Why Mark Richt can’t lose control of Georgia’s drug policy.

I don’t know if you’ve had the chance to see what the NCAA just laid down on Syracuse, but it isn’t pretty.  Read the linked article carefully, so you don’t miss this:

Among the violations found included:

• Academic misconduct
• Extra benefits
• Failure to follow drug testing policy
• Impermissible booster activity

The report also stated that “the other violations found included impermissible academic assistance and services, the head basketball coach’s failure to promote an atmosphere of compliance and monitor his staff, and the school’s lack of control over its athletics program.”

The NCAA concluded its investigation into Syracuse athletics with an infractions hearing in October. The probe stretched at least as far back as 2007. In 2012, Yahoo Sports reported the basketball program had repeatedly violated its own drug policies over a decade-long span, playing athletes who should have been deemed ineligible for competition. Boeheim initially denied any knowledge of such NCAA issues, but later said the school had self-reported some violations to the association.

The Yahoo Sports report detailed a failure to count failed drug tests and incur suspensions with at least 10 players, dating back to 2001 and including the team’s 2002-03 national championship season.

That’s right.  The NCAA penalized Syracuse, not for violating NCAA drug policy, but for violating its own drug policy rules.

I don’t think Mark Richt ever intends to walk off the reservation over Georgia’s rules, but even if he wanted to, his program would get pounded for not living up to Michael Adams’ standards.

You doubt me on that?

Former #UGA President Michael Adams was on NCAA infractions committee that hit Syracuse with 5 years probation and scholarship reductions.

— AJC UGA (@ChipTowersAJC) March 6, 2015

(Meanwhile, Jimmy Williamson is feverishly checking the NCAA regs for any mention of scooters, or alleys, or middle names, or…)

‘When you see grass, you get up in that hole.’

One of Georgia’s 2015 signees, Tae Crowder, is scheduled to take his official visit on March 21, when he will see the school and meet his coaches in person for the first time.

As Mark Richt points out, it’s not like that’s a first for the program.

“Timmy Jennings was that way,” Richt said. “We offered Timmy the night before signing day. (He was going to sign with South Carolina State).

“Kenarious Gates, we offered one or two nights before signing day. Gates started three years for us, and Timmy was the last guy in his class to come in – and I think he was the first one drafted. He became an All-Pro corner.”

If Crowder lives up to the standards of those two, maybe Richt should make last-minute offers more often.

”I’m not sitting here saying we have to name a starting quarterback by the end of spring.”

Jacob Park’s getting some love.

”Park is a shifty cat and he can sling that ball,” linebacker Jordan Jenkins said Wednesday.

Shifty?

”Oh, he’s quick,” Jenkins said. ”I’d compare him with maybe a taller version of (Missouri quarterback) Maty Mauk. Trying to get him down on some plays when he stretches it out definitely can be difficult. He’s shaken quite a few of us.”

Park also made an impression with his leadership while on the scout team.

”He takes pride in what he does,” Jenkins said. ”If one of the offensive linemen on the scout team wasn’t blocking, he doesn’t let it go. He takes it personally that they’re not blocking, and he holds them accountable for it.”

Park’s attitude also impressed Richt.

”You can go over there and pout or you can go over there and try to get better and also try to help your defense get better,” Richt said. ”That’s what his attitude was and we were very pleased with that. I think it served him well and now it’s time to let him compete.”

So when will Schottenheimer weigh in?  Remember, he didn’t see last year’s scout team.

I suspect we’re in for a bout of epic trolling here at GTP after the G-Day game.

“I think they’re both country boys with bald heads so it’s pretty much all the same.”

Marc Weiszer delves into how much change there really is with Georgia’s offense as we head towards the start of spring practice.  It sounds like it’s more about tweaking what they’ve had, not wholesale renovation.

“There’s a learning curve for everybody to a certain degree,” Bulldogs coach Mark Richt said Wednesday. “It’s healthy and I’m enjoying it, learning some new things. There’s a lot of things we’ve been doing that the proof’s kind of in the pudding on the film and coach Schotty really likes it. We’re just kind of melding everybody’s ideas together and making it make sense for everybody.”

…

“It’s a little bit of a melting pot of people’s ideas,” Richt said. “The ideas that he’s brought in and the things that we’ve done in the past. I’m not going to sit here and say it’s 100 percent exactly the same verbiage that we had a year ago, but as far as the things that we’re doing married up very well.”

There are some different names for calls, Theus said. Richt said blocking combinations may be different.

“We’ve been able to see some stuff and get some notes down,” Theus said. “Any time a new coach comes in stuff’s going to change, calls are going to change. …Being a senior, being able to learn stuff is a lot different than a freshman. I’ll be able to relate it to some older stuff. Overall, I’m pretty sure we’re going to run some same concepts, keep it as similar as possible so it’s easy as possible for us to pick up. I think it’s going to good for us and the spring will be a good time for us to learn a lot.”

Offensive line coaches’ hair styling notwithstanding, though, there will be some changes.  (Theus’ quote was too good for me to pass up.) So I’ll be curious to get a handle on how smoothly the offense runs at G-Day.

“I’m confused as to what coach Hocke is.”

It wouldn’t be a new year without a new philosophy in the S&C department.  And so it is:

Last year a big emphasis on defense was dropping weight, in order for players to substitute more freely and play faster against up-tempo offenses. Defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt, who spearheaded that emphasis, also hasn’t spoken to the media yet this offseason, but Jenkins indicated that the emphasis this offseason is slightly different. Not changed, but perhaps just advanced.

“We have the depth now where we can put people where they want to be put, and now that we’ve had a full season in the system, I feel like certain guys might gain muscle weight,” Jenkins said. “Like I’ve been dropping down the fat weight.”

Before you label that typical offseason happy talk, note Jenkins’ body changes.

Jordan Jenkins, the senior outside linebacker, estimated he’s at around 13 percent body fat, after being measured at 14.8. He’s also added about six pounds, up to 251.

“It’s just healthier weight that’s on me now,” Jenkins said.

Proof’s in the pudding, of course, and we can’t know if this pays off for several months.  It’s fair to say that overall, team conditioning has improved steadily over the past couple of seasons.  But it would be nice to see a little more strength and stamina to counter some of the soft run defense we saw in the latter half of 2014.

Breaking spring

It’s that time of year.

Spring break begins on Friday. So there’s a team meeting Thursday to remind players about staying out of trouble. Richt was asked about his spring break memories when he played at Miami, which is near Fort Lauderdale. Richt remembered a teammate who was from Fort Lauderdale.

“He knew the ropes,” Richt said. “That’s as far as I’ll go.”

Be nervous.

Summer means fun.

So much for settling things at the quarterback position soon.

Georgia coach Mark Richt said he doesn't anticipate a No. 1 QB will be named by end of spring. Said it's "not a big goal of ours."

— Marc Weiszer (@marcweiszer) March 4, 2015

Maybe I’m reading too much into that, but my first thought is that Ramsey isn’t the clear leader at #1 many people believe he is.