It has been a while since I have written one of these so I beg you to be kind as I’m about to crash and burn like a fat, drunken uncle trying to do a cartwheel at a family reunion.
Also, we need a new sponsor for this series so drop me a line if you like setting money on fire. We also have room on our watch-along show for sponsors who actually know a smart investment when they see it.
To all of you new people, thank you so much for signing up. It means the world to us. These columns are basically navel-gazing opinion pieces we put together and should never be taken as a substitute for actual reporting. This report consists of three observations, two questions, and one prediction. We ask that you keep it here and do not share it on social media.
Three Observations:
3. Running down Milledge. The football team met at 5 a.m. the other day for a workout. Afterward, they ran to the stadium, which was interesting, as normally they bus down there. In the stadium, they wound up running the stadium steps. The lower bowl has sixty levels comprised of 120 steps. They had to do 15 of these reps, one for each game they want to play this year. As they did each rep, the video screen showed the team they would be facing that week. Some parts of the stadium may have needed to be hosed down. Derion Kendrick had an interesting response to the Clemson video.
2. Leader in the clubhouse. Speaking of Kendrick, we understand the new transfers are living with quarterback JT Daniels. The poor man’s Doc Holliday has truly emerged as a team leader. Taking a bunch of guys to visit California with him was a boss move, but that isn’t what has cemented him in the leadership role. Mainly it's his day-to-day efforts. The offense and the defense have been smack talking during their 7-on-7s and Daniels is one of the ringleaders. He threw a touchdown pass and followed it up with teasing and hip thrusts. I am told there’s no question as to who the team leaders are.
1. More Summer Notes. If the season were to start today, the offensive line would look like this:
Left tackle: Jamaree Salyer
Left guard: Justin Shaffer
Center: Warren Ericson
Right guard: Tate Ratledge
Right tackle: Warren McClendon
I should add a few of those “OR” things that Kirby Smart likes to have on the official depth chart. As in left tackle is Salyer OR Xavier Truss and right guard is Ratledge OR Salyer. Amarius Mims and Broderick Jones will have a chance to make a move up the depth chart as preseason practice goes on, but that’s how they are lining up today in drills.
As for the tight end spot, we hear good things about Darnell Washington. “He’s unguardable,” one person told us. Washington is “so big, so physical, has great hands,” and he’s killing it in 7-on-7s. Another source said Washington is good, but they were not as high on him as our first source. Notice that both are complimentary, but the degree varies. Nothing matters, really, because looking great in shorts in the summer is one thing, pads another. Still, it’s worth noting that Daniels looks for the Big O on a lot of their plays.
Another observer tells us the inside linebackers have been the most impressive players out there. Nakobe Dean, Channing Tindall, and Quay Walker are getting after it. That bodes well considering they aren’t tackling during the summer, but rather working on coverage, calls, and assignments.
More:
Two Questions:
2. Which tight end will have the biggest season? Everyone is excited about Darnell Washington, as stated above. The giant from Las Vegas could be a monster in year two. But what about Arik Gilbert? Yes, he’s ostensibly been labeled as a wideout, but can he surpass one of the other true wide receivers to take a spot in the starting rotation? Maybe the path to playing time is via the tight end spot, with Todd Monken using him there to catch passes and block as needed. Still, word from inside the program is that Brock Bowers is an unreal combination of size and speed. Don’t be surprised if Bowers proves to have been very under-ranked. And don’t forget that John FitzPatrick is the actual starter...
1. What is slowing Georgia’s recruiting? The Bulldogs have had some high profile misses on the recruiting trail, but also have a number of three-stars committed with a few more likely on the way. In December this class should be in the top five. But aside from new commit Branson Robinson, it feels like UGA has struggled to close. Part of it is geographical. The Dawgs are battling for players from all across the nation. The be-a-home-state-hero pitch is harder when you are trying to pull a kid from Texas or Maryland. Some of it is negative recruiting. Schools point out how many four- and five-star prospects Georgia already has on its roster. Some of it is the recruiters. Sam Pittman and James Coley were closers. Some of it is NIL. Georgia has a great explainer on NIL for its prospects, but a few schools are promising things they are unlikely to deliver.
Also, the academic standards at Georgia have been used against the program. The classes are set up for the state’s brightest students. They are hard. You and I wouldn’t last 10 minutes nowadays. The amount of time and tutoring it takes for some of these players to keep up is substantial. When you look at how many analysts, coaches, and grad assistants have come out of UGA and gone to other programs, you see just how many people recruit against the Dawgs by pointing out how much tutoring time is needed, etc.
One Prediction:
Texas just won the Directors’ Cup for having the best overall athletic program in the nation. Oklahoma has an eight-year streak of having a national championship in at least one sport if not more. Both would make excellent additions to the SEC far beyond just football.
What both don’t realize, like a pensioner buying a Boca Raton time-share, is that the hook comes after you’ve taken the bait.
Oklahoma fans love to call the SEC a cult and make fun of its fans whom they consider rubes, because you know the Midwest is so much more sophisticated than the South. They mockingly chant “SEC” whenever they can, as if pride in playing in the best conference is akin to bragging about sitting at the cool kids table at lunch. Lincoln Riley, like Bob Stoops before him, regularly takes shots at the SEC. “If you throw Georgia in the Big 12 every year, there is no way they are a top-5 defense in the country,” is a more recent line.
Texas on the other hand is a bully. It’s one of the biggest schools in the nation by enrollment and by endowment. But more to the point, it has political power and throws its weight around like Nick Fairley after the whistle. Texas A&M, Missouri, Nebraska, and Colorado all jumped conferences just to get away from Texas and its oversized influence on its conference. Hell, even its mascot is a bully.
But my prediction is that they are going to learn. Pushing around Kansas and Texas Tech is a heck of a lot easier than Alabama or Georgia. You want the schedule to break your way? Get in line behind LSU and Florida. Auburn ain’t no Baylor. Ok, bad example, but the point is that there are already a bunch of bikers in this bar and your “Ride Free” t-shirt doesn’t impress us.
As for the Sooners, all those Big12 offensive numbers are nice, but doing that week in and week out is tougher than your brisket. Oklahoma, too, will learn.
It’s “S-E-C. S-E-C. S-E-C.”
Also, we need a new sponsor for this series so drop me a line if you like setting money on fire. We also have room on our watch-along show for sponsors who actually know a smart investment when they see it.
To all of you new people, thank you so much for signing up. It means the world to us. These columns are basically navel-gazing opinion pieces we put together and should never be taken as a substitute for actual reporting. This report consists of three observations, two questions, and one prediction. We ask that you keep it here and do not share it on social media.
Three Observations:
3. Running down Milledge. The football team met at 5 a.m. the other day for a workout. Afterward, they ran to the stadium, which was interesting, as normally they bus down there. In the stadium, they wound up running the stadium steps. The lower bowl has sixty levels comprised of 120 steps. They had to do 15 of these reps, one for each game they want to play this year. As they did each rep, the video screen showed the team they would be facing that week. Some parts of the stadium may have needed to be hosed down. Derion Kendrick had an interesting response to the Clemson video.
2. Leader in the clubhouse. Speaking of Kendrick, we understand the new transfers are living with quarterback JT Daniels. The poor man’s Doc Holliday has truly emerged as a team leader. Taking a bunch of guys to visit California with him was a boss move, but that isn’t what has cemented him in the leadership role. Mainly it's his day-to-day efforts. The offense and the defense have been smack talking during their 7-on-7s and Daniels is one of the ringleaders. He threw a touchdown pass and followed it up with teasing and hip thrusts. I am told there’s no question as to who the team leaders are.
1. More Summer Notes. If the season were to start today, the offensive line would look like this:
Left tackle: Jamaree Salyer
Left guard: Justin Shaffer
Center: Warren Ericson
Right guard: Tate Ratledge
Right tackle: Warren McClendon
I should add a few of those “OR” things that Kirby Smart likes to have on the official depth chart. As in left tackle is Salyer OR Xavier Truss and right guard is Ratledge OR Salyer. Amarius Mims and Broderick Jones will have a chance to make a move up the depth chart as preseason practice goes on, but that’s how they are lining up today in drills.
As for the tight end spot, we hear good things about Darnell Washington. “He’s unguardable,” one person told us. Washington is “so big, so physical, has great hands,” and he’s killing it in 7-on-7s. Another source said Washington is good, but they were not as high on him as our first source. Notice that both are complimentary, but the degree varies. Nothing matters, really, because looking great in shorts in the summer is one thing, pads another. Still, it’s worth noting that Daniels looks for the Big O on a lot of their plays.
Another observer tells us the inside linebackers have been the most impressive players out there. Nakobe Dean, Channing Tindall, and Quay Walker are getting after it. That bodes well considering they aren’t tackling during the summer, but rather working on coverage, calls, and assignments.
More:
- Wide receiver Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint is playing well, per multiple insider reports. Again, this is in shorts, but he’s healthy and that’s going to help UGA. We hear a lot about receiver Jermaine Burton and how good he has looked, but that’s not surprising. What may surprise you is the amount of buzz we continue to hear about wideout Adonai Mitchell. “He is legit,” one trusted observer noted.
- Arik Gilbert is on the third team at the moment. He needs to learn the offense and he can’t just come in and take someone’s spot. He’s catching passes from Brock Vandagriff. We are told he is making impressive catches, which is no surprise.
- We continue to hear praise for Carson Beck. This has to be one of the greatest turnarounds I remember, as we heard very little good news during Carson’s first year on campus. My money is still on Stetson Bennett as the No. 2 quarterback.
- Three receivers who could really help the team are trying to come back from knee surgeries. There's little concern regarding the procedure Kearis Jackson went through. There's a lot more concern over Dom Blaylock and George Pickens as they return from ACL surgeries.
- Georgia’s running backs room is as loaded as your wife’s innocuous-sounding question about that $418 Bass Pro Shops charge on your credit card statement. These guys are good and have only matured over the last seven months of preparation. They are versatile. They know Monken’s system. They read cuts. They pick up blitzes. They run routes (coughcoughJamesCookcoughcough).They will give UGA an edge vs. any team the Dawgs will face this year. While Georgia sorts out its receivers, the Dawgs can always fall back on a strong running game, which is ahead of the passing game at the moment.
Two Questions:
2. Which tight end will have the biggest season? Everyone is excited about Darnell Washington, as stated above. The giant from Las Vegas could be a monster in year two. But what about Arik Gilbert? Yes, he’s ostensibly been labeled as a wideout, but can he surpass one of the other true wide receivers to take a spot in the starting rotation? Maybe the path to playing time is via the tight end spot, with Todd Monken using him there to catch passes and block as needed. Still, word from inside the program is that Brock Bowers is an unreal combination of size and speed. Don’t be surprised if Bowers proves to have been very under-ranked. And don’t forget that John FitzPatrick is the actual starter...
1. What is slowing Georgia’s recruiting? The Bulldogs have had some high profile misses on the recruiting trail, but also have a number of three-stars committed with a few more likely on the way. In December this class should be in the top five. But aside from new commit Branson Robinson, it feels like UGA has struggled to close. Part of it is geographical. The Dawgs are battling for players from all across the nation. The be-a-home-state-hero pitch is harder when you are trying to pull a kid from Texas or Maryland. Some of it is negative recruiting. Schools point out how many four- and five-star prospects Georgia already has on its roster. Some of it is the recruiters. Sam Pittman and James Coley were closers. Some of it is NIL. Georgia has a great explainer on NIL for its prospects, but a few schools are promising things they are unlikely to deliver.
Also, the academic standards at Georgia have been used against the program. The classes are set up for the state’s brightest students. They are hard. You and I wouldn’t last 10 minutes nowadays. The amount of time and tutoring it takes for some of these players to keep up is substantial. When you look at how many analysts, coaches, and grad assistants have come out of UGA and gone to other programs, you see just how many people recruit against the Dawgs by pointing out how much tutoring time is needed, etc.
One Prediction:
Texas just won the Directors’ Cup for having the best overall athletic program in the nation. Oklahoma has an eight-year streak of having a national championship in at least one sport if not more. Both would make excellent additions to the SEC far beyond just football.
What both don’t realize, like a pensioner buying a Boca Raton time-share, is that the hook comes after you’ve taken the bait.
Oklahoma fans love to call the SEC a cult and make fun of its fans whom they consider rubes, because you know the Midwest is so much more sophisticated than the South. They mockingly chant “SEC” whenever they can, as if pride in playing in the best conference is akin to bragging about sitting at the cool kids table at lunch. Lincoln Riley, like Bob Stoops before him, regularly takes shots at the SEC. “If you throw Georgia in the Big 12 every year, there is no way they are a top-5 defense in the country,” is a more recent line.
Texas on the other hand is a bully. It’s one of the biggest schools in the nation by enrollment and by endowment. But more to the point, it has political power and throws its weight around like Nick Fairley after the whistle. Texas A&M, Missouri, Nebraska, and Colorado all jumped conferences just to get away from Texas and its oversized influence on its conference. Hell, even its mascot is a bully.
But my prediction is that they are going to learn. Pushing around Kansas and Texas Tech is a heck of a lot easier than Alabama or Georgia. You want the schedule to break your way? Get in line behind LSU and Florida. Auburn ain’t no Baylor. Ok, bad example, but the point is that there are already a bunch of bikers in this bar and your “Ride Free” t-shirt doesn’t impress us.
As for the Sooners, all those Big12 offensive numbers are nice, but doing that week in and week out is tougher than your brisket. Oklahoma, too, will learn.
It’s “S-E-C. S-E-C. S-E-C.”
