Interesting quote from Richt explaining the rationale behind this year’s decision to sign a higher number of JUCO recruits than usual (more junior college players for 2013 than the last four recruiting classes combined):
“If you remember, we had some guys from the ‘Dream Team’ class that, you know, some DBs that ended up not being with us anymore. So those are guys that would’ve been ready to step into the role (as a starter next year with) a little bit more maturity. Since we had a void in that area, we wanted to make sure we brought in some guys that were a little bit older and a little bit more mature in their ability to play the game. But the other thing we knew is that we were going to try to sign a very large class. And the goal was to break up the class. [Emphasis added.] We didn’t want every single guy to be a freshman. We wanted to break it up a little bit, where it we’d have enough junior college guys that would be two years old older than the other guys in the class.
“The other thing that really came out really well for us was the midyear enrollees. Having 13 come in (and enroll in January) was tremendous for us. All of those guys seem to be doing extremely well. And that broke up our big class as well. We have 13 guys now, and we’re indoctrinating them the Georgia way academically and physically — and they’re getting a head start on football, of course.
“So now that rest of the class is going to be closer to 20, instead of 32 or 33 rolling in all at one time. We’ve got it broken up because of the number of midyear players, which I think is working out very well for us so far.”
That’s pretty well thought out… and it seems to have had its origin in the Nick Marshall dismissal. I’d like to think that if he was that thoughtful about the overall strategy for the class, he was just as careful in terms of deciding who would receive the offers. Time will tell, of course, but what I see here looks promising.
Get The Picture 
This class is way stronger than the negative nancys would have you believe, Beat Clemson !
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Auburn, Tennessee, and LSU are no doubt hoping that we have some more bad apples in our recruiting class that they can take in.
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Good show!
I’m always impressed with the ability of UGA fans to find a new rung on the ladder to the moral high ground when a previous one (juco signeees) breaks.
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We haven’t been reduced to paying for our JUCOs, yet. After last year, you guys ought to look at opening up the coffers.
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Hmmm… I guess typing out that response was easier than factually refuting his point, huh?
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Irony is lost on many, no?
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I’m always impressed with Aub…
Nope, not impressed by anything related to Auburn.
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I never considered signing jucos to be a bad thing. I thought the clause in Richt’s contract regarding juco recruitment was a little silly. However, recruiting the players Georgia runs off for being involved in criminal affairs while still calling us “thUGA”, well, I’m happy to hold you in a low light if you do so.
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+1
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Just as I said…
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Sometimes we can probably be guilty of a little bit of self-righteousness (myself definitely included), but can you see where that may stem from when Auburn fans make it standard procedure to refer to UGA as “thUGA”, while likely starting a QB that got kicked off the team at “thUGA”
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…while holding in high esteem, a former QB who played at Auburn after being dismissed from Florida…
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they don’t just hold him in high esteem. They put his picture on their stadium. War Damn Laptop! Or is it War Damn Slush Fund? Is Wayne Hall still on the payroll down there? 😉
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Slightly off topic, but Blutarsky linked to a table last week showing the top 10 over signers. His point was about Vanderbilt. At the top of the table was Bama, with 95 players currently on scholarship. If that’s true, it’s the grossest most abusive fact I’ve heard in a long time.
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When you have the authority to determine who gets academically dismissed, who “earns” a medical hardship scholarship, who gets arrested, and who does extra conditioning work, ten over the limit is not that big of a risk.
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At some point I would think this would have an effect on Espirit de Corps-As a teammate you have made friends with gets the shaft-over time I would think this would become a factor.
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Perhaps this is true for some out-of-state team members. The in-state kids know this is part of the deal when they sign up.
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Rugby, they been doin this for a while…you see any evidence of a lack of esprit de corps? I don’t.
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maybe wishful thinking on my part-if we ever see an exodus it could be part of the reason
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Every 18 year old kid good enough to play for bama believes they will never get cut and will be in NFL in 3 years. No problems there.
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…and Saban knows that better than anyone.
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I have never understood the opposition of tactically using JUCOs to augment UGA’s needs at specific positions. No one thinks having a majority of the class from junior colleges on an annual basis is the right way to replenish the team but some feel ANY signings of JUCO players reflects a failure. I don’t know of any major programs that haven’t used this method periodically, and if there was ever a year where we should dip deeper into this pool of talent I don’t recall it. CMR’s states the case well but I am surprised it is even necessary to defend the way the staff handled the recruitment of this class, particularly in regards to JUCO players. Personally, I would prefer to see 2-3 incoming players every year that have experience playing football above the HS level.
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I take it as a positive sign the incoming president will delegate more decisions to the Athletic Director in sports matters.
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I was discussing UGA’s signing class while in my barber’s chair yesterday. My barber is a Clempson man and he was telling me that Clempson has a no JUCO policy unless the recruit originally committed to the C out of high school but didn’t qualify.
I don’t know if he is correct about this but he told me the AD’s name that handed it down years ago (since departed). I don’t know how knowledgeable my barber is about inner workings of Clempson football, but he has run the chains at the local high school football games for 20 years. So I give him credit for that. And besides that, he sure does make a nice haircut.
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HVL…You have a Clemsonite for a barber? This begs for a “mullet” joke, but I can’t think of a classy way to do that.
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He is correct I googled it and found this link from last season. http://www.sbnation.com/college-football-recruiting/2012/9/26/3413280/clemson-football-recruiting-JUCO-junior-college-defense-policy. It sounds like an “Adams” type issue. I am glad we allow these kids a chance.
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I’m with McCallan — I don’t know why we have to defend this. Having players with time in the trenches under their belts is a good thing. It’s even better if you have immediate needs to fill. If you can plug in a 20-year-old 4* LB with two years of 3-4 training, who on earth would still prefer a 4* 18-year-old who’s never seen a college-size fullback?
I get the idealism, but if the JUCO players have been admitted to UGA, they’re academically qualified. If you don’t like the optics, raise the academic standards. Because I guarantee you that (a) every other scholarship player with an NFL shot is at least as devoted to football as the JUCO guys and (b) until we’re an Ivy, winning will up our admissions requests — and thereby our student body quality — much more than a vague concept of academic reputation.
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Macallan, I misspelled you. Didn’t mean it personally.
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No worries, friend, Hard to take it personally, it isn’t even my real name….and I totally agree with your thoughts. Richt’s comments on class separation cannot be ignored and you nailed it on these players having a much stronger resume because of their experience at a higher level. I would like to see a percentage comparison of performance of 4 star JUCOs versus 4 star HS recruits. A certain number of both will always washout for many reasons but John Jenkins, Mt. Cody, Cam Newton, Zach Mettenberg, etc. should be enough to say keeping that option open is pretty wise. Before he went over to the dark side, I believe OJ Simpson was a JUCO for Southern Cal. I don’t contend you can run your program with a high number (say 25+%) of these athletes comprising your roster but surely the “negative stigma” is over stated by the naysayers/purists.
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“it isn’t even my real name….”
I knew it! I was just sitting around the campfire during songtime thinking about how hard it is to get done anything done without an alias.
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I have multiple aliases, some which allow me infiltrate campfire gatherings….I am the one that often chants off key. Benedict is one I have i used successfully on such occasions to fit in with ease along with the spirit of the crowd. We know who you are, and where you live Comrade.
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Cheez! What comes to mind when you see my alias? I thought it was viewed as “gutsy” or “most impertinent mother in the valley”. Now the self-imagery becomes pornographic.
Maybe a photo would clear things up, eh? Anyone know a photoshop that would enhance my equipment past the hilarious stage?
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Heck, I was a Juco transfer to Georgia, and I still managed to get 3.5 years in Athens after 2 years at Young Harris. 🙂 (Proper planning, of course…I managed to stay for all of Herschel’s and Dominique’s time, plus a few more.)
Nothing wrong with Juco’s in my book.
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Hell anything would be an improvement over Young Harris. 😉
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No moonshine for you!
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Easy now, Hogbody! I still know some boys up there that might pay you a visit. 🙂
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Me too with a degree from Brevard (NC) College.
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I have nothing against juco transfers. I was one, myself. But why not make the rule the same for athletes as for us students? You graduate from JC, you get in.
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I refuse to believe that CMR has a plan. Everything the internet has told me is that he doesnt.
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Are you also dating a French model?
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Oui, oui!
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Bonjour!
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Best laid plans of mice and men…sometimes they just do not work out for whatever reason.
But…what has been the record of the Dawgs and coaching staff the past two years…sorta enjoyed them being in the SECCG the past two years.
CMR’s plan may not be the best…but that record says something about the men to me.
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It will be interesting to see how Weiss/Kansas fares. If it jumpstarts him in the Big-12, everyone will be signing Jucos up the butt.
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So that’s why Charlie has a front butt! All those JuCo guys in there.
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Weiss is following the Bill Snyder model from Kansas State. That his been his modus operandi during both of his stints at KSU and includes more 2 and 3 star players than 4 and 5. He seems to have done pretty well with it.
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One reason he did pretty well was due to a Georgia player, Meshak Williams. Ranked as the 8th best player in the Big-12, Meshak hails from Sylvester, home of Dr Thomas Lawhorne. Those Worth Co boys are really worth their salt as players.
Meshak’s mother does housework for my brother in Worth Co. Since my brother is lame at CFB, I give updates and tell him and my sister-in-law where to go and copy articles from the internet for her. I informed him also that Ms Williams will indeed see the home and car promised her by her son since he has a good chance to go at the end of the first round and certainly early in the second. That will put him in th 2-3 M category to begin with what with the new NFL player’s agreement about newby guarantees.
It gives me great pleasure to back up everything he has told his mother and that she, in turn, repeats to my CFB-uninformed brother and sister-in-law. They don’t keep up with CFB. I think you can understand since one of their sons graduated from Tech.
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It seems like this JUCO topic is cyclical, no?
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I think second chances at kids who went the JUCO route to improve academics to get into Division 1 schools is fine. Kids who signed Division 1 and were kicked off the team because of disciplinary issues are a different matter. I don’t want them.
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Cough, *Auburn*, cough…
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I’m confounded by anyone who thinks this was a poor, or average, recruiting class for the Dawgs. This class was terrific! Thirteen (13) already in school!! Twenty more players on the way! Twenty one (21) espn 4 star players!
I believe CMR is genuine about the amount of planning and work that went into this recruiting class. Thing is, it should be evident without him explaining it.
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That’s my take W Cobb….Thirteen already in school is huge…and notice CMR said they’re all doing well and are adjusting. CMR is an innovator, on the field and in recruiting. The JUCO thing is a positve, too.
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Indeed. And snarky at that. I don’t have a problem with jucos-other than they usually don’t pan out. Moreover, I can’t imagine how morality plays into that.
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I went the Juco route myself. What could possibly be wrong with…..Uh, nevermind. Bad example.
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Did you say CMR was an innovator? I don’t think so!
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JRW7, I expected to get called out on that one…There was a time when I thought CMR was unimaginitive, but no more. Maybe “innovator” isn’t the perfect word, but the man is embracing new ideas. We saw a lot of imagination in the offensive scheming this year…so he is at least embracing innovation (though Bobo may be the author), and the same can be said for the defense. The occasional suprise play has been mostly positive lately. Remember when the whole team ran onto the field after they scored on UF? An in 2011, with a thin and not well functioning O line, he found a way to make the offense go. Who would have thought Richard Samuel would be pounding the gators in the fouth quarter? CMR did..and if he’d told me or you that was the plan, we would have been skeptical..but it worked…as most, but admittedly not everything he comes up with does. This year, against a stellar Alabama defense, Georgia moved the ball throught the air very well… But it’s in recruiting, and relating to the team that he is really different than a lot of coaches. He is building a team culture that’s focused on winning with class and integrity. The article this thread is built on shows that the man is thinking ahead and doing things other coaches will be copying if they work..and I’m pretty certain getting 13 kids in school early is a stroke of genius. Give the guy some credit.
Every innovation is not a sucess (see “black out”) but at least CMR is not predictable…except to do the right thing morally.
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I sincerely believe that you are entirely correct! If a few Dawg fans can’t see that then their viewer ports are clogged. The Dawgs will be known as the best O in the country while the D tries to catch up. That will be great cheering for us all.
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