College Football

Where’s The Beef?

By: Kipp Branch

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

Kirby Smart announced on Wednesday that Fall Camp for UGA will begin on July 31st. Smart in his second year at UGA returns a stacked defense and most of the questions surrounding the 2017 Dawgs circulate around the offensive line.

Smart spoke to the media on Wednesday and had this to say about his offensive line:

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Mark Richt Overrated?

By: JJ Lanier

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

Recently, The Sporting News released their rankings of all 130 FBS football coaches. Coming in at Number 9 was former Bulldog, and current Miami Hurricanes head coach, Mark Richt.

I don’t know about every single college football coach enough to debate the merit of that ranking, but there was one comment that stood out to me: “Perhaps no coach wins this much without proper recognition.”

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Smart Recruiting

By: Christian Goeckel

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

As our access to recruiting information continues to grow, so does our tendency to overreact. A lot of dawg fans are worried about the lack of action in Georgia’s 2018 class.

With only seven commits thus far, only one of which is in the top 300, the worry is building. Well Georgia fans, take a deep breath and relax. You know who else has started off slow? Alabama and the perennial number one ranked recruiting class.

Top recruits typically like to wait until their season at least kicks off, so the lack of movement isn’t anything to be concerned by.

The signing of the nation’s number one back, Zamir White, was a huge get for Kirby Smart and the Dawgs and should do a ton to quell the tide of negativity.

White is just the start of what should be another great class for Georgia. Today we take a look at the top 5 dream prospects for this year’s class.

Justin Fields (Dual #1) / Matt Corral (Pro #1): Georgia hasn’t had consistent quarterback play since the final days of Aaron Murray. Kirby Smart is doing his best to make sure that doesn’t happen again.

With the signings of Jacob Eason and Jake Fromm in back-to-back years, Georgia is set at the position for the next four years, but becoming complacent in recruiting during those years can be devastating.

With the signing or either Fields or Corral, Georgia’s QB depth chart would become elite. Fields represents the higher rated prospect with his versatility and maturity. While Corral is more of what UGA traditionally sees as their style of quarterback. Either one would put Georgia in a great spot heading into the future.

Projection: Fields – Fla St 50%, UF 30%, UGA 20%

Corral- UGA 90%, UF 10%

Jamaree Salyer (OG #1) : The offensive line was a huge problem for Georgia in 2016. Lack of depth and experience cost Georgia greatly.

The dawgs did a great job of addressing the problems in the 2017 class with signings like Isaiah Wilson and Andrew Thomas. Salyer would be another top notch offensive lineman to add to a unit that could become UGA’s strength with Coach Sam Pittman at the helm.

Projection: UGA 80%, Clemson 20%

Tyreke Johnson (S #2) : The “No Fly Zone” between the hedges is well in effect. Senior Dominick Sanders is a ball hawk with 12 career interceptions. Incoming freshmen Richard LeCounte and DeAngelo Gibbs should be able to fill the void Sander will leave after this year, but the SEC is all about depth.

Tyreke Johnson is just the guy to add to what could be a truly dominant secondary. He is big at 6’1 190 and would be a great fit at the strong safety spot, stepping up to the line or dropping back into coverage. His range is what makes him a must have safety.

Projection: UGA 70%, Fla St 20%, UF 10%

Kearis Jackson (WR #21) : It’s no secret that Georgia’s passing game has struggled these past few years and a good amount of the blame falls on the quarterback position. However, not all the blame can be placed on the guys under center. They need someone to throw to after all.

There hasn’t been a real go to wide out in Athens since Chris Conley. Kearis Jackson wants to be that dude. A hard UGA lean, Jackson has a build like Anquan Boldin and the ability to match. He can play the X,Y, or Z spot from day one.

Projection: UGA 100%, others need not apply.

James Cook (RB #3) : Can you say thunder and lightning? If Cook and Zamir White were both to commit to Georgia, the dawgs would have a future backfield comparable to the current Michel/Chubb combo.

A firm Florida State commit, Cook shocked everyone last week when he backed out of his commitment to the Noles. Georgia has emerged as the favorite. Need a player comparison for his style of play?

Look no further than his older brother, Dalvin Cook. Yeah, the guy who torched college football for three years and was the first round pick of the Vikings. If Georgia was able to complete the flip it would signal the arrival of Kirby Smart as the nation’s best recruiter not named Nick Saban.

Projection: UGA 60%, Fla State 20%, Bama 20%    

Who Is Zamir White?

By: Christian Goeckel

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

The eyes of the college football world were glued to their collective phone screens this past Tuesday. Multiple Facebook Live streams showed a podium centered in the cafeteria of Scotland High in Laurinburg, North Carolina.

A crowd, made up of coaches, teachers, family, and ever present media members gathered near the podium. Zamir White, the nation’s number one back was set to announce where he would be spending his college years. Dressed in a black suit, with a small red boutonniere attached to his left lapel, White waited patiently for his moment.

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Bob Stoops To Georgia

By: JJ Lanier

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

That time of year that a majority of sports don’t look forward to is right around the corner. All the college teams have finished up their seasons, the only professional league going is Major League Baseball (not much to cheer about once again for those us in the Southeast), and football is still more than a month away.

For a desperate few, they will turn to tennis and golf; two sports I’m not averse to watching, but I realize I’m in the minority.

Since this is the start of a slow period, it’s also the perfect time to ask some of those hypothetical questions that there just enough time for when you’re busy writing about whether Matt Ryan will be able to repeat as MVP, or if John Calipari really is Bill Paxton’s character from True Lies. (I may be onto something there).

So, I’m going to ask a question where there is at least a 50/50 chance you’ve asked yourself this already; If Georgia underperforms this upcoming season, and it’s obvious Kirby Smart is struggling, does Georgia send out their own Bat Signal with hopes of having Bob Stoops answer the call?

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Win Or NFL Success?

By: JJ Lanier

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

With the NFL Draft barely in the rear view mirror and the NBA Draft on the horizon, there is an awful lot of grandstanding this time of year.

Instead of discussing the outcome of the past season, the argument tends to veer towards the level of success or failure of past players on a professional level.

For recruiting purposes, it makes complete sense. It’s much easier to sell a recruit on your school if you have examples of players who played the same position and found success at the next level.

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Lane Kiffin’s Twitter Account

By: JJ Lanier

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

Over the past few years my adoration for Charles Barkley has increased exponentially.

For the most part it has very little to do with his actual NBA career or his analytical ability when it comes to breaking down the NBA. I enjoy watching Barkley because he is pure entertainment. The anti-Skip Bayless, if you will. I could watch him discuss just about anything.

As much as it pains me to admit this, because I really don’t care a lot for this guy as a person or coach, but I am really starting to enjoy Lane Kiffin. More specifically, I love Lane Kiffin’s Twitter account.

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Georgia Tech Preview

By: Christian Goeckel

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

Before anyone loses their mind, yes, we know Tech won’t be representing the East this year in the Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

They will however have a chance to improve their record against the east to 4-0 when they face Tennessee to kick off the season in that very same stadium on September 4th.

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What Is Next For D’Antne Demery

By: Kipp Branch

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

Last June as I watched D’Antne Demery commit to The University of Georgia at a ceremony at Brunswick High School and I was overcome with pride as ‘Big Man’, as we call him, became the first Pirate to sign with UGA right out of high school at a position of need for the Bulldogs which is offensive line.

Now 10 short months later I read this on the internet posted by several UGA media sites copied from Police Reports:

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