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DEL.ICIO.USJones commits to Dogs; UGA makes Okakpu offer
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 06/19/07 11:59 PM
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Mark Richt kept trying to find a hole in Ben Jones’ game last week.
Time after time, the Georgia coach would send defensive linemen Jones’ way. Time after time, Jones turned them away.
It was then Richt knew he couldn’t turn this 6-foot-3, 300-pound center from Bibb County, Ala., away. The coach offered Jones a scholarship. Jones accepted that offer Wednesday.
“I knew that was where I fit the best,” Jones told the blog. “I just felt at home. I liked the coaches and really had a good connection while I was over there.”
Jones, the Bulldogs’ 16th commitment, was on the outside looking on for many months as this recruiting process went on. He went to a Scout.com camp in Atlanta in the month of May with just one offer — from Troy. Richt was at that camp watching his son, Clemson recruit Jon Richt.
He also took notice of Jones. So did everybody else.
Jones started to be courted by several of the bigger-name programs around the Southeast. But Georgia remained his favorite because that is where his father went to school.
“It’s where I wanted to go the whole time,” Jones said.
Okakpu lands Bulldogs offer
Georgia coaches have always liked Roswell linebacker Ebele Okakpu but wanted to evaluate the 6-foot-2, 205-pounder at camp before deciding whether to offer a scholarship.
Bulldogs coach Mark Richt decided he’d seen enough convincing evidence at a recent 7-on-7 passing league in Athens and offered Okakpu on the spot.
“Coach Richt just pulled me aside and said they didn’t need to see anymore, they definitely wanted me and were offering,” Okakpu told the blog. “I was surprised with the offer, because they haven’t been blowing up my cell phone with text messages like all the other schools.
“UGA is definitely one of my favorites: They are close to home and compete for national championships.”
Okakpu has nearly 20 Division I-A offers, including ones from Miami, Virginia Tech and North Carolina. He is being recruited by UGA at outside linebacker, which is the same position most of the colleges project him to play.
“Georgia loved Ebele since the first day they saw him on film, but he was on the bubble with [an offer] because they wanted to see him in person,” Roswell coach Tim McFarlin said. “When they saw how fast and quick he was that day, it was an easy decision for him.”
Okakpu is the most heavily recruited of eight senior prospects on Roswell, the defending Class AAAAA co-state champions. McFarlin praised Okakpu for the way he has handled the recruiting process.
“When Coach Richt offered, he was thrilled, but he didn’t come back to the team bragging about it,” McFarlin said. “Ebele is very low key about recruiting. His focus is winning another state championship, and he knows all the recruiting stuff will take care of itself.”
Alabama courts Creekside star
Terrance Parks of Creekside will put the finishing touches on a three-day camp on Wednesday at Alabama.
Creekside coach Kevin Whitley accompanied his 6-foot-3, 195-pound cornerback to Tuscaloosa this week.
Whitley said this week’s pace has been fairly hectic under new Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban.
“This one here is probably a little more up-tempo,” Whitley said via telephone from Tuscaloosa late Tuesday. “Coach Saban is really a high tempo guy, so everybody is really getting with it.”
If Parks, who has scholarship offers from programs such as Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Miami and Tennessee, has a favorite, he isn’t tipping his hand to Whitley.
“As far as I know, he’s still wide open,” Whitley said. “He’s going to be a real good player. He’s what colleges are looking for. He’s a big corner that can run.”
Norcross WR Butler’s trip to Oregon delayed
Norcross wide receiver Brice Butler will not take an official visit to Oregon this week as he had previously planned.
“I was supposed to go to Oregon on Thursday, but it didn’t work out,” Butler said. “I had a [scheduling] conflict. I’ll probably try to visit there later.”
Butler, who has nearly 40 offers from schools such as Georgia, Southern Cal, Florida and Tennessee, said he plans to separate the pretenders from the contenders soon.
“I haven’t narrowed my list, but I’ll probably narrow it next week,” Butler said. “I think it will be a top 10 list.”
The 6-foot-3, 190-pound Butler said he especially enjoyed being recruited by a member of the Pac 10.
“I really like Arizona State,” Butler said. “They have a new coaching staff out there that made a good impression on me.”
Butler said he’s fairly certain Georgia will survive his first round of cuts.
“I think Georgia will be in my top 10,” Butler predicted. “[Georgia] coach Mark Richt and my dad used to go to different high schools at the same time in the same district in Florida. So I’ve known coach Richt for a while.”
Butler doesn’t plan to attend camps this summer.
“I’ve already got the offers I want, so I don’t need to go,” Butler said.
Baseball dominates the summer for Cedar Grove RB
Cedar Grove’s Xavier Avery may be a wanted man on the gridiron, but his heart has pulled him to the baseball diamond this summer.
Avery, who has been playing summer league baseball for a team based in Marietta, recently returned home from a tournament in Ohio.
The 6-foot, 190-pound running back said it’s unlikey he will participate in a football camp this summer.
Georgia, Georgia Tech, Stanford, LSU, Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida are all in the running to gain a football commitment from Avery, who wants to be a two-sport college athlete.
“I want to play baseball and football wherever I go,” said Avery, who is expected to be drafted in next summer’s Major League baseball draft. “I’ve told every college the same thing. So far, I haven’t heard one of them tell me I can’t play both.”
Miami linebacker evaluating his list of candidates
With offers from nearly every major college football power in the country, Miami linebacker Etienne Sabino is busy analyzing his choices.
“I’m not close to committing yet,” Sabino said. “But I am in the process of evaluating.
“I look at the campus and the coaches. I look at how it was when I was there and whether I felt comfortable. And I look at the depth charts.”
Sabino still plans on graduating from Dr. Michael M. Krop High in December and enrolling in college the following month. By doing so, he will be eligible to participate in spring workouts in 2008.
“I think that gives me a plus,” Sabino said. “I’ll get to learn the system and get ahead of the other incoming freshman.”
Roswell’s Embry makes the most of West coast visit
It’s not often you see a Georgia player making an unofficial visit to a California college, but that’s what Roswell free safety Garrett Embry (6-foot-3, 212-pounds) did to take advantage of a unique situation. Embry, who has eight offers led by Baylor and Marshall, has been staying in limited contact with coaches from Cal-Berkley.
When Embry revealed he was flying to Sacramento last Thursday for his cousin’s high school graduation, he was invited by Cal to meet with the coaches and take a tour of the school. Embry said he liked what he saw over the two-day trip to the Pac 10 school:
“It reminds me a lot of Roswell with being a smaller town, and it’s near the beach,” Embry said. “They have a great tradition of football. They didn’t offer me a scholarship when I was there, but they told me that I was a finalist. They have two offers out at [safety] and it depends on what they do.”
Embry, a rising senior on the Class AAAAA defending co-state champions, has his other offers from Central Florida, Air Force, Middle Tennessee State, Buffalo, Akron, and Miami of Ohio. He also has serious interest from Georgia, Georgia Tech, Alabama, Purdue, and Boston College, among others.
Every school is recruiting Embry at free safety or defensive back except for Baylor, which likes him at wide receiver.
Rivals unveils top 50 in Georgia
Eric Berry signed with Tennessee. Tray Blackmon landed at Auburn. Antonio Henton left for Ohio State.
In recent years, one top-ranked recruit after another has left Georgia to play college football.
This year, expect that trend to end.
Tuesday, Rivals.com released its new list of the top 50 prospects in the Peach State. Topping the list: Statesboro defensive tackle and Georgia commitment DeAngelo Tyson. No. 2: Cartersville Cass running back Richard Samuel, another UGA commitment.
“Georgia is off to the best start in the Southeastern Conference and the foundation of this group is in-state talent,” Rivals analyst JC Shurburtt tells the blog. “It also helps to re-establish the Bulldogs dominance in the state of Georgia after the last recruiting cycle, which saw the Dawgs lose six of the eight top 10 prospects it offered.”
This time around, five of the top 11 seniors-to-be in the state — and eight of the top 20 — have committed to Mark Richt’s Bulldogs, according to Rivals’ list. Only two top 25 Peach State prospects have committed somewhere other than Georgia: Jefferson County lineman A.J. Harmon (No. 3, to Clemson) and Buford defensive tackle Omar Hunter (No. 16, to Notre Dame).
A look at Rivals’ top 50:
DeAngelo Tyson, DT, Statesboro : Committed to Georgia
Richard Samuel, RB, Cartersville Cass: Committed to Georgia
A.J. Harmon, OG, Jefferson County: Committed to Clemson
Dontavius Jackson, RB, Heard County : Top five: Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, LSU, Penn State
Tavarres King, WR, Habersham Central: Committed to Georgia
Brice Butler, WR, Norcross: Long list of options includes both Oregon and Oregon State, which he’s visiting this week.
Cornelius Washington, DE, Burke County: Committed to Georgia
Jamoris Slaughter, S, Tucker: Has a top three of LSU, Michigan, Notre Dame
Brandon Thompson, DT , Thomasville : Georgia reportedly in the lead.
Cordy Glenn, OT, Riverdale: Big offers: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisville, LSU, South Carolina, Virginia
Toby Jackson, DT, Griffin: Committed to Georgia
Keith Wells, DE, Gainesville: High on Georgia Tech’s wish list, but Yellow Jackets will have to beat out Florida, Notre Dame Ohio State.
Josh Jarboe, WR, Cedar Grove: “I really like LSU. And then I’d go with Oklahoma, Florida, North Carolina and Georgia.”
Christian Robinson, LB, Greater Atlanta Christian: Committed to Georgia
Martin Ward, RB, Mount Zion: Undecided after pulling back on early commitment to Georgia; Dogs still in the mix.
Omar Hunter, DT, Buford: Committed to Notre Dame
Ebele Okakpu, LB, Roswell: Landed recent offer from Miami. “It’s an honor that Miami wants me,” he said. “I’ve dreamed about playing for them since I was a little kid, ” Okakpu said. “Miami will be tough to beat, but I’m going to take my time and check out all my options.”
Chase Thomas, DE, Walton: Auburn, Florida, LSU among offers
Baccari Rambo, S, Seminole County: Committed to Georgia
Brandon Boykin, CB, Fayette County : Committed to Georgia
Darvin Adams, WR, Harrison: Rivals: Auburn, Tennessee the co-leaders, with Georgia and Georgia Tech also in the hunt.
Omoregie Uzzi, OG, Chamblee: Interested in Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, Georgia Tech
Devonta Bolton, WR, Norcross: Wide open and wanted, with offers from Alabama, Auburn, Boston College, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi State and South Carolina. High on Georgia, telling the blog recently, “Coach Richt has got a great program. He’s a religious man who believes in a strong foundation. He’s going to win some games.”
B.J. Brand, OG, Coffee: Undecided after withdrawing early commitment to Georgia. Still interested in Bulldogs, along with Florida, Maryland and South Carolina.
Steven Sylvester, LB, Union Grove: Has top five of Alabama, Georgia, Georgia Tech, North Carolina and South Carolina
Terrence Parks, S, Creekside: Undecided
Derrick Bryant, CB, Peachtree Ridge: Alabama, Auburn, LSU top his wish list
Tauren Poole, RB, Stephens County: Committed to Tennessee
Cordian Hagans, DT, Northview: Undecided
Neiko Lipscomb, CB, Tucker: Undecided
Xavier Avery, ATH, Cedar Grove: Georgia, Georgia Tech both in the mix.
Deron Furr, QB, Columbus Carver: Committed to Auburn
Brandon Davis, RB , Peachtree Ridge: Undecided
Justin Tuggle, QB, Northview: Mississippi State and Indiana have made offers to the son of former Falcons star Jessie Tuggle. “I like those offers, but I’m still waiting to see what else comes in,” Tuggle said.
Steven Fowlkes, DE, Banneker: Undecided
Jamon Forston, WR, Columbus Carver: Undecided
T.J. Pridemore, LB, Buford: Son of former Falcons defensive back Tom Pridemore has a top four of Georgia Tech, West Virginia, Tennessee and Duke.
Alfonzo Dennard, CB, Wilcox County: Undecided
Ralph Bolden, ATH, Charlton County: Undecided
Matt Daniels, S, Fayette County: Committed to Duke
Sanders Commings, ATH, Westside: Undecided
Vance King, ATH, Stockbridge: Undecided
Daniel Franklin, LB, Habersham Central: Committed to Oklahoma
Chaz Sutton, DE, Jenkins: Undecided
Franklin Green, RB, Jenkins: Undecided
Khiry Battle, S, Dacula: Undecided
Nigel Nicholas, TE , Ridgeland: Committed to Duke
Brynden Trawick, S, Sprayberry: Undecided
Jaybo Shaw, QB, Flowery Branch: Undecided
Garrett Embry, S, Roswell: Undecided
Comments
Commenting is now closed for this entry.
By Zip City Dawg
June 20, 2007 11:08 AM | Link to this
I know he’s not in the Top 50, but I AM very glad thet Bryce Ros was offered and has to the Dawgs! If CMR and staff felt him worthy of an offer, then the rumblings from soem HS coaches about any character issues were OBVIOUSLY total BS.
Welcome to a legacy!!
By MariettaDawg
June 20, 2007 11:42 AM | Link to this
Ah yes, I love to see UGA reeling in the top talent in the state.
By papadog
June 20, 2007 12:04 PM | Link to this
yes, CMR and staff toe the line when it comes to character and grades.
By Zip City Dawg
June 20, 2007 12:23 PM | Link to this
True papa! And Mrs. Ros has even offered to cook me up some dinner (crow?) for doubting her boy!
Wonder if she’ll let me bring a guest? Anyone wanna be my date? cfspence at loyno dot edu
By Renegade
June 20, 2007 4:18 PM | Link to this
Ben Jones just committed!!
By rok for dean
June 20, 2007 4:42 PM | Link to this
16 !!!Another big ugly from Alabama - Ben Jones - is a Dawg!
This is the kid that knocked Harmon all over the field.
Go Dawgs!
rok for dean
By Zip City Dawg
June 20, 2007 4:42 PM | Link to this
YES!!! I was worried once I’d seen he’d gotten an offer from one of his in-state schools (Troy).
By Big Dawg
June 20, 2007 5:35 PM | Link to this
Okakpu told the blog. “I was surprised with the offer, because they haven’t been blowing up my cell phone with text messages like all the other schools.
Okakpu that’s because they wanted to see how good you are in person and Coach Richt wanted to offer you personally.
Zip City Dawg
YES!!! I was worried once I’d seen he’d gotten an offer from one of his in-state schools (Troy).
He was also offered by Alabama and GT as well. Besides his father was a DGD Offensive Lineman.
By Brad Duke
June 20, 2007 5:39 PM | Link to this
If we are going to be competitive in recruiting at Tech we must stop all the Tickle Piles. Some student athletes and most parents don’t want their kids involved in that kind of activity. These activities must be done behind closed doors not in public view.
By AP
June 20, 2007 5:46 PM | Link to this
Ben Jones is an excellent pickup.
By JustMe
June 20, 2007 6:36 PM | Link to this
If we are going to keep these great recruits and keep them out of jail and on campus at UGA, we are going to have to improve our tickle piles. Our players love them, but they too often change into other activities that must be kept in the bedrooms.
By RED and BLACK
June 20, 2007 7:34 PM | Link to this
You two the the tickle pile and other bed-room activites are in need of some counseling. At UGA we have no need for tickle piles. We have what you call women who speak english on our campus.
The recruiting just keeps on rolling.
By football fan
June 20, 2007 9:59 PM | Link to this
Wow, the dawgs have another championship class. Too bad they can’t win it on the field. Oh, I’m sorry, national recruiting championships aren’t by the NCAA and BCS. Just keep drinking that AJC kool-aid.
By football fan
June 20, 2007 10:03 PM | Link to this
Carter, Jeff, and Michael, are you guys really UGA jock sniffers?
By Sam
June 20, 2007 10:52 PM | Link to this
Chris Jackson is rated the 62nd overall player in the southeast but did not make the GA top 50. Looks like rivals might be run by a uga person. Still upset with all the talent TECH got last year.
By REGGIE BALL
June 21, 2007 8:40 AM | Link to this
I can’t believe that UGA has gotten another commitment (Ben Jones). WHat in the hell are my brothers at the YECH doing? If we are ever going to compete in the GHSAA, we are going to have to start recruiting better. GO YECH … 1+1=?
By Rashee
June 21, 2007 10:28 AM | Link to this
just wondering where the QB (Marques Ivory) from Northside (WR) is ranked. He was player of the yr for AAAA. Plus the big OL Bibbins for Northside. If this is suppose to be the best team ever in the state, shouldn’t there be some players in the top 50.
By Rashee
June 21, 2007 10:35 AM | Link to this
just wondering where the QB (Marques Ivory) from Northside (WR) is ranked. He was player of the yr for AAAA. Plus the big OL Bibbins for Northside. If this is suppose to be the best team ever in the state, shouldn’t there be some players in the top 50.
By MariettaDawg
June 21, 2007 12:12 PM | Link to this
SAM: “Chris Jackson is rated the 62nd overall player in the southeast but did not make the GA top 50. Looks like rivals might be run by a uga person. Still upset with all the talent TECH got last year.”
Oh, silly techie. When will you guys learn that it take smore than one decent recruiting class to raise the level of your program consistently?
By MariettaDawg
June 21, 2007 12:44 PM | Link to this
Correction: “takes more”
By ameliaislandmike
June 21, 2007 12:49 PM | Link to this
To hech with recruiting… Lets talk coaching. Do you Techies actually think your coaching measures up to the coaching at UGA??? Does Chan have a couple of ACC championships under his belt?? Ten win seasons abundant over there??? OK Im a recruit..Who would I rather play for ?? Gailey??? C mon… Tech does not have a proven, consistent , big time coaching staff. I will admit last years recruiting class at Yech was impressive but you are years away or forever away from being dominant and consistently competing for championships. I got you finihing six or seventh in the conference this year. Think youll beat MIami, Fsu, Clemson, Va Tech, BC, Wake???? Good Luck
By P-Dawg in Tulsa
June 21, 2007 12:59 PM | Link to this
Welcome Jones and Ros, I look foward to watching you kick butt on fall Saturdays!
By Tech Man
June 21, 2007 3:51 PM | Link to this
Ameliaislandmike, I will try to sincerely answer your questions. However, as usual, I am certain that some idiots that are UGA fans will reply to my post with their usualy classless selves…..
Why would a high school football player select Tech over UGA with respect to coaching? I think that this question sums up your post, right? Here are some answers (in no particular order):
Gailey is an experienced and respected pro Coach. He has many contacts throughout the pro teams, as exemplified by their invitations for him to interview for the pro head coaching positions. A player at Tech that would turn pro would have the benefit of his contacts and experience. Notice that Richt has no respect at all among pro coaches. Why? Because he can recruit well, but the recruited talent does not match the production on the field (translation: he cannot coach).
Tech has proven that it can take average players and make the most of them. Players that may not be highly regarded out of high school come to Tech and really learn football and develop into better players - in fact there is a defensive player for the Falcons that graduated from Tech that falls into this category. Also, a high school player with skills can also develop and get nationwide attention at Tech - a recent wide receiver comes to mind.
On the defensive side of the ball, I think that Tech coaching is far better than UGA coaching. Remember, Tech doesn’t get the ‘top recruits’ out of high school, yet Tech consistantly puts top rated defenses on the field against tremendous offensive competition such as FSU, Notre Dame, etc. The coaches must be doing something right to develop these players!
Finally, no one gives a crap about where any UGAG fans predict Tech to finish this upcoming year. The experts (ESPN, etc.) predict Tech to either finish 1st in the division, or 2nd behind VA Tech. We will be competing, again, for the conference championship and for the BCS spot (unlike UGAY that didn’t even make the conference championship last year).
You guys need to focus on UFL. It never ceases to amuse me how UGAY fans focus so much attention on Tech when we are not even in your conference.
You guys also need to focus on some solution to keep your ‘top recruits’ out of trouble. All of the top recruits in the world do you no good on the field when they are sitting in jail. Possibly, just possibly, good ole’ Richt should consider the high school players morals and ethics when offering scholarships?
By SEADawg
June 22, 2007 5:44 PM | Link to this
Tech Man, you clearly are an irrational homer, and a liar.
“Richt has no respect at all among pro coaches…”? Please tell us your source. Oh, you don’t have one. Please, even try to provide anecdotal evidence to support that ludicrious statement. Oh, you can’t, given that if you look at the numbers of players currently on NFL rosters, former UGA players outnumber former GT players 49-19 Clearly, the pro scouts have no problem with players from UGA’s program. And as for ‘underperforming’, Richt’s 61-17 (0.782 win %) is a bit better than Gailey’s 37-27 (0.578 win %) record.
In regards to your defensive coaching, yes, Jon Tenuta is a simply phenomenal DC, but despite your opinion (which we’ve already proven to be irrational and biased), UGA has had one of the top 20 defenses in the nation for the past 5 years, with the exception of last year’s squad. By the way, thanks for giving me a huge laugh at “tremendous offensive competition such as FSU”; wow, have you even been paying attention to football for the past two years? You’re going to have to do better than that.
Finally, to stop your whining about not getting the top recruits (try as you might to disguise it as claiming your coaches ‘coach up’ talent), I would simply point out to you that the top performers on recent UGA squads are usually NOT the highly touted recruits — see Taylor, Tony; Pollack, David; Pope, Leonard; Smith, Musa; Haynes, Verron; and the list goes on and on, so apparently our coaches can coach as well. Surprise, Surprise.
And congratulations on your expectation of competing for a conference title for the second year in a row— it’s a nice feeling: UGA fans have had it for the past 6 years. BCS bowls are nice too, and you really shouldn’t squander opportunities like you guys had last year, we feel very happy about our visits recently, but in the competitive environment that is CFB, we know that it is never guaranteed that you’re going to get back there.
All that said, in the future, please base your arguments in reality, rather than in your old gold and white colored fairyland.
Look, I respect GT, and I actually wish them success— against everyone but UGA. It is a sad truth that both teams have irrational and classless fans (like you, Tech Man), and it is an ironic circumstance that the most rabid- and vapid- are the ones most likely to post in forums like these. Now here’s a suggestion: Grow up.