Tag: georgia bulldogs news

Georgia baseball opens 2020 season with walk-off win

Feeling the love from a full home crowd on a beautiful Valentine’s Day evening, Georgia rallied in the bottom of the ninth inning.

The Georgia Bulldogs welcomed the Richmond Spiders to Foley Field for college baseball season’s opening day.

Scott Stricklin’s fourth-ranked Dawgs took an early lead, scoring one run in each of the first two innings. In the first, a Tucker Bradley single sent Ben Anderson home. The following inning, junior Cole Tate knocked a solo homer to left field, giving the home team a two-to-nothing lead.

Richmond answered immediately, scoring three runs in each the third and fourth innings, the latter of which featured a pair of two-run home runs. The Spiders’ scoring would end there.

The Bulldogs proceeded to answer Richmond’s answer, tallying one run in each the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings. Both teams failed to score in the eighth, and Georgia entered the bottom of the ninth inning trailing by one run.

Feeling the love from a full crowd on a beautiful Valentine’s Day evening, Georgia rallied in the ninth. Junior Garrett Blaylock (not to be confused with redshirt freshman Garrett Brown, not to be confused with me) evened the score with a solo home run to center, and a crucial dropped fly ball gave the Dawgs their chance to end the game.

With senior Randon Jernigan on base, Tate knocked in his third RBI of the night with a single to center, solidifying a dramatic first win of the season.

The Bulldogs and Spiders play a three-game weekend series. Saturday’s first pitch is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. local time. Sunday’s is scheduled for 1:00. Both will air on SEC Network+.

Georgia football headquarters part of $80M expansion project

The University of Georgia Athletics Association unanimously approved an $80 million upgrade project to several campus athletic facilities.

At the start of the 2019 college football season, the University of Georgia Athletics Association unanimously voted to approve an $80 million upgrade project to several campus athletic facilities.

The majority of the money is allocated to the Bulldogs’ football operations.

J. Reid Parker Director of Athletics Greg McGarity confirmed plans to advance the practice facility’s locker room, weight room, sports medicine department, and coaches’ offices.

Renovations also include further waterproofing Sanford Stadium’s covered lower levels and improving the grandstand of nearby Henry Field, the home court of the Dawgs’ storied tennis team.

 

 

5-star QB commit trying to recruit top OT to Georgia football

Since flipping from Oklahoma to Georgia within a three-week span, the QB quickly turned the tables on recruiters by becoming one himself.

Consensus five-star quarterback prospect Brock Vandagriff thrilled Dawg Nation in January when he announced his commitment to play for his local university.

The top-ranked pocket passer of the 2021 recruiting cycle attends Prince Avenue Christian School in Bogart, exactly 10.63 miles from Sanford Stadium as the crow flies, or 13.71 miles away as the human drives (usually on Monroe Highway).

Since flipping from Oklahoma to Georgia within a three-week span, Vandagriff has quickly turned the tables on past recruiters by becoming one himself.

To cover some passing play basics:

Quarterbacks like having time to throw, so quarterbacks like their offensive line. These quarterbacks, nearly as much as they like pass protection, dislike enduring blindside tackles from opposing defenders.

With that in mind, the right-handed Vandagriff went out shopping for a potential left tackle.

And that’s where Amarius Mims comes in. Mims is a huge target, and that is meant (almost) more literally than figuratively.

At nearly six-foot-eight and 320 pounds, the junior out of Cochran, GA is already considered to be a Georgia lean. As per 247Sports, 100 percent of recruiting experts predict he will enroll at the University of Georgia.

Mims recently released a top-12 that included Georgia and a plethora of other SEC powerhouses.

The fellow consensus five-star, who plays his ball for Bleckley County high school, seems to be a perfect fit in the Bulldogs’ trenches.

Georgia football alumnus not happy Tyler Clark left out of NFL Combine

A former Georgia Bulldogs defensive lineman took to twitter to express his disappointment in Tyler Clark’s lack of invitation to the NFL Combine.

This week, the NFL released its full list of draft prospects invited to the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine. The draft hopefuls will engage in several position-specific skills tests spread across several days, beginning February 27 in Indianapolis.

Of the 337 college standouts summoned to Lucas Oil Stadium, ten arrive by way of Athens, Georgia. The Georgia Bulldogs are among the best-represented college programs at this year’s edition of the Combine, but one former letterman believes there was a glaring exclusion.

Former Bulldog defensive lineman Toby Johnson, who suited up in Silver Britches in 2013 and 2014, took to twitter to express his disappointment in Tyler Clark’s lack of invitation to the event.

https://twitter.com/Future020113SEC/status/1225962331953418242

Clark saw serious action even his his true freshman season in 2016 and was huge contributor in his career beyond. It is worth noting that this is a draft class heavy with defensive line prospects, and maybe that’s the only way this snub makes sense, but a snub is a snub regardless.

It’s nearly certain that Johnson, who was recently signed to play in the new XFL, isn’t the only Dawg feeling disgust.

Ten Georgia football alumni invited to NFL Combine

The Georgia Bulldogs will be well represented at the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine.

The Georgia Bulldogs will be well represented at the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine.

Ten Dawg lettermen will attempt to turn the heads of NFL scouts and coaches across a series of drills and exercises, all conducted between February 27 and March 2 in Indianapolis.

Today, the NFL released a list of all 337 players invited. Representing the Silver Britches will be (in alphabetical order):

  • Kicker Rodrigo Blankenship
  • Wide receiver Lawrence Cager
  • Quarterback Jake Fromm
  • Running back Brian Herrien
  • Offensive lineman Solomon Kindley
  • Safety JR Reed
  • Running back D’Andre Swift
  • Offensive lineman Andrew Thomas
  • Tight end Charlie Woerner
  • Offensive lineman Isaiah Wilson

With several surprising early draft declarations, Georgia is ranked among the top three in number of prospects invited per school.

The only school that matches Georgia’s number of participants is Alabama  and the only school with more participants than both is LSU.

Good luck to every Dawg at the Combine. The Bulldog Nation is rooting for you.

Georgia football adds Katie Turner to recruiting staff

The Georgia Bulldogs added some firepower to an already red-hot team of recruiters.

The Georgia Bulldogs, owners of two number-one recruiting classes in the past three years, just added some firepower to an already red-hot team of recruiters.

Katie Turner arrives in Athens after having spent four years working under Billy Napier at Louisiana-Lafayette and previously at Alabama. The Buffalo, New York native has also worked for the Buffalo Bills.

No role has been specified yet, but her position for the Ragin’ Cajuns was Director of On-Campus Recruiting.

The Dawgs currently have an opening at Director of Player Personnel following the departure of Marshall Malchow to Texas A&M.

FootballScoop.com reports only that Turner will have a “senior recruiting role” on the Bulldogs’ staff.

Welcome to Athens, Katie. GATA.

Georgia football has landed 2020’s top two offensive tackles

The Georgia Bulldogs increased their chances at landing the nation’s top recruiting class for the 2020 cycle by signing Broderick Jones.

The Georgia Bulldogs locked in the nation’s top recruiting class for the 2020 cycle with the signing of 5-star Broderick Jones.

The first-ranked offensive tackle had been pledged for nearly two years; he committed to the University of Georgia in April 2018 but recently flirted with Auburn.

Now, he’s all Dawg.

This makes Jones the Silver Britches’ second blue chip tackle to sign in for the 2020 class. Fellow Georgia resident Tate Ratledge signed with UGA during December’s early signing period after committing seven months prior.

Combined with Sedrick Van Pran, high school’s top prospect at center, the Bulldogs have cleaned up in the offensive trenches following the departure of beloved offensive line coach Sam Pittman who was hired to the Arkansas Razorbacks’ next head coach on December 8.

Aditionally, Georgia lost four offensive linemen to the NFL draft and the transfer portal.

According to Rivals.com, the Bulldogs have three of the best o-liners available. With Jones’s commitment solidified, the Red and Black now have five Rivals five stars and have all but cemented 2020’s best recruiting class.

Texas AM officially announces hiring of former Georgia OC James Coley

Texas A&M officially announced the hiring of former Georgia football OC James Coley.

On Tuesday, Texas A&M officially announced that the Aggies have hired former Georgia offensive coordinator James Coley.

Coley will join Jimbo Fisher’s staff in College Station as the program’s tight ends coach.

“I have known James since our days at LSU and Florida State,” Fisher said. “He is an outstanding coach and top notch recruiter, but an even better person. His creativity and coaching are great additions to our staff at Texas A&M.”

During his tenure in Athens, Coley graduated from a position coach to a co-offensive coordinator with Jim Chaney to a full-time offensive coordinator. He was demoted following a lackluster 2019 season during which the Dawgs’ defense stole the show.

Prior to the Bulldogs’ Sugar Bowl win against Baylor earlier this month, Coley admitted some of his shortcomings as OC:

“You know what? I’ve got to do a better job. I’m looking at myself hard, criticizing myself, and busting my tail to get those things better.”

Georgia brought in Todd Monken from the Cleveland Browns to be the program’s new offensive coordinator.

From TAMU:

Coley served as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Miami (Fla.) from 2013-15.  Prior to joining the Hurricane staff, he worked with Fisher as offensive coordinator and tight ends coach (2010-12) and tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator (2008-09) at Florida State.

At FSU, Coley worked with Fisher to mentor three first round draft picks in quarterbacks Christian Ponder, EJ Manuel, and Jameis Winston.  The Seminole offenses were high-powered, averaging 31.4 points per game in 2010, 30.6 in 2011, and 39.3 in 2012.

Georgia football picks up commitment from in-state WR

The Georgia Bulldogs’ reloading offense has secured the commitment of a new weapon.

Following a small regime change, the Georgia Bulldogs’ reloading offense has secured the commitment of a new weapon.

Three-star wide receiver Ladd McConkey announced his pledge to suit up in red and black three days in advance of Wednesday’s National Signing Day.

The speedster out of Chatsworth’s North Murray High School projects as a potential return specialist in addition to being a sure-handed slot receiver. He runs a forty-yard dash in 4.56 seconds and exhibits footwork so impressive that he breaks opposing defenders’ ankles using his own.

Despite offers from Army, Vanderbilt, and multiple in-state programs playing outside Power Five conferences, McConkey pledged to become a Georgia Bulldog after an official visit to Athens this weekend.

Mecole Hardman’s agent Lil Wayne has big plans for Super Bowl rings

Mecole Hardman’s agent, renowned for several ventures outside of sports management, is confident the rookie will hoist the Lombardi Trophy.

Kansas City Chiefs rookie Mecole Hardman is the only Georgia Bulldog playing in Super Bowl LIV. He extends the school’s 19-year streak of Super Bowl representation one year after four former players represented the University of Georgia in the big game.

Hardman’s agent, renowned for several ventures outside of sports management, is confident the rookie will hoist the Lombardi Trophy.

Rapper Lil Wayne was the featured guest on an episode of the podcast Drink Champs; the interview was posted one night before the Super Bowl. Around 45 minutes into the interview, he was requested to give a prediction of the game.

“I’m got the Chiefs…because I’ve got a player on that team,”

Podcast hosts N.O.R.E. and DJ EFN ask if he’s referring to a fantasy team.

“No, I have an agency.”

Young Money Entertainment was founded in 2005 primarily as a record label, but has recently branched into athlete representation, similarly to Jay-Z’s Roc Nation.

Following the podcast audience’s laughter, Lil Wayne further explained:

“Mecole Hardman. Number 17. He’s a Dawg and he’s a rookie, so I’d love to see him get a Super Bowl ring.”

N.O.R.E. proceeds to ask if Lil Wayne gets a ring if the the Chiefs win.

“Yeah. And I might make his ring look better than the [rest of] the team’s.”

Let it be known: The multi-platinum recording artist decrees that if his client earns a Super Bowl ring, he will to to pay out of pocket to further bedazzle a diamond-encrusted accessory already exceeding a worth of $40,000.