UGA blog finds new home
Morning all. As I’ve said a couple of times this week, we’re converting this blog over to a WordPress platform and it will be a permanent move the first of next week.
Those of you who are regulars probably know that I’m not what you’d call techno-wizard when it comes to these things. But from what I understand the technology offered in this new format should make the blogging and commenting experience better for all. Of course, I’ll be learning as we go along, too. But I’m hoping to provide more pictures and video and things like that which should bring the blog more to life.
Of course, this blog is nothing without all you guys so I want to heartily invite (read: beg) you to come over to the new site by CLICKING HERE ON THE NEW ADDRESS and save it in your browsers. As of Monday, Feb. 23rd, this will be the permanent home of the UGA blog you so love or, in the case of some of you, love to loathe. If you’d prefer to copy and paste or just memorize, the new address is: http://blogs.ajc.com/uga-sports-blog/.
See at the new place!
AJC > Sports > UGA > Blog > Archives > 2007 > September > 06
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Dogs, Cocks also battle for recruits
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Sorry just getting around to the blog today. Been a busy one but enjoyable as the week kind of winds down for us on Thursday evening. Friday’s are wonderful for me in the fall. Saturday’s are, too, but for us they can be extemely intense workwise, especially with evening kickoffs.
It appears this is going to be a huge recruiting weekend for the Dogs. Now I’m not a recruitnik and I don’t call prospects every day and Georgia, of course, can’t divulge whom they might be hosting on any given weekend. So I can’t detail you on which blue-chipper from where is going to be in Athens this weekend. If you know, please feel share with the distinquished audience herein. But I saw Bryant Gantt, who helps coordinate the Bulldogs’ recruiting visits, and he did confirm that it was a big weekend.
I would assume wide receiver prospect A.J. Green of Summerville, S.C., will be on site. Of course, this 5-star recruit has been a solid UGA commitment for a long time. But South Carolina has been hot and heavy after him and has never relented in their pursuit, as I understand it. Which makes you wonder if the outcomes of these games really make a difference to the eventual destinations of these individual recruits.
Most of the time most of the SEC schools are all after the same recruits. If you’re a 4- or 5-star prospect, you can bet every one of them knows about you and has at least made some phone calls and asked for you to visit. Makes you wonder if Tennessee mounting that big second-half comeback on Georgia in Athens last year had any influence on Eric Berry eventually signing with the Vols. By the same token, could Green’s eventual destination be swayed by the outcome of Saturday’s game?
Traditionally — and especially under coach Mark Richt — the Bulldogs have been able to go into the Palmetto State and cherry-pick the best players to come play for them in Athens (see Richard Seymour). Georgia has only five South Carolina players at the moment but three of them are at least part-time or full-time starters (FS CJ Byrd, DE Marcus Howard and CB Prince Miller). DB Antavious Coates was a prep All-American before four knee surgeries sidelined his career and the Bulldogs expect Charles White to star linebacker before he leaves.
But South Carolina and Georgia are increasingly going head-to-head on top recruits and the Dogs have lost more of those battles recently. I wrote a story that was in this morning’s newspaper about the mysterious loss of Clifton Geathers to the Chickens and Georgia also lost out in the battle for Cliff Mathews of Cheraw, S.C., who will play Saturday as a backup defensive end for the Gamecocks.
All of which is to say, the Bulldogs have to be very diligent about staying on top of South Carolina in recruiting and continue to win the battles for the blue-chippers. That makes the sweepstakes for A.J. Green that much more important, in my opinion. What do y’all think?
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