and Colorado just whipped the Dawgs on the line of scrimmage. The biggest issue for Georgia is that they simply didn't have the bodies to play Todd Grantham's 3-4 on the line. Georgia is in desperate need of help from the JUCO ranks to bolster the DL and DE positions (just ask Auburn/Alabama how a great DL/DT JUCO guy can make an impact for your team).
GRADE: F
LINE BACKERS:
I thought Georgia's LBs played pretty well this year and got better as the season went on and they got more accustomed to the 3-4 defense. Justin Houston made at least one All-American team and finished as the SEC sack leader with 11. Akeem Dent blossomed into a defensive leader and finished with 121 tackles, which although aided by not being able to get off the field on 3rd down was 2nd in the SEC. I also thought that Christian Robinson and Marcus Dowtin played well at times. The biggest opportunity for next year is finding a replacement for Houston if he goes pro and finding someone to play opposite him if he stays. It should also be noted that next year we will see the greatest tandem of LBs in the history of the Georgia Scout Team, Richard Samuel and USC transfer Jarvis Jones, getting a chance to break the starting line-up. I have a feeling that Jones could be special.
GRADE: B-
SECONDARY:
The secondary started 3 new guys this year at the beginning of the year and one of them (Jakar Hamilton) lost their job towards the end of the year. First of all the good, true Freshman Alec Ogletree started getting more reps as the season went on and started the last few games. Ogletree has a build similar to Reshad Jones but I think he's got the skills to end up being a much better player for us. Another pleasant surprise was Sanders Commings. Commings came on strong at CB after Brandon Smith got hurt and Vance Cuff didn't step up. Commings brings a physical stature and play that the rest of our CBs don't and I think he's a good fit for what Grantham wants to do. The most up-and-down guy in the secondary was Bacarri Rambo. Sometimes Rambo looks great and sometimes he's just horribly out of position. It should be noted that he's only a sophomore and I still have confidence that he can be a really good player for us as early as next year. The last of the secondary is Brandon Boykin. Boykin is our best player in the secondary but didn't really stand out this year good or bad. Maybe that's because other teams stayed away from him. Needless to say I hope he stays in Athens for his senior season. Next year, we could be really good with a secondary of Commings/Boykin/Smith/Rambo/Ogletree and with a couple of top notch recruits coming in. But this year it just didn't feel like our secondary got the job done, although statistics might not agree with that as Georgia finished 20th in the Nation against the pass in terms of yardage (but did give up 7.8 yards per attempt which was 95th).
GRADE: C
SPECIAL TEAMS:
Georgia is blessed to have two of the best kickers in the Nation in Drew Butler and Blair Walsh. Walsh was very consistent as he hit 18 of 21 and all of his xtra points but one. Butler averaged 44 yards per punt. In kickoff returns we actually took a small step back this year in averaging about a yard less and only had 1 return for a TD versus 3 from last year (although one of those was in the bowl game last year). We also averaged about a yard less in Punt Returns but Brandon Smith averaged 14 yards per returns versus Prince Miller's 11 ypr last year. One huge improvement was kickoff coverage as our opponents only averaged 19 yards per return this year versus 25 yards per return last year and also in punt coverage where our opponents only averaged a paltry 5 yards per return (versus 10 from last year). Overall the Special Teams was very good this year.
GRADE: B+
COACHING:
Grading the coaching is probably the toughest aspect of this. Overall, I don't think that the one the field coaching reflected our 6-6 record this year. I really can't remember any spots where coaching cost us on the field. I guess the biggest aspect of this would be in personnel, like having Washaun Ealey on a critical 3rd down trying to pass block for Aaron Murray against Arkansas. I thought that Mike Bobo did a pretty good job this year. Sure we all want more from our coordinators but Georgia put up 34 ppg this year. I think the biggest knock on Bobo and the Georgia offense was the lack of killer instinct. Georgia got up big on teams like Kentucky, Georgia Tech and Auburn. Georgia held on against Kentucky and GT but Auburn came roaring back and won that game fairly convincingly. When Georgia got multiple TD leads they tended to go conservative instead of stepping on the other teams throat. From a defensive perspective I think most of us are disappointment in how the defense performed overall. I think it's obvious that Todd Grantham does not have all the pieces to fit this defense. I guess the biggest fear is how long it will take to get those pieces. The two biggest areas that seem to need to be addressed right now is recruiting and strength & conditioning. A change has already been made in the S&C department so we will see how that affects our on the field play next year.
GRADE: C
QUARTERBACK:
For most people, myself included, this was the biggest question mark for the Bulldogs offense coming into the season. During the off-season Zach Mettenberger was booted off the team for misdemeanor sexual battery and lying to his head coach (but hey, he found a landing spot with LSU and Les Miles) and it left Georgia with only 3 scholarship QBs, one of which would move to WR after losing the QB race. Redshirt Freshman Aaron Murray was chosen as the starter and Georgia fans were excited but didn't really know what to expect. So how did Aaron Murray do? He was flat out, bar none, the best freshman QB in the NCAA this year. No disrespect to guys like Taylor Martinez, Jake Heaps, Jeff Godfrey, Danny O'Brien, or Nathan Scheelhaase but Murray was the man. Murray finished with 24 TDs versus only 6 interceptions (his 24 TDs tied him with the likes of Eric Zeier and D.J. Shockley in Georgia folklore and he is fast on the trail of Matthew Stafford's junior season). Murray also rushed for 4 TDs. Murray finished with a 61.8% completion rate and had an efficiency rating of 162.72 (which ranked him in the Top 10 Nationally for all QBs ahead of guys like Ricky Stanzi, Dan Persa, Tyrod Taylor, Terrelle Pryor, Brandon Wheedon, Christian Ponder, and Jake Locker). It's hard to imagine Aaron Murray having a better freshman season. It really makes you wonder how bad everyone else was that caused us to be 6-6.
GRADE: A+
RUNNING BACK:
Going into the season I was pretty excited about our tandem of RBs but my excitement didn't come to fruition. Washaun Ealey and Caleb King both had off-field problems that kept them from playing in all of the games and neither guy really found themselves this year. Both guys showed flashes of being very good SEC caliber RBs and both guys fumbled the ball at critical points in games causing us to have the record that we do. The only reason that the Georgia RBs don't get an "F" from me on their grade is because Shaun Chapas is such a great FB.
GRADE: D
WR/TE:
The biggest disappointment here was having A.J. Green miss the first 4 games of what is basically his "senior" season. It's so difficult because as a fan you have to play the "What If" game. What if we had him against Arkansas? What if Colorado wasn't his first game and he didn't cramp up in the game due to inactivity? I think if we had A.J. that minimally we are 8-4 but we didn't have him. Once A.J. got in the games he was amazing. Despite missing 4 games he still tied for 5th in the SEC in catches and his 9 TDs tied him for 1st in the SEC (a league with Alshon Jeffrey, Julio Jones and Randall Cobb). The breakout star this year of the WR corps was Kris Durham. Durham averaged an SEC best 21 yards per catch and it just seemed like he came down with every tough catch that he needed to. Tavarres King also had a decent year with 23 receptions, an average of 20+ ypc and 3 TDs. TE Orson Charles started to break-out towards the end of the year and finished with 24 catches and 2 TDs. The new Strength & Conditioning coach has told Orson that he's going to put 50 pounds on him AND make him faster. Looking to next year, Georgia needs Tavarres King to step up and be the #1 receiver and they need guys like Marlon Brown and Logan Gray to step up and be #2 and #3 targets unless a freshman comes in and takes the world by storm. I would also like to see more Brandon Smith and possibly some Nick Marshall at receiver next year with the absence of A.J. and Durham. Overall, I can't really think of the receivers letting us down more than once this year (this is where I don't mention Aron White's drop against Florida that became an interception). I'm very satisfied with the play of our receivers, I just which we would have had A.J. and would have utilized Orson more in the offense.
GRADE: B+
OFFENSIVE LINE:
Going into the year this was the position that everybody thought would be the biggest strength of the team. Well, they were wrong. The OL for the first half of the season was terrible. The biggest issue was the run blocking as they couldn't open holes for anybody and just got whipped at the line of scrimmage. Some changes were made and in the second half of the season they seemed to play pretty well but you still had plays where the RBs were getting blown up as they got the ball handed off to them and that should never happen. This unit needs significant improvement next year.
GRADE: D
DEFENSIVE LINE:
They say that the game is won in the trenches, on the OL and on the DL. Those were the two aspects of the game where the Dawgs got whipped the most this year. The likes of South Carolina, Mississippi State and Colorado just whipped the Dawgs on the line of scrimmage. The biggest issue for Georgia is that they simply didn't have the bodies to play Todd Grantham's 3-4 on the line. Georgia is in desperate need of help from the JUCO ranks to bolster the DL and DE positions (just ask Auburn/Alabama how a great DL/DT JUCO guy can make an impact for your team).
GRADE: F
LINE BACKERS:
I thought Georgia's LBs played pretty well this year and got better as the season went on and they got more accustomed to the 3-4 defense. Justin Houston made at least one All-American team and finished as the SEC sack leader with 11. Akeem Dent blossomed into a defensive leader and finished with 121 tackles, which although aided by not being able to get off the field on 3rd down was 2nd in the SEC. I also thought that Christian Robinson and Marcus Dowtin played well at times. The biggest opportunity for next year is finding a replacement for Houston if he goes pro and finding someone to play opposite him if he stays. It should also be noted that next year we will see the greatest tandem of LBs in the history of the Georgia Scout Team, Richard Samuel and USC transfer Jarvis Jones, getting a chance to break the starting line-up. I have a feeling that Jones could be special.
GRADE: B-
SECONDARY:
The secondary started 3 new guys this year at the beginning of the year and one of them (Jakar Hamilton) lost their job towards the end of the year. First of all the good, true Freshman Alec Ogletree started getting more reps as the season went on and started the last few games. Ogletree has a build similar to Reshad Jones but I think he's got the skills to end up being a much better player for us. Another pleasant surprise was Sanders Commings. Commings came on strong at CB after Brandon Smith got hurt and Vance Cuff didn't step up. Commings brings a physical stature and play that the rest of our CBs don't and I think he's a good fit for what Grantham wants to do. The most up-and-down guy in the secondary was Bacarri Rambo. Sometimes Rambo looks great and sometimes he's just horribly out of position. It should be noted that he's only a sophomore and I still have confidence that he can be a really good player for us as early as next year. The last of the secondary is Brandon Boykin. Boykin is our best player in the secondary but didn't really stand out this year good or bad. Maybe that's because other teams stayed away from him. Needless to say I hope he stays in Athens for his senior season. Next year, we could be really good with a secondary of Commings/Boykin/Smith/Rambo/Ogletree and with a couple of top notch recruits coming in. But this year it just didn't feel like our secondary got the job done, although statistics might not agree with that as Georgia finished 20th in the Nation against the pass in terms of yardage (but did give up 7.8 yards per attempt which was 95th).
GRADE: C
SPECIAL TEAMS:
Georgia is blessed to have two of the best kickers in the Nation in Drew Butler and Blair Walsh. Walsh was very consistent as he hit 18 of 21 and all of his xtra points but one. Butler averaged 44 yards per punt. In kickoff returns we actually took a small step back this year in averaging about a yard less and only had 1 return for a TD versus 3 from last year (although one of those was in the bowl game last year). We also averaged about a yard less in Punt Returns but Brandon Smith averaged 14 yards per returns versus Prince Miller's 11 ypr last year. One huge improvement was kickoff coverage as our opponents only averaged 19 yards per return this year versus 25 yards per return last year and also in punt coverage where our opponents only averaged a paltry 5 yards per return (versus 10 from last year). Overall the Special Teams was very good this year.
GRADE: B+
COACHING:
Grading the coaching is probably the toughest aspect of this. Overall, I don't think that the one the field coaching reflected our 6-6 record this year. I really can't remember any spots where coaching cost us on the field. I guess the biggest aspect of this would be in personnel, like having Washaun Ealey on a critical 3rd down trying to pass block for Aaron Murray against Arkansas. I thought that Mike Bobo did a pretty good job this year. Sure we all want more from our coordinators but Georgia put up 34 ppg this year. I think the biggest knock on Bobo and the Georgia offense was the lack of killer instinct. Georgia got up big on teams like Kentucky, Georgia Tech and Auburn. Georgia held on against Kentucky and GT but Auburn came roaring back and won that game fairly convincingly. When Georgia got multiple TD leads they tended to go conservative instead of stepping on the other teams throat. From a defensive perspective I think most of us are disappointment in how the defense performed overall. I think it's obvious that Todd Grantham does not have all the pieces to fit this defense. I guess the biggest fear is how long it will take to get those pieces. The two biggest areas that seem to need to be addressed right now is recruiting and strength & conditioning. A change has already been made in the S&C department so we will see how that affects our on the field play next year.
GRADE: C
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Why Malzahn Taking the Vandy Job Is A Smart Move
It's being reported in several places that Auburn Offensive Coordinator Gus Malzahn has accepted the offer to become the Head Coach of the Vanderbilt Commodores. On the surface the question is why would such a high profile coaching prospect take a job that looks like a very tough turnaround. I don't see it that way. The way I see it Gus Malzahn's stock will probably never be higher as a HC prospect than it is right now. Next year Auburn will most likely (barring some type of miracle) lose Cam Newton and with that will go the unstoppable Auburn offensive attack. Auburn could still have a very good offense next year without Cam but they would not have the intangibles that he brought to the field this year. So Malzahn's stock is most likely to go down after this year even if Auburn's offense still performs at a high level.
Another very important thing to remember about Gus is that he's never been a Head Coach at the collegiate level. By accepting the Vandy job he goes to a school that has a very low level of success in it's history so he doesn't have to win a Conference or National Championship every year (like he would if he held out for a higher profile job at one of the bigger SEC institutions). By going to Vandy he basically gets to learn how to be a Head Coach without being thrown into the proverbial fire. He gets to make mistakes without each one of them being over scrutinized by the blogosphere, the twitterverse, talk radio and the media. He will be taking over a Vanderbilt team that has won 4 games in the last two years. He's not going to be expected to be a miracle worker. And if Malzahn gets Vandy to be a respectable team and gets them bowling then he is considered a success and he puts himself in position to ascend to higher level jobs and when he's ready for them he will have the experience of being a Head Coach and will be more prepared for that opportunity. So, sorry Vandy fans but you are a stepping stone in the game that is College Football. If Malzahn turns around your program then enjoy it while it lasts and hope he grooms a good replacement if he's successful. And if Malzahn is not successful then he has his millions to turn to and I'm sure that somebody out there would pick him up off the scrap heap and make him their OC.
How successful can Malzahn be out of the gate? That's a good question. The timing is good for Malzahn as the SEC East is going through a down phase right now. Florida, Georgia and Tennessee (the perennial Top 3 teams of the league) are all having trouble. South Carolina had their best team in years but are only 9-4 (although they will have Lattimore and Jeffrey back next year). Kentucky looks like they looked under Rich Brooks, they are a good team but not ready for prime time. It's the right time for a move. Vandy will have some offensive weapons like Zac Stacy, Warren Norman and Brandon Barden. Maybe Malzahn's offense is the right answer for soon to be senior Larry Smith or maybe Aaron Rodgers brother is a good fit. This is also a great time for Malzahn to make the move because he can sit down in front of elite QBs and tell them that his offense brought Cam Newton the Heisman Trophy in his first year in that offense. Now that's impressive. Only time will tell if Malzahn will be the right guy for Vandy or if Vandy is the right job for him but in my eyes it's a good move for both sides. From an Auburn perspective you have to be worried about the upcoming National Championship game as coordinators moving into Head Coaching opportunities that are also coaching in the National Championship game doesn't always work out.
Another very important thing to remember about Gus is that he's never been a Head Coach at the collegiate level. By accepting the Vandy job he goes to a school that has a very low level of success in it's history so he doesn't have to win a Conference or National Championship every year (like he would if he held out for a higher profile job at one of the bigger SEC institutions). By going to Vandy he basically gets to learn how to be a Head Coach without being thrown into the proverbial fire. He gets to make mistakes without each one of them being over scrutinized by the blogosphere, the twitterverse, talk radio and the media. He will be taking over a Vanderbilt team that has won 4 games in the last two years. He's not going to be expected to be a miracle worker. And if Malzahn gets Vandy to be a respectable team and gets them bowling then he is considered a success and he puts himself in position to ascend to higher level jobs and when he's ready for them he will have the experience of being a Head Coach and will be more prepared for that opportunity. So, sorry Vandy fans but you are a stepping stone in the game that is College Football. If Malzahn turns around your program then enjoy it while it lasts and hope he grooms a good replacement if he's successful. And if Malzahn is not successful then he has his millions to turn to and I'm sure that somebody out there would pick him up off the scrap heap and make him their OC.
How successful can Malzahn be out of the gate? That's a good question. The timing is good for Malzahn as the SEC East is going through a down phase right now. Florida, Georgia and Tennessee (the perennial Top 3 teams of the league) are all having trouble. South Carolina had their best team in years but are only 9-4 (although they will have Lattimore and Jeffrey back next year). Kentucky looks like they looked under Rich Brooks, they are a good team but not ready for prime time. It's the right time for a move. Vandy will have some offensive weapons like Zac Stacy, Warren Norman and Brandon Barden. Maybe Malzahn's offense is the right answer for soon to be senior Larry Smith or maybe Aaron Rodgers brother is a good fit. This is also a great time for Malzahn to make the move because he can sit down in front of elite QBs and tell them that his offense brought Cam Newton the Heisman Trophy in his first year in that offense. Now that's impressive. Only time will tell if Malzahn will be the right guy for Vandy or if Vandy is the right job for him but in my eyes it's a good move for both sides. From an Auburn perspective you have to be worried about the upcoming National Championship game as coordinators moving into Head Coaching opportunities that are also coaching in the National Championship game doesn't always work out.
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