Georgia Bulldogs Recruiting: 2012 ATH Prospect Josh Harvey-Clemons

Josh Harvey-Clemons is a 6'5", 205 lb, ATH (athlete) prospect out of Valdosta, GA. He has split time between both the wide receiver and outside linebacker positions at Lowndes County High School.

His speed, size, and ability to get to the ball make him an intriguing option for either offense or defense, but Georgia is looking to make him a defensive weapon, specifically at linebacker—where the Bulldogs are hoping to add more depth in 2012.

Harvey-Clemons is a dynamic edge rusher who uses his speed, size, and great instincts to get into the backfield and disrupt quarterback play. He plays with focus and discipline on the football field and has the ability to lay down those bone-jarring hits when given the opportunity. He's a force to be reckoned with on either side of the ball and should be very good at the next level—with the right coaching.

Currently, depending on what you read, Georgia is in the lead race for Harvey-Clemons as he has, apparently, developed a close relationship with Todd Grantham. That said, it's a long way to February, and Harvey-Clemons could just as likely end up at FSU—a school that has built up a very strong relationship with the Lowndes County coaches over the years (landing such players as Greg Reid and Telvin Smith)—or Florida (the first school to offer him)

Both the Seminoles and the Gators want to make Harvey-Clemons a wide receiver at the college level.

Either way, Harvey- Clemons is an exciting player to keep on your radar as the march towards Signing Day 2012' continues.

College Football: Why Paul Pasqualoni REALLY Got The UConn Job

Photo Credit: KEVIN COLTON

The news that Paul Pasqualoni was hired as the head football coach at UConn—over perceived favorite, Mark Whipple—came as a surprise to some.

Not that the hire, at least on the surface, is a horrible one. Pasqualoni had a lot of success at Syracuse during his 14-year tenure—including multiple Big East Championships in the 1990's—but it's just curious given the fact that many were expecting Mark Whipple to get the nod.

So, what gives?

Well, according to at least one publication, the hiring of Pasqualoni had less to do with his mass appeal to the student body than it did with his ability to recruit the heck out of the northeast region—particularly the state of Connecticut.

A little less than a week ago, the football committee for the Connecticut High School Coaches Association sent a letter to the University of Connecticut imploring them to hire the former Syracuse coach as their next head coach.

Steve Filippone, the head coach at Daniel Hand High School in Madison, CT, had this to say at that time, "...we’re not trying to impose any kind of pressure or anything like that. We understand that’s not the way you pick a coach for a major college football team. They have a lot bigger issues to consider. We simply felt that this is an opportunity for us to say, in a pretty clear way, that we feel this man has the type of skill set, the type of reputation, that could clearly work with us … for whatever value that is."

Well, the value must have been pretty high as the Huskies definitely will be looking to lock down the talent in-state as well as reach deeper into the talent pools of both New Jersey and New York.

What better man to do so than Pasqualoni? A known commodity on the recruiting trail.

So, while the hire may not be turning heads, it makes plenty of sense and, in the end, UConn could end up having the last laugh in the Big East—if the gamble pays off.

Oh, and that whole Syracuse/UConn rivalry just got a lot more interesting. 

Related articles

• Report: UConn, Mark Whipple in final negotiations (sports.espn.go.com)

Georgia Bulldog 2011 Commit, Christian LeMay, Won't Play in 2010

The final word is in and the decision is final, Christian LeMay, the highly-touted QB recruit out of North Carolina, will not play his senior season of high school football for the Butler Bulldogs.

LeMay, suspended back in June for committing a violation of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School's (CMS) code of conduct rule, appealed the decision of the disciplinary board on July 26th—hoping for some leniency on what LeMay's father described as a "youthful infraction" which did not involve violence or weapons.

LeMay was given a 40-day suspension (total) for the act, and was told that he could return to Butler after his suspension was served. However, by doing so, LeMay would have all but forfeited his senior season as the starting quarterback for his high school football team.

The senior LeMay introduced the possibility of his son finishing out his career at a private school, but was hopeful that the situation would not come to that end.

However, after their appeal was denied, the family felt the best route for Christian to take would be to complete his studies in a "private setting" and enroll at the University of Georgia in December—as initially planned.

He will continue to work independently with a trainer and QB coache until that time so that he can remain in football shape.


His commitment to Georgia remains solid, as evidenced by the statement below, and also gives the impression that the  touches Georgia Bulldogs are still high on him as well.

No word yet on how this might affect his overall recruiting ranking, or if there is any reason to believe that this will affect his standing with the UGA admissions committee—currently the latter is not thought to be a concern, but one never knows in situations like these.

The full statement, given by LeMay's father, read as follows:

We first want to thank all of those who have supported our family during this time. The e-mails, letters, text and words of encouragement have been life fueling from supporters of Christian both locally and nationwide. We specifically want to thank (incoming Georgia recruits) Christian Conley and Ray Drew for standing with our son and contacting him daily, Panthers wide receiver Kenny Moore and QB training coach Steve Calhoun for working him out over the summer. Also, Sporting News and all the other recruiting networks that maintained Christian’s National Ranking on their boards.

As a result of Christian’s youthful infraction (that does not involve drugs, weapons or any form of violence), Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools imposed a severe punishment on our son ... which we appealed to their highest form of due process.

On July 26th the CMS board maintained the merciless ruling of a 40-day reassignment to an alternative school “to possibly be reviewed in 30 days”. (This was) in addition to a four-day suspension already served. The ruling also states that after completing the reassignment days, he could “possibly” return to Butler, meaning it is “possible” that he could not return to Butler.

Adhering to such a severe ruling would not only prevent Christian from playing until November due to the 10-day conditioning rule (if he returned to Butler HS), but it would also hinder him academically as the alternative school does not provide the required classes needed for him to finish in the fall of 2010 and move on to the University of Georgia in January.

Given the unwillingness of CMS to apply a more reasonable consequence for such a youthful infraction, as disheartening as it is, we must make the decision to move on and focus Christian’s attention to preparing for enrollment at the University of Georgia in January. Although, rumors suggest that Christian would likely transfer to one of the excellent programs such as (Duncan) Byrnes (S.C.), (Rock Hill) South Pointe, Greensboro Dudley and even Victory Christian Center, Christian could not imagine playing his senior season at any place other than with his brother Uriah and his teammates at Butler High School.

Therefore, having come to resolve that following the CMS consequence would not accomplish “student achievement” for Christian, we as a family have concluded that he will forgo his senior football season and focus on his preparation to attend the University of Georgia.

We are quite honored that other colleges continue to show strong interest in Christian attending their school. However, we have continued healthy communications with (Georgia) coaches and the commitment remains the same on both ends.

Christian will now prepare himself for the next season of his life as he takes this time to become stronger, spiritually, academically and physically. With the help of fitness trainer Andy Hendel of Cross fit Charlotte and QB coach Steve Calhoun of Armed and Dangerous, Christian will certainly be prepared to arrive in Georgia this spring ready to compete. We are fully confident that his best days are still yet to come. GO BULLDOGS!!!

The LeMay Family

So, what say you? Are you concerned that LeMay won't have any on-field action this season?

Georgia Bulldog Coaches Like What They See in DB Derek Owens

When you think of the Georgia Bulldog secondary, several names are likely to come to mind—Brandon Boykyin, Branden Smith, and Vance Cuff—to name a few. However, unless you have been living under a rock, the name Derek Owens has likely found its way into a conversation or two lately as well.

Both Todd Grantham and Scott Lakatos have been impressed with what they have seen from him so far this summer and, in light of Branden Smith's "academic issues" and the relative lack of depth his absence would create, Owens has begun stepping up his efforts even more in hopes of finding more playing time this season.

A Jacksonville, FL native, Owens was a member of the 2010 signing class and, amidst the overall disappointment exuded by fans, he was likely lost in the shuffle of the bigger named players like Alec Ogletree, T.J. Stripling, and Jakar Hamilton.

However, despite his relative anonymity, Owens is a true talent with a lot of untapped potential. The very fact that he chose to stay at Georgia over the summer to study the playbook in preparation for the coming season, shows just how dedicated he is to getting better and making a genuine contribution to the team this year.

In the way of skills, Owens played both defensive back and wide receiver in high school. He doesn't have world-class speed but he has above-average instincts and great hands. He also breaks to the ball well—a trait that will excite Bulldog fans who saw one too many bad angles taken by secondary guys in coverage last year.

Furthermore, as a standout two-way player for Andrew Jackson High School, Owens averaged 39.6 yards per punt return—mostly due to his elusiveness. That could come in handy on special teams despite his lack of track speed. Again, what he lacks in speed, he makes up for in instincts and overall field vision.

He's a quality player who truly wants to find his place onto the football field sooner, rather than later, and with the uncertainty surrounding Branden Smith, he might get his wish. Either way, Owens isn't expected to play as anything more than a reserve this year–Vance Cuff still has the inside track on starting opposite Brandon Boykin.

Still, coach Richt has already made it clear that a good many guys will get a shot to play early because he would like to keep legs fresh—so anythings possible.

Owens has already proven he's got the drive and the skills to play a significant role at Georgia in 2010, all he needs now is the opportunity. 

Why Did Dexter Morant Return to the Georgia Bulldogs?

Last Tuesday, Dexter Morant, the lanky linebacking prospect from the small town of Manning, SC, decided to leave the Georgia Bulldogs. He had, according to many, "lost the desire to play". It was expected that his decision was final and Mark Richt and company would go about the business of finding another player to step in and make an impact at an already thin position (OLB).

However, if you are a Georgia fan, you know all of this and are honestly just wondering what happened to make him come back? Furthermore, will he do this again? After all, this isn't the first time the young kid from Manning has flip-flopped on his decision to stay or go.

The first hint of uncertainty came during the recruiting process. Shortly after the firing of Willie Martinez and his staff, Morant began to have some second thoughts about signing with Georgia—mostly due to its location. It was 5-hours from home and both South Carolina and Clemson were shorter in distance to his home in Manning.

Manning, for those who may not know, is a very small community (about 4,000 people). It's located about 45-minutes south of Florence, SC and about an hour east of Charleston—it's tiny. I should know, my grandmother currently lives there and my mother and father, coincidentally, both were born and raised in Manning.

This is the place that Dexter Morant calls home. Coming out of high school, everyone knew his name and rooted for him to go out and “make something of his life”. The fact that Division-I schools like Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina were knocking on his door made him into somewhat of a celebrity in Manning and he found the attention flattering. However, he never allowed it to go to his head—he was still the small-town kid who relished hanging out with friends and spending time with family.

I heard from a close friend of his, in late May, that he was considering leaving. The sheer size and atmosphere of the University of Georgia was intimidating. He felt out of place and lonely being so far away from his friends and family and the transition into college life wasn't going the way he had hoped.

He missed home—period.

That feeling of longing persisted through June and July. Then, in late July, he took a trip home to visit with a few of those close friends—his boys—and he was reminded of just how comfortable and easy things were for him there. He spent most of that weekend reminiscing and hanging out with the people who played a major part in his life and it felt good.

By the time he left, he was certain that he needed to leave Athens and go back home to Manning.  He flirted with the idea of transferring to a smaller school, South Carolina State, which is located in Florence, because he could commute daily if he wanted to and he would have the benefit of being able to see his friends and family whenever he wanted.

The decision felt like the right one—at the time.

However, once he returned home to Manning, he remembered exactly what he was giving up. His mother and many of the friends he so loved and valued the opinions of, were disappointed with his decision to "quit" without giving it a fair shot. They felt he made a rash decision about his future and most did not support his choice to forego a shot at something big in order to stay where things are familiar.

They implored him to reconsider his choice and rethink how leaving this opportunity on the table, not just to play football but to get an education, would effect him in the long term.

Morant got the point and decided that he may very well have made a mistake in leaving the way he did. He contacted coach Richt and jumped at the chance to be admitted back.

For those who wonder why let him back when there can be no guarantees about his level of focus, commitment, and desire to play football, I say, cut him a little slack for the moment. Making the transition from small-town living to big-time university football player is a big jump. It’s not easy for everyone and many guys consider leaving in their first year—Morant is not an anomaly in that respect.

As for how he'll pan out at Georgia, it's anybody's guess, but if he can live up to his potential and develop into the force that many hope he can be, then this episode will become a distant memory soon enough and the Georgia football program will be made a better one for it.

What say you?

Georgia QB Prospect LeMay Gets Max Suspension—Will Appeal

According to the Charlotte Observer, Butler High School quarterback—and current Georgia Bulldog prospect—Christian LeMay was given the max level suspension for an offense he committed at the end of the 2009-10 school year. Although the offense has not been specified, his father Stacy LeMay has assured the public that it was merely a "youthful infraction" and did not include "drugs, weapons, or any form of violence".

The next step  in the process, naturally, will be an appeal of the suspension. LeMay's father feels that they have a good chance of seeing a "...favorable outcome" due to his son's prior track record as a non-disciplinary problem.

That said, if his appeal is denied, the young man would forego enrollment in the alternative school—which his father states is for "kids who have habitual behavioral problems"—in favor of finishing out his playing career at a private school in the area.

As of now, there is no reason to believe that LeMay will be denied entry into the University of Georgia and his father feels hopeful that his son will be ready to enroll in Athens in Spring 2011—as originally planned.

For now, the appeals process will be set into motion and likely will not be ruled on until the end of August—at which point, the next step will be determined.

The Butler High School Bulldogs are rated the No. 2 team in the nation by at least one poll and would like to defend their state championship this season. LeMay is the leader of this team and, said his coach, "We'll win a lot of games if Riley (LeMay's backup) has to start for us, but there's just no substitute for Christian's experience. It would be good for us if he were able to help us defend our state championship."

As Bernie Dawg points out, the pressure on the disciplinary committee could prove to be too much in this instance, especially given the relatively squeaky-clean image offered by LeMay up to this point. 

Seantrel Henderson Isn't Doing Himself Any Favors With His Latest Dramatics

I hate to say it, but, Seantrel Henderson is trouble—with a capital, italicized, and bolded 'T'.

The highly-touted, highly-sought after, five-star recruit from Minnesota has again decided to hold the college football world hostage while he decides where he wants to start his college career. 

The 6'8", 300+ pound, offensive tackle prospect out of St. Paul did not report to USC for a scheduled orientation last week—prompting Lane Kiffin and his band of merry men to hop on a private plane to go talk to the phenom.

The supposed reason for Henderson's decision to skip the university function were his second thoughts about signing with the Trojans.

Reports are stating that Henderson may have been misled by coach Kiffin (wow, that's new) when he was told that USC's sanctions wouldn't be nearly as harsh as implied. Taking Kiffin at his word (mistake), Henderson decided to give his commitment to the Trojans. However he put off signing a letter of intent with the school until the results of the NCAA investigation were released.

Well, obviously USC was given a tad more than just a slap on the wrist and now Henderson is thinking of bolting the program.

While I have no problem with seeing Lane Kiffin squirm like the weasel I think he is, I'm a little sick of Seantrel Henderson and his prima donna ways. After all, if he was smart enough to hold off on signing his letter of intent, then why isn't he man enough to just say the following, "I'm not coming to USC...next school please"?

Honestly, the attention-seeking behavior leaves a bad taste in my mouth and if the college football world were smart, it would let Seantrel go to an FCS school and languish in obscurity for the next 3-4 years of his care.


Some might say that his father is every bit the blame for this madness as Seantrel. Especially given the rumor that he's looking to use his son as his ticket to rap stardom. However, at some point, a program has to cut their losses with a guy and say they aren't going to deal with all the drama just to get his ink.

Seriously, Henderson was great in high school and the scouts think he could be a once-in-a-lifetime prospect at left tackle but there are no guarantees. He could become the biggest bust since Willie Williams—another spotlight hog who prompted some serious changes to the recruiting landscape.

Henderson isn't worth this madness, that much is truth, because who's to say that his behavior ends with this most recent madness. This blatant need to be coddled and looked upon as important could manifest itself in his approach to playing the game, his ability to lead on the field, and his day-to-day dealings with his coaches?

College football can cut a nice size slice of humble pie for a prospect who thinks he's got big-time talent. That slice can be a bitter bite if you aren't prepared for the taste. That said, Henderson could be in for a rude awakening in his first season—no matter where he plays—and I now have some serious doubts as to how he will handle the realization that there are some guys who will be better than he.

No matter what happens, the magnifying glass on Henderson just got bigger and, whether he realizes it or not, that's not necessarily a good thing.

Christian LeMay Suspension Decision Could Take Another 7-10 Days

According to a report by Dallas Jackson of Rivals, the decision on Christian LeMay's suspension could take another week or more. The 2011 Georgia quarterback commit violated a rule in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools code of conduct guide and faces up to a 30-day suspension—the nature of the violation has not been revealed.

A disciplinary hearing was held on June 14th and afterwards, LeMay's father released the following written statement to the media:

“We would first like to thank so many of you who have shown your love, support and rendered prayers for our family at this time. The overwhelming outpouring of community affection has been tremendous. Christian is the oldest of our four children and as parents we could not have asked nor designed a more special young man then himself. He has for 17 years lead by example and done remarkably well with the responsibility. We truly believe that children are a joy and one of the most precious gifts we could ever receive from God.

“Yet sometimes, despite all the teachings and training there comes a time in every individuals life in which they are faced with choices. In a perfect world our children would always make right choices. However, reality says sometimes they may make a decision that is unwise and youthful in nature. Recently Christian, in a momentary lapse in good judgment,  yielded to an out-of-character decision that even he is not proud of. Like many of us, we are sure, he will look back on this time with regret as well as having gained a valuable learned experience.

“For seventeen years Christian has been a model child, exemplary student and a wonderful asset to his community. He has been giving, encouraging others, loving and honoring to all who know him. We are standing with our Son to provide love and support and to insure his successful progression from this point. We would also like to thank CMS for their student care and academic concern towards this matter. We trust that Christian will emerge stronger from this experience and regain the faith of all his supporters. We thank all of you for your continued prayers and are believing for the best.”

Sincerely

The LeMay Family

At the conclusion of the hearing, it was thought that a decision on the future of LeMay's senior season at Butler High School would be known within ten days of the hearing. However, the disciplinary board can take as many as 14-days or more to determine their punishment.

If LeMay is suspended for the full 30-days, he will not be allowed to make his return to in-season play until after the regular season is over. He would, essentially, be given the opportunity to make a playoff run with the Bulldogs—nothing more.

How this effects his standing with the University of Georgia is subject to rampant speculation and, really, no one knows if it will make a difference.  That said, it is something to keep an eye on as the days progress because—if the details of this violation ever are released—the admissions committee at Georgia could see fit to do a little review of its own and that is never a good thing.

As of now, this is simply a high school issue—nothing more—and there is little reason for me or anyone else to believe that LeMay will be anything less than a Bulldog come 2011.