AJC > Sports > Football Recruiting > Blog > Archives > 2008 > October > 24 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USCan UGA take away Drayton Calhoun from LSU?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Categories
Tucker’s Drayton Calhoun will be at Georgia’s game against LSU on Saturday in Baton Rouge.
But Calhoun, a member of the AJC’s Super Southern 100, won’t be cheering for his childhood favorite, the college team he thought he’d be playing for as recently as one year ago.
Calhoun has committed to LSU and will be pulling for his future Tigers teammates against Georgia.
“This is my first college game this year, and I’m excited about going to LSU for a regular-season game,” Calhoun said. “I’ve heard so many stories about how loud it gets there, and how passionate the LSU fans are about football.
“I’ll finally get to see it all for myself, with my own eyes. I can’t wait for Saturday to get here.”
Calhoun, who projects to play wide receiver or defensive back in college, committed to LSU over 15 other offers, including Florida and Tennessee. He made the surprising decision after visiting LSU for “Junior Day” last February.
“LSU just came out of nowhere,” Tucker coach Franklin Stephens recalled. “When I saw the look on his face when he came back [from LSU] I asked him, ‘Are you about to commit?’
“He said he was thinking about it. And then the next day, he did commit. It was a whirlwind thing.”
Soon after Calhoun pledged to sign with LSU, he finally got his dream offer from Georgia. The Bulldogs had waited a little bit longer because they were still evaluating players.
Calhoun has decided to remain with LSU over Georgia so far, but here are three reasons why the Bulldogs are holding onto faint hopes for a switch before National Signing Day on Feb. 4:
First love was Georgia
Calhoun admitted that he would be headed to Georgia, not LSU, if there had been different circumstances.
“If Georgia had offered me earlier, then I would’ve probably ended up there; yes, you could say that,” Calhoun said. “But they didn’t, so I visited LSU and fell in love with the place. … LSU got to me first, [and] that’s where I’m going.”
Calhoun said most of his family members are Georgia fans, but he is confident of converting them to LSU supporters over time.
Georgia keeping in touch
Several weeks ago, Calhoun said he talked to Georgia recruiting coordinator Rodney Garner.
“[Garner] said he was calling to check up on me,” Calhoun said. “He said they weren’t giving up on me, and that [running backs coach Tony Ball] was going to come to one of our games to watch me play.”
What did Calhoun say to Garner? “Nothing, really. I just listened to what he had to say.”
Calhoun said when he hung up the phone, he still felt 100 percent committed to LSU, and his coach believes it. Said Stephens: “Other than that phone call, Drayton has pretty much shut off contact with all the colleges.”
Wary of Georgia’s overtures, LSU stays in touch with Calhoun on a regular basis, even putting him on the phone with head coach Les Miles last week. Said Calhoun, “[Miles] can’t wait to get me down there. He wants to start me out on offense and use me all over the place like they do with [Trindon Holliday].”
Wide receivers needed
Georgia coach Mark Richt has made a public plea for wide receivers, stating that he intends to sign at least two. The Bulldogs got a commitment earlier this week from Rantavious Wooten of Belle Glade, Fla., and are in the hunt for several other big names. Calhoun is on that list.
While playing almost exclusively at tailback, Calhoun has 75 carries for 652 yards and seven touchdowns and two receptions for 77 yards and two touchdowns.
“He has the rare ability to score any time he touches the ball, from anywhere on the field,” Stephens said.
In recent weeks, Tucker has taken better advantage of Calhoun’s athleticism with screen passes, deep passes and toss running plays designed to get him open.
Got some recruiting news? mcarvell@ajc.com
Click below to see the following:
Note: Any inappropriate comments will not be tolerated, along with offensive “screen names.” Your IP address has been logged. We encourage your comments and opinions, and only request that you use good judgment.
Permalink | Comments (15) | Post your comment | Categories: LSU, UGA
Services »
Comments
By Dawg fan
October 24, 2008 7:35 AM | Link to this
Drayton, you just need to examine your heart and decide how you will feel 20 years from now with a successful career at LSU vs a successful career at UGA. Which would mean more to you, that is the question. Best of luck on your decision.
By dboy
October 24, 2008 8:48 AM | Link to this
Drayton you need to keep with the Tucker tradition and go to UGA. Patrick Pass, Cory Robinson(who is one of your Coaches at Tucker), Thomas Brown, Asher Allen. LSU days of glory are behind them! We need you at UGA so we can have more play makers on the field!
By dboy
October 24, 2008 8:54 AM | Link to this
Dawgs Suck, Shut up! Drayton is from GA you Dork! He goes to my High School. UGA has every right to recruit him. Don’t hate cause he might end up swithing his commitment after we pound LSU this weekend. Drayton stay with the tradition of Tucker players going to UGA. Patrick Pass, Cory Robinson (which is one of your Coaches at Tucker), Asher Allen and Thomas Brown). We need you man. We need all the play makers we can get. You played at Fitzgerald too. U have to go to UGA it is the pipeline!!!
By Bo Poche
October 24, 2008 8:59 AM | Link to this
Drayton, I am from Louisiana and have traveled all over the SEC. I can tell that college football is big where ever you travel. But at LSU, it is a religion. Tiger fans worship the ground that these future NFL stars walk on. To play in Death Valley is to play in the loudest cathedral in the world. I only hope we get to see you play in it.
By DBOY
October 24, 2008 9:25 AM | Link to this
Bo Poche, I just talked to my friend who coaches Drayton at Tucker. LSU can have him! He says Drayton can’t catch a cold! lol. He says although he is fast straight ahead he doesn’t have any wiggle in the hips about him. He is 175 soak and wet too. If he gains 25 pounds I hope he doesn’t lose that speed cause if he does he is useless. We stole Rantavious Wooten from you guys so we are good! Marlon Brown is next. if we get him we will be alright
By CCCC
October 24, 2008 10:13 AM | Link to this
LSU let Rantavious Wooten(* rivals Wr) go, they only have 5-6 more spots and are going to sign 2 of the best WR in the country( a * and ** WR on Rivals), therefore he became not worthy of a spot. Good luck with our throwaways
By Blackout(HAHAHA)
October 24, 2008 10:49 AM | Link to this
“LSU days of glory are behind them!”
HAHAHA. I’m sorry, UGA fan, is it 1982 still? Georgia has been a fraud for 25 years and your faux Christian coach Richt isn’t changing that anytime soon. Drayton will go to LSU because he wants to play in BCS bowls not Music City Bowls with the Dawgs.
By BigJim
October 24, 2008 11:37 AM | Link to this
Where u b Yellow D licker?? Have you nothing to say about UGAy still chasing a “comitted” recruit?? I recall you had plenty to say about how GT on this matter.
Oh by the way: TEN, TEN, TEN…and the yrs not over yet!!
Go Bama!
By Hairy Dawg
October 24, 2008 2:41 PM | Link to this
Wonder who going to throw him the ball over there at LSU. Drayton should look at the QB situation. Stafford may go pro after this year and this kid would redshirt anyway. The year after Aaron Murray and Mettenburg the local kid will be ready. Both excellent and gifted passers. AJ Green and Rantavious will need some help if he also hasn’t gone to the NFL by that time.
By Dboy
October 24, 2008 2:43 PM | Link to this
To CCCC LSU let Wooten go? Yea right. It’s his choice where he wants to go! Wooten is a better player than Drayton period! Drayton never played receiver in his life and he doesn’t even start at corner at Tucker. He just plays running back and he won’t play that at the next level. So good luck with that. Blackout, don’t get us mixed up with GT. We play in BCS games almost every year! We will see the next time LSU plays in a NC or SEC championship game
By BlackoutHAHA
October 24, 2008 3:40 PM | Link to this
Well we’ve played in and won 2 National title games in the past 5 years. UGA hasn’t done anything in over 25 years. Good luck with that. Atleast you didn’t get raped by UT again this season. Congrats.
By Tebow
October 24, 2008 6:23 PM | Link to this
Hey Blackout,
Please send some news to the Bulldawg Nation like… “We will take out Stafford if we get a shot.” How’d that work out for you in the swamp? Oh, sorry, we hung 51 points on your overrated arses. Go Dawgs! Win big and we will see you in Jax for a great show down.
By TheOriginalDeathValley
October 25, 2008 3:14 PM | Link to this
Les Miles can sign the best and Wooten is not one of the best. He weight less than Drayton and LSU already has signed a WR similar to Wooten and he is from Rayville, LA.
By Decatur Bred
October 26, 2008 5:21 AM | Link to this
It always amazes me when ppl on the internet talk trash and they bring up 20-30 year old stats. Step your game up and let’s talk about the current times. As for this Calhoun kid, UGA will be just fine without him. And to TheOriginalDeathValley, I am willing to bet anything that you would NOT have said that if Wooten was still a LSU commit, also Kenny Bell has given a verbal, LSU has not signed him. Some ppl just have too much pride. It’s like the scenario that you see in the mall or out in the streets, a guy tries to spit some game to a girl, she rejects him, his pride is hurt, so now all of a sudden the girl is ugly and he doesn’t think she’s attractive anyway. Yeah, dude would not have said that if the girl gave him some play.
By bill
October 27, 2008 12:55 PM | Link to this
Wooten is a 4Star on Rivals fwiw, not that it’s really that big of a deal.
And about UGA, seems to me UGA has more wins since the start of 2002 than any other SEC team… and that is true going back to the start of the 1997 season. Plus if you look back 30 years, again UGA has the most wins in the SEC. So, short term UGA is winningest and 30+ years the same is true. If you want to measure 50-100 years, I suppose Bama will come out of top, but how relevant is that to a high school kid?