National Signing Day is less than a week away and the Georgia Bulldogs are hoping to close out strong. So far, Mark Richt's staff has done a phenomenal job of locking down some of the best the state has to offer, and there seems to be little doubt that this class will be one of his best yet—assuming they can nab a few more of the big names still left on the board.
Ray Drew, the highly-touted defensive end out of Thomasville, Ga., continues to make the most of his experience as one of the nation's best. He's used the power of social media to keep his allegiances a secret and, by this point in the game, it's anyone's guess what school will land him.
He is set to end the suspense tomorrow morning, and there isn't a publication or person anywhere who should be willing to bet the house on what he will say. As of now, the popular opinion is he will be a Bulldog—despite his penchant for speaking negatively about the program—and if Georgia does turn out to be his destination of choice, many hope to see John Jenkins follow.
Jenkins is a major JUCO prospect out of Connecticut and he is expected to step right into the role of nose at Georgia—should he decide to sign.
Still, though, you have to wonder if even those two would be enough to make this class the talk of the SEC? Will either of those guys signatures matter as much if Isaiah Crowell decides to head to Auburn or Alabama?
The bottom line is this: Georgia has put all of their running back eggs into Crowell's basket. They aren't looking at any other players and aren't actively pursuing any other players. It's Crowell or nothing and it's no secret that if he's all that we've been led to believe he is, then he's the guy that stands to make the biggest offensive impact in 2011.
Caleb King and Washaun Ealey have not lived up to their expectations. They have been a disappointment in both behavior and performance, and many are ready to see something better at the running back position come next season.
In the eyes of many, Isaiah Crowell is the player that Georgia needs to return this offense to the type of efficiency it saw in the early days of Richt's tenure. He is felt, by some, to be the "Marcus Lattimore" of the 2011 class—the spark that Georgia needs to make a championship run of their own.
However, his decision is currently unknown as well.
While all signs seem to point to Georgia being his school of choice,
his father made some rather interesting comments about what's most important to him (as a parent), "I’m just looking at him finishing his education and going where they can keep him in line and where there’s a good mentor for him. Where and when he’ll play on the field, I’m not really paying attention to all that."
Crowell
expressed a similar sentiment last October when he discussed the arrests and issues that Georgia was having with discipline, said Crowell then, "...there’s just a lot of things going wrong. I do want to play right away but I also want to be where it’s disciplined and they win championships."
It sounds like Isaiah and his father are on similar pages.
While the culture at Georgia appears to be changing, it's unclear if the moves that have been made will be enough to persuade Crowell to sign with the team on February 2. It's a tough call to make given the success of both Alabama and Auburn (two schools who also remain in the running for Crowell.
That said, if Georgia ends up missing on Crowell, will this Georgia class still be a "Dream" or will it fall just shy of expectations?
What say you?
