It's Saturday in Athens

It's Saturday in Athens

Monday, January 30, 2012

Possible HUGE "Mystery Recruit" for Dawgs??

#1 CB in the nation, Ronald Darby
Rumors have been swirling the last few days about a "Mystery Recruit" possibly landing his LOI in Athens on Wednesday.  Specifically, more than one source has listed this recruit as a CB.

I have reason to believe that this recruit is 5 star, #1 CB in the nation, Ronald Darby, out of Oxon Hill, MD.

When Keith Marshall pledged his allegiance to Dawg Nation a couple of months ago, he stated that he was going to attempt to "work on" Darby coming to join him in the Classic City. This trend continued a month or so later, when Marshall's close friend and fellow North Carolinian, Todd Gurley, put on the red and black hat, and spoke with reporters afterwards. He too name-dropped Darby in his wishlist of an entourage to join him between the hedges.

If you do any digging whatsoever, you will find that very recently Keith Marshall has dropped Darby's name on Twitter in a very subtle, nonchalant manor. Is Marshall one of the trustees of knowledge of the "mystery recruit"?

I do not feel I need to convince anybody with insight enough to read my blog, that Marshall and Gurley would be one hell of a recruiting tool if working together. Both are more than respectable young men, with futures as bright as the North Star on a clear winter night in Eastern Georgia. If they both wanted Darby to join them, and have indeed been working him over for the last couple of months, you can safely assume he has been listening.

Darby's recruitment has been one of the most mysterious and intriguing of the 2012 class. It seems every single day, reports have him leaning in a new direction than the day before. Most recently, Auburn "seems" to be the "leader".

But you heard it here..... do not be shocked if he wears the G on Wednesday, and is considered THE surprise of National Signing Day 2012.

Crazier things have happened.

Thursday, January 12, 2012

The Boys are Back in Town

UGA got some expected news, stirred up with some GREAT news yesterday. 

Sorry Tech, things aren't changing anytime soon.
We all knew Orson Charles was gone. But admit it, just like myself, you held out a glimmer of hope that Aaron Murray would somehow convince his high school teammate and good friend to stroll the sidewalks of the Classic City for one more fall. But when the press conference was called for 2pm yesterday, we all just smiled, and realized that Orson had nothing physically to gain in returning, and it was time for him to ink the big deal and feed his family... for life.

Then last night, the best news since...well, Monday came across the UGA news wire. First, All-American Bacarri Rambo made it known that he would patrol the backfield between the hedges next season. Then 2011 leading tackler and rising star Shawn Williams opted to join him. The train kept rolling with big man Cornelius Washington deciding that his duties to Todd Grantham's scheme were not yet completed.

I had legitimate fears over the last few weeks that every one of these returning players would make the jump to the NFL. Just thinking about it gave me a frustration which seems all too familiar in Athens, when something special begins to take form, then the NFL snatches it up prematurely from our starving fanbase. Not going to be the case this year!! 

A common scene in 2012, no doubt.
2011's national top-5 defense is now likely returning 9 of 11 starters (Branden Smith has not made his decision known, but if Rambo is back.... Branden will be too). Leadership has emerged on the defensive side with Jarvis Jones and rising senior Christian Robinson. Georgia's #1 overall prospect and said to be "program changer", Jordan Jenkins, made it known he will wear the Silver Britches this past week. Things appear, my friends, that the Junkyard Dawgs have returned to Athens!!

I knew the moment Michigan State pushed the ball through the uprights in the third overtime on January 2nd, that that particular loss was going to be hard to swallow. I also knew that very moment that depending on the happenings over the next 2 weeks, that particular loss could be easy to digest. And the things that needed to happen, happened.

National Signing day is now less than 3 weeks away. I expect a VERY strong finish from the Dawgs. Spring practice and G-Day (along with dogwood blooms on North Campus) will be here before you know it. Then we will all take our vacations to the gulf coast, and in the blink of an eye, the leaves on the trees will change again, and special times will be gracing the fine people of Dawg Nation and the great city of Athens, Georgia.

Go Dawgs!!!!
233 days til' kickoff!!!