UGA, Tech game plan

The lifeblood of any college football program is recruiting, but how the head coach gets it pumping is as much a matter of style as it is strategy. Georgia coach Mark Richt and Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson are masters of both.

Georgia is working on a Class of 2010 list of commitments that features blue-chippers from home as well as abroad —- most specifically, the Sunshine State. The Bulldogs have sent a message to the Floridas, Florida States and Miamis: We’re going to fight for the best your area has to offer.

Georgia Tech is working on a smaller, more focused class in which the Yellow Jackets are pounding the Peach State pavement harder than ever.

In both cases, the school looks to the head coach to close escrow, and a few committed recruits took the time to outline what it is that sold them on each.

On Georgia’s Mark Richt:

Kolton Houston, Buford offensive guard: “Well, I actually talked to both [Richt and Johnson] the exact same amount before I committed. What appealed to me about coach Richt was the fact that my family loves what he’s done. I’ve always been a huge Georgia fan growing up. He [Richt] is a great person. What I liked most is that he preaches Christian. I’m a big Christian. He cares about his players. He’s not going to sell his players out. He makes the game fun. He said to me, ‘I don’t know if you’re a Christian or not, but I preach a lot to the FCA.’ I said, ‘Yes, sir, I’m a strong Christian.’ Coach Johnson took more of a football approach, where coach Richt took more of a relationship approach.”

Derek Owens, Andrew Jackson High: “I grew up without a father and when I met with (Georgia coach) Mark Richt, he seemed real similar to (Jackson) coach (Kevin) Sullivan,” he told the Florida Times-Union. “He seemed like a great father figure like coach Sullivan has been to me.”

On Georgia Tech’s Paul Johnson:

Charles Perkins, Collins Hill running back: “To me, it’s all about honesty. He was honest from the first day scholarship-wise. He told me how many they were recruiting and he was straight up. He was straightforward, he didn’t play games like some coaches. I never talked to coach Richt. But coach Johnson said they were taking a small class and there were going to be two running backs, was what he was telling me. I don’t know how it is now. [The honest approach] is a lot better. It’s what I was looking for. It’s what my parents were looking for and they saw it, too.”

Isaiah Johnson, Sandy Creek cornerback: “He was honest. I asked, ‘What are the chances of me playing right away?’, and he said, ‘There’s a good chance, but I’m not going to promise you anything.’ A lot of coaches will tell you, ‘I could see you playing for me in the first game.’ Coach Johnson said, ‘You could play, but you’re going to have to work at it because there’s somebody who wants that spot other than you.’ Coach Richt was a pretty honest dude, too. He cares about his players. He took some of players out who are really not known, just to chat with them.”