Rakim Peters (Winder, Ga./Apalachee), a versatile defensive prospect from the state of Georgia, does it all for his high school team, according to coach Shane Davis.
“He starts for us as a strong-side defensive end,” Davis said. “When we go to a three-man front we move him to the secondary because he can play man coverage. Rakim is a three-year starter in basketball. He moves well and plays well in space. This kid is very physical as well. Rakim is a player that you can do so many things with and he gives you a lot of options.”
According to Davis, Peters has a trio of scholarship offers as well as a handful of teams showing great interest.
“He starts for us as a strong-side defensive end,” Davis said. “When we go to a three-man front we move him to the secondary because he can play man coverage. Rakim is a three-year starter in basketball. He moves well and plays well in space. This kid is very physical as well. Rakim is a player that you can do so many things with and he gives you a lot of options.”
According to Davis, Peters has a trio of scholarship offers as well as a handful of teams showing great interest.
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Brown needs to make senior season count 
March, 14, 2012
3/14/12
10:00
AM ET
By
David Ching | ESPN.com
To get ready for the March 20 start of Georgia’s spring football practice, DawgNation will do a position breakdown each day and feature one player to watch at that position. Today we look at wide receivers and senior Marlon Brown.
ATHENS, Ga. -- Few players provided more signing day excitement at Georgia in the last several seasons than when Marlon Brown picked the Bulldogs in 2009.
If Brown is going to prove that excitement was merited, the senior wide receiver will have to do it this season.
ATHENS, Ga. -- Few players provided more signing day excitement at Georgia in the last several seasons than when Marlon Brown picked the Bulldogs in 2009.
If Brown is going to prove that excitement was merited, the senior wide receiver will have to do it this season.
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To get ready for the March 20 start of Georgia’s spring football practice, DawgNation will do a position breakdown each day. Today we will analyze the wide receivers. Today we look at the tight ends.
2011 starters (stats): Tavarres King, Sr. (47 catches, 705 yards, 8 TD); Malcolm Mitchell, So. (45-665, 4 TD)
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Radi Nabulsi/ESPN.comReserve WR Chris Conley had one of 2011's key catches -- to seal the win against Florida. He faces lofty expectations in 2012, when his contributions will be still more critical.
Radi Nabulsi/ESPN.comReserve WR Chris Conley had one of 2011's key catches -- to seal the win against Florida. He faces lofty expectations in 2012, when his contributions will be still more critical.Reserves (stats): Michael Bennett, So. (34 catches, 320 yards, 5 TD); Chris Conley, So. (16-288, 2 TD); Marlon Brown, Sr. (15-234, 3 TD); Rhett McGowan, So. (7-84); Rantavious Wooten, Jr. (2-39, 1 TD); Justin Scott-Wesley, Fr. (Redshirted)
New faces: Blake Tibbs signed in February, but has not enrolled at Georgia yet. Otherwise, the only available wideout who did not contribute last season is Scott-Wesley, who redshirted in 2011 and is also competing on Georgia’s track team this spring.
ATLANTA -- The Georgia Bulldogs already have a commitment from one of the top quarterbacks in the 2013 class, but it is never too early to evaluate the next wave of potential elite passers in the Southeast. One sophomore has already made such a name for himself as one of the top talents on the hoops circuit, but he has set out to earn a future on the gridiron as well.
Sophomore Elijah Staley (Marietta, Ga./Wheeler) participated in the Nike Football SPARQ Combine this past Sunday at Lakewood Stadium in Atlanta, and the 6-foot-6, 207-pound quarterback put up some impressive numbers. After completing a laser-timed 4.89 in the 40-yard dash, a 4.53 shuttle, a 34.2 inch vertical jump and a power ball throw of 38 feet, good for a SPARQ rating of 89.2, third best among all quarterbacks, Staley hopes to do even better the next time around.
“I need to work on my agility and 40 so I can be at the top of the SPARQ rating next year,” Staley said. “I also want to improve my strength and my speed so I can become more of a dual threat, and I want to improve my accuracy in the pocket and on the run.”
Sophomore Elijah Staley (Marietta, Ga./Wheeler) participated in the Nike Football SPARQ Combine this past Sunday at Lakewood Stadium in Atlanta, and the 6-foot-6, 207-pound quarterback put up some impressive numbers. After completing a laser-timed 4.89 in the 40-yard dash, a 4.53 shuttle, a 34.2 inch vertical jump and a power ball throw of 38 feet, good for a SPARQ rating of 89.2, third best among all quarterbacks, Staley hopes to do even better the next time around.
“I need to work on my agility and 40 so I can be at the top of the SPARQ rating next year,” Staley said. “I also want to improve my strength and my speed so I can become more of a dual threat, and I want to improve my accuracy in the pocket and on the run.”
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ESPN reveals the top performers from the NIKE Football SPARQ Combine in Atlanta.To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
Watch List's E.J. Levenberry does research
March, 13, 2012
3/13/12
11:02
AM ET
By
Radi Nabulsi | ESPN.com
For E.J. Levenberry Jr. (Woodbridge, Va./C.D. Hylton), the quest to find the right college is a meticulous, ongoing process. Twice when he seemed to have settled on a school coaching changes forced him to reevaluate his decisions and look elsewhere.
The Georgia coaching staff is trying to push the Bulldogs to the forefront with Levenberry after offering the outside linebacker a scholarship recently.
“We hadn’t thought about Georgia really because a lot of schools have been recruiting E.J. since the ninth grade,” said Eric Levenberry, E.J.’s father. “Georgia is kind of like a school that has just come on, so we really don’t know much about Georgia other than E.J. saw them on TV last year when they had those nice helmets and uniforms. E.J. really liked that. So a little more research and investigation needs to be done.”
The Georgia coaching staff is trying to push the Bulldogs to the forefront with Levenberry after offering the outside linebacker a scholarship recently.
“We hadn’t thought about Georgia really because a lot of schools have been recruiting E.J. since the ninth grade,” said Eric Levenberry, E.J.’s father. “Georgia is kind of like a school that has just come on, so we really don’t know much about Georgia other than E.J. saw them on TV last year when they had those nice helmets and uniforms. E.J. really liked that. So a little more research and investigation needs to be done.”
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To get ready for the March 20 start of Georgia’s spring football practice, DawgNation will do a position breakdown each day and feature one player to watch at that position. Today we look at running backs and true freshman Keith Marshall.
ATHENS, Ga. -- According to his prospect evaluation on ESPN.com, one of Keith Marshall's special attributes is his vision. So Georgia’s newest tailback clearly saw the problems the Bulldogs had at his position last season.
After completing high school early and enrolling at Georgia in January, the five-star signee -- the No. 5 overall prospect and No. 2 running back in the ESPNU 150 -- will have the chance to help solve those issues when the Bulldogs open spring practice next week.
ATHENS, Ga. -- According to his prospect evaluation on ESPN.com, one of Keith Marshall's special attributes is his vision. So Georgia’s newest tailback clearly saw the problems the Bulldogs had at his position last season.
After completing high school early and enrolling at Georgia in January, the five-star signee -- the No. 5 overall prospect and No. 2 running back in the ESPNU 150 -- will have the chance to help solve those issues when the Bulldogs open spring practice next week.
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To get ready for the start of Georgia’s spring football practice on March 20, DawgNation will do a position breakdown each day. Today we will analyze the running backs. On Wednesday we will look at the receivers.
2011 starters (stats): Tailback Isaiah Crowell, So. (185 carries, 850 yards, five TD); Fullback Bruce Figgins, Sr. in 2011 (seven catches, 96 yards, one TD)
Key losses: Figgins.
2011 starters (stats): Tailback Isaiah Crowell, So. (185 carries, 850 yards, five TD); Fullback Bruce Figgins, Sr. in 2011 (seven catches, 96 yards, one TD)
Key losses: Figgins.
ATHENS, Ga. -- Georgia’s women’s basketball team earned a No. 4 seed in the NCAA tournament and will face No. 13-seeded Marist in the opening round.
The Lady Bulldogs (22-8), who received an at-large bid to the tournament, will face MAAC champion Marist (25-7) at 12:05 p.m. Sunday in Tallahassee, Fla. The game will air live on ESPN2.
The tournament selection committee assigned Georgia to the Raleigh Region, where Notre Dame (30-3) is the top seed.
The Georgia-Marist winner will advance to face the winner between No. 5 seed St. Bonaventure (29-3) and No. 12-seeded Florida Gulf Coast (29-2) on Tuesday.
The Lady Bulldogs (22-8), who received an at-large bid to the tournament, will face MAAC champion Marist (25-7) at 12:05 p.m. Sunday in Tallahassee, Fla. The game will air live on ESPN2.
The tournament selection committee assigned Georgia to the Raleigh Region, where Notre Dame (30-3) is the top seed.
The Georgia-Marist winner will advance to face the winner between No. 5 seed St. Bonaventure (29-3) and No. 12-seeded Florida Gulf Coast (29-2) on Tuesday.
There were large numbers of Georgia fans last September who were convinced that Mark Richt was finished as the Bulldogs' head coach following the 0-2 start, and many of those same fans were clamoring for a change.
Some of them still are, in fact, although not as loudly.
Their rationale: They like and respect Richt as a man, but feel like the football program has hit a ceiling with him as head coach.
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AP Photo/Wade PayneMark Rich has been rewarded with a three-year contract extension.
AP Photo/Wade PayneMark Rich has been rewarded with a three-year contract extension.Richt was already making $2.81 million per year, which doesn't include retention/longevity bonuses that take him above the $3 million figure.
Defensive coordinator Todd Grantham also received a two-year extension, taking him through the 2014 season. He made $750,000 last season and will also get a raise. When you consider what Grantham brought to the defense in the way of mental toughness, he deserves a hefty raise.
The thing to keep an eye on when Georgia releases all the particulars of Richt's new deal is how much the buyout has been tweaked. In other words, extensions in the world of the SEC are merely window dressing unless they're backed up by guaranteed money.
ATHENS, Ga. -- The possible Malcolm Mitchell experiment at cornerback is no longer possible nor an experiment.
Because of disciplinary issues with Georgia’s presumed senior starting cornerbacks Sanders Commings and Branden Smith, Mitchell will move full-time from receiver to cornerback when the Bulldogs start spring practice next week.
“This spring, he’s going to work almost exclusively on defense,” Georgia coach Mark Richt confirmed Monday.
Because of disciplinary issues with Georgia’s presumed senior starting cornerbacks Sanders Commings and Branden Smith, Mitchell will move full-time from receiver to cornerback when the Bulldogs start spring practice next week.
“This spring, he’s going to work almost exclusively on defense,” Georgia coach Mark Richt confirmed Monday.
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At this rate, Georgia might be holding tryouts at cornerbacks, especially for those first couple of games in the fall.
Rising senior cornerback Branden Smith was arrested early Monday morning in Abbeville, Ala., and charged with marijuana possession. Smith was apparently on his way to Panama City, Fla., for spring break. He's the second Georgia cornerback to be arrested in the past two months. Sanders Commings was charged with domestic violence/simple battery on Jan. 21 after police accused him of striking his girlfriend during an argument in downtown Athens, Ga.
Georgia coach Mark Richt has already suspended Commings for the first two games in 2012, including the road trip to Missouri on Sept. 8.
Georgia has a policy that mandates game suspensions for such transgressions as alcohol and drug arrests. Richt said Monday he was gathering additional information before determining how Smith would be disciplined.
Commings started all 14 games at cornerback last season. Smith started seven games at cornerback in 2011 and has 17 career starts. They were projected as the Bulldogs' starting cornerbacks heading into spring practice with Brandon Boykin departing.
If Smith is indeed suspended for the Missouri game, that leaves the Bulldogs precariously thin at cornerback and means that they will have to play Malcolm Mitchell there even more than originally expected. Mitchell was the Bulldogs' top receiver last season as a true freshman, but Richt has said Mitchell will play both offense and defense next season.
On Monday, Richt said Mitchell would get the majority of his snaps this spring on defense.
Mitchell said last week, "I don't want to come off the field."
He may get his wish, at least early on next season.
The Georgia defensive staff has a lot of high hopes for sophomore Damian Swann, who was already going to compete with Smith for one of the starting cornerback jobs. Swann played in 11 games last season as a true freshman.
Redshirt freshman Devin Bowman would probably be next in line after Swann, and signee Sheldon Dawson will be on campus this summer.
The Bulldogs' depth at cornerback has been slowly dwindling over the past several months. Nick Marshall and Chris Sanders would have both been a part of the cornerback rotation next season, but they were dismissed from the team last month reportedly for their role in a theft of money.
Also, cornerback Jordan Love left the team following the bowl game, while Derek Owens left the team during the season last year.
The Missouri game the second week of the season was already going to be a tough one for the Bulldogs. But if they're as depleted as they look like they might be at cornerback, slowing down James Franklin and that Missouri offense (and doing it on the road) will be a monumental task.
Rising senior cornerback Branden Smith was arrested early Monday morning in Abbeville, Ala., and charged with marijuana possession. Smith was apparently on his way to Panama City, Fla., for spring break. He's the second Georgia cornerback to be arrested in the past two months. Sanders Commings was charged with domestic violence/simple battery on Jan. 21 after police accused him of striking his girlfriend during an argument in downtown Athens, Ga.
Georgia coach Mark Richt has already suspended Commings for the first two games in 2012, including the road trip to Missouri on Sept. 8.
Georgia has a policy that mandates game suspensions for such transgressions as alcohol and drug arrests. Richt said Monday he was gathering additional information before determining how Smith would be disciplined.
Commings started all 14 games at cornerback last season. Smith started seven games at cornerback in 2011 and has 17 career starts. They were projected as the Bulldogs' starting cornerbacks heading into spring practice with Brandon Boykin departing.
If Smith is indeed suspended for the Missouri game, that leaves the Bulldogs precariously thin at cornerback and means that they will have to play Malcolm Mitchell there even more than originally expected. Mitchell was the Bulldogs' top receiver last season as a true freshman, but Richt has said Mitchell will play both offense and defense next season.
On Monday, Richt said Mitchell would get the majority of his snaps this spring on defense.
Mitchell said last week, "I don't want to come off the field."
He may get his wish, at least early on next season.
The Georgia defensive staff has a lot of high hopes for sophomore Damian Swann, who was already going to compete with Smith for one of the starting cornerback jobs. Swann played in 11 games last season as a true freshman.
Redshirt freshman Devin Bowman would probably be next in line after Swann, and signee Sheldon Dawson will be on campus this summer.
The Bulldogs' depth at cornerback has been slowly dwindling over the past several months. Nick Marshall and Chris Sanders would have both been a part of the cornerback rotation next season, but they were dismissed from the team last month reportedly for their role in a theft of money.
Also, cornerback Jordan Love left the team following the bowl game, while Derek Owens left the team during the season last year.
The Missouri game the second week of the season was already going to be a tough one for the Bulldogs. But if they're as depleted as they look like they might be at cornerback, slowing down James Franklin and that Missouri offense (and doing it on the road) will be a monumental task.
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.