Tag: georgia bulldogs news

Georgia among four-star DE Jahvaree Ritzie’s top schools

The Georgia Bulldogs have made four-star defensive end Jahvaree Ritzie’s list of top schools. Ritzie plays football at Glenn High School.

The Georgia Bulldogs have made four-star defensive end Jahvaree Ritzie’s list of top schools. Ritzie, who plays football at Glenn High School, is a member of the class of 2021.

Kirby Smart and UGA will turn their focus to the class of 2021 following Wednesday’s National Signing Day. Georgia currently has the number one ranked class of 2020.

Ritzie is a recruiting target for UGA, who is from Kernersville, North Carolina. Ritzie announced his top schools via Twitter:

Ritzie is considering numerous schools including: Georgia, NC State, UNC, Florida, South Carolina, Kentucky, Ohio State, Wake Forest, Duke, Oklahoma, Michigan, and Tennessee. UNC and NC State are considered among the favorites to land the four-star DE.

Georgia currently has three commitments in the class of 2021. The Dawgs currently have a commitment from North Carolina in the class of 2021 in Jared Wilson, who is from Clemmons, NC.

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Georgia football signee: Dawgs are ‘not done’ with this recruiting class

It seems as if those closest to the situation feel confident in the Bulldogs’ chances of reeling in more big fish.

With National Signing Day fast approaching, the Georgia Bulldogs already have 19 players enrolled from December’s early signing period.

After transfers, graduations, and draft declaration, this puts Georgia at a projected 82 scholarships out of the NCAA-imposed limit of 85 total. The Dawgs can sign three additional high school prospects, and more if any more scholarship players announce a transfer.

It seems as if those closest to the situation feel confident in the Bulldogs’ chances of reeling in more big fish.

Given that the Dawgs will replace four starting offense linemen, it’s appears to be a good sign that two offensive line signees are hinting at something.

For a Georgia offense anchored upon physical line play and powerful tailbacks, this is exactly what fans of the Silver Britches needed to see.

Georgia football offers scholarship to four-star offensive tackle

The Georgia Bulldogs have offered a scholarship to 2022 offensive tackle Julian Armella, who plays at St. Thomas Aquinas.

The Georgia Bulldogs have offered a scholarship to 2022 offensive tackle Julian Armella. Armella is a four-star recruit, who plays his high school football at the legendary St. Thomas Aquinas. He’s from Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

St. Thomas Aquinas High School has some legendary alumni and current UGA signee Marcus Rosemy. Rosemy is a talented receiver, but he’s far from the only notable player to come out of there. Joey and Nick Bosa, Geno Atkins (who went to Georgia), James White, and NFL legend Michael Irvin are among the NFL products St. Thomas Aquinas has produced over the years. Rosemy and Armella won a state championship in Florida this past season.

Now, the University of Georgia has offered Armella a scholarship. Armella was happy to announce the news via Twitter:

At 6-6, 300 lbs, Armella has the build teams are looking for in an offensive lineman. Will he be the next great lineman to join Matt Luke, Kirby Smart, and UGA?

Georgia is still looking for their first commit in the class of 2022. The Dawgs will look to finish their class of 2020 on a strong note at signing day.

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Georgia football greats take to social media after Kobe Bryant’s tragic death

Georgia football and basketball players took to social media to react to the news of Kobe Bryant and Gianna Bryant’s tragic passing.

The world went quiet on Sunday when news struck that a helicopter carrying NBA legend Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna (13) and nine others had crashed, leaving everybody on board dead.

Bryant, aside from being an all-time great in the sport of basketball, was one of the most iconic athletes of the 21st century. If you ever played a sport, regardless of which one, you likely idolized Bryant.

I played soccer growing up, a sport Bryant was very fond of. And before every game, it was a Kobe Bryant highlight video that got my blood pumping. I did not watch the video solely for his basketball skill, but because of the passion that was visibly pouring out of #8 or #24 in every play he made. Kobe was more than just a great basketball player, but it was his leadership, his drive, his never-quit mindset that would remind me to leave it all on the field every single game.

It was that Mama Mentality.

And that’s what was so inspiring about Kobe – that’s what touched all of us more than anything. To every athlete, no matter the sport, we can all learn something from the way Kobe approached life, how he valued time with his family and how we was laser-focused on becoming the best basketball player he could could possibly be from day one.

On Sunday, current and former Georgia football and basketball players felt the shockwaves of Bryant’s death and were obviously emotional. Many took to social media to honor the Black Mamba.

These are players who, like many of us, used Kobe as motivation to go to the gym when they really did not want to. They looked up to Kobe for how he commanded respect from anybody he played with or against. These are all players who wanted to strike fear in the opposition the way Kobe did 82 times a year.

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The People’s Champ.

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‘78 .. 💔

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🖤🖤🐐

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Damn!!! Rip 🐐

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Geno Atkins enjoys another milestone surrounded with family.

 

Former Georgia football OC James Coley set to join SEC foe

UGA now looks to hire a replacement QB coach to instruct Wake Forest graduate transfer Jamie Newman and freshman enrollee Carson Beck. 

After former Cleveland Browns offensive coordinator Todd Monken was hired to perform the same role at the University of Georgia, former Bulldogs’ OC James Coley’s future was up in the air.

Is Coley now a co-offensive coordinator? Will he go back to coaching quarterbacks? Will he coach receivers?

It would appear none of these hypotheticals will come to fruition. James Coley will be the next tight ends coach at Texas A&M.

Bulldog faithful were introduced to Coley during Kirby Smart’s inaugural season as Top Dawg; Coley was hired as wide receivers’ coach in 2016 following Mark Richt’s removal in late 2015.

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.”

So what will Georgia football’s offense look like next year? Without its beloved offensive line coach Pittman and its mildly maligned offensive coordinator Coley, it’s difficult to predict anything aside from “eh, maybe just a little different.”

In terms of points per game against conference opponents, hopefully it’s a lot different.

Georgia will now look to hire a replacement quarterbacks coach to instruct Wake Forest graduate transfer Jamie Newman and freshman enrollee Carson Beck.

Rival SEC commit visits Georgia football staff in Athens

Ole Miss pledge Daran Branch is in Athens for weekend to meet with Kirby Smart and Matt Luke.

The Georgia Bulldogs have a visitor on campus committed to a conference rival.

Ole Miss pledge Daran Branch is in Athens for weekend to meet with Kirby Smart and company. His primary recruiter is Matt Luke, former University of Mississippi head coach and current offensive line coach at Georgia.

It will be one of Branch’s five allotted official visits.

Branch, a three-star senior cornerback out of Amite, Louisiana, committed to Ole Miss on November 17, two weeks before Luke was ousted from Oxford.

The lengthy cornerback certainly fits Kibry Smart’s mold for an ideal defensive back’s size and has the speed, awareness, and ball skills to be a ball hawk at safety.

Georgia’s 2020 defense will return the vast majority of the team’s 2019 starters, but only have two cornerbacks (five-star Kelee Ringo and four-star Jalen Kimber, the latter of whom already enrolled at UGA) and one saftey (Major Burns, enrolled) in the 2020 class.

Branch previously committed to Miami in March. It seems like a spot is there for him in Athens given his relationship with Matt Luke, but his commitment will be one to keep on eye on in the next week and a half before National Signing Day.

Former Georgia football WR arrives to stadium in costume (again)

Mecole Hardman entered Arrowhead Stadium this afternoon dressed as yet another pop culture icon ahead of the AFC Championship Game.

Is that the Fresh Prince of Broad Street? Former Georgia wide receiver Mecole Hardman entered Arrowhead Stadium this afternoon dressed as yet another pop culture icon ahead of the AFC Championship Game.

You may recall that last week the Kansas City Chiefs’ rookie standout arrived at his home stadium dressed as iconic rapper LL Cool J ahead of the divisional round matchup against the Houston Texans.

Hardman’s attention to detail was quite thorough: he showed up with a mid-1980’s boombox perched on his shoulder over a red felt tracksuit. He wore a gold chain thick enough to choke a man and expensive enough to bankrupt another.

This week, Hardman continued the theme. I just wish he found a jersey from Bel-Air Academy with the number 14 printed on it.

With a Sony Walkman in his pocket, Hardman even showed off another era-appropriate relic. DJ Jazzy Jeff is smiling somewhere in Philadelphia.

If the Chiefs want to increase the probability of making their first Super Bowl appearance since 1969, their recipe is simple: Don’t let any player named Carlton Banks touch the ball.

Twitter reacts: Jake Fromm declares for NFL Draft

Fromm is one of the finest to ever suit up in red and black. Rightfully so, Bulldog Nation reacts with gratitude.

Georgia’s 2020 offensive rebuild just got a lot harder. Junior quarterback Jake Fromm, who started all but the first game of his collegiate career, has declared to forego his senior year and enter the 2020 NFL Draft.

Fromm finishes his career donning silver britches having won 36 games (including the 2017 season opener in which he relieved an injured Jacob Eason and never looked back) and heaving led the Dawgs to three consecutive SEC East titles, one SEC title, and a Rose Bowl victory along the way.

He is the third Bulldog quarterback to finish his tenure undefeated when starting against the Florida Gators. The other two: John Rauch from 1945-1948 and Buck Belue from 1979-1981.

He never lost to Tennessee or Georgia Tech, either.

The decision is surprising to some, as Fromm’s 2019 completion percentage was his lowest in his three years in Athens.

He entered his final season as a projected first round pick, but without three of his favorite receivers from 2018 and with new starters struggling to separate, Fromm has fallen in mock drafts.

Regardless of where he’s drafted, Jake Fromm is one of the finest quarterbacks to ever suit up in red and black. Rightfully so, the Bulldog Nation has reacted with immense gratitude.

 

Watch: Georgia safety Richard LeCounte ices Sugar Bowl with INT

For the Georgia Bulldogs, the 2020 Sugar Bowl was a sweet victory. Junior safety Richard LeCounte provided the icing on the cake.

For the Georgia Bulldogs, the 2020 Sugar Bowl was a sweet victory.

Junior safety Richard LeCounte provided the icing on the cake with a fourth quarter interception, picking off third-string Baylor quarterback Jacob Zeno to seal the game.

The Dawgs went on to win 26-14 and remain undefeated in their five-contest history with the Bears.

Watch: Georgia WR George Pickens gains unlikely first down

After twisting and turning his way past the line to gain, Pickens added ten yards to his school record performance in the Sugar Bowl

Early in the fourth quarter of the 2020 Sugar Bowl, Georgia freshman phenom George Pickens broke six tackles, twelve ankles, and countless Baylor fans’ spirits.

On second and ten with twelve minutes remaining, Jake Fromm threw a routine five-yard pass toward the far sideline to Pickens, who at this point had already amassed 165 receiving yards and a touchdown.

After twisting and turning his way past the line to gain, Pickens added ten yards to his school record performance in the Sugar Bowl.

Watch a freak athlete do freaky athletic things: