Seth Emerson has a handy breakdown on the current scholarship numbers (including the three enrolling today) here.
As he notes, the numbers are there to sign a full class of 25, or even more, but it’s unlikely to happen:
… Georgia would have room for at least 10 more recruits under the SEC’s new limit of 25, although the number could expand to 27 because LeMay and Conley back-count. (They enrolled early last year.)
In any case, it’s not likely the Bulldogs will max out their signing class, unless there’s a mass exodus of current players.
Recruiting aside, the overall numbers look more balanced between the classes than they did this time last year, which means the 2012 team will be more experienced overall. But check out that senior class, especially on the defensive side of the ball. If nobody leaves early, Grantham should have a smile on his face. No wonder he’s said his biggest challenge in the spring will be finding a nickel back.
Get The Picture 
So UGA is only going to sign 12 recruits this class? Seems like given the depth issues, we need to sign closer to 30 players in this class. Or 27 any way. We are sure to lose at least one of the underclassmen and at least 1-2 more guys to transfer, leaving the team or being kicked off.
Anyone confirmed that these questionable underclassmen are in class today? What about Marshall?
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Glass half empty guy eh?
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There are 12 players who have committed to UGA, but not arrived on campus yet. Some of those could change their minds and we could back date a couple of players to last year’s class. Plus, there will probably be some attrition (transfers, leaving the team, discipline, NFL). We still have a bit more room to bring in recruits.
And, as Nick Saban will tell you, the numbers don’t matter until August.
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Let’s see, we were 8 or 9 under last August. Plus, we had 5 specialists on scholarship (that really paid off, didn’t it)? Not to mention the former walk-ons now on scholarship who are not really good enough to get on the field.
The effect of all that is actually worse than Southern Cal’s scholarship sanctions. Even considering the attrition from cleaning house last offseason, we’ve really been doing it to ourselves with our poor roster management.
To not max out our signees in such a predicament, when our depth is suffering so, is nothing short of inexcusable.
Whether the number is 25 or 27 or 28, we should be signing the max come February. And without compromising. Anything otherwise is saying that we cannot find 28 players we really want and who are willing to sign with us.
I don’t believe that.
~~~
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If we sign the max, then Richt will have to do some Saban-style roster management in August. He won’t do that. And I’m glad.
Our depth may suffer. But I’m glad that we’re not telling a poor kid that he’s either got to figure out a last-minute transfer to a FCS school, or come up with thousands of dollars for this year’s tuition. That’s what I find inexcusable.
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It IS inexcusable. But that sort of thing absolutely DOES NOT HAVE to happen. I’ve been ranting against the Saban-style roster managment for 4 years now.
There’s a way to be up front with parents and kids and keep your integrity while still efficiently managing your numbers. I know we are not going to do anything that compromises integrity, and that’s great.
But there’s a way to do it right and still not handicap yourself. It’s a long discussion, but Richt needs to figure that out and make the necessary changes immediately, if he wants to compete.
That’s just the simple reality. We’ve got to be more efficient in targeting players, making offers, then recruiting and signing them. Then managing the numbers when we get them on campus. Or else we are not going to catch up to the SEC “oversigners”.
The important thing to understand is, we don’t have to compromise our integrity to achieve that. We just have to make some common sense changes.
~~~
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Or flunking out!!; ABTW, where is Crowell?
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Conley and LeMay either count for the 2011 class, or the 2010 because they enrolled early… Not this one. Today’s early enrollees can count for this year or 2011, but I thought we were full in 2011?
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Signing fewer than the full 27 is nuts. Even a questionable recruit, like last year’s Harrow, can turn out to be a useful part of the team on gameday. Yes, we have a pretty good history of walk-ons performing. But handing out 5 or more schollys to walk-ons shows we have a lot of work to do with recruiting. Dawgs need to finish strong.
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Actually, our over reliance on walk-ons is a huge contributing factor to our special teams woes. Those walk-ons sure did look good flailing about on the Honey Badger’s punt returns.
Roster management is one of the single biggest areas that Richt needs to improve.
He needs to signs full class and fill out STs units with scholarship players.
Not every walk-on is Blake Sailors, in fact, most aren’t.
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Forgot that we had a common point of agreement-Blake Sailors. Is he going to be back next year? Several of the walkons filled in on D and O as well as Special Teams. As far as the LSU runback, I thought we had some 1st stringers substituted in there as well. Anyway, there’s enough blame to spread around the team on that play.
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Not to mention the blocks in the back no calls.
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Agree. And it ain’t sour grapes.
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Can someone please explain to me why if you can sign up to 27 guys you wouldn’t sign 27 guys? We NEED every decent football player we can get if at the very least so they aren’t playing for our rivals against us and it’s not like this years crop of hs seniors lacks In talent. One of the worst things that could happen to the dream team is to be samdwiched between the smoking crater of the 2010 class and another crappy class in 2012.
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Good question, I guess it depends on if Richt were willing to not renew scholarships to the former walkons.
Unless I read it wrong, I thought Seth was saying that yes, according to the rules we could sign 27, but we’re not likely to max it out due to the limit of 85 scholly’s. At the bottom of the article, including current commits, we’re at 83 scholly’s for next year already. If we signed 27 (we’re at 15 now), that would mean 12 more recruits for a total of 95 scholarships committed next year, then you gotta find room for all of them.
Would Richt choose to not renew any of the former walkons who are currently on scholarship? I don’t know how he normally handles that. If he took those away, that gets us down to 90, and you gotta figure the other 5 would take care of themselves through attrition and the inevitable one or two recruits who wouldn’t qualify, without having to get into any creative “roster management”. If Richt doesn’t like taking scholarships back from former walkons though, that would make it hard to fit a full 27 .
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We have no problem non-renewing those walk-on schollies. Done it plenty in the past. I wouldn’t worry about that.
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Thanks, that was one thing I’ve honestly never really paid attention to in the past.
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I always thought that walk on scholarships were only for seniors for this very reason. No need to worry about making a multi-year scholarship out of a walk on.
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I still fear when all is said and done (NFL jumpers and other random departures), Grantham will be left finding more than just a Nickle back. I am afraid he may need both a FS and a SS. Also, there is a good possibility that #83 jumps as well. I hope I am wrong on all of this as I appear to have been wrong on Jarvis leaving early.
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I’ll just go ahead and let you know – you are wrong again.
Thanks for playing.
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Supposedly, Williams and Washington are in class today. Not a guarantee they will be back, but a good sign and better than the alternative.
Are you suggesting that Rambo is confirmed to be enrolled and attending classes for this semester??
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Yes Rambo is in classes today and said to be 50/50 per Dawgpost.
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Cool. That at least leaves the door open for the positive.
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Can’t we offer career-ending injury insurance to this ambivalent player situation to help these guys feel secure enough to come back and go for a higher draft status next year?
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There is a provision called that allows players to secure insurance through the NCAA under the “Exceptional Student-Athlete Disability Program”, which as deferred premiums and pays up to $5M. Supposedly, Andrew Luck’s parents got supplumental insurance that insured him up to $50M. Not sure how feasible the supplmental part is for most kids or what the criteria is for the NCAA policy?
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if they dont sign as many players as they can get their hands on there is something wrong. If they set out recruiting this class with anything other than a goal of signing 27+ players that are out of their fucking minds. Entering the season with less than80 scholarship players is bad news when the other guys have 85 full on scholarship players with very little waste.
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Recruiting has been an issue the past 4-5 years. Numbers, positions, and retention of those signed. Could be getting better. Last year was a start. Would like to see them positioned on the field is base sets by class, letters, and depth with open positions.
Need running backs, center, tackles, down linemen, linebackers, and etc…did we leave anything out? Recruiting is important.
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