Maybe Georgia’s in a transitional period.

I had a thought after hearing the news about Marc Deas leaving the program.  Understand that this is nothing more than rank, idle speculation on my part, but here goes anyway – all that talk from many of us about how some wish Georgia would be more like Alabama in how it goes about its program building… what if Mark Richt has decided that’s right, too?

By that, I don’t mean we should expect a rash of players suddenly being shunted into injury scholarships or that grayshirting will become the norm.  But what if Richt has changed his default position from “every kid on scholarship is precious and it’s our role to see his school career through” to “every kid on scholarship needs to be told the truth about his chance to play at Georgia, regardless of the consequences”?  (My personal feeling is that you can make a credible argument that Grantham’s doing the latter already.)

Let me phrase it another way.  If you were Richt and you wanted to chart a more Saban-like course, how would you start?  The years of undersigning are a bell you can’t unring, but the in state crop in Georgia this year is both large and talented.  Isn’t it prudent to trim back kids that don’t project as major contributors so that you can sign a larger group in 2013?

I have no idea whether this is going on, of course, but there’s no denying that some things have already changed.  By many accounts, Georgia has offered more kids early than it ever has before under Richt.  And that’s something which cuts against the grain of a Richt standard – making sure that the school won’t cut the legs out from under any recruit with an offer who wants to come to Athens.  Remember when he complained about other coaches coming into this state and handing out offers like candy?  Welcome to the piñata party, Mark.

By the way, Georgia will have 73 players on scholarship this season once the kids get here this summer.  Barring a rash of injuries, that’s enough to survive, even in the SEC, especially given Grantham’s approach on who plays.  So if this new regime is in play, I don’t think the short-term issues worry the coaches too much.

What do you guys think?

75 Comments

Filed under Georgia Football

75 responses to “Maybe Georgia’s in a transitional period.

  1. doofusdawg

    The timing is right as far as cmr’s willingness to “change”. Along that line I am predicting that the drug testing policy for football players will be modified in 2014.

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    • Cojones

      Make that 2012-13 and you may have something. That would be with total agreement between Richt, Grantham and McGarity.

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  2. W Cobb Dawg

    Considering the number of seniors we have on D (which need replacements in 2013) and the patsies on the schedule (which should allow subs to get more playing time), I’m a bit surprised Lott and Deas would up and leave so abruptly. I think it’s closer to the truth to say attrition has been a problem for years and CMR for the most part seems oblivious to it, particularly when signing day rolls around. Let’s call it what it is – a self-inflicted wound. The push for more offers is a long overdue response to our attrition problems, but it’s a huge step in the right direction. But 12 schollys is a hell of a lot to leave wasted while the problem is being fixed.

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    • don henderson

      deas was a Martinez recruit and was never going to play. Lott had a ton of potential, but then again he was “just potential” in hs. I wish them both the best.

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  3. Bubs

    Considering that Richt’s job is much more secure now than it was at this point last season, this makes a lot of sense. Though considering all of the “cancer” talk from last offseason, perhaps Richt had already been thinking along the lines you outlined even before this offseason?

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    • Bubs, I agree with you.
      Also, the Senator appears to have it right as to the path (plan) that Richt & the Dawgs are now on. Very Saban like.That works for me.

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  4. I am pretty sure Grantham is weeding out the guys that aren’t conducive to his style of defense. Which means every DB can play any DB position, any LB can play any LB position and any DL can play any DL position.

    Not much happening on the offensive side…….other than a lot of cross training going on over there

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  5. DawgByte

    Georgia fans are searching in the wrong direction and trying to make sense out of something that is very SIMPLE. In every single case of a Georgia player transferring, they have simple looked at the depth chart and seen the mountain too high to climb.

    We all knew one of the RB’s would likely transfer with Marshall and Gurley coming into the program. Marshall easily jumped to #3 in the RB rotation, even forcing Samuel to look for PT at another position (i.e. Fullback). Just simply not enough space, for guys like Carlton Thomas.

    We’ve all seen Marc Deas play… he’s simply not SEC material and he did the same thing as Carlton… looked at the incoming talent and where he was positioned in practice and saw the writing on the wall.

    When you recruit stellar classes, like we did last year it’s going to put a spotlight on the 2-3 star players from previous classes. Attrition due to transfers will be the natural byproduct. No big deal, just opens up more scholarships.

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  6. frowertr

    If this is the case, I’m ok with it. It is not to say that “every kid on scholarship is precious and it’s our role to see his school career through” AND winning a championship are mutually exclusive. But it sure seems that way to me anyway.

    UGA football is a business and you have to make hard choices in a business sometimes for it to succeed. I think Richt and Co. need to figure out what they want. Do they want to win at (nearly) all costs like Saben et al? Or does Richt want to run a higher learning program where winning games doesn’t take precedence of making sure players graduate?

    I’m ok with the former but some are not. But if you choose the latter I’m not sure you have room to argue when we don’t win championships…

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    • It’s amazing. Once the pressure is on, everyone assumes that Saban is “a win at all costs” guy. Kids don’t want to wait. If they can’t start they want to transfer and that is their choice. If they are hurt, then getting them a medical scholarship is the right thing to do. It’s amazing, everyone has very high ideals and is very critical of other programs,until it hits home then there is a very reasonable explanation.

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      • frowertr

        Welcome to the party!

        I think if you took a poll of which coach would kill their 1st unborn child to win a championship, Saban would lead the candidates! 😉

        In all seriousness though, don’t most UGA fans believe that Richt has never used greyshirting, oversigning, injury scholoarships, etc… in order to gain competive advantages over another team? Can Bama fans say the same about Saban?

        I’m not saying there is anything wrong with that model. In fact, I wish Richt would sometimes “grow a pair”. As the Senator mentioned, perhaps there is a change in Athens.

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  7. You hit the bulls eye sir. Richt said during the early days of McGarrity, that he needs to study more of football. This should be one of the results then. We just have to see where it brings him and the team.

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  8. governormilledge

    Another thing that might end up playing into how our roster looks in the Fall, which I have seen barely mentioned elsewhere, is the (slight) possibility of UNC seniors to transfer in. If we are truly into a roster-management mode, one-and-done players are about as ideal as you can get:

    “Because of the bowl ban, UNC senior football players who wish to transfer can do so without penalty, and they would be able to play immediately at their new school.”

    http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/03/13/1926741/ncaa-to-announce-findings-on-unc.html

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  9. Baba O'Riley

    Not that it really matters but we’ll actually have 72 in the fall, not 73. And that’s assuming no more attrition and all 16 high schoolers enroll.

    So I don’t think it would really be necessary to push any out the door to make room for the 2013 class. If Thomas, Lott, and Deas were all still here, we would have 75 this fall. Subtract the 14 seniors and you’re down to 61. That leaves at the very least 24 open spots and you can only sign a maximum of 25. You have to figure at least one other player out of the 61 will leave UGA for whatever reason (NFL, transfer w/o being pushed, get kicked off for disciplinary reasons, etc) or that one of the high schoolers will not enroll.

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    • You forget that they intend to back enroll a bunch of kids from the next signing class. Seven kids have already indicated they intend to enroll early.

      I’m not saying it’ll happen, but right now the signs point to a 2013 class of around 30.

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      • Baba O'Riley

        Good point. I didn’t think of that.

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        • TNlogdawg

          The new SEC rule only allows a school to back count three early enrollees. That leaves a max class of 28 per year.

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          • Is that right? I’m not saying you’re incorrect on this, just that my impression on back counting is the only limit is the size of the class being added to (and 85 overall, of course).

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            • TNlogdawg

              I got my info from Dean Legge on Dawgpost. I may have misunderstood. I’ve been wrong before….just ask my wife!

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            • Cojones

              Can’t we get someone to carve the rule, and any interpretation that will hold up,in stone ? I see several saying “impressions”, their interpretationand possible misunderstanding. Last Time I saw the rule on here it hadn’t been lawyered over yet. Start with Bama because they have found a way around any strict interpretation in the SEC by now, then move on to the CSU lawyer who corresponds with and gets interpretations right from the NCAA. At one time the number to sign early was debated and we weren’t sure how many could sign up in Jan to be backcounted.

              Let’s all do the math together instead of living off impressions and feelings.

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              • What fresh hell is this?

                In any event this is not bad news. This is evidence that we have real talent 1 to 2 deep at many positions and those who know they can’t contribute move on for playing time elsewhere, making room for more top shelf talent.

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            • Keese

              28 is the max. 3 of those can be back counted if early enrollee’s

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      • Raleigh St. Clair

        There’s about a 99% chance that won’t come to pass.

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  10. I think we’ll sign as many as the rules allow this year. And if that still leaves a gap, we can probably do so again for the 2014 class, and perhaps 2015 as well.

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  11. shane#1

    UGa is in a transitional stage and has been since CTG was hired. IMO, the fact that he was hired shows that Richt wanted to make changes. Richt wanted continuation on his staff so he never looked to the NFL for coaches. Now he has two on his staff. Players are graded at each practice and coaches review the grades and films and then meet with the kids and let them know where they stand. If they aren’t going to make the two deep they know it. Does this mean that CMR has changed as far as wanting to see every kid graduate? Nope. He can probably stay and play on special teams or the practice squad for the rest of his college career. If he wants playing time he needs to move on. CMR has also talked about using more guys from the two deep on special teams so maybe some guys will get little if any PT.

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  12. Will Trane

    Well hell, we can not even get a mascot to be on the field for any period of time now. We split a DH with Kentucky who is ranked in the top 10. Come out of Nashville against Vandy with a 1-2 record. Blanked by UCLA.

    Football. Bama and LSU. Baseball. South Carolina back to back CWS. UK getting ready to play for the national title in basketball.

    Now I understand a couple of players leaving this spring. Winter in Athens is no fun if you are a player. Remember they have been getting in shape. Now out there practicing. If you were recruitied so the bloggers can say we have a solid incoming class based on numbers and etc. Is the recruiting what it should be in all these sports? Do we have the coaches to get it done. It is not the facilities and money. The common thread is the AD, Athletic Board, and coaches. Tied to the past.

    We can’t bring in another breeder. Hell that is wrong!. No, let’s just keep going the way we are. While Bama, LSU, Vandy,South Carolina, and Kentucky write the real headlines, make money and a program…and we deal with student athletes getting busted and leaving…while we sit at around .500 or less in the big three.

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    • Cojones

      I’m kinda with you on the new breeder idea although I have been adamantly opposed in the past. Why now? Because enough time has passed for us to have been of Uga’s program and whether we are looking at a new mascot wihin the summer. He can be “collared” in the Fall, but we need to know if the appropriate pick has been born and will be at least 3 mos old by Fall (time for his shots, potty and Dawg House trained).

      It has been long enough and my patience was used up in the last year. We can’t be held hostage to the lineage tree. Time to move forward.

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  13. South FL Dawg

    Well the transfers have been on defense. I think Grantham is all about playing the best and I can see him letting the rest know where they stand. I highly doubt he is pushing guys out because as he’s said before he doesn’t need 42 D-guys. Grantham has been quoted before that he’s used to pro teams with 53 man rosters; he’s used to maybe 25 on D that can play. He’ll probably have about 10 redshirting since this is college, which brings him up to about 35 spots. That means he still has room for a half dozen that don’t play but want to stay on the team. And as long as he’s not pushing anybody out who wants to stay, I don’t see where Richt or McG would have a problem.

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  14. Puffdawg

    Exactly. The 25 is a soft cap, not a hard cap.

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  15. ctfain

    I’m sold.

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  16. Will Trane

    Is it numbers? Or is it the quality in those numbers? Looking back at the LSU and MSU games and a couple of wins, fresher quality players might have helped. Just can not get all up in a player leaving If he not willing to compete and move up or he sees he is not going to play, transfer. Nothing wrong with that. But why was that player recruited if you have depth there. CMR has had trouble with what I have said before…a full roster.

    Look at this and tell me what you see. Run out Bama’s and LSU’s 2 deep and see how many plays and minutes they logged per game, big games, road games, and season total. Compare that to UGA’s.

    Look at UK’s basketball team this year and last. Like Bear Bryant said, “be good or be gone.” Is CMR and staff moving that way. Do not think those scholarships are 4 year lock. If there is one position that UGA has an excess in QB. Why has none of those left and others have? Now you can follow the AJC trying to make something to sell papers, and that is what north Gerogians like. Why would Bowden make his comment. Some of us are closer to Gainesville and Tallahassee. Things on campus in those two locations are different there than Atlanta and Athens the past several years.
    They do not give a damn what some north Georgia paper puts out.

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  17. Haywood Jablome

    Would be nice to have a visionary as a coach rather than a coach who reacts to changes in the game two or three years too late. Richt post 2005 seems to be always behind the curve.

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  18. StirBaby's ManPiece

    I would believe the senator’s premise, if he were not inferring a smart, well thought out plan contrived by the same group that continues to see talent in Richard Samuel.

    Simply put, the offense will succeed in spite of itself. Could this scheme be what Grantham prefers, maybe. Seems awfully thin in the secondary though.

    Remember, we didn’t return or block a punt for a full year when we had Logan Gray mastering the art of the fair catch – sometimes this coaching staff just wants to suck its thumb in the corner and get 8 wins on the backs of Vand, Kentucky, the Mississippis, the north avenue trade school and some Troy/charleston southern types

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  19. If Thomas, Lott, and Deas were all still here, we would have 75 this fall. Subtract the 14 seniors and you’re down to 61. That leaves at the very least 24 open spots and you can only sign a maximum of 25. You have to figure at least one other player out of the 61 will leave UGA for whatever reason (NFL, transfer w/o being pushed, get kicked off for disciplinary reasons, etc) or that one of the high schoolers will not enroll.

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  20. E dawg

    Let’s give it some time to play out. We will play in the sec game again and see what happens. I think we are still headed in the right direction.

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  21. Hogbody Spradlin

    If Saban/Alabama is the template in any respect, do you think Mark Richt can figure a way to keep valuable players off suspension (a la Saban and Corch) as well as sloughing off non-contributors?

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  22. Always Someone Else's Fault

    Is Georgia doing the 4 year scholarships? I haven’t heard. That should be a leg up on Alabama, Auburn, Florida, UT, FSU, and SouCar if we are. If we’re not, then I’ve got to wonder. I mean, all this talk about leaving wins on the table to take a high road on the blogs and all these players getting DQed out of town in the press. Something’s not connecting here for me.

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  23. Hmmmmmm……I got an entire blog just slam full of comments from Dawg fans who hate the concepts that are addressed on this story. Yet now that Richt “might” be getting with the picture am I now to assume that the Disney/Pee-Pee Dawgs are fine with this approach? Where is the outrage? Where are the people demanding the fine, honest, up-standing, never over-sign, never pull a scholly, beloved Mark Richt NOT act like Saban? I have read countless pieces of hate e-mail that never want anyone who acts anything like Saban in Athens.
    Since this is all okie-dokie now does that mean that S&G is now a homer site? Am I now an ambassador for the Rich regime?

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  24. Raleigh St. Clair

    I think that Mark Richt will yet again sign a class of 19-22 kids, and we’ll enter 2013 under self-imposed probation for the 3rd straight year.

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  25. Dog in Nam

    In my mind, there is no doubt that Coach Richt has made a major change in several areas. These changes roughly coincide with the hiring of Coach Grantham, but i think Coach Richt saw that some of his ideas were’nt working anyway, regardless of Coach grantham or even regardless of a coaching change…the old policy was sort of too idealistic, a take care of all approach, when in life, not everyone gets taken care of…i think he realizes what a poor management tool he had saddled himself with in this anti grayshirt approach, and is already at the point of no return on it….just look at how many offers we’ve made….he has clearly recognized the error of his mathematical ways and is back going in the right direction again, without having to announce a change, he has met the oversigners on a middle ground, or in New orleans they call it the neutral ground….I like it and I am with Cojones on the need for someone on here to vette the carry back process, so we can all count in our new system

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  26. MinnesotaDawg

    Think this post and many of the comments should be filed under a “Happy Speculation” category.

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    • Dog in Nam

      Minnesota, most comments about most things rest on a degree of speculation….not sure where your “happy speculation” falls on any kind of scale, but usually when I make a comment(and I must assume you were referring to my post with your cut), it is based on some knowledge that I have gained over many years and many miles accompanying UGA coaches and administrators, so while I may not have direct knowledge of something ( and sometimes that can be gained with a phone call), I would make my speculation based on hard earned experience. I would never call to find something out and then turn around and post it…that would last about as long as it takes to submit one post….but your “happy” speculator I am not, sir, and I think if you can check out several others on here, you will find people who have more than adequate acquaintenances, associations or friendships with people who are part of what is going on and many have the innate knowledge in general to exceed the the insultingly described “happy speculation” to which you apparently refer. In addition to that, common sense would tell you that operating with such a handicap personnel wise would not put or keep us at the level required to win championships, regardless who the coaches are. I think coach Richt was hoping the league would do more to bring the others to our level, but realizing the negotiated position we are now in, he is dealing with it so that we won’t continue to fall farther behind personnel numbers wise. This particular blog is not filled with yahoos that might more aptly fall into your condescending category.

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      • MinnesotaDawg

        I wasn’t referring to your comment specifically, Nam (or else I would have replied to it), but to the original post and the comments in general. And the original post is explicitly the product of “idle, rank speculation.” So your little diatribe about hard-earned-experience and having sources in-the-know isn’t really on point here.

        By the way, you might find it shocking to know that program insiders (to which you might, and I occasionally do, have access to) are as capable as optimistic fans of putting a positive spin on a seemingly negative development. In fact, it is sometimes in their own best interest to do so.

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        • Dog in Nam

          thanks for the correction, I am new and trying to learn the reply mechanics here and see, now, that I once again erred. Sorry for the diatribe. You are correct about program insiders being capable of positive spin, even more likely than fans many times. My access, as described, is/was with the people running the program; usually, they tend to be realistic. Optimistic, but with a realistic point of view. I realize that my access is not relavent and on point, except to point out that I have a basis of knowledge from which to speculate; you can believe it or not, and I do understand that it makes no difference here. Sorry I upset you, but I mistakenly thought you were being disrespectful. My name is Bill Holmes , a 71 graduate, and I’ve no reason to lie about my association with coaches and administrators. I am proud to have helped them in the past and would never lie about those associations. Feel free to check me out, though, again, I know it makes no difference and it certainly doesn’t make my comments more or less interesting or necessarily accurate, because my comments are mostly informed speculation as, I suspect, most are. My comments about the quality of the commenters here stands and now I include you. It is obvious that this is a great group, and many are more well connected than I am or have been. That is why the reputation of this blog is soaring: it is usually filled with salient comments and is so pertinent and well presented by the Senator. Thanks for what you do, Minnesota. You are obviosly intelligent and very interesting. Also, I love your state. Did a lot of business with some folks from Wilmar years ago….super people! Please accept my apology for the diatribe and thanks for the corrective instruction I so obviously still need on how to tell a direct reply from a regular comment

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          • MinnesotaDawg

            No problem. I really appreciate your reply and your comments. You’re definitely right about the quality of the site and about many of the regular commenters. Sure, there are differences of opinion and occasionally some heated debate, but I believe most commenters respect and appreciate each other (and the Senator, of course) and understand what brings us together in the first place–our mutual love of the Dawgs. I look forward to reading your future comments. Thanks again.

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    • Whatever.

      You can’t deny there’s been a change in approach on early offers.

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      • Dog in Nam

        yes, Senator, and our previous reticence to offer early was predicated on the fear of oversigning, and we lost a lot of those probably because we got a late start….so,yes, this change is a very significant change of direstion, without any fanfare or announcement necessary….by the way, I’m really enjoying your blog from here in Viet Nam….have been a very regular reader for yearsit seems, but only recently began to participate, and I am enjoying it….great group of followers you have…congratulations

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      • MinnesotaDawg

        Hey man, you asked for our thoughts and you got mine. Sorry if it happened to annoy or offend. I understand why so many are receptive to your “idle, rank speculation,” but I have my doubts that this is a part of some grander, purposeful strategy. Is it better for the program to get even thinner at safety, which already appears to be a thin position? Is the loss of an experienced big guy on the DL, who had been getting talked up by the coaches just last week for his progress and development, a good thing?

        So what is it? If it truly is nothing more sinister, I see the latest departures resulting from guys coming to understand their position on the depth chart and sensing a lack of immediate playing time on Saturday next fall, after half a spring and perhaps some Grantham straight-talk. That is it. The early offers? Perhaps Richt is looking at the numbers and understands that his previous philosophy re roster size and scholarship offers has missed the mark because of unplanned or uncontrolled attrition that has impacted our program. Hey, it happens in college football, especially when you have a strict code of conduct–but I don’t look at is as a generally good thing. Of course, if you do look on the bright side: we’ve got plenty of room to offer the state’s high school talent and extend early offers more generously.

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        • Is it better for the program to get even thinner at safety, which already appears to be a thin position? Is the loss of an experienced big guy on the DL, who had been getting talked up by the coaches just last week for his progress and development, a good thing?

          If they’re not going to play (which you seem to concede), why not? The program isn’t any worse off and the players have the opportunity to go somewhere else and play, if they want to.

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          • MinnesotaDawg

            Actually, I don’t concede that they wouldn’t play. Given our luck with injuries, suspensions, academic issues, etc., I still see depth at any position as a pretty big asset not to be so easily dismissed. Don’t you remember us having to start walk-ons at several positions last fall after a series of such events. Do you think the coaches were expecting to do that last spring?

            At the very least, if everyone stays healthy, these guys could still contribute at Georgia by providing talent, athleticism to special teams, scout teams, motivation for the starters to continue to bust their butts to say ahead of an eager backup, etc. Wasn’t everyone fawning over the depth at LSU and Alabama and noting that that’s where the difference existed between UGA and those more successful programs?

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            • In essence, that means softening the message (assuming my speculation has any basis in reality, of course). In other words, Grantham knows that Deas isn’t going to get any meaningful playing time – and this comes after the secondary has been decimated, mind you – but your advice would be to avoid being blunt about it in the interest of maintaining program depth.

              The difference between that and what we saw from LSU last season was the the Tigers had meaningful depth, that is, a bunch of players who were SEC-level contributors. Grantham has made the call that Deas isn’t at that level, evidently.

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              • MinnesotaDawg

                Once again, I don’t have enough reason to believe that the the latest player departures are part of some concerted and strategic effort to pare down the roster for the greater good of the program. Your conclusion that Deas or Lott were shown the door b/c Grantham didn’t think they could be SEC-level competitors is based on your original assumption, so I can’t accept that as a given either. For all we know, Lott wasn’t satisfied to be second string next year and he decided to he could start elsewhere. At this point, we don’t know. We don’t know about Deas, either. But I can easily see this as an unintended, unfortunate result as opposed to some grand plan by our coaching staff.

                You might be right. But purposely trimming additional scholarship players after you’re already 10-12 below the maximum on the hopes of recruiting a “super class” of players that won’t be on campus for another 18 months seems like a risky approach at this point. Just another reason I’m not buying the story.

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                • It’s not a story. It’s just speculation on my part, based on an untested assumption.

                  And I’m not saying either Deas or Lott were “shown the door”, as you put it, just that they were told their chances for significant playing time were slight at best.

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    • Cojones

      Count me in the “Happy Speculators”. However, before getting into a numbers conversation I need to use an accurate abacus computation. Until then I look at who we have playing football on this team and second team and am happy. Overall numbers may have taken a hit, but player talent hasn’t and it seems to go up another notch this year.

      I would say the “problem” we have is that everyone wants to play for Graham and they have pushed older, but less talented D guys out. Richt culled the O last summer and got better players at RB and other O positions. The O line keeps us gnashing our teeth, but all things can’t be “fixed” simultaneously to satisfy a wide fan base. It hasn’t been because we didn’t go after them nor the early timing. We lost two prospects on signing day. No one in the SEC comes close to getting all the players they desire.

      We will crosstrain to overcome possible backup problems, especially on D. That’s possibility training “just in case”. Where is the planning problem? The stated purpose is “To get the best athletes on the field at all times.”. They are training for that now.

      Things ain’t perfect, but that certainly applies to short-sighted and short-memory fans as well. The only thing some fans are long on is stubbornness to see nothing but problems. Too bad. Some of you are going to miss a great season! Again.

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      • Dog in Nam

        you know, Cojones, I thought the guy was referring to his “happy speculators” as if we were exhibiting irrational exhuberance…..wait, if that means I think we are going to be damn good, then call me irrational…..and happy! Because I think we are gonna have a very strong team and challenge for it all…..and i’m happy also that Coach Richt has loosened up a bit on the recruiting numbers game

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  27. RP

    Has anyone answered theobvious question? Who the heck is the primary backp at free safetey this year? If it’s Corey Moore, that means we only have one legitimate backup between the two safety positions. That’s not good. Any chance Gilliard or Robinson could play SS? They are smaller, faster LB’s.

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  28. John

    Answering the obvious question: Sanders Commings is being cross trained for corner and safety where he has experience at both. Connor Norman is continuing to progress ala Tra Battle did years ago and the same can be said for Blake Sailors. Sometimes the preferred walkons end up being the more talented players creating a desire to transfer when a guy like Deas sees these players getting more playing time in practice. I also wouldn’t be surprised to see Josh Harvey-Clemons being crossed trained to play both OLB and strong safety in nickel situations. While Gurley is an awesome RB, he may get a look for the needs of the “team” at safety.

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  29. I think that having 72 or 73 SEC caliber players Total is better than having the same 72 or 73 plus having bench warmers running the total up to 85.
    you know who & what you have and plan accordingly.
    Then you recruit more & better than you have before.
    That plan works for me even though I would like to see every recruit graduate from college somewhere if not at UGA.

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  30. Mayor of Dawgtown

    I sense something different about CMR. I cannot articulate it as well as the Senator, but Bluto may have put his finger on it with this post. CMR maybe is looking at what others have been doing and realizes that he has been operating at a competitive disadvantage. Give him time. How this all plays out may be very interesting.

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