ATHENS -- There’s an interesting -- and significant -- position change on Georgia’s football team.
Former five-star recruit Alec Ogletree, who played safety as a freshman last season, will move to inside linebacker when spring practice starts next week, defensive coordinator Todd Grantham said Thursday.
"He's a tall guy; he's got good size; he can run and hit, and he's physical," Grantham said of Ogletree. "I feel like moving him closer to the ball is going to allow him to make more plays and be more productive for us. ... I'm really excited because I think by moving him there it will allow us to put Jarvis [Jones, who was redshirted last season after transferring from USC] at outside 'backer."
The 6-foot-3, 224-pound Ogletree started four games last season.
As a senior at Newnan High School in 2009, he was rated the nation’s No. 2 safety prospect by maxpreps.com and the No. 3 outside linebacker prospect by scout.com.
Georgia returns one starter at inside linebacker, Christian Robinson and is intrigued about the potential at the position of Richard Samuel, who was redshirted last season after shifting from tailback.
Grantham said returning starter Bacarri Rambo can play either safety position and that returning lettermen Jakar Hamilton and Shawn Williams, as well as redshirt freshman Marc Deas, "are going to get their opportunity in the spring to show us what they can do with the system and how productive they can be."
Murray: ‘No more soccer'
Not quite two weeks after spraining his right ankle in a pickup soccer game on campus, Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray is off crutches, out of the walking boot, starting to do a little running and looking forward to the start of spring football practice.
“No more soccer,” Murray said Thursday. “No basketball, soccer, baseball, softball -- none of that stuff. Just football from here on out.”
Murray said the injury occurred "going up for a header. Just came down wrong on it. Just rolled it a little bit." The scariest part, he said, was the thought of telling coaches Mark Richt and Mike Bobo.
“I laid on the ground, and I was, like, ‘Oh, man, I don’t want to tell Coach Bobo right now,’” Murray said.
He said the ankle “didn’t hurt too bad, just swelled up a little bit, so I [thought] it was probably just a little sprain.” X-rays and an MRI confirmed that diagnosis.
Murray was amazed by the interest in the minor injury, which briefly sparked false rumors of a broken leg or ankle.
“I got out of the MRI and had about 50 text messages,” he said. “It got a little out of control with rumors."
Murray said he expects to be a full participant in spring practice.
Etc.
In moves that had been expected, Richt confirmed that Cordy Glenn will move from offensive guard to offensive tackle, and Grantham said DeAngelo Tyson will move from nose guard to defensive end and Justin Anderson from the defensive line to the offensive line. ... Richt said new inside linebackers coach Kirk Olivadotti will be in charge of the kickoff coverage unit.
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