If you didn’t know, Richt, Bobo and Grantham all took turns being interviewed on the Barnhart-Durham radio show last Friday. Gentry Estes has helpfully provided a summarized transcript here.
As usual, the most interesting commentary comes from the defensive coordinator.
— Grantham pointed to sophomore nose tackle Kwame Geathers as “really our most improved guy on defense right now,” even going so far as to suggest a possible position change to end to get Geathers and incoming JUCO signee John Jenkins on the field together at the same time this fall.
That would be some serious beef, even with a three-man front.
… Meanwhile, Alec Ogletree is “going to be limited from here on out,” with a pulled groin muscle suffered last week, according to Grantham.
“But I saw enough in him to know that was the right decision (to move Ogletree to linebacker),” Grantham said.
Grantham added of Ogletree’s switch, “This is a guy that’s going to end up being 250-255 pounds on day. He can run as good as any safety. … You’ve got another good athlete than can run and hit closer to the ball.”
Grantham also was pleased with the decision to have Jarvis Jones at outside instead of inside linebacker: “I can tell you to this point in spring practice, that decision is 100 percent correct. That one’s the right one.”
No, you won’t hear the same level of certainty from him about any new spring faces in the secondary.
Get The Picture 
Logan Gray at safety would have made sense but he’s off to Colorado.
LikeLike
LG at safety? Not unless he’s better able to fend off blocks than this:
LikeLike
A career offensive player, who could never find his way on the field, successfully converts to safety in his final 6mos on campus? Not impossible, but not very probable — IMO.
LikeLike
While watching The Masters, did anybody else notice a resemblance between Angel Jimenez and Todd Grantham? I swear with the glasses and visor they look just alike! I kept expecting Jimenez to make the choke sign at Rory.
LikeLike
If by Angel Jimenez, you really meant Angel Cabrera, then yes I did. If not, then you need to lay off the ‘shrooms dude!
LikeLike
I don’t know why I can’t keep those guys names straight! Cabrera is what I meant. I killed too many brain cells from 79-83! The memory is shot.
LikeLike
I absolutely saw the resemblance – very much so.
LikeLike
Why are we talking about Logan Gray?
If he’d been willing to stay and play safety, he’d been willing to stay and play wide receiver.
I thank him for his contributions to the Dogs and wish him the best of luck as a Buff, but I don’t believe I will wistfully recount the Logan Gray Era at Georgia.
LikeLike
Increased size and speed on the front 7 will improve secondary play. Rush the QB, and he hurries and makes mistakes, which leads to more interceptions.
LikeLike
Exactly!
LikeLike
+10 From your lips to God’s ears.
LikeLike
” Grantham had this to say of his defense’s overall inexperience: “There’s going to possibly be as many as eight players in the Boise State game that’s going to be their first time playing that position. Now they may not all be new, but playing that position, they’ll be new.”
That doesn’t sound too promising for game #1, imo
LikeLike
I know it. That David Pollack in his new position at DE was dreadful those first 2 games in ’02 vs. Clemson and Fake USC. And, of course, Sean Jones move from QB to Safety was a train wreck.
Just because they’re new at a position doesn’t mean gloom and doom. Tree will be a beast at LB, as will Jarvis. And Sanders at Safety simply makes sense. And he’s counting guys like DeAngelo at DE as a “new position”, but we all know that he was out of position last year. I feel pretty good about a D that includes:
DL: Abry (or Kwame) – Jenkins – Tyson
ILB: Tree & Robinson
OLB: CornWash & Jarvis
CB: Smith & Boykin
S: Rambo & Commings
So, in that mix, you’d have as many as 6 guys starting in a position they’ve never started in, but you’d have 8 guys that have starting experience plus a JUCO beast and a transfer from the real USC.
That’s as athletic a defense as we’ve thrown out there in a long time, even if they are new to some positions.
LikeLike
I couldn’t agree more. That’s why I’ll take my chances with these guys regardless. I don’t think experience of the starting 11 will be as big a deal as the experience of the next 11 in the two-deep.
LikeLike
“I think the guys we have know where they’re supposed to run and which gap is theirs,” Robinson said. “I think we’re being more attacking right now. I think last year we were kind of hesitant. I don’t think that’s too much to say, but we really kind of sat back and wanted to play it safe…”
“You know, I’d been playing in the old system so long. And then we switched, I was just trying to pick up things here and there,” he said.
LikeLike
As usual Grantham talks a good game. I’m pulling for him but we’ve got to get A LOT better on defense to be back where we need to be.
LikeLike
My inner-Munson recalls Vance Cuff was drawing praise from coaches about this time last year.
But there should be no excuses on the D line this year. We have plenty of beef to fill 3 spots – Tyson, Geathers, Jones, Jenkins, Smith, Thornton, Lott, etc.
LikeLike
With the level of play these kids have shown, I think we need to be wary of all the switching of positions. It just hasn’t seemed to pan out well lately. Many kids that move around seem to be getting lost and disenfranchised. Nick Williams, Gray, all the shuffling with OL and DL, etc. (yes some of it can’t be helped) You can even tell with ‘Tree and Jarvis…they don’t like it, but they do it for the team. That is something the coaches have to watch out for, because if they don’t like the position or don’t feel comfortable, they won’t play it well. Balancing act. Not to say it can’t be done. Just saying it should be a last resort. I think these kids need to focus on playing one position until they have it perfect. Even if that means having four deep in one spot and only two deep in another. That four deep can disappear in a hurry.
LikeLike