Will UGA use 'dream team' recruiting pitch again?

Has Mark Richt ever thought about using the “Dream Team” recruiting pitch again?

That was Richt’s own moniker for his most famous recruiting class at UGA, the 2011 group that signed with the Bulldogs.

The concept behind the “Dream Team” was a full-fledged push or marketing effort to get as many of the state of Georgia’s elite prospects from that year to stay home and play for UGA.

At the time, Richt was outspoken on the topic, saying on his radio show in 2010, "When you talk about in-state kids, that's why I've been talking about this Georgia 'Dream Team', this team of guys that I think are the best players in the state of Georgia. And I believe if they will stay in the state and come together, we can prove to the United States of America that we have the best football in the country (in) the state of Georgia. We need those Georgia kids to stay at home and do that thing for the Bulldogs, and I think everybody is going to get excited about that."

Did the “Dream Team” live up to the hype on the football field in the years after they signed? That’s a topic for another blog — and NOT the recruiting blog.

What we’re going to discuss is this: Was UGA’s “Dream Team” concept successful with convincing many of the state’s top prospects to stay home and play for the Bulldogs?

I don’t think there’s any doubt about that. The “Dream Team” was a smashing success, from a recruiting perspective.

Some people poked fun of it, and made jokes.

But the bottom line is that it worked, and worked very well.

Out of the last five years, UGA's best results in recruiting the state's elite prospects was easily the 2011 group. That year, the Bulldogs signed seven out of the top 15 players – which is twice as many as the last two years (2013 and 2014) combined.

In a recent interview with the AJC, Richt was asked if he has contemplated using the “Dream Team” pitch again?

“We thought about it (using it more),” he said. “You know, sometimes it’s like they had a ‘Dream Team’ in basketball. They called it the ‘Dream Team,’ and then the next Olympics they tried to call it the ‘Dream Team 2.’ But I don’t know if the guys liked being called the ‘Dream Team 2.’ Sometimes they want their own identity, and I think that was some of the reasoning behind it.

“It could come back, you never know.”

It's YOUR turn: What do you think? Should UGA use the "Dream Team" pitch again? Or would you suggest something better? If so, please post the name and the reasons for the name below.

The unofficial nickname for UGA’s 2015 class is … #Fam15. (Just doesn’t have the same ring to it imho)

Note: Here’s the breakdown with how many of the state’s top 15 prospects that UGA signed over the last five years.

  • 2014: 3
  • 2013: 3
  • 2012: 4
  • 2011: 7 "Dream Team"
  • 2010: 5