Yesterday brought both good news and bad news for Ken Blankenship, the good being that Kirby Smart finally decided it’s okay to offer a scholarship to a full-term place kicker.
The bad news is that said kicker isn’t Ken’s son.
Georgia picked up a big-time special teams prospect after the G-Day spring game concluded.
Norcross place-kicker Jake Camarda offered his pledge to the Bulldogs after the intrasquad scrimmage concluded. He announced his intention to accept a scholarship offer from Georgia on his personal Twitter account.
Camarda is regarded as the No. 1 place-kicker in the nation, according to the 247Sports.com composite. With inside linebacker Adam Anderson decommitting earlier Saturday, Camarda is now the second prospect in Georgia’s recruiting class of 2018.
Given that there’s also a graduate transfer kicker coming in with a one-year scholly, I don’t think it’s much of a leap to think there’s a no vacancy sign posted at the entrance of the Scholarship Inn now.
Congrats to you, Ken. You’re the best example of parental involvement since Mitch Mustain’s mom worked her magic.
Get The Picture 
Rodrigo definitely didn’t have the best day yesterday….
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My offer is this: nothing.
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In fact, Ken, you’re going to drive up to Norcross, wait at the Camarada home, get the scholarship papers signed, and bring them here to my Secretary. Understand ?
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A missed extra point and two missed FG. Yeah, id say UGA needs a scholly kicker and he aint it.
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Tell me again. How many FGs did the kid make?
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The kid was 4 for 6 in FGs and kicked all the other extra points–what was it–5 others? The one that missed was off the upright. He also kicked a whole bunch of KOs into the EZ kicking in both directions. Lighten up on the kid. Geeez.
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G-Day performance compared to the regular season. I’ll take what he did last year when it meant something rather than a meaningless scrimmage.
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He didn’t have a great day yesterday but that was also a whole lot of kicking for one guy to have to do. Every kickoff, all FG’s and PAT’s, maybe that’s a weak excuse but I can see how that could be hard on a kicker who is only used to doing half that amount in a game.
On the plus side, most if not all of his kickoffs went into the end zone, even against the wind. And a couple of them were in the back of the end zone when he had the wind. That was a welcome change, he’s clearly been working hard at improving his kickoffs. Perhaps at the expense of his other place kicking duties. He has the summer and fall camp to work it out, I’m not off the Rodrigo bandwagon yet.
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Yeah, workloads of that size as an excuse is a little weak to me. He kicks several times more than that at practices every day. But I agree, Hot Rod seems to be a good young man stuck in a bad situation. He isn’t a bad kicker but seems to vulnerable when, and if, a really good kicker shows up. It seems like one is on the way. I remember when we always seemed to have a talented, dependable kicker at UGA but have been envious of what I have seen at FSU in recent years, Auburn the last couple, and the ounting at Bama. Quality kickers are out there, but I am not sure we have made this a major priority. I hope this new recruit is a change in that direction of thinking.
The recruiting gurus don’t give any of them 4-5 stars, but they should, the role they play is more significant than many of those more heralded types. I am sure this 2017 will get much better by December but put me down that if Carmada is even close to what the kicking service says, he will be among the top 5 contributors in this class. A dependable kicker and punter is a difference maker over the course of a season. Sorry Rodrigo, I think we need more than what you can deliver.
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If Kirby wins this will never be brought up again. If he doesn’t, well, there are those storing this in their memory banks, kinda like harping on someone for taking the team swimming one freaking day a year.
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It was reported Rodrigo had a 3.74 average last semester. He has earned the Hope scholarship and Kirby can’t take that away. He gets free meals. I am sure it galls him and his father he has to pay the steep UGA fees, including fees for athletics. Rodrigo has my respect, but he doesn’t appear to be a good fit for Kirby. I am on the fence about my respect for Kirby Smart, however.
I want to see what Kirby does with Demery. My bet is he will let him stay on the team.
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The hope doesn’t pay full tuition at UGA. Rod’s family is still out many thousands of dollars per year to attend. If that’s a problem, he should transfer to another school with a scholarship.I wouldn’t blame him.
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Right. The Hope pays 75% to 100% of tuition depending on GPA. In Rodrigo’s case it would pay 75%. It pays zero fees, which have gotten to be very substantial. it also does not cover room, which costs about $700 per month. I estimate his dad is funding about $10,000 a year, and maybe more.
I wouldn’t blame him for transferring either. I believe Richt did promise him a scholarship if he won the starting job and that he would be on scholarship now. I also believe Kirby’s position is that he is not bound by what the guy before him promised. This is excellent training for what Rodrigo will face in Corporate America.
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Yes it will. Corporate America should be brought up before some UN Human Rights committee, pure slave labor conditions. Things are much better elsewhere, hard to even find a safe room to snuggle up to a stuffed animal in many work environments here. Unhappy workers should at least get paid transportation to transfer to another country of their choice and leave this cess pool forever….and hurry please before the whiners screw up what is left for those who kind of like it.
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That’s what I love most about you, Mac — anybody who whines about things in America just needs to get his/her ass out… except for you, because your complaints are informed commentary. 😉
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Actually I do get my ass out of the country a couple of months a year, I even pay for my own transportation! I take my gorgeous wife with me and we thoroughly enjoy it. After 40 plus years of some success in Corporate America I can afford it. That took an incredible amount of hard honest work. I never had time for whining. But anybody who thinks corporate America is awash with integrity is confused.
Mac, I never heard of a safe room in corporate America. But if snuggling up to a stuffed animal appeals to you maybe you can create one in your home. Or maybe just enjoy another scotch.
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Negative, Ghostrider…..The police blotter is full.
Demery is gone…..
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IMO this is about there only being one ship for a kicker and Kirby thinks the other kid is better. But it’s nice anyway that we won’t have to hear from Ken.
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Even if Rodrigo were a better kicker that any of the other guys Kirby wouldn’t offer him a scholarship. Ken Blankenship is an idiot because he screwed up his kid’s chance to kick for his home state college team. That said, Kirby is an asshole for letting a parent influence his decision making about the team. Rodrigo needs to read the tea leaves and transfer to another place where he can be the starter and be appreciated for what he does. Anybody else out in intertubeland remember when Bobby Marino, a Tucker kid who played at Henderson HS, kicked a FG at the end of the game for South Carolina that beat FSU? The SC HC stated after the game that Bobby earned his scholarship with that kick. In Kirby’s eyes it will always be “what have you done for me in the last 5 minutes?” He’s that kind of guy. The more I learn about Kirby Smart the less I think of the guy.
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Not for one second do I believe Ken Blankenship is a factor in Kirby Smart looking elsewhere for a kicker. Kirby may have more time for this shit than Saban, but not much more. If Rodrigo had a little more range in his leg and was the best option, he’d be on scholarship.
Is it the icing on the cake that Ken Blankeship doesn’t get what he wants after sticking it to Kirby in public? Maybe. But Kirby knows that he needs a kicker who is able to be consistent between 40-50 yards out and then fully automatic from 40 yards and in. I love Rodrigo Blankenship, but that’s not who he is. He was steady for Georgia last year, but I don’t trust him from beyond 40. He can make kicks from there. His long is 49 against Kentucky, and we needed his leg desperately that night. But I don’t think he’s got the ability to do that consistently, and Kirby obviously doesn’t, either.
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I’m not saying you are wrong in your analysis GD but after the Ken Blankenship mouth-off is when Kirby started actively trying to get every kicker in the world to come here. You don’t have to be a genius to figure out that there isn’t much future here for Rodrigo.
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I agree with everyone suggesting that Rodrigo should transfer if he can find a home where he’ll get full cost of attendance on scholarship, though. I wouldn’t bear him any ill will and I don’t think anyone else would, either. He’s a Damn Good Dawg and I’m grateful for his hard work. If he stays, I hope he’ll get the chance to keep his job through competition even though the grad transfer has a scholarship. I hope it all works out for Rodrigo, I really do.
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Well, Kirby did the right thing on Demery, although I guess the SEC rule gave him no choice. He has a scholarship to give now. I think Rodrigo has earned it. Let’s see what he does.
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SEC rule gives Kirby every choice in the matter. It does not apply to incoming freshmen. That’s why Mississippi State was able to admit their player who punched a woman in the face on video. Kirby/UGA/whoever did the right thing there and I applaud them.
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So Blankenship remains the redheaded stepchild starter while Kirby hunts for his eventual replacement.
It sends a message to the team, recruits, parents, etc. when a player loses a scholly because he doesn’t cut it on the field. But when a kid wins the job over all comers (so far) with no scholly forthcoming, perhaps it’s a reality check that players are just a means to an end. If the kid is a starter on the team, I think he merits one of the 85 schollies.
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Goggles Pasiano hit the uprights 3 times the other day…..Gotta be a new G-Day record. Love the Mitch Mustain reference….
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As I have said in other posts, I don’t like Ken’s fathers way of going about this issue.
But I have no problem with him being angry and sometime out-spoken about his son getting no scholly.
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