Tag: georgia bulldogs news

Georgia football announces kickoff time for G-Day spring scrimmage

Between the hours of 2:00 and 6:00 p.m. on April 18, Georgia fans will be able to celebrate the off-season’s halfway point.

The official website of the University of Georgia’s athletic department previously listed G-Day, the annual scrimmage concluding spring practice, as starting at a time to be announced.

School officials set the date last month, again avoiding overlap of The Masters after years of Georgia sports fans having to decide which legendary local sporting venue to visit.

Today, kickoff time was updated to be 2:00 p.m. EST on Saturday, April 18. It will air on ESPN’s SEC Network.

Thanks to SicEmDawgs.com for first noticing the update.

Following several years of at-capacity crowds (we’re talking upward of 93,000 folks, folks) for the Bulldogs’ spring scrimmage, wind and rain limited last year’s attendance to a modest 52,000 drenched Dawg fans.

Regardless of northeast Georgia’s unpredictable weather, between the hours of 2:00 and 6:00 p.m. on April 18, Georgia fans wet and dry will be able to celebrate the off-season’s halfway point.

Georgia football DL Devonte Wyatt arrested

Devonte Wyatt was arrested Monday night by on three separate charges of criminal trespassing, damage to property, and family violence.

University of Georgia defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt was arrested Monday night by the Clarke County Sheriff’s office on three separate charges of criminal trespassing, damage to property, and family violence.

All three charges are misdemeanors.

He was booked at 11:35 p.m. and his bail was listed at $1,500, as reported by the Athens Banner-Herald.

Wyatt, a transfer student out of Hutchinson Community College in Kansas, appeared in 13 games in the Bulldogs’ 2019 season and started in the team’s win over Baylor in the 2020 Sugar Bowl.

Devonte Wyatt recorded 30 tackles with 27 quarterback hurries, second-most for the Dawgs, in 2019. He has been projected as an NFL Draft pick.

Georgia football is recent history’s LBU

Is it possible to be both LBU and RBU? It is, because apparently the University of Georgia is, at least in the BCS and playoff eras.

The University of Georgia’s football program has long been known for its development of tailbacks and consequently stakes among the strongest claims to the title of RBU, or running back university. Ten tailbacks in the past 20 NFL Drafts have seen professional action by way of Athens, Georgia.

(Interesting piece of trivia: 34 Georgia running backs have been selected in the draft. That number looks a bit familiar when discussing Bulldog tailbacks.)

However, the Dawgs dominate at a different position at the NFL Draft, sending 20 linebackers to the National Football League, more than any other school can claim across the same span of time.

To put that number in perspective, only 14 Bulldog linebackers had been drafted prior to the year 2000.

(Which brings us to more happenstance trivia: that equates the total of tailbacks drafted from Georgia.)

Is it possible for one school to be both LBU and RBU? It is, because apparently the University of Georgia is, at least in the BCS and playoff eras.

It might have something to do with two incredibly talented position groups running into, over, but ultimately with each other across twenty years’ worth of practices.

Iron sharpens iron, et cetera, et cetera.

Georgia football staff loses another key member

The Georgia Bulldogs have lost another staff member to the Arkansas Razorbacks. This time, it’s one of Georgia’s own.

Following the departure of beloved offensive line coach Sam Pittman, now head coach at Arkansas, the Georgia Bulldogs have lost another staff member to the Razorbacks.

This time, it’s one of Georgia’s own.

Fernando Velasco, who played on the Dawgs’ offensive line from 2003 to 2006 and in the NFL from 2008 to 2016, joined his alama mater’s staff in 2016 as player relations coordinator. He was quickly promoted to director of player development, a position he held for the past three years.

He is the fourth staffer to follow Pittman to Fayetteville, joining special teams coordinator Scott Fountain along with strength and conditioning coaches Jamil Walker and Ed Ellis.

According to his twitter, he will maintain his position of director of player development for the Hogs.

Fernando Velasco is a verified Damn Good Dawg and we wish him the best of luck in the future. That is, until he’s recruiting away from his home.

Georgia football’s Isaiah Wilson receives NFL player comparison

Georgia Bulldogs offensive lineman Isaiah Wilson is projected to be selected in the first few rounds of the NFL Draft.

Georgia Bulldogs offensive lineman Isaiah Wilson may have surprised some with his decision to declare for the 2020 NFL Draft, but he’s expected to be one of the top tackles selected. Wilson has excellent size and played right tackle at UGA.

Wilson is a rare NFL quality player out of Brooklyn, New York. He started 24 games during his time in Athens.

NFL.com has compared Wilson to former Minnesota Vikings tackle Phil Loadholt.

Oct 26, 2014; Tampa, FL, USA; Minnesota Vikings tackle Phil Loadholt (71) blocks against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the second half at Raymond James Stadium. Minnesota Vikings defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 19-13. Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Wilson, who is compared to Loadholt, is projected as a late second round or early third round pick according to his ‘big board’ ranking. Wilson will look to dominate in the NFL with his size and quickness.

So who is Phil Loadholt? Mostly die-hard football fans or Minnesota Vikings fans have heard of him.

Loadholt was a second round pick for the Vikings out of Oklahoma. He saw immediate playing time as a rookie and helped block for some of Adrian Peterson’s best seasons. Loadholt played six NFL seasons before tearing his Achilles before the 2015 season. In 2016, Loadholt elected to retire, but he had an extremely promising career before then.

Hopefully Georgia’s Isaiah Wilson will have better injury luck than Loadholt. Not a shabby NFL comparison by any means.

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USA TODAY releases scouting report for Georgia football RB D’Andre Swift

Swift’s footwork and balance given his bulky build have NFL scouts intrigued.

Former Georgia tailback D’Andre Swift is one of ten Bulldogs invited to Indianapolis to perform skills assessments before a mass of professional football scouts.

USA TODAY’s DraftWire has provided a plethora of pre-NFL Draft analyses leading up to this month’s NFL Scouting Combine. The latest from Patrick Conn provides a favorable projection for invitee D’Andre Swift.

“Swift is likely the top rated running back on most draft boards and could be the first one selected in the NFL Draft. Based on how he plays the game, Swift has future New England Patriot written all over him (well, if they didn’t already have former teammate Sony Michel).”

The analysis points out how Swift’s speed is rare given his muscular build, shorter-than-average height, and the resultant low center of gravity.

Swift’s footwork and balance given his bulky build have NFL scouts intrigued. He’s a ball carrier who requires a full-effort tackle to down. He is also fully capable of jumping clean over defenders quite a bit larger than he.

No shoulder-to-shoulder. No shoestrings. No arm tackles.

In other words, D’Andre Swift is too jacked, too swole, too yolked to have any sort of right being as, uh, swift as he is. That’s because the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

However, the projector does bring up a possible criticism:

“As with any running back in the class, Swift will need to focus on his pass protecting technique at the NFL level…Durability is going to be a concern, not just on the injury front. At Georgia he never had more than 220 touches on offense, so a heavier workload will be a concern moving forward.”

The analyst conservatively assess Swift as a top 50 pick and compares his comprehensive run, catch, block capabilities to Christian McCaffrey.

Former Georgia football HC Mark Richt offers opinions on CFB transfers

Mark Richt once declared that “life is too short” to prevent collegiate athletes from pursuing transfer options.

It’s an intriguing change of opinion, especially from a man who never blocked any of his players’ transfer waivers in his time as the University of Georgia’s head football coach.

Mark Richt once declared that “life is too short” to prevent collegiate athletes from pursuing transfer options.

While employed as Top Dawg in Athens, Richt allowed tailback J.J. Green to transfer to in-state foe and yearly opponent Georgia Tech. He allowed quarterback Nick Marshall and safety Tray Matthews to transfer to conference rival and fellow yearly opponent Auburn. Multiple others switched allegiances to teams the Bulldogs chance facing every season.

“If the kid wants to go…let him go wherever he wants to go.”

Along nearly fifteen years in Athens, Mark Richt held true to these statements.

That was until, early in his tenure as the Miami Hurricanes’ head coach, Richt blocked the transfer of tailback Gus Edwards. Edwards, a redshirt junior at the time, expressed his intention to transfer to Syracuse University to be closer to his family, which included his newborn child.

Syracuse is by no means a football powerhouse but, as with Miami, is aligned with the Atlantic Coast Conference. Richt may not have made the decision single handedly, but it was obvious that the overseers of his alma mater’s athletic department wanted no part in facing a talented former Cane in conference play.

Edwards transferred to Big Ten program Rutgers and has since maintained a two-year roster spot with the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens.

When this situation unfolded, I told myself that Richt’s hands were tied and his administrators were pulling all the strings. My opinion changed when he doubled down on his new viewpoint.

Sparking a conversation on collegiate athletes’ compensation, the former head coach was met by overwhelming criticism.

It’s a quicker turnaround in four years from Richt than the Hurricanes ever received.

Watch: UGA OT Isaiah Wilson played wildcat QB in high school

Georgia Bulldogs right tackle Isaiah Wilson has declared for the 2020 NFL Draft.

vv. Wilson missed the Sugar Bowl, but put together a solid career at UGA. According to an NFL Draft Big Board, Wilson is expected to be drafted within the first two rounds.

Now, let’s look back at Wilson’s high school days. Wilson was quite the athlete at Brooklyn’s Poly Prep Country Day, where he played football, lacrosse, and wrestled. This video shows Wilson, who is 6-7 and weighs 340 pounds. was a load to tackle for these poor high school players.

Video is per Dane Brugler of The Athletic:

It would’ve been fun if Isaiah Wilson got some Wildcat snaps at UGA. The Dawgs were better off with him paving the way.

Georgia fans shouldn’t give up hope of Wilson running a Wildcat play in the NFL. Current Carolina Panthers defensive lineman Dontari Poe threw a memorable touchdown pass when he played for the Kansas City Chiefs.

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USA TODAY ranks top LB’s ahead of NFL Draft: Is Tae Crowder too low?

According to USA TODAY’s Draft Wire, Georgia’s Tae Crowder ranks just inside the top twenty in a list of NFL Draft prospects.

According to USA TODAY’s Draft Wire, Georgia alum Tae Crowder ranks just inside the top twenty in a list of NFL Draft prospects at linebacker.

It is important to note that these are preliminary rankings based entirely upon collegiate performance. Such rankings are subject to change following pre-draft workouts including the NFL Combine and each school’s respective Pro Days.

That said, dear reader, Tae Crowder is an unsung hero and one of my personal favorite Georgia Bulldogs.

It’s partially due to his play, but chiefly because of his backward football background:

Crowder was a last-minute addition to the Dawgs’ 2015 signing class, receiving his scholarship offer the morning before National Signing Day. He hadn’t taken an official visit. He spent no time in personal meetings with Georgia coaches.

Yet, he committed on the spot.

“It was always my dream to play at the University of Georgia,” Crowder told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 2015.

This year, he graduates as one of the very last prospects recruited by Mark Richt, who left his post as top Dawg following the 2015 college football season.

As Harris County’s offensive player of the year during his senior season, Crowder came to Athens as a dual receiver and running back.

He was quickly moved to inside linebacker, and, after redshirting his first year in Athens, spent another year fine-tuning his linebacking skills before spending three years starting, recording 122 tackles, and grabbing two takeaways along the way(s).

Does this one ring a bell? It certainly rung the referee’s bell.

Crowder was not invited to the NFL Combine. Only one former Bulldog defender of the ten total was summoned to Indianapolis.

Given his history of adaptation, I think Tae will do just fine.

 

Georgia football safety JR Reed ranks low in USA TODAY draft position rankings

Such rankings are subject to change following pre-draft workouts including the NFL Combine and each school’s respective Pro Days.

The NFL Scouting Combine is less than two weeks away. Ten of the 337 players invited to Indianapolis played their college ball for the University of Georgia, placing the Bulldogs among the best-represented programs in the event.

Though each participant is assuredly honored to be invited, one standout previously projected as the Bulldog’s top defensive prospect is listed lower than previously predicted, ranked as the fourteenth best safety prospect according to USA TODAY’s DraftWire.

J.R., the son of twelve-year NFL veteran Jake Reed, arrived in Athens by way of Tulsa University. The same young man who started every game in his first season on an SEC roster (and every game until his graduation) was regarded as a two-star recruit coming out of high school.

It is important to note that these are preliminary rankings based entirely upon collegiate performance. Such rankings are subject to change following pre-draft workouts including the NFL Combine and each school’s respective Pro Days.

That said, all he did was tally 199 tackles and five interceptions in his three seasons wearing red and black. He somehow managed to record seven tackles in a Rose Bowl win. Those are decent marks for a two-star, I suppose.

J.R. Reed has spent his past three years discrediting doubters. Some may see him as being ranked too low, but it’s doubtful that the man himself is any sort of bothered by it.