Georgia Bulldogs Football

Kirby Smart believes football programs outside of the SEC utilize an interesting recruiting pitch, telling young players they would have a better chance to advance their careers if they don't join the SEC because it's too competitive and physical. 

The Georgia Bulldogs coach revealed his theory during an interview on The Paul Finebaum Show (h/t Tom VanHaaren of ESPN):

"But that's not the way the NFL GMs are looking at it, and that's not the way the NFL coaches are looking at it. They want to take kids that want to compete at the highest level, that want to go play in those big-time matchups, and that's what the kids want. They want to go play in the biggest games in the biggest pieces, and that's what they aspire to do. So, for a coach in another conference to sell, 'Hey, it might be an easier path to come over here and go this way,' it just speaks volumes."

His comments come in the wake of 15 players from the SEC being selected in the first round of the NFL draft Thursday night. No other conference had more than five players selected. 

• Big Ten: Five first-round picks.
• Big 12: Five first-round picks.
• ACC: Three first-round picks.
• Pac-12: Three first-round picks.

Georgia coach @KirbySmartUGA on the NFL Draft. "It's like the SEC Draft with two other teams in it. That’s the way it’s going to be for the time to come if you look at the recruiting across our conference. The separation is becoming greater.”

— Paul Finebaum (@finebaum) April 24, 2020

The SEC also continues to dominate the recruiting rankings. According to 247Sports' composite rankings, the conference had three of the top four teams in the 2020 recruiting cycle (No. 1 Georgia, No. 2 Alabama and No. 4 LSU). In 2019, the conference had four of the top five teams (No. 1 Alabama, No. 2 Georgia, No. 4 Texas A&M and No. 5 LSU). 

That is reflected at the highest level of play, too, with the SEC boasting 10 college football national champions since 2006. 

So yes, the SEC can make a strong claim as the best conference in college football at the moment. Perhaps other coaches are attempting to use that against SEC programs to poach recruits. Thus far, however, it doesn't seem that message is resonating. 

The Georgia Bulldogs beat out some of the best college football programs in the country Sunday and landed a commitment from defensive end Elijah Jeudy.

Jeudy, who checks in at 6'3" and 246 pounds, is a 4-star prospect and the No. 167 overall player, No. 12 weak-side defensive end and No. 8 player from the state of Pennsylvania in the 2021 class, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

He announced his decision to choose the Bulldogs over LSU, Oregon, Tennessee and more on his Twitter page:

https://twitter.com/ElijahJeudy/status/1251984966004740103

pic.twitter.com/oplNZHBi59

— Elijah Jeudy1️⃣6️⃣ (@ElijahJeudy) April 9, 2020

https://twitter.com/ElijahJeudy/status/1251966230057058304

Brian Dohn of 247Sports provided a scouting report, noting Jeudy is versatile enough to drop into coverage when needed but can provide a daunting pass rush with his explosiveness off the line, athleticism, "excellent body control" and "burst and ability to change direction."

The defensive end also noticed how successful fellow Philadelphia prospects have been with the Bulldogs.

"[D'Andre] Swift and [Mark] Webb have set the bar high for Philly, so if I did go there I'd have some high expectations that, I know with hard work, I could meet," Jeudy said, per Jake Reuse of Rivals.

Swift ran for more than 1,000 yards in each of the last two years, while Webb has established himself as one of Georgia's key defensive backs.

Jeudy is part of a talented 2021 recruiting class for the Bulldogs that is ranked No. 7 overall by 247Sports' composite team rankings.

That group will look to help the SEC program take the final step it has fallen just short of in recent years. While Georgia has won at least 11 games in each of the last three seasons, it lost in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game for the 2017 campaign and fell just short of the Playoff the next two years.

Micah Morris, a 4-star offensive lineman, announced his verbal commitment to the Georgia Bulldogs on Wednesday:

pic.twitter.com/SNx8O0jC92

— Micah Morris® (@MicahMorris56cc) April 8, 2020

Morris attends Camden County High School in Kingsland, Georgia—about five hours south of UGA's campus in Athens, Georgia. The 247Sports composite ranked the 6'4", 316-pounder as Georgia's seventh-best prospect, 11th-best among offensive lineman and 73rd-best nationally in the class of 2021.

Alabama, Clemson and Florida were among the 21 total schools to offer Morris.

"I told Coach Kirby (Smart) and coach (Matt) Luke (Tuesday) on a Zoom meeting," Morris told Rusty Mansell of Dawgs247. "They went crazy, they were excited about it and they were happy to have me on the team and definitely see me as one of the leaders in this 2021 class for them."

Morris also admitted that he wanted to commit to Georgia back in December, as the Bulldogs have long been the front-runner, despite associate head coach and offensive line coach Sam Pittman leaving to become Arkansas' new head coach Dec. 8.

Luke was hired to replace Pittman on Dec. 10.

247Sports' Charles Power compared Morris to Atlanta Falcons offensive guard Jamon Brown, a third-round selection by the then-St. Louis Rams in 2015 out of Louisville in his evaluation:

"Possesses a filled out frame with long arms, a bulked, thick base and barrel chest. Has gained a significant amount of weight over the course of his sophomore year. Is younger for his class. Plays left tackle at a strong high school program that consistently faces top competition. Most comfortable working in the run game and getting to the second level at this juncture. Does a nice job locating and getting his hands on second-level defenders. Comfortable pulling and shows solid strength once engaged. Remains to be seen if he'll be a tackle or play on the interior at the next level, given his skill set and undetermined size."

The Bulldogs' 2021 class is ranked third among SEC programs and 14th nationally by 247Sports, and Morris is the group's first offensive line commit.

Georgia defensive lineman Devonte Wyatt was arrested Tuesday night stemming from an alleged altercation at McWhorter Hall. 

Per Marc Weiszer and Ryne Dennis of OnlineAthens.com, Wyatt was charged with three misdemeanors including family violence, criminal trespass and damage to property. 

The charges stem from an incident Friday night, when Wyattis said to have kicked open a door in an attempt to exit a room at McWhorter Hall after he was involved in a verbal altercation with a woman. 

"I"m disappointed in the misconduct...outlined in the incident report," Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said, via Weiszer.  This is not indicative of the behavior we expect from our student-athletes who represent the University of Georgia and our football program. We will address it internally in the appropriate way.” 

Wyatt was booked into Clarke County Jail at 11:35 p.m. local time and had his bond set at $1,500. 

A Georgia native, Wyatt played one season at Hutchinson Community College before transferring to the University of Georgia in January 2018. He has appeared in 25 of the Bulldogs' 28 games over the past two seasons. 

The Georgia Bulldogs reportedly spent plenty of money trying to convince the nation's top football players to join their program. 

Marc Weiszer of the Athens Banner-Herald (h/t USA Today) cited Georgia's annual NCAA financial report that covered the fiscal year of July 1, 2018, through June 30, 2019, and noted the Bulldogs spent $3.7 million on football recruiting expenses.

That represents a jump of more than $1 million from the previous fiscal year when they led the country in the same category.

Weiszer noted the recruiting spending is one reason Georgia athletics' operating surplus of approximately $31 million marked a decrease of $12.02 million from the previous year. The program spent more than twice as much recruiting athletes for football than every other sport combined and more than five times what it did on football recruiting in the 2014 fiscal year.

It is hard to argue with the recent results for the Bulldogs, although they've come up just short of the elusive national title.

They went 13-2 with a College Football Playoff National Championship Game loss in the 2017 season, 11-3 with an SEC Championship Game appearance in the 2018 season and 12-2 with an SEC Championship Game appearance and Sugar Bowl victory in the 2019 season.

Keeping up with a conference that includes powerhouses such as Alabama, LSU, Florida and Auburn, as well as national contenders such as Clemson, Ohio State and Oklahoma, calls for sustained success on the recruiting trail.

Georgia has enjoyed that with the No. 1 class in 2018, No. 2 class in 2019 and No. 1 class in 2020, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

It cost the SEC school plenty of money to get there.

The amount of change possible over a three-year period in college football is truly remarkable.

Midway through the 2017 season, Georgia had sophomore quarterback Jacob Eason, freshman Jake Fromm and an incoming 5-star recruit in Justin Fields. Although it would be difficult to keep all of that talent, surely the Bulldogs could figure out a transition plan, right?

Within 15 months, however, both Eason and Fields had transferred. And after the 2019 season, Fromm declared for the NFL draft. His departure left a once-loaded position with enough concern that head coach Kirby Smart pursued grad transfer Jamie Newman.

Since Newman has only one remaining year of eligibility, though, he'll be a temporary solution. Georgia still needed to bolster its long-term depth.

After receiving a verbal pledge from 5-star Brock Vandagriff on Tuesday, the SEC power has made enormous progress in that never-ending task.

Currently rated the No. 8 overall player in the 2021 class, Vandagriff is considered the top quarterback prospect. Last season, he posted a 71.6 completion percentage with 2,471 yards and 31 touchdowns to only three interceptions, per MaxPreps.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKNH671Bnxk

He had previously been attached to Oklahoma, but he told Rusty Mansell of 247Sports that he backed off the commitment because of the distance.

"To walk away from Lincoln Riley and Oklahoma was not an easy thing to do. We were sitting around the dinner table and my grandmother made the comment about how far Oklahoma was, and it kind of went from there. It was funny she said that because it had been on my mind privately. The next day, we had a family conversation."

As always with recruiting, nothing is official until the paperwork is submitted. At the earliest, that cannot happen until the early signing period in December.

But if Vandagriff remains committed to Georgia, the program's future is more secure.

I’m staying home. 🌊 #GoDawgs #CommitToTheG pic.twitter.com/zAnp7zcFLV

— Brock 🌊 (@BrockVandagriff) January 21, 2020

Behind Newman, UGA has 2019 4-star D'Wan Mathis and 2020 4-star Carson Beck in the QB room. However, Mathis missed last season after undergoing brain surgery to remove a cyst, and Beck just arrived on campus. Stetson Bennett served as the backup quarterback in 2019 and has two years of eligibility left.

Given the blue-chip talent in Mathis and Beck, the odds of that group producing a high-end starter are decent. (Granted, a brain surgery throws an unusual twist in the discussion.) Still, adding Vandagriff to the QB room improves those chances considerably.

Within the sport's toughest conference, a great quarterback is an absolute must. No team will navigate the SEC without one.

Plus, no program offers a better cautionary tale than Georgia: Keep adding talent at the position, because transfers will happen.

Max Olson of The Athletic looked back at the top 50 quarterbacks in each of the 2014-17 classes. Among those 200 prospects, 120 had left their initial school as of mid-January. That's 60 percent—nearly two out of every three players.

Eason, Fromm, Fields; two transferred.

We cannot predict what the future holds for Mathis, Beck or Vandagriff. Perhaps they'll be exceptions to the rule, but the numbers—a clear trend—suggest otherwise.

The likelihood of a transfer isn't necessarily a problem. Georgia just finished a three-year stretch with a 36-7 record, winning three division crowns and an SEC title with an appearance in the national championship.

The difficulty, as UGA is experiencing, is being ready for the next transition.

Like Mathis and Beck, Vandagriff has proven nothing. If Newman starts in 2020 as expected, that won't change before his arrival, either. The 4- or 5-star billing that follows the trio no longer matters once they enter a college game.

But after Vandagriff's commitment, Georgia should feel confident in having a long-term answer ready for 2021 and beyond.

                  

All recruiting information via 247Sports. Stats from NCAA.com, cfbstats.com or B/R research. Follow Bleacher Report CFB Writer David Kenyon on Twitter @Kenyon19_BR.

Coveted quarterback recruit Brock Vandagriff committed to the University of Georgia on Tuesday:

I’m staying home. 🌊 #GoDawgs #CommitToTheG pic.twitter.com/zAnp7zcFLV

— Brock 🌊 (@BrockVandagriff) January 21, 2020

According to 247Sports, Vandagriff is a 5-star prospect and the No. 8 overall recruit, No. 1 pro-style quarterback and No. 1 player from the state of Georgia in the 2021 class.

Vandagriff, who attends Prince Avenue Christian School in Bogart, Georgia, chose the Bulldogs over offers from Oklahoma, Auburn, Alabama, Florida, Florida State, LSU, Michigan, Penn State and other top schools.

Although he originally committed to Oklahoma, Vandagriff decommitted Jan. 1. Per Brad Crawford of 247Sports, Vandagriff said he had a great deal of interest in Georgia at that time: "I entertained some calls and text, but I had my mind set on Georgia for a while now. It had been that way for a little while before I even decommitted too."

Charles Power of 247Sports believes Denver Broncos quarterback Drew Lock is an apt NFL comparison for Vandagriff, and he projects Vandagriff as a potential second- or third-round NFL draft pick down the line.

The 247Sports scouting report on Vandagriff mentions his "prototypical stature and frame" and dual-threat ability but also noted that he must improve his mechanics and ball location.

According to Rusty Mansell of 247Sports, Vandagriff said he met with new Bulldogs offensive coordinator Todd Monken and liked what he heard:

"I sat down with Todd Monken [Monday] and what he is about to do with the Georgia offense is going to be awesome. I got to meet him on Saturday and we just had some small talk type stuff. Yesterday we really got to dive into some X and O stuff. We sat down on the board, did a whole presentation, we talked coverages and it was really good.

"He told me he wants to bring more passing to Georgia, but he also understands you have to run the ball in the SEC to be successful. It will be mainly a pro-style offense, but with a lot of passing, mixed in with the RPO game," he said. "He made it clear to me, we would not be handing it off 40 times a game, let me say that. It was clear from him, it would be multiple."

Georgia's apparent desire to throw the ball more may be in reaction to LSU's shift from a run-first team to a pass-first team en route to winning the national championship last season. The Bulldogs went 12-2 and won the Sugar Bowl, but they ranked just 50th in the nation in scoring.

Given Vandagriff's skill set and natural talent, he seems like the perfect quarterback to take over an offense that's transitioning into more of a high-volume passing attack.

Georgia is looking for its next great quarterback after Jake Fromm entered the 2020 NFL draft, and depending on how things go during the 2020 season, Vandagriff could be the starter from day one in 2021.

Former Cleveland Browns offensive coordinator Todd Monken is reportedly set to join Kirby Smart's coaching staff at the University of Georgia.

According to Anthony Dasher of UGASports.com, it isn't yet known what title Monken will hold, but he is expected to lend his expertise to the offensive side of the ball.

In addition to stints as the offensive coordinator for the Browns and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Monken served as head coach at the University of Southern Mississippi from 2013-15.

Monken went just 13-25 at Southern Miss, but the Golden Eagles posted a 9-5 record in 2015 before he made the leap to the NFL. Monken also spent time on several other collegiate coaching staffs as an assistant, including Notre Dame, Oklahoma State and LSU.

While Monken was the Browns' OC last season, he didn't call the plays, as that responsibility belonged to then-head coach Freddie Kitchens. Per Zac Jackson of The Athletic, Monken was frustrated by the arrangement and told opposing coaches before games that the Browns were a "total mess" and blamed Kitchens for changing the game plan that was developed during game weeks.

Cleveland ranked just 22nd in total yardage and points scored in 2019 despite its talent-laden offense. During his three-year stint as the offensive coordinator in Tampa, the Bucs ranked inside the top 10 in total offense twice, including third in 2018.

Georgia went 12-2 in 2019 and finished as the No. 4 team in the nation after beating Baylor in the Sugar Bowl, but much of the Bulldogs' success was predicated by their No. 1 scoring defense.

The Bulldogs ranked just 50th in the nation in scoring with 30.8 points per game, and their offense figures to undergo some significant changes in 2020 with both starting quarterback Jake Fromm and starting running back D'Andre Swift entering the NFL draft.

In addition to his experience as an OC in the NFL, Monken has enjoyed success collegiately as the offensive coordinator at Oklahoma State, as the Cowboys ranked second and third in scoring under him in 2011 and 2012, respectively.

If Monken can help install the type of passing game at Georgia that made Oklahoma State so successful when he was there, the Bulldogs may have a chance to completely evolve on the offensive side of the ball, much like LSU did this season en route to a national title.

Former Wake Forest quarterback Jamie Newman has decided to enroll at the University of Georgia as a graduate transfer, he announced Saturday. 

Official Announcement. 🙏🏽 #GODSPLAN pic.twitter.com/Xb37ZGZinV

— Jamie Newman (@jlmn12_) January 11, 2020

The Bulldogs were a front-runner to land one of the biggest names on the market and come away with a massive offseason addition.

For his part, Newman should be prepared to step foot in Athens. The grad transfer spent time in Atlanta in early 2020 with QB guru Quincy Avery studying film of Georgia among other schools he was considering, per The Athletic's Bruce Feldman. 

Newman told Feldman his decision would come down to who could best help develop him to play in the NFL. Georgia has convinced him it can get that job done.

The 22-year-old announced his decision to transfer at the end of December following a three-year stint at Wake Forest. Newman only started full-time for the 2019 season, leading the Demon Deacons to an 8-5 record capped by a 27-21 loss in the Pinstripe Bowl to Michigan State.

A native of North Carolina, Newman was ranked a three-star, dual-threat quarterback, per 247Sports, coming out of high school with offers from the likes of Duke, Boston College, Syracuse, Vanderbilt and NC State before signing with Wake Forest. 

After taking over the starting job this season, Newman was electric, completing 60.9 percent of his passes for 2,868 yards, 26 touchdowns and 11 interceptions to go with 574 yards and six touchdowns rushing and orchestrating victories over UNC, Boston College, NC State, Florida State and Duke. 

At Georgia, Newman expects to come in as the presumed starter and successor to Jake Fromm. With one year of eligibility left, he will likely be able to play immediately as a grad transfer. 

The father of former Georgia offensive lineman Cade Mays is suing the university and the manufacturer of a folding chair after he suffered a partial finger amputation and fracture at a Bulldogs athletic event.

Radi Nabulsi of Rivals reported the news, noting Kevin Mays' pinky finger was partially amputated after the chair he was sitting in became wedged against a column at the event. The University of Georgia Athletic Association is one of eight defendants named in the suit.

Cade Mays announced his intent to transfer from Georgia on Wednesday. Patrick Brown of 247Sports reported Mays is expected to attend Tennessee alongside his brother, Cooper.

The lawsuit was filed Dec. 5. The injury reportedly occurred during a recruiting visit before Cade Mays enrolled at Georgia. Mays was a member of the 2018 recruiting class and committed to Georgia in December 2017.

Kevin Mays was a member of the Tennessee offensive line under Phillip Fulmer in the 1990s. It's unclear if Cade Mays' transfer is related to the pending lawsuit.