.jpg "UGA (non sports)")
CATCHING UP
Okay, so, it's been a month since I blogged and a lot has happened. I guess I'll take a minute and weigh in on several of the events of the last month.
First off, obviously, the biggest headline has been Mettenberger. Kid goes from likely also-ran in the QB race to star of the G-Day game (though admittedly with and against the 2nd teamers) to filling out transfer paperwork in the matter of a few weeks. Honestly, I have a hard time nailing down how I feel about this situation, well, aside from the obvious. Obviously, Mettenberger screwed up and has to pay the consequences. Richt did what he had to do, and I certainly can't argue with that. The 30-year old responsible husband and father in me wants to question how Mett could be so stupid. To have a legitimate shot at becoming the starting quarterback at UGA and throw it away on a stupid night of alcohol and bad decisions ... unthinkable! But then, I try to think back to those days in Athens when I was making bad decisions and realize that 18-22 kids are exactly that ... kids. That's no excuse for Mett's behavior, but I just hope that, not only Mett, but the rest of the UGA football team can learn from this experience. I'm inclined to believe that Richt will help Mett transition to the next stage in his life much the same as he has with other former/almost players (including Jamar Chaney who was just drafted this weekend out of Miss St). Sad situation, but I guess it just is what it is.
Next, Makiri Pugh. His news got little to no pub, but I at least wanted to mention the decision to transfer by Makiri Pugh. Pugh came to Georgia in the 2008 class along with AJ Green and fellow defensive backs Bacarri Rambo, Brandon Boykin and Nick Williams. Pugh was headed into his 3rd year in the program and found himself buried on the depth chart behind safeties Rambo, N. Williams, S. Williams, Jakar Hamilton and Quintin Banks. Strictly as a UGA fan, it would've been nice to see him stick around, provide depth and be a special teams warrior. But, playing time was looking bleak, so it's hard to fault the guy for trying a different course. Good luck elsewhere to Makiri.
Well, the post-spring depth chart was published last week. Nothing particularly interesting as a result. Aaron Murray being named starting QB was news-worthy; however, not unexpected following Mett's dismissal. It won't matter much in terms of touches, but I was interested to see who was named starter at tailback, but Caleb King's injury took care of that drama. I was also interested to see where Bean Anderson might be slotted with the move to NG, but, again, injury kept him off the depth chart. The most interesting news as I see it is Christian Robinson ahead of Marcus Dowtin and Vance Cuff ahead of Branden Smith. Clearly, Dowtin and Smith will play a lot this fall, but both were expected to lock up starting jobs this spring. I choose to be glass half full here and believe the accounts that Robinson and Cuff simply played that well this spring (as opposed to Dowtin and Smith not getting the job done).
The 2010 NFL Draft just wrapped up, so I want to congratulate Rennie Curran, Geno Atkins, Reshad Jones, Jeff Owens and Kade Weston. Atkins, Jones and Owens all slipped a little from expectations, so I'm sure they'll be heading into NFL camps with a bit of a chip on their shoulder. Regardless, I'm sure it was a great weekend for those guys and hopefully they'll translate into great pro players. By the way, hard to ignore that we just had 5 guys drafted from a very suspect defense over the past couple seasons. Thanks Willie.
Finally, I want to mention the impending announcement from star prep QB Christian LeMay out of North Carolina. He's set to announce a "leader" later this week, and most believe that to be UGA. I did read somewhere, however, that LeMay plans to begin recruiting for the announced school as soon as he goes public. That type of behavior typically only occurs when a kid gives a pretty solid verbal commitment, so it makes me wonder if we're going to hear the word 'commitment' or 'leader'. Big difference in college recruiting. Regardless, if UGA is the school, it's a great get. This guy is normally spoken of as the top QB nationally in the 2011 class, and will no doubt help UGA's chances with other top-notch 2011 stars. Would be a great way to rebound from a less-spectacular-than-normal 2010 recruiting year.
First off, obviously, the biggest headline has been Mettenberger. Kid goes from likely also-ran in the QB race to star of the G-Day game (though admittedly with and against the 2nd teamers) to filling out transfer paperwork in the matter of a few weeks. Honestly, I have a hard time nailing down how I feel about this situation, well, aside from the obvious. Obviously, Mettenberger screwed up and has to pay the consequences. Richt did what he had to do, and I certainly can't argue with that. The 30-year old responsible husband and father in me wants to question how Mett could be so stupid. To have a legitimate shot at becoming the starting quarterback at UGA and throw it away on a stupid night of alcohol and bad decisions ... unthinkable! But then, I try to think back to those days in Athens when I was making bad decisions and realize that 18-22 kids are exactly that ... kids. That's no excuse for Mett's behavior, but I just hope that, not only Mett, but the rest of the UGA football team can learn from this experience. I'm inclined to believe that Richt will help Mett transition to the next stage in his life much the same as he has with other former/almost players (including Jamar Chaney who was just drafted this weekend out of Miss St). Sad situation, but I guess it just is what it is.
Next, Makiri Pugh. His news got little to no pub, but I at least wanted to mention the decision to transfer by Makiri Pugh. Pugh came to Georgia in the 2008 class along with AJ Green and fellow defensive backs Bacarri Rambo, Brandon Boykin and Nick Williams. Pugh was headed into his 3rd year in the program and found himself buried on the depth chart behind safeties Rambo, N. Williams, S. Williams, Jakar Hamilton and Quintin Banks. Strictly as a UGA fan, it would've been nice to see him stick around, provide depth and be a special teams warrior. But, playing time was looking bleak, so it's hard to fault the guy for trying a different course. Good luck elsewhere to Makiri.
Well, the post-spring depth chart was published last week. Nothing particularly interesting as a result. Aaron Murray being named starting QB was news-worthy; however, not unexpected following Mett's dismissal. It won't matter much in terms of touches, but I was interested to see who was named starter at tailback, but Caleb King's injury took care of that drama. I was also interested to see where Bean Anderson might be slotted with the move to NG, but, again, injury kept him off the depth chart. The most interesting news as I see it is Christian Robinson ahead of Marcus Dowtin and Vance Cuff ahead of Branden Smith. Clearly, Dowtin and Smith will play a lot this fall, but both were expected to lock up starting jobs this spring. I choose to be glass half full here and believe the accounts that Robinson and Cuff simply played that well this spring (as opposed to Dowtin and Smith not getting the job done).
The 2010 NFL Draft just wrapped up, so I want to congratulate Rennie Curran, Geno Atkins, Reshad Jones, Jeff Owens and Kade Weston. Atkins, Jones and Owens all slipped a little from expectations, so I'm sure they'll be heading into NFL camps with a bit of a chip on their shoulder. Regardless, I'm sure it was a great weekend for those guys and hopefully they'll translate into great pro players. By the way, hard to ignore that we just had 5 guys drafted from a very suspect defense over the past couple seasons. Thanks Willie.
Finally, I want to mention the impending announcement from star prep QB Christian LeMay out of North Carolina. He's set to announce a "leader" later this week, and most believe that to be UGA. I did read somewhere, however, that LeMay plans to begin recruiting for the announced school as soon as he goes public. That type of behavior typically only occurs when a kid gives a pretty solid verbal commitment, so it makes me wonder if we're going to hear the word 'commitment' or 'leader'. Big difference in college recruiting. Regardless, if UGA is the school, it's a great get. This guy is normally spoken of as the top QB nationally in the 2011 class, and will no doubt help UGA's chances with other top-notch 2011 stars. Would be a great way to rebound from a less-spectacular-than-normal 2010 recruiting year.