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Last summer, Brandon Kublanow (Marietta, Ga./Walton) mentioned the University of Georgia as a dream school, discussing the strong likelihood of playing for the Bulldogs if they were to offer. Although Georgia did offer in October, 10 other programs have, clouding what Kublanow thought might be an easy decision. As he continues to evaluate each program, Georgia took the opportunity to host one of the most dominating interior linemen in the Southeast over the weekend.
Kublanow spent two days in Athens, and the focus of this trip was getting to know what life would be like as an offensive lineman at Georgia.
"My favorite part was just getting to hang out with the guys, and getting to see more of the campus like ECV (East Campus Village)," Kublanow said. "It was a lot of fun and I had a great time. I got to hang out with the guys on the offensive line, Hunter Long, Watts Dantzler, Nathan Theus and David Andrews so that was different. They are all pretty funny.
"I learned from them that it is a great experience, it is something that you will always have, and that there is nothing else like playing at UGA."
For Kublanow, playing for Georgia would mean playing under offensive line coach Will Friend. With a thin depth chart, Friend could have an easy sell on his hands. But Kublanow, known as an aggressive, mauling style of play, says the pitch is unneeded.
"I like Coach Friend a lot and we have a great relationship," Kublanow said. "We watched a lot of film and talked about where I would fit in and just got to hang out. He sees me playing center and as the next Ben Jones. They really only have one true center in David Andrews, but I am not looking for a school that is going to tell me I can start right away, because that is something I can work for by myself and earn by myself."
Kublanow mentioned Florida and Vanderbilt as two programs that have mentioned coming in and playing immediately, and he also has a couple other trips coming up.
"I am going to see UNC next weekend, and possibly Clemson and South Carolina, but I am going to trim it down to a top four or five after that," Kublanow said. "I know my mom really likes some schools, so we will go over things and cut it down."
Whether or not Georgia makes the cut, Kublanow says future trips to Athens are not needed at this point.
"I still really like Georgia and it is a good program that is only going up from here,” Kublanow said. “I do not really need to go back up there because they have answered every question for me."
Other programs trying to sneak in with an offer and make the cut might be out of luck.
"I normally just let Coach (Rocky) Hidalgo deal with schools, because at this point he will tell the schools that it is pretty much just too late," Kublanow said.
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- What is going on with the Bulldogs football team?
- Why are the coaches ordering drug tests?
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Ga. LB Carter takes in a Tide practice 
“The visit went good,” Carter said. “I like how practice was run. They got so many reps. I’ve done some of the drills, but there was some I didn’t do, and I like how Kirby Smart runs the linebackers.”
During his visit to Tuscaloosa, Carter got a chance to sit down and talk with Smart, the Crimson Tide’s defensive coordinator who serves as Carter’s main recruiter and would also be his position coach at UA.
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Checking in with the Georgia Bulldogs
Georgia has dealt with too much suspension and attrition. The most glaring issue for the Bulldogs is that they’ll be without defensive starters Sanders Commings, Alec Ogletree, Bacarri Rambo and Branden Smith to begin the season due to suspensions.
The losses of key starters, especially Commings, Rambo and Smith, who all patrol a pretty thin secondary, have Georgia players and coaches frustrated, but they’re pushing ahead as the second half of spring football bleeds into the true offseason.
Georgia has had a rash of off-the-field incidents in the past calendar year, and when asked if he thought there was an invincibility complex with some of his players, Richt said he hoped not, but didn’t think that there was a discipline problem with his football team.
“The bottom line is that if there are things that need to be disciplined around here, we’ll discipline them,” he said. “We don’t treat a starter any different than a walk-on. We’ll discipline even if it hurts -- and it hurts sometimes.”
Georgia’s coaches are now having to plug more young players into first-team rotations on defense. While the Bulldogs have a handful of players to use at Ogletree’s middle linebacker spot, the same can’t be said for the secondary.
ESPN Public Relations sent out a transcript of the call this evening, so I thought I'd share McShay's responses related to the Georgia guys: Q: Just want to check in on Brandon Boykin, the cornerback from Georgia, where he fits and what might be available for the Falcons at 55 at left tackle there?
TODD McSHAY: Well, Boykin's fast. Every time I watch Boykin, it's all I can think of. He's just so fast. Everything he does is fast. I think his instincts need to improve. I know his instincts need to improve. He's late diagnosing some throws. When they put him in the zone, he can get lost a little bit, and that's not really his strength.
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The redshirt freshman caught the offense’s only touchdown in regulation during Saturday’s scrimmage -- a 30-yard strike from Hutson Mason where he cut through the middle of the defense -- and impressed coaches and teammates even more with a leaping touchdown grab from Parker Welch in the back of the end zone during goal-line drills.
“Obviously Jay Rome scored two touchdowns, which was nice to see,” Georgia coach Mark Richt said when asked who had impressed him in the scrimmage. “The one catch in the end zone on the goal line was pretty acrobatic. He had to kind of turn his body and reach back and snag it and landed off his feet and the ball didn’t come out, so that was good.”
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2014 DB Glass loves first visit to Alabama
The ESPNU 150 defensive back plans to enroll at UA this summer, but his first order of business before that is trying to recruit his high school teammate and 2014 star Nick Glass to Alabama with him. Glass visited Tuscaloosa over the weekend for the first time.
“We’re best friends,” Glass said of Smith. “He really helps me out with this recruiting thing, and he’s always telling me that he knew I would fall in love with Alabama at first sight. I guess I have to give it to him on that one. I loved it.
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“I got put into the elite 5 grouping at the end,” the receiver from Matthews (N.C.) Butler said of participating in a combine-style camp at Charlotte (N.C.) Mallard Creek. “I think I dropped two balls the whole day.”
It was the culmination of an exhausting few days for LeMay, who visited South Carolina for a Gamecocks' practice late last week then visited Georgia for its spring game before returning home to participate in Sunday's camp.
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“It was very sweet,” McClain told TV interviewer Jim Nantz from the podium at the announcement ceremony in New Orleans. “It’s always good to feel like you’re part of a family and knowing from the past, my best friend Teresa Edwards was inducted last year of course she always talks about how great it feels and how the Hall treats you so nice, so it’s a wonderful feeling and I’m so honored.”
McClain will be inducted alongside players Reggie Miller, Ralph Sampson, Jamaal Wilkes, coach Don Nelson, official Hank Nichols and team, the All-American Red Heads. They will join five previously announced directly elected inductees: player Mel Daniels, Don Barksdale, Chet Walker, coach Lidia Alexeeva and contributor Phil Knight.
Rochell's day in the life of a UGA player
“Really what I was able to do was go through a day in the life of a player at Georgia,” Rochell said. “We went to lunch at 1 p.m. when we got there, just like the players do. Coach [Bryan] McClendon and Coach [Rodney] Garner came down and ate lunch with us, so that was good. When we were talking to Coach Garner and Coach McClendon, it really was not a lot of football talk. It was about building a relationship.”
One thing really caught Rochell off guard, and it is something that has been a common occurrence over the last year in Athens.
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“Honestly I love it when they get in a fight,” the Georgia offensive lineman said. “Since high school, when people start fighting, I just back up and get a rest. ‘Y’all go ahead and do that and get tired. I’m just going to get this quick little rest in.’ It just comes with the territory.”
Fights are a regular occurrence during out-of-season practices like the ones the Bulldogs are conducting this spring. A visiting high school prospect recently brought attention to the subject when he tweeted about linebacker Alec Ogletree and tailback Isaiah Crowell fighting between plays during a recent spring practice.
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Georgia record: 18-11 (4-5 SEC)
Highlight of the week: After Georgia blew a 6-0 lead in the seventh inning of the series-opening game against Kentucky, catcher Brett DeLoach drove in the game-winning run in the bottom half of the inning when he roped a double that drove in Curt Powell.
“I was kind of rushed last time because I had things to do later that day, but this time I had the time to sit down in the offensive and defensive meetings really allowed me to see how they would utilize me on both sides of the ball, and special teams too,” Langley said. “Georgia is my current leader.”
On Saturday the news also came out that sophomore Marc Deas planned to transfer, leaving the Bulldogs with only five returning scholarship players in the entire secondary after the 2012 season. While Langley has said early playing time will not be the only factor in his decision, he knows he is a priority for the coaching staff at Georgia.
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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.