Bulldogs shake things up for LSU series
April, 27, 2012
4/27/12
9:10
PM ET
By
David Ching | ESPN.com
Watch Saturday's baseball game at 7:30 p.m. ET, live on ESPN3.
ATHENS, Ga. -- Georgia baseball coach David Perno hinted that lineup changes might be ahead after the Bulldogs went 1-for-15 with runners in scoring position in Tuesday’s 4-3 loss to Georgia Tech.
Perno announced after Wednesday’s practice that he will in fact shuffle the lineup in this weekend’s series at No. 6 LSU (33-9, 12-6 SEC) -- with the biggest change being freshman slugger Hunter Cole’s return to competition.
Cole, who leads the Bulldogs (24-18, 8-10) with six home runs and is batting .370 in SEC play, missed the last six games with a strained muscle in his right side. Perno said Cole is not pain-free, but the injury has healed to the point that he would not risk further injury by playing.
ATHENS, Ga. -- Georgia baseball coach David Perno hinted that lineup changes might be ahead after the Bulldogs went 1-for-15 with runners in scoring position in Tuesday’s 4-3 loss to Georgia Tech.
Perno announced after Wednesday’s practice that he will in fact shuffle the lineup in this weekend’s series at No. 6 LSU (33-9, 12-6 SEC) -- with the biggest change being freshman slugger Hunter Cole’s return to competition.
Cole, who leads the Bulldogs (24-18, 8-10) with six home runs and is batting .370 in SEC play, missed the last six games with a strained muscle in his right side. Perno said Cole is not pain-free, but the injury has healed to the point that he would not risk further injury by playing.
Offensive lineman Cordy Glenn became the first Georgia player selected in the NFL draft Friday night when the Buffalo Bills picked him 41st overall in the second round, which he described as "probably the happiest moment of my life."
Glenn admitted he was surprised that he lasted until the second round, but said he was pleased that he wound up with Buffalo, one of his favorite teams.
"I did actually," Glenn said. "But things happen for a reason. I am just happy to be with the Bills."
Glenn admitted he was surprised that he lasted until the second round, but said he was pleased that he wound up with Buffalo, one of his favorite teams.
"I did actually," Glenn said. "But things happen for a reason. I am just happy to be with the Bills."
BCS commissioners endorse playoff format
April, 26, 2012
4/26/12
11:56
PM ET
By ESPN.com staff | ESPN.com
ESPN's Mark Schlabach writes: After three days of meetings, one thing is clear: college football will have a playoff. The details, however, are still very much up for grabs.
No Georgia players were selected in Thursday’s first round of the NFL draft.
Former Bulldogs offensive lineman Cordy Glenn was one of 26 players who attended the draft at New York City’s Radio City Music Hall, but is one of six remaining in the green room at the end of the night. Four offensive linemen -- USC's Matt Kalil, Stanford's David DeCastro, Iowa's Riley Reiff and Wisconsin's Kevin Zeitler -- were picked in the first round ahead of Glenn.
Most draft experts projected that Glenn would be a first-round pick, with ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. ranking him as the No. 14 overall prospect on his “Big Board.” Glenn is now the best available player remaining on Kiper’s board and is the second-best player left according to NFL Network expert Mike Mayock and ESPN's Todd McShay's rankings.
Glenn was clearly Georgia's best shot at becoming a first-round pick. Instead, for the fifth time in the last seven years, no Bulldog was selected in the first round.
Glenn -- along with former Georgia teammates Brandon Boykin, Orson Charles and Ben Jones -- will now wait to hear his name called Friday night in the second or third rounds.
Round 2 will begin at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN. The draft will conclude with Rounds 4-7 starting at noon ET Saturday on ESPN.
Former Bulldogs offensive lineman Cordy Glenn was one of 26 players who attended the draft at New York City’s Radio City Music Hall, but is one of six remaining in the green room at the end of the night. Four offensive linemen -- USC's Matt Kalil, Stanford's David DeCastro, Iowa's Riley Reiff and Wisconsin's Kevin Zeitler -- were picked in the first round ahead of Glenn.
Most draft experts projected that Glenn would be a first-round pick, with ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. ranking him as the No. 14 overall prospect on his “Big Board.” Glenn is now the best available player remaining on Kiper’s board and is the second-best player left according to NFL Network expert Mike Mayock and ESPN's Todd McShay's rankings.
Glenn was clearly Georgia's best shot at becoming a first-round pick. Instead, for the fifth time in the last seven years, no Bulldog was selected in the first round.
Glenn -- along with former Georgia teammates Brandon Boykin, Orson Charles and Ben Jones -- will now wait to hear his name called Friday night in the second or third rounds.
Round 2 will begin at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN. The draft will conclude with Rounds 4-7 starting at noon ET Saturday on ESPN.
With an hour to go until the NFL draft begins, Georgia figures to have only one player hear his name called tonight during the first round.
Almost every top draft analyst has former Bulldogs offensive lineman Cordy Glenn going in the first round, typically somewhere in the mid to late first round.
However, Georgia figures to have several more players drafted between the second and seventh rounds on Friday and Saturday -- with cornerback Brandon Boykin, tight end Orson Charles and center Ben Jones figuring to be the next Bulldogs off the board.
Almost every top draft analyst has former Bulldogs offensive lineman Cordy Glenn going in the first round, typically somewhere in the mid to late first round.
However, Georgia figures to have several more players drafted between the second and seventh rounds on Friday and Saturday -- with cornerback Brandon Boykin, tight end Orson Charles and center Ben Jones figuring to be the next Bulldogs off the board.
College Football 411: Playoff dreaming
April, 26, 2012
4/26/12
5:59
PM ET
By ESPN.com staff | ESPN.com
Cassidy Hubbarth and the college football bloggers go around the country to explain how a playoff system would help everyone.
DL Jay Woods nabs offer No. 20 from UGA 
April, 26, 2012
4/26/12
5:28
PM ET
By
Radi Nabulsi | ESPN.com
Defensive lineman Jay Woods (Jackson, Ga./Jackson) already had 19 offers from schools all over the country, so why would another offer be any different? Well, when offer No. 20 comes from the team that he grew up following, it is deemed a special one. Woods was offered Thursday by the Georgia Bulldogs, and he couldn’t be happier.
“Mark Richt just offered me,” Woods told DawgNation. “My coach called me to his office and I called Coach [Bryan] McClendon and he said, 'I have good news for you but I am going to let Coach Richt tell you.' Coach Richt said I was a good football player and he was trying to put together a Dream Team for 2013 and I could be a big part of it. He said, 'I would like to offer you a full scholarship to the University of Georgia.' ”
Woods says this offer means more because it is one he dreamed of as a child.
“Mark Richt just offered me,” Woods told DawgNation. “My coach called me to his office and I called Coach [Bryan] McClendon and he said, 'I have good news for you but I am going to let Coach Richt tell you.' Coach Richt said I was a good football player and he was trying to put together a Dream Team for 2013 and I could be a big part of it. He said, 'I would like to offer you a full scholarship to the University of Georgia.' ”
Woods says this offer means more because it is one he dreamed of as a child.
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Matt Rolin has picked up a coveted scholarship offer.
Florida is the latest school to offer the outside linebacker from Ashburn (Va.) Briar Woods.
"I'm really interested in them," Rolin stated via text message to ESPN. "Really excited about the offer and I'd say they jump in my top five."
Florida is the latest school to offer the outside linebacker from Ashburn (Va.) Briar Woods.
"I'm really interested in them," Rolin stated via text message to ESPN. "Really excited about the offer and I'd say they jump in my top five."
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Interest in ESPN 150 S Priest Willis ignites
April, 26, 2012
4/26/12
5:04
PM ET
By
Erik McKinney | ESPN.com
Priest Willis (Tempe, Ariz./Marcos De Niza), the No. 62 player in the ESPN 150, entered the spring with 29 offers. The safety has become one of the most highly recruited players on the West Coast. He has already received phone calls from USC -- on the first day contact was allowable -- Arizona State and Notre Dame. This week, Marcos De Niza High School has received visits from Florida State, LSU and Arkansas, with USC coach Ed Orgeron scheduled to stop by Thursday. Willis said that since the spring evaluation period began, Georgia, Rutgers and Alabama have also showed interest.
Willis said the Trojans making the first call on April 15 stood out, but he is grateful for the interest from every school. And increased attention from the two programs that played in the most recent national championship game is difficult to ignore.
Willis said the Alabama coaches have been talking to him about how he would fit into their defense, but it's obvious that LSU has made a statement for Willis.
"They have a great defense," said Willis of LSU, a school he plans to camp with this summer. "And it would be great to just play football in that atmosphere."
Willis said the Trojans making the first call on April 15 stood out, but he is grateful for the interest from every school. And increased attention from the two programs that played in the most recent national championship game is difficult to ignore.
Willis said the Alabama coaches have been talking to him about how he would fit into their defense, but it's obvious that LSU has made a statement for Willis.
"They have a great defense," said Willis of LSU, a school he plans to camp with this summer. "And it would be great to just play football in that atmosphere."
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SEC fans: Bring 'GameDay' to your campus
April, 26, 2012
4/26/12
5:01
PM ET
By
Edward Aschoff | ESPN.com
Want to see your school in a "College GameDay" commercial? Well, here's your chance to make that happen.
For the first time, ESPN will film a "College GameDay" commercial on a campus selected by fans. Through May 2, fans can vote once per day for their university at GameDayVote.com via computers, smartphones or using Facebook (facebook.com/collegegameday). Fans can keep track of the leading schools throughout the promotion and share the contest with friends on various social platforms to drive votes for their university.
More than 120 FBS football programs will be included in the promotion. The commercial will be filmed this summer on the selected campus with real students and begin airing in the fall to promote the 2012 season of "College GameDay" Built by The Home Depot.
Do your part, SEC fans. Get out and vote!
For the first time, ESPN will film a "College GameDay" commercial on a campus selected by fans. Through May 2, fans can vote once per day for their university at GameDayVote.com via computers, smartphones or using Facebook (facebook.com/collegegameday). Fans can keep track of the leading schools throughout the promotion and share the contest with friends on various social platforms to drive votes for their university.
More than 120 FBS football programs will be included in the promotion. The commercial will be filmed this summer on the selected campus with real students and begin airing in the fall to promote the 2012 season of "College GameDay" Built by The Home Depot.
Do your part, SEC fans. Get out and vote!
Recruiting rewind: NFL draftees
April, 26, 2012
4/26/12
1:14
PM ET
By RecruitingNation Staff | ESPN.com
Recruiting Rewind
: Looking back at the top prospects in the NFL draft, including UGA's Cordy Glenn, reveals how far former top-notch recruits have come -- as well as how different college football could have been had some recruiting battles gone another way.
While Kentucky and Florida State lead the way as top seeds, Georgia looks to be heading to the Chapel Hill regional.
The offers continue to roll in for Toby Johnson (College Park, Ga./Hutchinson CC), as the standout junior college defensive tackle picked up offers from Oklahoma and Missouri early Thursday evening.
A 6-foot-4, 290-pound tackle, Johnson now has 18 offers. Among those are USC, Arkansas, Georgia, Nebraska, Tennessee and Kansas State. Johnson played his high school ball at Banneker High School in College Park, Ga.
“I feel great,” Johnson said about the offers from Oklahoma and Missouri. “They just made my decision even harder.”
Johnson helped Hutchinson finish 9-3 in 2011, and the team was ranked No. 9 in the final NJCAA poll. He finished the season with 44 tackles, five pass breakups and two sacks.
A 6-foot-4, 290-pound tackle, Johnson now has 18 offers. Among those are USC, Arkansas, Georgia, Nebraska, Tennessee and Kansas State. Johnson played his high school ball at Banneker High School in College Park, Ga.
“I feel great,” Johnson said about the offers from Oklahoma and Missouri. “They just made my decision even harder.”
Johnson helped Hutchinson finish 9-3 in 2011, and the team was ranked No. 9 in the final NJCAA poll. He finished the season with 44 tackles, five pass breakups and two sacks.
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ABOUT THIS BLOG
David Ching
David Ching came to ESPN.com in 2011 after six years covering UGA for the Columbus (Ga.) Ledger-Enquirer and Athens (Ga.) Banner-Herald. He lives in Athens. Email him at davidchingespn@gmail.com.
Radi Nabulsi
Radi Nabulsi joined ESPN.com in 2011 after covering the University of Georgia for Rivals.com for four years and for the UGA Athletic Association since 1993. Nabulsi is a graduate of the University of Georgia's Grady College of Journalism and lives in Athens. He can be reached at radinabulsiespn@gmail.com.
Kipp Adams
Kipp Adams joined ESPN.com in 2011 after covering University of Georgia football and basketball recruiting for five years at Rivals.com. He lives in Sandy Springs, Ga., and enjoys spending time with his two sons. He can be reached at kippadamsespn@gmail.com.