Brandon Walker on UGA

[tweet]https://twitter.com/BWalker_SEC/status/1023683655145861120[/tweet].

Ok - what do y'all think of this? I think it is way off base and starts to sound like whining. This isn't an Ole Miss out of the blue Top 5 class situation. Brandon went on in the replies to make it sound like UGA all the sudden discovered RB's and the recruiting game.

Here is my bone of contention with this line of thinking.

First - UGA was one of the inventors of the recruiting game in and the big business of CFB in the 80s (they were one of the drivers in the lawsuit that opened up more TV exposure). I know from personal experience that UGA has always played the recruiting game - from them placing my grandfather at a JUCO in 1940; recruiting my uncle (a HS all-American LB) in the 60s; and recruiting my teammate in the early 90s (a HS All-American QB). They may not have the volume of Natty to go with it that they should, but it doesn't mean they haven't been a regular machine in recruiting.

Second - if there is any school in the SEC that is going to attract a stable of RBs - regardless of the depth chart - it is UGA. They are the RB U of the South - going all the way back to Sinkwich and Trippi. Look at this list - just post-Herschel of UGA RB's who have made the NFL - Lars Tate, Cleveland Gary (started at UGA and trans to Miami) Tim Worley, Rodney Hampton, Keith Henderson, Mack Strong, Frank Harvey, Garrison Hearst, Terrell Davis, Larry Bowie, Robert Edwards, Patrick Pass, Olandis Gary, Verron Haynes, Musa Smith, Kregg Lumpkin, Danny Ware, Knowshon Moreno, Keith Marshall, Todd Gurley, Nick Chubb, and Sony Michel.

That's 22 RB over 34 years. Basically, if you start or share a significant number of carries at UGA, you are almost guaranteed to go on to the NFL. I don't know of any other school that can make a claim that strong. If I were a RB - UGA would be in my top 5 automatically.

Wow. Georgia landing 5-stars is not = to om landing 5-stars. Hell, they just played for a natty after winning the sec. How many times did ole hugh do that?

Good post.

- You're correct that UGA has always played the game & recruited well. There is just something about what has happened lately that doesn't feel natural or right. Feels very much like Ole Miss's progression from Cutcliffe/Richt - Orgeron/Freeze. I think it's pretty clear why Richt was let go & it's because he wasn't willing to play the game at the level UGA boosters wanted.

- How much of UGA's RB success has to do with the caliber of players they are bringing in vs their level of development? Does this even matter?

- Thirdly, I'm rooting for UGA. We rarely play them but Don & Auburn are about to get ass whippings for the next decade. If UGA's rise shifts the typically even Auburn/UGA rivalry in favor of UGA, then that is awesome for us. Instead of Auburn going 8-4 - 10-2 each year, maybe they regress to being more of a 7-5 - 9-3 type program.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by msstate7

Wow. Georgia landing 5-stars is not = to om landing 5-stars. Hell, they just played for a natty after winning the sec. How many times did ole hugh do that?

---

Agree

I just think we have to be careful in always giving blue bloods the benefit of the doubt. It's dangerous

Kirby Smart is not the new Hugh Freeze, he is Miniature Nick Saban.
Georgia will dominate the East as long as Kirby is there.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by BrunswickDawg

[tweet]https://twitter.com/BWalker_SEC/status/1023683655145861120[/tweet].

Ok - what do y'all think of this? I think it is way off base and starts to sound like whining. This isn't an Ole Miss out of the blue Top 5 class situation. Brandon went on in the replies to make it sound like UGA all the sudden discovered RB's and the recruiting game.

Here is my bone of contention with this line of thinking.

First - UGA was one of the inventors of the recruiting game in and the big business of CFB in the 80s (they were one of the drivers in the lawsuit that opened up more TV exposure). I know from personal experience that UGA has always played the recruiting game - from them placing my grandfather at a JUCO in 1940; recruiting my uncle (a HS all-American LB) in the 60s; and recruiting my teammate in the early 90s (a HS All-American QB). They may not have the volume of Natty to go with it that they should, but it doesn't mean they haven't been a regular machine in recruiting.

Second - if there is any school in the SEC that is going to attract a stable of RBs - regardless of the depth chart - it is UGA. They are the RB U of the South - going all the way back to Sinkwich and Trippi. Look at this list - just post-Herschel of UGA RB's who have made the NFL - Lars Tate, Cleveland Gary (started at UGA and trans to Miami) Tim Worley, Rodney Hampton, Keith Henderson, Mack Strong, Frank Harvey, Garrison Hearst, Terrell Davis, Larry Bowie, Robert Edwards, Patrick Pass, Olandis Gary, Verron Haynes, Musa Smith, Kregg Lumpkin, Danny Ware, Knowshon Moreno, Keith Marshall, Todd Gurley, Nick Chubb, and Sony Michel.

That's 22 RB over 34 years. Basically, if you start or share a significant number of carries at UGA, you are almost guaranteed to go on to the NFL. I don't know of any other school that can make a claim that strong. If I were a RB - UGA would be in my top 5 automatically.

---

I completely agree with you... Put UGA's history with Kirby Smart... who was under in the Nick Saban recruiting machine for 13 of his 14 years as an assistant. No way do I think it points to blatant cheating...and just shows how much some of our people are looking through maroon glasses and crying that we don't get everyone we think we are.

My only question is how long until Smart beats Saban a couple years in a row and Saban decides to ride on out. Does Bama go after Smar or still Dabo?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ShotgunDawg

Good post.

- You're correct that UGA has always played the game & recruited well. There is just something about what has happened lately that doesn't feel natural or right. Feels very much like Ole Miss's progression from Cutcliffe/Richt - Orgeron/Freeze. I think it's pretty clear why Richt was let go & it's because he wasn't willing to play the game at the level UGA boosters wanted.

---

Richt was let go because he consistently had top level talent and didn't win the big championships. So what changed, the talents getting even better because UGA just played for a National championship...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ScoobaDawg

Richt was let go because he consistently had top level talent and didn't win the big championships. So what changed, the talents getting even better because UGA just played for a National championship...

---

He had top level talent but Bama still had more & Auburn was close.

UGA has taken it to another level

UGA is recruiting at an elite level because they are an elite recruiting school (they basically were under Richt as well) and have an elite recruiter. It's that simple.

1. Smart played at UGA and knows the recruiting grounds and what he's got to work with.
2. He's a good damn coach.
3. UGA is like LSU. They get who they want in GA. And they've got more to choose from than LSU.
4. Athens is a great place and easy to recruit to.
5. They should (SHOULD) be the top program in the SEC. They have no competition for instate talent and can pull from FL. Even AL can't say that.
6. Easy to win in the East.

They've been a sleeping giant for a long time.

I'm guessing Auburn, Bama, Miami, Florida State, Texas, Michigan, Ohio State, USC and possibly Ok State, Notre Dame and UCLA can compete with UGA on NFL RB history. Haven't looked it up though.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ScoobaDawg

I completely agree with you... Put UGA's history with Kirby Smart... who was under in the Nick Saban recruiting machine for 13 of his 14 years as an assistant. No way do I think it points to blatant cheating...and just shows how much some of our people are looking through maroon glasses and crying that we don't get everyone we think we are.

My only question is how long until Smart beats Saban a couple years in a row and Saban decides to ride on out. Does Bama go after Smar or still Dabo?

---

They may go after Smart, but he isn't going anywhere.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ShotgunDawg

Good post.

- You're correct that UGA has always played the game & recruited well. There is just something about what has happened lately that doesn't feel natural or right. Feels very much like Ole Miss's progression from Cutcliffe/Richt - Orgeron/Freeze. I think it's pretty clear why Richt was let go & it's because he wasn't willing to play the game at the level UGA boosters wanted.

- How much of UGA's RB success has to do with the caliber of players they are bringing in vs their level of development? Does this even matter?

- Thirdly, I'm rooting for UGA. We rarely play them but Don & Auburn are about to get ass whippings for the next decade. If UGA's rise shifts the typically even Auburn/UGA rivalry in favor of UGA, then that is awesome for us. Instead of Auburn going 8-4 - 10-2 each year, maybe they regress to being more of a 7-5 - 9-3 type program.

---

I can verify that Richt played the recruiting game. Personally, I think Richt had just gone stale with the UGA fan base and they were ready for a change. UGA has huge Bama envy and always has. They were wanting to fire Dooley in the late 70s for the same reasons they wanted Richt gone. Dooley wasn't doing what Bryant was doing - therefore he needed to go. Didn't matter that the Bear was a once in a generation coach at the greatest football powerhouse and Dooley was arguably the best coach they had ever had. Same with Richt and Saban. Big question for me is will Kirby be able to get over that hump?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by smootness

UGA is recruiting at an elite level because they are an elite recruiting school (they basically were under Richt as well) and have an elite recruiter. It's that simple.

---

Uga has never recruited at this level. Ever. Smarts first three full cycles will result in the number 3 class (2017) and back to back number one classes (2018 and, barring an epic collapse, 2019). All of which began on the heels began of a 7-5 season in his first year with a brand new staff (sound familiar?).

Y'all are looking at the micro (uga has always been a good recruiter and signed great running backs so no big deal) and Walker is looking at the macro (uga has never recruited this well in its history and this began on the heels of a 7-5 season with a new and unproven staff).

Smart has take uga from the number 9 composite recruiter in the six years before him (2010-2015 cycles) to the number 1 recruiter. Freeze took Mississippi from the number 23 recruiter (2008-2011 cycles) to the number 11 recruiter (2013-2016 cycles).

There's very little difference in the top spot and the rest of the top 10. If UGA is cheating, AL & AU will be all over them and the NCAA will follow.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by confucius say

Uga has never recruited at this level. Ever. Smarts first three full cycles will result in the number 3 class (2017) and back to back number one classes (2018 and, barring an epic collapse, 2019). All of which began on the heels began of a 7-5 season in his first year with a brand new staff (sound familiar?).

Y'all are looking at the micro (uga has always been a good recruiter and signed great running backs so no big deal) and Walker is looking at the macro (uga has never recruited this well in its history and this began on the heels of a 7-5 season with a new and unproven staff).

Smart has take uga from the number 9 composite recruiter in the six years before him (2010-2015 cycles) to the number 1 recruiter. Freeze took Mississippi from the number 23 recruiter (2008-2011 cycles) to the number 11 recruiter (2013-2016 cycles).

---

Yeah, it's kind of obvious

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ShotgunDawg

Yeah, it's kind of obvious

---

And I think that is walkers point. It wasn't the result of a gradual grind of building relationships. It was a 7-5 unproven staff immediately becoming the best recruiting program in the country.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by confucius say

And I think that is walkers point. It wasn't the result of a gradual grind of building relationships. It was a 7-5 unproven staff immediately becoming the best recruiting program in the country.

---

You don't feel that smart had prior relationships at bama to the recruits he signed that first year? Not like smart was at ark state, and all the sudden started recruiting blue chips... he's been recruiting blue chips for years now

It's not whining, because I started saying this publicly a few weeks ago, long before Emery committed to UGA.

For whatever reason, we have fans that want to excuse UGA and put them on a pedestal to excuse what's happening. Is UGA a better recruiting school historically than Ole Miss and therefore expected to sign better classes? Yes. But that doesn't change the fact that UGA is absolutely changing the game right now in how they are acquiring talent. They are emptying the wallet. It's not just Emery. i took the part about Fields out. You're right. Shouldn't have posted that

I'm not guessing here. When Freeze started recruiting well at Ole Miss, their network upped the game and went all in, deciding to sign any 5-star they could with no regard for how it looked. I'm in Georgia. I've talked to some recruiting insiders in Athens. I asked why Fields would sign with UGA, and one flat out said "If the bag is big enough, kids don't care about the depth chart.

So yes UGA is a good school. Yes they are in a talent-rich state. But Kirby Smart isn't getting these guys because he works hard. Their boosters are changing the standard of how the recruiting game is played.

If you think it's whining, that's fine. But the standard of cheating is being changed in Athens, Georgia right now. And it has nothing to do with John Emery or Mississippi State or me getting upset.

Yeah. He’s been hammering on this a bit lately. He also gets pissed when people disagree with him. He sounds like Hank Hill when you shit talk propane if you disagree with anything he says.

Brandon Walker, Kylin is better than Aeries.





. Getcho popcorn ready.

Georgia went from Top 4/5 in SEC recruiting before Smart, to Top 2 SEC recruiting since Smart has been at Georgia. Sorry, I can't compare that to Hugh Freeze.

Well, since everybody is cheating and pretty much getting away with it, when do we fire Bracky? I mean, if we can look around and say all these schools are cheating and we can see the NCAA didn't really touch OM, then I blame our administration for not playing the same game as the rest of the league.
Stop blaming the other schools for winning if you've got proof the others are cheating and getting away with it.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by confucius say

And I think that is walkers point. It wasn't the result of a gradual grind of building relationships. It was a 7-5 unproven staff immediately becoming the best recruiting program in the country.

---

UGA has always competed for and landed elite kids. Multiple in basically every class. They're just getting more now.

Ole Miss went from never competing for elite OOS recruits to landing multiple in the same class.

The two are not comparable.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Brandon Walker

It's not whining, because I started saying this publicly a few weeks ago, long before Emery committed to UGA.

For whatever reason, we have fans that want to excuse UGA and put them on a pedestal to excuse what's happening. Is UGA a better recruiting school historically than Ole Miss and therefore expected to sign better classes? Yes. But that doesn't change the fact that UGA is absolutely changing the game right now in how they are acquiring talent. They are emptying the wallet. It's not just Emery. Look at 5-star QB Justin Fields last year, who could have gone anywhere in the country and started this year. Instead, he chose to go possibly ride the bench for 3 years at UGA. Emery just committed to a place that has a 5-star soph and the No. 1 and No. 3 back from the 2018 class.

I'm not guessing here. When Freeze started recruiting well at Ole Miss, their network upped the game and went all in, deciding to sign any 5-star they could with no regard for how it looked. I'm in Georgia. I've talked to some recruiting insiders in Athens. I asked why Fields would sign with UGA, and one flat out said "If the bag is big enough, kids don't care about the depth chart.

So yes UGA is a good school. Yes they are in a talent-rich state. But Kirby Smart isn't getting these guys because he works hard. Their boosters are changing the standard of how the recruiting game is played.

If you think it's whining, that's fine. But the standard of cheating is being changed in Athens, Georgia right now. And it has nothing to do with John Emery or Mississippi State or me getting upset.

---

I don't care who you know in Athens. I live down the road from Fields' HS and know several people who know him extremely well. The fact that you think UGA must have paid a kid from Cobb County because he chose them is laughable. Don't make claims you can't back up. He went there to compete. If he doesn't beat out Fromm im a year or two, he may leave. But he didn't go there with the idea of riding the bench for 3 years.

It was the least shocking thing ever when he committed to UGA. Heck, he was committed to Penn St. before that. I suppose they were cheating like mad since it was far more of a shock for him to potentially go there.

If kids cared only about the depth chart, they'd never go to big-time schools.

I'm not excusing UGA. It makes sense that they're pulling the kids they're pulling. It's crazy they're pulling this many and very rare but it isn't shocking or confusing.

Brandon and Confucius are right... Smart took UGA from "elite recruiter" to best "in the country" before proving anything on the field. It's not like Richt was a scrub recruiter either- he signed the #8 class in the country last year at Miami.

It isn't that UGA is getting top 3 classes so they must be cheating, it's that they're DOMINATING all the other blue bloods. They have more 5 starts committed than Bama, FSU, Texas, and Clemson have combined. So if Richt was a good recruiter, and most of the other blue bloods have good recruiters, why is it that Smart is blowing them away? The obvious answer is that they are cheating more.

"Bama and the the other blue bloods wouldn't stand for it!" you might think, but I ask, would the NCAA even want to nail a blue blood? They're too chicken to nail OM, they're probably too chicken to investigate UGA. Besides, you think Smart, his assistants, and players don't have dirt on every other blue blood? It's mutually assured destruction if Bama/Clemson/whoever starts calling for UGA to be investigated. The NCAA knows this, and so wouldn't open that can of worms. UGA boosters are making a calculated gamble

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Bulldog1

Georgia went from Top 4/5 in SEC recruiting before Smart, to Top 2 SEC recruiting since Smart has been at Georgia. Sorry, I can't compare that to Hugh Freeze.

---

No, they went from top 4/5 in the SEC to top 2 in the country, with currently more 5 stars than plural blue bloods have combined

The red flag is not that they're recruiting among the best, it's that they're putting the best to shame. There's no way he's that much better of a recruiter than Dabo, Saban, etc. Meyer is the only one keeping up

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by msstate7

You don't feel that smart had prior relationships at bama to the recruits he signed that first year? Not like smart was at ark state, and all the sudden started recruiting blue chips... he's been recruiting blue chips for years now

---

The staffs rships are much more important than smarts. His visits are restricted bc he is a head coach.

Of note... the state of Georgia has the most 5-stars (7 out of 34 20.6%). Of the 7 5-stars in Georgia, 4 of them are committed to OOS schools (auburn, Tennessee, Clemson, and Michigan). Georgia has 3. If Georgia was cheating at historical levels, no way they let 4 5-stars in their backyard leave. 5 5-stars isn't historical either... Ohio state did it in 2017

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by confucius say

The staffs rships are much more important than smarts. His visits are restricted bc he is a head coach.

---

How many bama coaches did he take?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by msstate7

Of note... the state of Georgia has the most 5-stars (7 out of 34 20.6%). Of the 7 5-stars in Georgia, 4 of them are committed to OOS schools (auburn, Tennessee, Clemson, and Michigan). Georgia has 3. If Georgia was cheating at historical levels, no way they let 4 5-stars in their backyard leave. 5 5-stars isn't historical either... Ohio state did it in 2017

---

Do all those 5 Stars play different positions?

Jus curious if they had choose either/or?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Bulldog1

Georgia went from Top 4/5 in SEC recruiting before Smart, to Top 2 SEC recruiting since Smart has been at Georgia. Sorry, I can't compare that to Hugh Freeze.

---

Jumping the top eight blue bloods and going from 9 in the country to 1 in the country (smart) is harder than jumping MSU and USCe to go from 23 to 11 (freeze).

It's been a long time since we've had a quality conspiracy theory on here. I feel like it's finally here.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ShotgunDawg

Do all those 5 Stars play different positions?

Jus curious if they had choose either/or?

---

2 WR = both Georgia
1 OT = OOS
1 OLB = OOS
1 DE = OOS
1 DT = Georgia
1 CB = OOS

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by smootness

UGA has always competed for and landed elite kids. Multiple in basically every class. They're just getting more now.

Ole Miss went from never competing for elite OOS recruits to landing multiple in the same class.

The two are not comparable.

---

Let's cut to the chase. I believe uga boosters are offering more $ and benefits to recruits than Mississippi boosters did under Freeze. Do you disagree?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by msstate7

2 WR = both Georgia
1 OT = OOS
1 OLB = OOS
1 DE = OOS
1 DT = Georgia
1 CB = OOS

---

I'd have to look at what UGA has committed or the players they are targeting. It's possible that they have a committed guy or target that internally they evaluate higher

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by msstate7

How many bama coaches did he take?

---

1 - Mel Tucker, who had only been at Bama one season and had not coached in college since 2005 prior to his one season at Bama.

I dunno if GA is "cheating" any worse than they have in the past, but I do know this:

UGA recruiting at a "historically high level" (while recruiting GA and FL) is not in the same frickin' galaxy as Ole Miss going from a Top 50 recruiter to Top 10 overnight...

Just friggin' stop it, BW...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by msstate7

Of note... the state of Georgia has the most 5-stars (7 out of 34 20.6%). Of the 7 5-stars in Georgia, 4 of them are committed to OOS schools (auburn, Tennessee, Clemson, and Michigan). Georgia has 3. If Georgia was cheating at historical levels, no way they let 4 5-stars in their backyard leave. 5 5-stars isn't historical either... Ohio state did it in 2017

---

Ohio State was coming off four straight NY6 bowls. Smart instantly became the head of the best recruiting program in college football with no head coaching experience except for one 7-5 season. Uga is cheating it's ass off.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by TUSK

I dunno if GA is "cheating" any worse than they have in the past, but I do know this:

UGA recruiting at a "historically high level" (while recruiting GA and FL) is not in the same frickin' galaxy as Ole Miss going from a Top 50 recruiter to Top 10 overnight...

Just friggin' stop it, BW...

---

Easier to hide for sure