Feg. 6, 2013 - Marietta - Walton's Brandon Kublanow signs with UGA on National Signing Day, with his mother, Shelly Rosenblatt, at his side. BOB ANDRES BANDRES@AJC.COM
UGA’s top signee on the offensive line this year was Brandon Kublanow.
The 6-foot-2, 290-pounder is a 4-star recruit from Walton High School. He’s earned the nickname “The Finisher” for his punishing and physical style of play.
Kublanow thought about enrolling early at UGA, but was too late to register for summer school classes before his senior year of high school to make it happen. He will join the Bulldogs next month.
“I wish I could’ve been there this spring so I could've gotten a head start on things and gotten accustomed to things during spring ball,” Kublanow said. “I was dying out there when I had to watch it (from the sidelines).”
Kublanow shared his recruiting experiences with the AJC:
Which college finished runner-up to UGA? “UNC.” What could UNC have done better? “Nothing really. They did a great job recruiting me. It was just between UGA and UNC, and UGA was just where I wanted to go. They did an amazing job recruiting me.”
Biggest secret you kept? “Probably before I (publicly) committed, I had been committed to Georgia for about a week. I didn’t really keep any secrets.”
Most creative thing a college did to get your attention? “It would have to be (Vanderbilt coach James Franklin) coming to one of our high school games in a helicopter. That was pretty cool.” What do you remember? “It was right before halftime. They were supposed to land on the baseball field, but there power lines and they couldn’t. So they hovered over the field for five minutes. They were really low to the game. You could see them finally land on the practice field next to us. Everybody was going crazy wondering who it was. Then you see Coach Franklin walk up.”
You were good friends with Montravius Adams. How do reflect on his decision to go to Auburn over UGA and Alabama? “I don’t know what happened at the end. I figure we may have lost him just because (former UGA recruiting coordinator Rodney Garner) left for Auburn. I mean, it was pretty disappointing, but he went where he wanted to go. I’d rather him have come to Georgia, but what can you do?”
You were also close with Laremy Tunsil? “He had told me he was signing with Georgia. That really (angered) me. That really (angered) a lot of people. He had told me for like a month before signing day – we had talked a lot – that he was coming to Georgia. He had pretty much told Geogria coaches that he was coming. Then a few days before signing day, I got a text saying he was going to Ole Miss and that he has got to do what he’s got to do. Then his phone shut off. I tried to talk to him a lot. I tried to call him a lot. But his phone was off. So, there was nothing you could do. I don’t know what happened. I guess he just fell in love with Ole Miss.” Have you talked to him since signing day? “No, I haven’t.”
Funniest story from a recruiting trip? “It was probably have to be seeing Robert Nkemdiche at Clemson. After the state championship game (in 2011, when Grayson beat Walton), I saw him at Clemson.. I had told some people that I had kicked his (butt), which I did. He had read some ESPN article where it said I had kicked his (butt). I guess he wasn’t happy about it. He came up to me with a bunch of his boys, and he was whining about it. He was like ‘I saw the article. That was cute.’ He showed me his state championship ring. I told him to ‘Go back and watch the film.’”
Who was the best player you went up against in high school? “Probably Montravius Adams. I thought he was (darn) good. He was strong as heck. Montravius or Carl Lawson. Carl has got a lot of moves. He’s good. And he got a long stronger his senior year.”
Biggest regret in recruiting? “Probably not visiting more schools outside of the South. It was just a chance to see other places.”
Which college would you have considered more seriously if they had offered earlier? “Probably if Stanford had offered me, I would have considered them. But they didn’t.”
Which non-UGA coach was nicest? “I would probably have to go with either (Will) Muschamp or Franklin. Muschamp had really recruited me himself. He was nice when I went down there. But they fell out of the race early. I couldn’t play at Florida; it was too hot for me. Plus I would catch (heck) coming from Georgia. Franklin, I would have to say he, besides Coach Richt, he was one of the nicest to talk with.”
If you were in charge of NCAA, what’s one rule you would change? “Probably colleges being able to text. I would let the colleges text. It’s just easier. Phone calls, I mean they are good. But you’ve got so many. It would just be easier, especially now, since it’s so easy to text.”
Best recruiting advice you’d give a high school junior? “Take your time. Look at everything that you have, and make sure you make the right decision before you decide.”
In BYU, Georgia Tech will face a defense that is one of the toughest in the nation to score against and has a playmaking force in outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy.
Tailback J.J. Green said he can’t say for sure how many times he has heard “you’re one play away from playing” from Georgia offensive coordinator Mike Bobo and running backs coach Bryan McClendon.
Here is a clue that your trip to sunny south Florida may not be a carefree vacation: You’re a football team, and you lose one of your starters during warm-ups.
If nothing else, Georgia has ensured at least one thing about its season. Regardless of where the rest of the schedule takes them, whether its to an SEC championship, a BCS bowl bid or a national title, there will be no claims from outsiders that this team received too many breaks and escaped health issues, no suggestions that the road to success was lined with lollipops and unicorns.
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