But is this enough for Murray to forego another year in Athens?
Tough call.
But is this enough for Murray to forego another year in Athens?
Aaron Murray just said he got a "pretty good" draft evaluation after sending in his paperwork. A "second or third round" projection.
— Jonathan Branch (@JBranch_) January 3, 2013
Tough call.
Filed under Georgia Football
“We remember the Sugar Bowl, I think it my junior year of high school, we let Alabama beat us twice,” Brinson said of a team that also lost to the Crimson Tide in the SEC Championship game. “We’re not letting Alabama beat us twice. In the Sugar Bowl in 2018, they… thought they should have been in the playoffs and lost to Texas.” -- AB-H, 12/27/23
For me, it would all depend on if I thought I could improve my potential draft placement. Hard to say.
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Exactly. Look at the year Murray just had. What can he do to improve on that? Throw fewer interceptions? Maybe. Not get a ball tipped at the five yard line? Sure.
What he really needs to do is grow three inches. And that’s not happening. Aaron’s not getting a first round evaluation next year because of his measurables. I think he’s maxed out his draft potential and this QB class is a weak one. The only reason to come back for his senior year (and I hope he does) is for team goals and legacy goals. His individual goals have been accomplished.
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This in spades. When Geno Smith is considered the top QB prospect, and you have Tony Dungy saying he’d take you first overall, I don’t see how your draft stock will improve. In 2014, he might have to compete with Teddy Bridgewater, Braxton Miller, Tajh Boyd, & AJ McCarron. The rational decision would be to go. It comes down to whether the emotional attachment to the team, coach, college, etc. outweigh reason (heart vs. head).
There are worse things than being drafted in the second/third round because you are shorter than NFL scouts like.
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Take the Dungy comment with a grain of salt. His son played with Aaron in HS. He’s just making a good friend look good. Not to say Murray isn’t any good, but he won’t be taken anywhere near #1 overall.
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Heath, I think when I heard Dungy make the statement, he was referring to the KC Chief’s needs and that Aaron should be the Chiefs first pick.
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Hey all! Been a while since I’ve had time to sit down and chat… Hope you all had a Happy New Year!
Afraid I have to agree with you guys- Murray’s not coming back. I think he may be the best QB ever to play for us (although Buck should get that title by default) and although I’d love to see him play for our Dawgs another year, its not going to happen. Yes, unfortunately for him, he’s not going to get any taller next year but its the positives, not the negatives that will propel him to go… I consider myself a below average, arm chair, NFL GM, which is to say that I am expert talent evaluator compared to the one’s playing Gabbert and Henne at QB in Jacksonville or T Pryor in Oakland, and I will lay odds right now that says Murray will not make it out of the first round!
In all seriousness, Murray has some phenomenal skills that the NFL scouts are going to fall in love with and are really the most important traits they look for even more than height as Drew Brees has shown is not necessary for success, in fact, Brees is the QB Murray most resembles… i.e. He can read and analyze a defense better than any other QB’s going into this draft. Similarly, he stands in the pocket with presence, going through his progressions, doesn’t lock onto one receiver, steps into his throws and delivers a strike with above average arm strength. Other positives, he comes from UGA, runs a pro style offense under the tutelage of CMR and CMB who are, rightly, beginning to get a reputation for QB development and recently had a QB go first overall in the draft. Furthermore, Murray is tough as nails, doesn’t miss games due to injury and can move the chains with his feet if necessary. Finally, as someone already said, the QB position is so importantant in the NFL right now and with three Rookie QBs taking their teams to this years playoffs the perception of needing a play making QB couldn’t be higher with NFL GMs. I wish him all the best and “really” wish we hadn’t red shirted him so he could hold all the SEC records, especially the ones held by P Manning and T Tebow!!
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You can add in the GMs for the Cardinal’s, Jets, Vikings, Chiefs, and the Browns too. Too many teams need a QB for Murray to slip out of the 1st round. Not saying he’ll succeed, but you have to have a competant QB to win in the NFL, and GM’s and coaches know this. Which is why you see teams take chances on long shot QB’s every year.
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Who’s going to read all that? Maybe you should start your own blog…
I stopped at “Buck should get that title”…why bc he handed off to Herschel and completed a 12 yard pass to Lindsey Scott? Buck Belue is a joke. Not even top 5.
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…because his name is Buck, which rhymes with a lot of other words.
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Hey if QB’s that bring undefeated seasons and National Championships are a joke to you then I don’t know what to say… Who would you put in above him, Reggie Ball?
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That’s like arguing that Trent Dilfer was a better QB than Dan Marino because Dilfer won a Super Bowl.
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Yes, it may be the Dilfer Arguement but it is a valid one and one arguement I have a hard time coming to terms with- as I stated, ” I think he [murray] may be the best QB ever to play for us (although Buck should get that title by default)”. I get Murray is a better QB for all the obvious reasons and metrics, except one… Championships. I’m not sure that it is the best way to quantify it but I have much more graditude to Buck than I do Murray and it has everything to do with the Natty, and nothing else. I can say this… I was four years old when Buck graduated so I speaking in Hyperbole but I’ve seen enough replays and highlights to know that he was a damn good football player and as clutch a QB as we’ve had at UGA (the 81′ clemson game being the major execption).
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He was fine. It was a different era, different offense and all that. Maybe if you transplanted him to 2009 he would have been a very good passer, but as it stands, he wasn’t. He won a lot of games without having to throw. He hit a few plays here and there. In the national title game you’re crediting him with he completed on pass. He gets the nod over, say, Zeier because Herschel Walker and Scott Woerner were awesome?
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I believe the pass went to Amp Arnold 🙂
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Juan, you don’t have a clue what you’re talking about. Buck Belue was one of the top QB’s in the nation coming out of high school. He won a lot of games for Georgia with and without Herschel. Here was his first one, though I don’t expect you to take the time to research…
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Buck Belue gets Dawggraded because he had Herschel Walker. He might not have been Matthew Stafford, but he was a good quarterback.
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If I’m Boyd, I’m coming out early.
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Me too and I hope he’s listening to your advice! 😉
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For that matter, AJ McCarron should, too, for all the same reasons.
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But what about that Psych degree?
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LOL. Some idiot on Dr. Saturday posted that he was obviously coming back because he wasn’t done with his Ph.D. program.
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There is some truth to that. The program he in does not have a masters degree. He is in a phD program.
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PhD programs take years of full-time study. Years.
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Trust me….my source is better than anything you can come up with…..he is in a PhD program.
Not saying he will ever finish….but that is the level of study he is in.
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Are you serious!? You think he’s going to turn down the NFL to stay in school?
On another note…if he’s in school at that level and at all serious about it, he doesn’t have time for football in the fall.
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Murray could play pro ball and still be in the PhD program. Lots of people work full-time and still go to grad school. If Murray went pro he’d still have 6 months per year finish the program.
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They don’t work full-time and get doctoral degrees, Mayor.
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(And you have to be enrolled in those challenging graduate courses in order to play football in a semester.)
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I think Aaron just wants to move on from college – take on the NFL challenge and his business career afterwards. I heard the TV announcers on Tuesday saying how much fun Aaron was having in college. I see a young man, degree in hand, who is smart enough to know his pre draft value is as good as it will get, and is a little tired of not having any cash.
And, strangely enough, I think he doesn’t want to look at Hutson’s long face for another year.
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And, strangely enough, I think he doesn’t want to look at Hutson’s long face for another year.
Methinks this is the same attitude that brought us The Ginger Avenger.
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I can agree with this.
Initially, I didn’t think he would go. I’m starting to think like you, though. That’s about as good as an eval he’s going to get and, like others have pointed out, he’s probably going higher than 2d/3d rd because of the QB class.
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I think he’s gone. Weak QB class this year, at a moment when NFL teams are more than willing to roll the dice on QBs early in the draft. If he shows good accuracy in work-outs, he’ll be a top 50 pick.
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I’d rather he stay, but he should go. He has his degree and then some, has more than served his time. DGD! Even a solid back-up role is not a bad gig and with the hard hitting NFL, you never know when you get the call.
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“Wilson was selected by the Seahawks with the 12th pick in the third round (75th overall) of the 2012 NFL Draft. Wilson signed a four-year, $2.99 million contract with the Seattle Seahawks on May 7, 2012.” (Seattle also picked Greenie in the 3rd round.)
$750,000 a year is more than I made starting out of college. Just how much more could he make or just how much could he lose by waiting another year?
So just how good is Hutson? I don’t remember too much about him in HS. I kinda discounted him because of all the negative rhetoric from the Eeyore Hijo’s about dumping Murray for Hutson.
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This. Take the money.
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“$750,000 a year is more than I made starting out of college”
$750K is more than I made in TEN YEARS starting out of college!
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Yep! I made 1% of $750,000 my first year out of UGA. Forestry was fun, but not profitable.
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Count me as another Dawg that hopes Murray stays. Although this is a fairly weak QB class, I seem to recall the ESPN ticker during the game showed Murray being the 10th QB available in the draft. Apparently height is not the only concern some in the NFL have with him. Surely another year to eliminate inconsistency and early-game jitters would give him a better draft status. Any choice he makes, though, he’ll always be a DGD!
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Well, Kiper and McShay have been wrong before.
GMs are probably looking at Seattle making the playoffs with Wilson and seeing the same opportunity with Murray.
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As good as Murray was this past season, I don’t think it measures up the same to what Wilson did at Wisconsin. Not the same defenses either, to be fair to AM, but Wilson’s lowest completion percentage his last year was 62% and he was at 70% or better 11 times.
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Hope he stays. Understand when they leave.
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I wonder if the vandalization of his house after the South Carolina loss will impact his decision. It would probably affect mine in the same situation.
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Damn those Vandals! First they sack Rome, now this.
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And yet we leave them within striking distance of our potato supply. It’s madness.
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+1
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…..and our eggs and toilet paper too! “Oh, the humanity.”
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Did we quit when the Vandals sacked Pearl Harbor?? NO.
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🙂
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The Vandals?
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Forget it, he’s on a roll.
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I’d talk to Jarvis. If somehow I can get him to agree to stay, then I’d come back. If Jarvis goes, I go.
I know, I know….
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Jarvis probably can’t be reached due to disconnecting his phone, clearing out his apartment, and moving into the extended stay of Indianapolis near the combine. But I doubt that means anything…
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I’ve gone from being nearly certain a few weeks ago that he would come back, to now feeling like he has no real reason to. If we had a loaded defense coming back and he was going to have a good shot at winning a national title, I could see him coming back (I’m not saying I think we’re gonna suck next year, we’ll still be good, but the reality is if you look at our first 4 games and the defense we’re going to have, there is a decent chance we will already be out of the national championship picture by the end of September). But like several people have already said, his draft stock probably isn’t going to be a lot higher than what it is right now simply because of his height………and no extra years in school are going to change that. Add that to the weakness of this year’s QB crop, and it makes a lot of sense to go ahead and turn pro. Would love to be wrong though.
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Jarvis Jones could have come to the exact same conclusion last year.
No offensive line experience, no running backs, maybe i should go pro.
And yet, he didn’t, and our offense ended up just fine.
I expect our defense to be better next year, because it wasn’t very good this year.
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+1. The guys who will start on D next year were almost as good as the starters this year, many have game experience and will be highly motivated.
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Really? I hope so. I’m skeptical, but maybe I’ve been letting Bo Bach (sp?) on 790 talk me into thinking Grantham is in over his head and drove off our best recruiter. I mean man, that dude hates Grantham.
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Bo Bock hates Georgia and everything about Georgia football. He’s bad-mouthed the program for years. I remember in 1980 when he was talking about what a lousy coach VD was–all the way up until the Dawgs won the MNC.
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Jarvis had the potential to be a Top 5 pick if he came back for another year. Murray doesn’t (unless Tony Dungy is running a draft). That’s the major difference. If Murray had the potential to be rated much higher after next year, I’d say it is worth him coming back.
I agree with your about our D not having been good this year. However, we’re just losing too much…….I could see us not being any worse next year, but have a hard time seeing us being significantly better. That would be less of a consideration though for Murray (in my opinion, I have no inside info at all) if coming back could significantly improve his draft stock.
But again, would love to be wrong about both Murray and our D for next year. 🙂
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I looked at the final stats and the difference was almost 100% in rush D. We were ~1,000 yards worse against the run and within 10-15 yards of last year’s pass D.
I for one, will not miss our former D-Line coach who was given more time/responsibility to coach (especially as Geathers/Jenkins are sure draft picks, and Abry’s a decent medium-shot.)
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Wow………I had not gone and looked at the stats……..I mean watching every game, you knew it was worse, but 1,000 yards worse……..damn.
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On the one hand, he’s already graduated, and I don’t think Aaron’s the type to take the Leinhart route and take ballroom dancing just to be eligible for one more year of football. Plus, this is a fanbase that egged his house the day after his worst day as a player and the day he found out his Daddy had cancer. Add to these things the good draft evaluation combined with the stronger class next year, and there are a lot of reasons to leave.
But, on the other, he’d obviously like to finish his career even stronger. He’d have a chance to do some great things with next year’s offense. He seems to be the type of guy who would notice how David Greene is treated everywhere he goes. And, there is also Milledge Avenue and downtown to think about.
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Keep in mind that when word spread that their house was egged, fans came by to help clean it up, too. At least, according to Christian Robinson’s twitter feed.
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Seems to be a consesus here, that he’s gone. If so, Thanks for the memories, Aaron and best of luck in all of life. When you’re finished with the pros, you’ll make some team a fine QB/OC coach.
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Put me down in the “I think he goes.” column for most of the reasons already noted in the other posts. Might be a good thing if he is a second (or third) round pick. Gives him a chance to wind up with a decent team where he isn’t expected to be a savior and has a chance to develop as an NFL quarterback. For all the good things he’s done for us, I wish him well.
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I’ve been 95% sure he would stay for his senior year for a long time. Now that I see the difference between this year’s and next year’s QB classes, I think it might be a lot closer to 50-50. But for whatever reason, I still think he will stay.
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I know they he probably doesn’t think this way, but if I were Murray I’d honesty want to come back to be the #1 QB in SEC history statistically. If Manziel goes pro after 3 years, Aaron’s records could stand for quite a while. He could demolish the career TD record. He’ll demolish the yardage record. I don’t think he’s missed a start in 3 years. Plus, he’s been to 2 SEC Championships but he hasn’t won one yet. I think he should do it for the records and to keep working on his game. He can keep getting better and probably will. If he comes back… Oh man. Our offense should be amazing.
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Murray came to Georgia to play football, get a Georgia education and to push himself to excel. He has done those things.
just sayin’
“You are all Champions in your own way. That doesn’t mean you have to be number 1 or be the best. Just do your best. If you aren’t first, then make those people ahead of you break records by pushing them with your personal best. Consider for a moment what we achieve from athletics – the sheer fun of competing – the building of a healthy and alert mind and body – stamina, courage, perseverance, dedication, commitment, selflessness and most importantly, the will to excel.”
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Agreed. Hope he comes back for the sake of my school, but understand if he goes. Won’t like it, but it is understandable.
And to quote Brandon DeWilder, shouting after Alan Ladd who is riding into the sunset, wounded, “Come back Aaron! Come back!”.
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Oh, Shane. A real oldie but goodie.
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+1
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Not to be a negative Nancy, but am I the only one who wants to see AM go? I mean the stats are great but the kid (outside of UF twice) has STILL yet to win any other game of signifigance. Even in the Florida wins his #’s werent great it was more of us getting more turnovers that he could create. Dont get me wrong I think hes a FANTASTIC kid and I wish him all the best in the world but as far as taking up to the next level(winning championships) I just cannot see it. Yes we came 5 yds from a trip to Miami but you also cannot forget that horrendous underthrow for an INT where he had MM(i believe) behind both the CB and S and he manages to underthrow him. Like I said I love the kid and that he’s a Dawg through and through but would also love to see what Hutson, Christian, & hell Brice can bring to the table as far as advancing the position between the hedges.
Would love to hear some feedback from the diehards on this site bc I really enjoy the back and forth from Dawg Nation. God bless & GO DAWGS
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I’ve heard more than just you say this but I strongly disagree. Watch a few other teams besides the Dawgs and you will get an appreciation for what we have. He’s not perfect but I think it is overly optimistic to expect any better outcome for us than him staying put.
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He made one bad throw against Alabama, which did prove to be pretty costly, but otherwise, he played an excellent game. I think people like you are holding his turnover issues from 2011 against him still and won’t realize how good he actually was until you see a lesser player take over.
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Considering he just lit up the former #1 pass defense in the country to the tune of 427 yards and 4 touchdowns, I disagree. And you heard all the players talking about how this was a big game for Georgia to carry all the momentum they built this season into next, so the pressure was on.
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+1.
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No matter how talented his replacement, we will have to suffer through some inevitable growing pains as they adjust. At least one seasons worth. Even if mason knows the offense cold, his inexperience will cost us. There is no question that Murray back again is best for uga football team in 2013. I suppose there is an argument to be made for getting experience under masons belt while we rebuild defense for 2014.
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You know, this steak is really great. Just not perfect. Dammit, I wish I had spam!
That’s what the Hutson-fluffers sound like with the ridiculous Murray bashing. Also:
“I mean the stats are great but the kid (outside of UF twice) has STILL yet to win any other game of signifigance.”
Come on, son. It’s Florida, not the nerds.
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If I were #11, i’d come back for one reason and one reason alone…
Never beaten the Cocks.
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Doesn’t have to. The OBC always manages to lose to someone and take the Cocks out of the picture.
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Things like that don’t matter to competitors like Murray. In any sport, if you don’t beat a rival in your career, people are going to mention it whenever your name comes up. I’m guessing he would like to beat SCar at least once.
Now will this keep him from declaring? I doubt it. But it’s food for thought…
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I hear ya, 202, but I have a hard time believing Murray’s decision will hinge on his record against SC.
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No one has considered that it may be better for the team long-term for AM to leave. Our defense will likely be down next year (due to youth and not lack of talent). If we can get some of the big fish we are going after this year, the defense could be really good 2 years from now. Gurshall will be a junior and we will still have plenty of quality and depth all over the offense. At that point having Mason in his second year would be a benefit. If AM stays next year, Mason ends up being Joe Cox for one year.
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Won’t next year be Mason’s Sr Year? Performing as a game starter is a different beast that LeMay is as qualified for as Hutson. They both will face problems they have never seen. Brice may prove to be better than either, but he wouldn’t push Aaron out.
With or without Murray, Mason’s chances are about the same to be our QB. His redshirting was a gamble and not a guarantee that he would play. Yep. like to see him on the field, but don’t elevate his potential above the other two QBs who will get a chance for the honor of being the UGA QB next year.
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Mason will be a redshirt junior. That was the point of redshirting him, to create that year of separation.
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If Mason is Joe Cox, then we definitely need Murray to come back next year.
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Damn it’s hard to be your other personality. I mean, having to apologize for you all the time and whatnot. Joe Cox was a DGD!! He wasn’t the problem–Willie Martinez was the problem. Look at the ’09 stats. Cox had a good season. At least 2 more games would have been down the drain that year if we didn’t have QB play as good as Cox delivered–Arizona State and Arkansas. Plus, the LSU game got stolen by the refs and that moron Ealey got the play wrong and fumbled as the O was going in for the tying TD in the Kentucky game–that sure wasn’t Joe Cox’s fault.. that season easily could have been a 10 win year.
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He had two excellent games: South Carolina and Arkansas. He was bad against ASU, two picks including a pick-6 that nearly cost Georgia the game. He was 12-30 with two interceptions against Kentucky. The fumble hurt, but yes, the loss was partially his fault. On the season he completed 55% of his passes, threw 15 interceptions and lost some number of fumbles (they don’t seem to track that stat). I seem to remember him being directly responsible for 19 turnovers that year, which makes for bad QBing when combined with his otherwise mediocre stats. In short, he had all of the problems Murray did in 2011 with none of the positives. He was a DGD, I’ll give him that, but a DGQ he was not.
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+1.
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His Dad’s health will probably play into it. If the family needs money – He’s gone. If his dad needs to stay close to Tampa – then he may stay to have his dad watch his games and set all kinds of records next year.
Just want him to do what’s best for him – he has earned it.
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I completely agree with your last line. I hope he does what’s best for him and has it work out well. It would be a shame if he gambled and came out early only to fall lower in the draft than expected. Stranger things have happened on draft day.
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No joke, bro. That draft day party I had was real lame.
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Universal health care could bring the dawgs an SEC championship, is that what you’re saying?
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Just get Mr. Leeburn to match Aaron’s anticipated first year NFL salary and spice it up with a “no-interest” mortgage from Trust Company Bank.
Y’all make this sound difficult.
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I think Mr. Leeburn’s portfolio has taken quite a hit. SunTrust has sold a chunk of CocaCola stock and the building industry and interest rates are still not up to snuff. Considering the bad loans that forced ST to sell stock in the first place don’t go looking for any handouts. Easier to ask OBama for the money.
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Is Obama a Georgia fan? Hell, I thought he’d be an Auburn “Cheatah.”
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Oregon looked good
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I’m a little surprised at all the analysis from you guys. If I’m Murray, do I leave behind a chance to break every SEC record, win a Heisman, win an SEC Championship, and win a MNC just so I can POSSIBLY become a 2nd, 3rd (lower?) round pick and eventual NFL starter? We’re not talking about Stafford’s $60 million here. As you guys mentioned above, you’re talking about more like $3-5 million over 3-5 years. There’s no guarantee he’ll become an NFL starter, especially given the draft grade, but it’s a virtual certainty he’ll be in the mix for those other college goals. When Aaron committed to UGA, what do you thinnk his goals were? He’s still got plenty left to accomplish in Athens, from a competitors’s standpoint. I won’t fault him either way, but as I said yesterday I think if he goes he’ll be making a mistake he’ll regret for the rest of his life.
Look at it like this: If he regrets his decision to stay, the NFL opportunity will still be there in 12 months. If he regrets his decision to go pro, he’ll never be able to get back that senior year.
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I wonder if AM gets the feeling has “graduated” already in more ways than one – many of his contemporaries are moving on, etc. That is, he’s been around a long time and may feel he needs to grow up and move onto the next stage of his life and not be hanging around the womb of college life like M. McConnaghoweveryouspellit in Dazed and Confused…
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