Georgia Bulldogs

ESPNU 150 athlete Ricardo Louis (Miami, Fla./Miami Beach) was a surprise guest on Florida State's official visit list this past weekend and the 6-foot-2, 200-pound Auburn commit says he is opening things up a little.

"I wanted to wait until after the season because things were real busy this year, but I have a couple of schools I want to look at," Louis said. "I'm still committed to Auburn right now but I am looking around."

The first place Louis looked was Tallahassee, where he arrived Saturday and stayed until Monday and met with the Seminoles coaching staff.

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ATHENS, Ga. -- Two of the nation's top running back prospects already have bought Mark Richt's sales pitch about Georgia's glaring needs at the position.

Now that Keith Marshall (Raleigh, N.C./Millbrook) and Todd Gurley (Tarboro, N.C./Tarboro) -- ESPNU's Nos. 2 and 11 running back prospects, respectively, for 2012 -- are on board, the Bulldogs are unlikely to suffer from the depth problems that plagued them at points last season.

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Sheldon Dawson (Memphis, Tenn./Ridgeway), who committed to Memphis last July, now claims that there is another team in front -- and that team is the SEC East champion Georgia Bulldogs.

“I am open, really, but you could say that Georgia is the team to beat,” Dawson said. “I really like the environment there. I like the defense and I like that fact that everyone plays for each other. I also love how the coaches deal and interact with the players. Plus, I think it’s a great playing opportunity for me.”

Dawson, who visited the Dawgs last month, had an in-home visit this week with UGA head coach Mark Richt and defensive backs coach Scott Lakatos.

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One of the top defensive ends in Georgia for 2013, ESPNU 150 Watch List member Isaac Rochell (McDonough, Ga./Eagle's Landing) talks with DawgNation about how the Bulldogs’ 2011 season impressed him and how he plans to stay close to home when deciding on a college.

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Last weekend, the top prospect in Georgia, linebacker Josh Harvey-Clemons (Valdosta, Ga./Lowndes), was in Athens to check out the Bulldogs on an official visit. Harvey-Clemons took an official to Florida in December, and it appears that a Bulldogs versus Gators battle is brewing for the Army All-American. Having been to Georgia with his family three times, Harvey-Clemons had already seen most of what Athens has to offer. What caught the Valdosta native off-guard was seeing how well the players were rewarded for their successful season.

“We were excited and surprised by the number of gifts the athletes receive for winning the SEC East and going to the bowl game,” said Woodrow Clemons, Josh’s grandfather and adoptive parent. “They get new watches, iPads, tote bags and several other items. I was very impressed with that.”

With the two neighboring programs being so comparable, it was tough to determine a leader. So Josh and his family inquired about where each program would play him and evaluated what each program will offer on the gridiron next season.

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Fans who tuned in to the Under Armour All-America Game on Jan. 5 were treated to see an unusual site: defensive end Jordan Jenkins (Hamilton, Ga./Harris Co.), who would soon after commit to Georgia, playing defensive tackle.

According to his father, Ronald Jenkins, defensive tackles were lacking on the Black team and Jordan was asked to slide over and help. Jenkins agreed quickly to help out, and the 6-foot-3, 228-pound standout spent a lot of the week leading up to the game crashing into the top offensive linemen in the country, many of whom outweighed him by 75 pounds or more.

Despite being out of his natural position, Jenkins responded well, tying the UA All-America record for tackles in a game with eight, and recording two sacks. His performance was so impressive that Georgia defensive line coach Rodney Garner might be salivating at the thought of Jenkins suiting up on his line.

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In the Jan. 16 episode, Alex Loeb and ESPN’s recruiting experts give fans the latest on a juco prospects including Georgia WR target Cordarrelle Patterson, Maryland WR Stefon Diggs, top-rated CB Tracy Howard, along with news on Ohio State and Stanford picking up momentum as the countdown to signing day speeds up.

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Cordarrelle Patterson (Hutchinson, Kan./Hutchinson CC) took his fourth official visit this weekend to Ole Miss, and he was impressed with what he saw.

“Ole Miss was a real good visit and everything stood out,” Patterson, who is one of the nation's elite junior college prospects, said.

“The people there are terrific, and I like the new staff. All the coaches are pretty cool. I think they are going to run the same offensive scheme they ran at Arkansas State, which is good. I honestly didn’t think the visit would be like that. I really like the people. That visit stood out and Ole Miss is at the top of the list.”

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Georgia hosted four prospects on official visits this weekend, and although three of them have already committed, outside linebacker target Josh Dawson (Tucker, Ga./Tucker) is pledged to the Vanderbilt Commodores.

The Bulldogs still hope to reel in the 6-foot-4, 225-pound prospect, and they made him a priority during his time on campus the last 48 hours.

"The Georgia coaches spent a lot of time with me,'" Dawson said. "I spent time with Coach [Rodney] Garner, Coach [Todd] Grantham and Coach [Mark] Richt. I also had dessert at Richt's house."

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Mike Davis (Stone Mountain, Ga./Stephenson) decided he had had enough. While on his official visit to the University of South Carolina, Davis made his commitment to the Gamecocks.

“I would say it came down to the players and coaches,” Davis said. “I have some teammates up there and people I know. So it’s a really good fit for me.”

Davis, 5-foot-10 and 200 pounds, is also excited to play in Steve Spurrier's offense.

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When the Jamaican four-man bobsled team showed up in Calgary, Alberta, for the 1988 Winter Olympics, it captured the hearts of millions and inspired the Walt Disney film, “Cool Runnings.” Now, another of Jamaica’s native sons is looking to become a fan favorite as well, albeit on the gridiron.

Offensive tackle Delando Crooks (Atlanta/Carver) is new to the game of football. Like his bobsled brethren, the tropical island nation he used to call home did not give him a background for his new sport.

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Safety Jordan Moore (Lithonia, Ga./Martin Luther King) made his first official visit this weekend. And it’s going to be hard to top the Auburn Tigers.

“Oh, man, the visit went great,” Moore said. “It was everything that I expected. I felt that family environment. Everyone welcomes you with open arms. They have great coaches who all care about the athletes.”

And the Tigers' new defensive coordinator, Brian VanGorder, is familiar with the SEC. He held the same position with the Georgia Bulldogs and most recently with the Atlanta Falcons.

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Building off Mark Schlabach’s way-too-early Top 25 for 2012, ESPN's Ryan McGee went through all the schedules and pegged the 10 teams best suited to rise in those rankings based on an easy slate. And as we all know, that matters. Oregon, Georgia, FSU, VTU, Wisconsin and others will get a bump based on the obstacle course. Read it here.

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2013 Offensive lineman Brandon Kublanow (Marietta, Ga./Walton) talks with Radi Nabulsi of DawgNation about the player's recent talks with the Georgia coaches and gives an update on his recruitment.

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Georgia is certainly cleaning up in the state of North Carolina for talented backs. Todd Gurley (Tarboro, N.C./Tarboro) joins our No. 2-rated runner Keith Marshall (Raleigh, N.C./Millbrook) and has been just as productive.

He has a bit more size than Marshall and is not that far behind in speed, and he might add more overall versatility as a football player at the next level. He can elude through the hole but also get decisive and hit it downhill with burst, and break tackles with decisive power.

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