Richt's Recruiting- DE Edition

[HurricaneVision]

Now that we have hired our coached, moved on to the class of '17 and identified the defensive system we will run I wanted to take a look at Richt’s recruiting during his time with Georgia. I’ll be going through his recruiting position-by-position until I get through all 293 recruits from 2002 to 2014. I chose 2002 to start for a couple of reasons:

- It’s easier because most of the sites start at 2002
- It’s difficult to evaluate him on the 2001 recruiting class due to limited time to put a class together

I’ve covered the offense and will now move on to the defensive side of things. I'm going to start with my favorite players, the DE's:

Richt recruited 32 DE's during his time at Georgia, and they averaged 6-4 and 240 and 3.61 stars.

Of the 32 DE's, six of them never made to campus (Richard Cook, Brandon Lang ended up at Troy and made NFL for a bit, Corey Moon, Clifton Geathers ended up at USCe and made NFL as an OT, Toby Jackson ended at UCF and made NFL for a bit, Dexter Morant).

Marcus Jackson- 6-3, 235 and 4.00 average stars. From GA and made 0 career starts. Blood clot in brain ended his career.

Quentin Moses- 6-5, 235 and 3.00 average stars. From GA and made 28 career starts. Was All-SEC, drafted in 3rd round, and was a great 3-star recruit. Chose UGA over UNC, GT, and Clemson before they were Clemson. Grew to 261 when drafted.

Preston Pannell- 6-5, 240 and 3.50 average stars. From GA, through Hargrave and made 0 career starts. Shoulder injury ended career.

Aaron Scranton- 6-5, 230 and 3.00 average stars. From GA, and made 0 career starts. Quit team after a week, moved home to have a baby and sell vacuum cleaners. Came back as a walk-on then quit team after a day.

Marcus Howard- 6-2, 215 and 3.00 average stars. From SC, made 13 career starts. Played ST's, then 13 starters as RS Senior.

Charles Johnson- 6-3, 240 and 4.50 average stars. From GA, made 13 career starts. All-SEC, left early for NFL. Star player for Panthers.

Jeremy Lomax- 6-5, 220 and 3.00 average stars. From GA, made 5 career starts.

Brandon Miller- 6-4, 225 and 5.00 average stars. From GA, made 15 career starts.

Roderick Battle- 6-3, 236 and 4.00 average stars. From GA, made 13 career starts. Ended up leaving program.

Demarcus Dobbs- 6-2, 253 and 2.67 average stars. From GA, made 28 career starts. Grew to 285 and made Seahawks as UDFA. Great evaluation for Richt.

Michael Lemon- 6-4, 255 and 3.00 average stars. From GA, made 0 career starts and was dismissed from program.

Kiante Tripp- 6-6, 244 and 4.00 average stars. From GA, made 5 career starts. Grew to 293 lbs.

Brandon Wood- 6-1, 254 and 4.00 average stars. From GA, made 6 career starts.

Neland Ball- 6-6, 216 and 3.33 average stars. From GA, made 0 career starts and left program.

Justin Houston- 6-3, 222 and 3.33 average stars. From GA, made 24 career starts and was All-SEC. Grew to 265 with an elite 3-cone. NFL draft pick is a star.

Jeremy Longo- 6-4, 212 and 3.00 average stars. From FL, made 0 career starts and left program.

Cornelius Washington- 6-4, 220 and 3.67 average stars. From GA, made 29 career starts. NFL draft pick was an exceptional athlete.

Montez Robinson- 6-5, 235 and 3.67 average stars. From IN, made 4 career starts and was dismissed from program.

Brandon Burrows- 6-3, 235 and 3.00 average stars. From GA, made 0 career starts but stuck out his education.

Jalen Fields- 6-5, 250 and 3.67 average stars. From GA, made 0 career starts. Went to Louisiana-Lafeyette and left there as well.

Jarvis Jones- 6-3, 234 and 4.00 average stars. From GA, was a transfer from USC. Made 26 career starts, was All-SEC and a 1st round pick.

Sterling Bailey- 6-5, 239 and 3.67 average stars. From GA, made 19 career starts.

Ray Drew- 6-5, 253 and 5.00 average stars. From GA, made 18 career starts. Bit of a bust.

Josh Dawson- 6-4, 225 and 3.67 average stars. From GA, made 5 career starts.

Jordan Jenkins- 6-3, 245 and 4.00 average stars. From GA, made 40 career starts.

Davin Bellamy- 6-5, 230 and 3.67 average stars. From GA, made 2 career starts.

Lorenzo Carter- 6-5, 235 and 4.67 average stars. From GA, made 7 career starts. Kind of had a poor sophomore season.

What does this tell us?
Well, first it tells us that Tyreic Martin is a DT here. Michael Lemon was the biggest commit to actually play DE for Richt at 255 pounds. Richt loves height and length at this position, but doesn't necessarily care about mass overall. Several kids were 6-4'ish and only 220 but had athleticism and length to grow into the position. Richt really seems to want kids who can move and be explosive rather than hefty kids right out of the gate. His philosophy seems to be speed over mass.

How do our current players fit in with this?
Richt has to be happy with what he currently sees at DE from the returning players. Demetrius Jackson is like a prototype for what Richt likes at this position. AQM fits the mold nicely along with the frame of Scott Patchan. Personally, I think Richt will see Chad Thomas as too big and will look to shape him with a little more explosiveness. Jo Jo Jackson meshes with his history perfectly. I see the need for a little more depth here based on what Richt has traditionally used. There's talent here, but another two or three explosive rushers are needed to take that next step.

Overall picture:
What Richt has done especially well is marry his coaches' strengths together quite well. Diaz wants a front four that gets into the backfield and is disruptive. Our DL coach is one of the best at teaching kids how to use their length, hands, explosiveness to do just that. Bethel and Jackson are going to need to play this year I believe, but the future is bright at this position and while more is needed, we definitely have players to fit the mold necessary.

Richt was excellent at identifying and recruiting pass rushers at UGA. He brought in several 5-star types, but his best success was with relentless athletes with something to prove. Six of his players were drafted, but several others made the NFL as tenacious, try-hard types. Interestingly, one of the biggest busts was a consensus 5-star and his most accepted reason for failing was a lack of motivation. With Coach Kool identifying/motivating the motor in players, and the recruiting history of Richt, I'm expecting that we will get back to the days of hitting QB's and making them uncomfortable in playing us.

 

[SoCalPete73]

The one thing I'll take exception to, is the, "Richt really seems to want kids who can move and be explosive rather than hefty kids right out of the gate. His philosophy seems to be speed over mass," comment...you don't hire Michaelangelo to paint the ceilings white. Richt didn't hire Coach Kool and then handcuff Kool to his own philosophy of what a DE will be. That said, a lot of Kool's DE fit that same speed/length philosophy but I think Kool will bring outliers as well.

 

[HurricaneVision]

The one thing I'll take exception to, is the, "Richt really seems to want kids who can move and be explosive rather than hefty kids right out of the gate. His philosophy seems to be speed over mass," comment...you don't hire Michaelangelo to paint the ceilings white. Richt didn't hire Coach Kool and then handcuff Kool to his own philosophy of what a DE will be. That said, a lot of Kool's DE fit that same speed/length philosophy but I think Kool will bring outliers as well.

What exactly are you taking exception to? The history is the history. Take a look at who he has recruited- with several different DC's and DL coaches and he most definitely has a type. I've given you the data, what you do with it is completely up to you.

 

[SoCalPete73]

The one thing I'll take exception to, is the, "Richt really seems to want kids who can move and be explosive rather than hefty kids right out of the gate. His philosophy seems to be speed over mass," comment...you don't hire Michaelangelo to paint the ceilings white. Richt didn't hire Coach Kool and then handcuff Kool to his own philosophy of what a DE will be. That said, a lot of Kool's DE fit that same speed/length philosophy but I think Kool will bring outliers as well.

What exactly are you taking exception to? The history is the history. Take a look at who he has recruited- with several different DC's and DL coaches and he most definitely has a type. I've given you the data, what you do with it is completely up to you.

Sorry, bro, I ain't trying to pick a fight, I'm just saying that with all the success Kool has had, I think Richt will allow him to recruit DEs he like that might be outside the lines of what Richt has typically recruited in the past...

 

[Calinative]

The one thing I'll take exception to, is the, "Richt really seems to want kids who can move and be explosive rather than hefty kids right out of the gate. His philosophy seems to be speed over mass," comment...you don't hire Michaelangelo to paint the ceilings white. Richt didn't hire Coach Kool and then handcuff Kool to his own philosophy of what a DE will be. That said, a lot of Kool's DE fit that same speed/length philosophy but I think Kool will bring outliers as well.

What exactly are you taking exception to? The history is the history. Take a look at who he has recruited- with several different DC's and DL coaches and he most definitely has a type. I've given you the data, what you do with it is completely up to you.

Sorry, bro, I ain't trying to pick a fight, I'm just saying that with all the success Kool has had, I think Richt will allow him to recruit DEs he like that might be outside the lines of what Richt has typically recruited in the past...

I mean if coach Kool sees somebody that he thinks will be an absolute beast and is 265 pounds he's not going to say "no that kid can't play de here".
But the fact is CMR values speed/athleticism/length over size/weight. But if a recruit is over 265 coming out of high school that generally means he's a 34 DE or going to be a DT. Thats just the way it is. Kids generally gain (good) weight after a few years of college. And it looks like his prototypical DE after 2 years in the program is around 6'4"-6'5" and about 255 lbs.

 

[HurricaneVision]

The one thing I'll take exception to, is the, "Richt really seems to want kids who can move and be explosive rather than hefty kids right out of the gate. His philosophy seems to be speed over mass," comment...you don't hire Michaelangelo to paint the ceilings white. Richt didn't hire Coach Kool and then handcuff Kool to his own philosophy of what a DE will be. That said, a lot of Kool's DE fit that same speed/length philosophy but I think Kool will bring outliers as well.

What exactly are you taking exception to? The history is the history. Take a look at who he has recruited- with several different DC's and DL coaches and he most definitely has a type. I've given you the data, what you do with it is completely up to you.

Sorry, bro, I ain't trying to pick a fight, I'm just saying that with all the success Kool has had, I think Richt will allow him to recruit DEs he like that might be outside the lines of what Richt has typically recruited in the past...

Meh, I didn't think you were picking a fight, just trying to understand what part of that statement you were disagreeing with. I said Richt seems prefer to one over another and the data seems to support this. Perhaps I missed something, but would you agree the data seems to support he has a type?

 

[GeraltOfCaneia]

Sooo when does [MENTION=5374]HurricaneVision[/MENTION] get Staff Writer next to his name?

 

[Don Caneleone]

The one thing I'll take exception to, is the, "Richt really seems to want kids who can move and be explosive rather than hefty kids right out of the gate. His philosophy seems to be speed over mass," comment...you don't hire Michaelangelo to paint the ceilings white. Richt didn't hire Coach Kool and then handcuff Kool to his own philosophy of what a DE will be. That said, a lot of Kool's DE fit that same speed/length philosophy but I think Kool will bring outliers as well.

What exactly are you taking exception to? The history is the history. Take a look at who he has recruited- with several different DC's and DL coaches and he most definitely has a type. I've given you the data, what you do with it is completely up to you.

Sorry, bro, I ain't trying to pick a fight, I'm just saying that with all the success Kool has had, I think Richt will allow him to recruit DEs he like that might be outside the lines of what Richt has typically recruited in the past...

Meh, I didn't think you were picking a fight, just trying to understand what part of that statement you were disagreeing with. I said Richt seems prefer to one over another and the data seems to support this. Perhaps I missed something, but would you agree the data seems to support he has a type?

I think your missing SCP's point. He's not arguing what the data shows. He's saying, when trying to predict the future re DE recruiting, don't put so much stock into CMR's past DE recruiting because coach Kool is going to be given a lot of power. In other words, it's probably better to look at the historical data re the kind of DE's coach Kool recruited at Missouri.

 

[SoCalPete73]

The one thing I'll take exception to, is the, "Richt really seems to want kids who can move and be explosive rather than hefty kids right out of the gate. His philosophy seems to be speed over mass," comment...you don't hire Michaelangelo to paint the ceilings white. Richt didn't hire Coach Kool and then handcuff Kool to his own philosophy of what a DE will be. That said, a lot of Kool's DE fit that same speed/length philosophy but I think Kool will bring outliers as well.

What exactly are you taking exception to? The history is the history. Take a look at who he has recruited- with several different DC's and DL coaches and he most definitely has a type. I've given you the data, what you do with it is completely up to you.

Sorry, bro, I ain't trying to pick a fight, I'm just saying that with all the success Kool has had, I think Richt will allow him to recruit DEs he like that might be outside the lines of what Richt has typically recruited in the past...

Meh, I didn't think you were picking a fight, just trying to understand what part of that statement you were disagreeing with. I said Richt seems prefer to one over another and the data seems to support this. Perhaps I missed something, but would you agree the data seems to support he has a type?

I think your missing SCP's point. He's not arguing what the data shows. He's saying, when trying to predict the future re DE recruiting, don't put so much stock into CMR's past DE recruiting because coach Kool is going to be given a lot of power. In other words, it's probably better to look at the historical data re the kind of DE's coach Kool recruited at Missouri.

Exactly. Except, when I think of Kool's guys (particularly Aldon Smith & Shane Ray) I see more guys that fall in line w/ Richt's philosophy as well...so my point might not even matter. Richt's & Kool's philosophies may not be different at all...

 

[imurcane]

The one thing I'll take exception to, is the, "Richt really seems to want kids who can move and be explosive rather than hefty kids right out of the gate. His philosophy seems to be speed over mass," comment...you don't hire Michaelangelo to paint the ceilings white. Richt didn't hire Coach Kool and then handcuff Kool to his own philosophy of what a DE will be. That said, a lot of Kool's DE fit that same speed/length philosophy but I think Kool will bring outliers as well.

What exactly are you taking exception to? The history is the history. Take a look at who he has recruited- with several different DC's and DL coaches and he most definitely has a type. I've given you the data, what you do with it is completely up to you.

Sorry, bro, I ain't trying to pick a fight, I'm just saying that with all the success Kool has had, I think Richt will allow him to recruit DEs he like that might be outside the lines of what Richt has typically recruited in the past...

So you should do a Coach Kool comparison and see if what they have had is much different.

 

[DMoney]

Sooo when does @HurricaneVision get Staff Writer next to his name?

Whenever he wants. He's the best thing going right now.

 

[HurricaneVision]

What exactly are you taking exception to? The history is the history. Take a look at who he has recruited- with several different DC's and DL coaches and he most definitely has a type. I've given you the data, what you do with it is completely up to you.

Sorry, bro, I ain't trying to pick a fight, I'm just saying that with all the success Kool has had, I think Richt will allow him to recruit DEs he like that might be outside the lines of what Richt has typically recruited in the past...

Meh, I didn't think you were picking a fight, just trying to understand what part of that statement you were disagreeing with. I said Richt seems prefer to one over another and the data seems to support this. Perhaps I missed something, but would you agree the data seems to support he has a type?

I think your missing SCP's point. He's not arguing what the data shows. He's saying, when trying to predict the future re DE recruiting, don't put so much stock into CMR's past DE recruiting because coach Kool is going to be given a lot of power. In other words, it's probably better to look at the historical data re the kind of DE's coach Kool recruited at Missouri.

Exactly. Except, when I think of Kool's guys (particularly Aldon Smith & Shane Ray) I see more guys that fall in line w/ Richt's philosophy as well...so my point might not even matter. Richt's & Kool's philosophies may not be different at all...

I think we are right there together on this one. If you see the first paragraph under overall picture I was trying to convey this as well (and maybe not very clearly), that Richt is doing a great job marrying what he wants and his top assistants want as far as schematics and personnel.


I did a detailed analysis of Mizzou under Coach Kool, but I live right down the highway from Mizzou and my program hired their DC to be HC, so I was focusing on a DC perspective and not DL coach perspective.

I feel pretty confident the above information holds true, but agree there can be exceptions for any position. Look at the WR recruiting combined with the picture from Junior Day. Richt signed one WR under 6'. He then signs Bruce and would've taken Williams (though I think that is different due to depth issues). That doesn't change the fact he truly does want WR's who are 6'+.

Thanks for the dialogue by the way. I love talking about football and analytics, and these topics allow me to converse on both.

 

[TheUnuffSAID]

Should we be getting excited about a guy Like Anthony Moten

 

[HurricaneVision]

Should we be getting excited about a guy Like Anthony Moten

He'll be next up in a popular position group around here; 3T DT.

Richt has killed it at that position FWIW.

 

[Paranos]

Should we be getting excited about a guy Like Anthony Moten

Yup, Coach Kool had some DT's at Mizzou that he turned into beast.

I see Coach Kool Developing Anthony Moten in the same way he developed current Mizzou DT Josh Augusta (6'3" 340lbs).

Link to Article about DT Josh Augusta and how coach Kool developed him.
Missouri counting on more from Juggernaut Josh Augusta | The Kansas City Star

Go Canes

 

[daddacane]

Now that we have hired our coached, moved on to the class of '17 and identified the defensive system we will run I wanted to take a look at Richt’s recruiting during his time with Georgia. I’ll be going through his recruiting position-by-position until I get through all 293 recruits from 2002 to 2014. I chose 2002 to start for a couple of reasons:

- It’s easier because most of the sites start at 2002
- It’s difficult to evaluate him on the 2001 recruiting class due to limited time to put a class together

I’ve covered the offense and will now move on to the defensive side of things. I'm going to start with my favorite players, the DE's:

Richt recruited 32 DE's during his time at Georgia, and they averaged 6-4 and 240 and 3.61 stars.

Of the 32 DE's, six of them never made to campus (Richard Cook, Brandon Lang ended up at Troy and made NFL for a bit, Corey Moon, Clifton Geathers ended up at USCe and made NFL as an OT, Toby Jackson ended at UCF and made NFL for a bit, Dexter Morant).

Marcus Jackson- 6-3, 235 and 4.00 average stars. From GA and made 0 career starts. Blood clot in brain ended his career.

Quentin Moses- 6-5, 235 and 3.00 average stars. From GA and made 28 career starts. Was All-SEC, drafted in 3rd round, and was a great 3-star recruit. Chose UGA over UNC, GT, and Clemson before they were Clemson. Grew to 261 when drafted.

Preston Pannell- 6-5, 240 and 3.50 average stars. From GA, through Hargrave and made 0 career starts. Shoulder injury ended career.

Aaron Scranton- 6-5, 230 and 3.00 average stars. From GA, and made 0 career starts. Quit team after a week, moved home to have a baby and sell vacuum cleaners. Came back as a walk-on then quit team after a day.

Marcus Howard- 6-2, 215 and 3.00 average stars. From SC, made 13 career starts. Played ST's, then 13 starters as RS Senior.

Charles Johnson- 6-3, 240 and 4.50 average stars. From GA, made 13 career starts. All-SEC, left early for NFL. Star player for Panthers.

Jeremy Lomax- 6-5, 220 and 3.00 average stars. From GA, made 5 career starts.

Brandon Miller- 6-4, 225 and 5.00 average stars. From GA, made 15 career starts.

Roderick Battle- 6-3, 236 and 4.00 average stars. From GA, made 13 career starts. Ended up leaving program.

Demarcus Dobbs- 6-2, 253 and 2.67 average stars. From GA, made 28 career starts. Grew to 285 and made Seahawks as UDFA. Great evaluation for Richt.

Michael Lemon- 6-4, 255 and 3.00 average stars. From GA, made 0 career starts and was dismissed from program.

Kiante Tripp- 6-6, 244 and 4.00 average stars. From GA, made 5 career starts. Grew to 293 lbs.

Brandon Wood- 6-1, 254 and 4.00 average stars. From GA, made 6 career starts.

Neland Ball- 6-6, 216 and 3.33 average stars. From GA, made 0 career starts and left program.

Justin Houston- 6-3, 222 and 3.33 average stars. From GA, made 24 career starts and was All-SEC. Grew to 265 with an elite 3-cone. NFL draft pick is a star.

Jeremy Longo- 6-4, 212 and 3.00 average stars. From FL, made 0 career starts and left program.

Cornelius Washington- 6-4, 220 and 3.67 average stars. From GA, made 29 career starts. NFL draft pick was an exceptional athlete.

Montez Robinson- 6-5, 235 and 3.67 average stars. From IN, made 4 career starts and was dismissed from program.

Brandon Burrows- 6-3, 235 and 3.00 average stars. From GA, made 0 career starts but stuck out his education.

Jalen Fields- 6-5, 250 and 3.67 average stars. From GA, made 0 career starts. Went to Louisiana-Lafeyette and left there as well.

Jarvis Jones- 6-3, 234 and 4.00 average stars. From GA, was a transfer from USC. Made 26 career starts, was All-SEC and a 1st round pick.

Sterling Bailey- 6-5, 239 and 3.67 average stars. From GA, made 19 career starts.

Ray Drew- 6-5, 253 and 5.00 average stars. From GA, made 18 career starts. Bit of a bust.

Josh Dawson- 6-4, 225 and 3.67 average stars. From GA, made 5 career starts.

Jordan Jenkins- 6-3, 245 and 4.00 average stars. From GA, made 40 career starts.

Davin Bellamy- 6-5, 230 and 3.67 average stars. From GA, made 2 career starts.

Lorenzo Carter- 6-5, 235 and 4.67 average stars. From GA, made 7 career starts. Kind of had a poor sophomore season.

What does this tell us?
Well, first it tells us that Tyreic Martin is a DT here. Michael Lemon was the biggest commit to actually play DE for Richt at 255 pounds. Richt loves height and length at this position, but doesn't necessarily care about mass overall. Several kids were 6-4'ish and only 220 but had athleticism and length to grow into the position. Richt really seems to want kids who can move and be explosive rather than hefty kids right out of the gate. His philosophy seems to be speed over mass.

How do our current players fit in with this?
Richt has to be happy with what he currently sees at DE from the returning players. Demetrius Jackson is like a prototype for what Richt likes at this position. AQM fits the mold nicely along with the frame of Scott Patchan. Personally, I think Richt will see Chad Thomas as too big and will look to shape him with a little more explosiveness. Jo Jo Jackson meshes with his history perfectly. I see the need for a little more depth here based on what Richt has traditionally used. There's talent here, but another two or three explosive rushers are needed to take that next step.

Overall picture:
What Richt has done especially well is marry his coaches' strengths together quite well. Diaz wants a front four that gets into the backfield and is disruptive. Our DL coach is one of the best at teaching kids how to use their length, hands, explosiveness to do just that. Bethel and Jackson are going to need to play this year I believe, but the future is bright at this position and while more is needed, we definitely have players to fit the mold necessary.

Richt was excellent at identifying and recruiting pass rushers at UGA. He brought in several 5-star types, but his best success was with relentless athletes with something to prove. Six of his players were drafted, but several others made the NFL as tenacious, try-hard types. Interestingly, one of the biggest busts was a consensus 5-star and his most accepted reason for failing was a lack of motivation. With Coach Kool identifying/motivating the motor in players, and the recruiting history of Richt, I'm expecting that we will get back to the days of hitting QB's and making them uncomfortable in playing us.

Don't agree with rookies having to play this year...We have 6 bona fide DE's and Gordiner seven if needed...

 

[grover]

Where does Trent Harris fit under this philosophy?

 

[Samson Doyo]

Now that we have hired our coached, moved on to the class of '17 and identified the defensive system we will run I wanted to take a look at Richt’s recruiting during his time with Georgia. I’ll be going through his recruiting position-by-position until I get through all 293 recruits from 2002 to 2014. I chose 2002 to start for a couple of reasons:

- It’s easier because most of the sites start at 2002
- It’s difficult to evaluate him on the 2001 recruiting class due to limited time to put a class together

I’ve covered the offense and will now move on to the defensive side of things. I'm going to start with my favorite players, the DE's:

Richt recruited 32 DE's during his time at Georgia, and they averaged 6-4 and 240 and 3.61 stars.

Of the 32 DE's, six of them never made to campus (Richard Cook, Brandon Lang ended up at Troy and made NFL for a bit, Corey Moon, Clifton Geathers ended up at USCe and made NFL as an OT, Toby Jackson ended at UCF and made NFL for a bit, Dexter Morant).

Marcus Jackson- 6-3, 235 and 4.00 average stars. From GA and made 0 career starts. Blood clot in brain ended his career.

Quentin Moses- 6-5, 235 and 3.00 average stars. From GA and made 28 career starts. Was All-SEC, drafted in 3rd round, and was a great 3-star recruit. Chose UGA over UNC, GT, and Clemson before they were Clemson. Grew to 261 when drafted.

Preston Pannell- 6-5, 240 and 3.50 average stars. From GA, through Hargrave and made 0 career starts. Shoulder injury ended career.

Aaron Scranton- 6-5, 230 and 3.00 average stars. From GA, and made 0 career starts. Quit team after a week, moved home to have a baby and sell vacuum cleaners. Came back as a walk-on then quit team after a day.

Marcus Howard- 6-2, 215 and 3.00 average stars. From SC, made 13 career starts. Played ST's, then 13 starters as RS Senior.

Charles Johnson- 6-3, 240 and 4.50 average stars. From GA, made 13 career starts. All-SEC, left early for NFL. Star player for Panthers.

Jeremy Lomax- 6-5, 220 and 3.00 average stars. From GA, made 5 career starts.

Brandon Miller- 6-4, 225 and 5.00 average stars. From GA, made 15 career starts.

Roderick Battle- 6-3, 236 and 4.00 average stars. From GA, made 13 career starts. Ended up leaving program.

Demarcus Dobbs- 6-2, 253 and 2.67 average stars. From GA, made 28 career starts. Grew to 285 and made Seahawks as UDFA. Great evaluation for Richt.

Michael Lemon- 6-4, 255 and 3.00 average stars. From GA, made 0 career starts and was dismissed from program.

Kiante Tripp- 6-6, 244 and 4.00 average stars. From GA, made 5 career starts. Grew to 293 lbs.

Brandon Wood- 6-1, 254 and 4.00 average stars. From GA, made 6 career starts.

Neland Ball- 6-6, 216 and 3.33 average stars. From GA, made 0 career starts and left program.

Justin Houston- 6-3, 222 and 3.33 average stars. From GA, made 24 career starts and was All-SEC. Grew to 265 with an elite 3-cone. NFL draft pick is a star.

Jeremy Longo- 6-4, 212 and 3.00 average stars. From FL, made 0 career starts and left program.

Cornelius Washington- 6-4, 220 and 3.67 average stars. From GA, made 29 career starts. NFL draft pick was an exceptional athlete.

Montez Robinson- 6-5, 235 and 3.67 average stars. From IN, made 4 career starts and was dismissed from program.

Brandon Burrows- 6-3, 235 and 3.00 average stars. From GA, made 0 career starts but stuck out his education.

Jalen Fields- 6-5, 250 and 3.67 average stars. From GA, made 0 career starts. Went to Louisiana-Lafeyette and left there as well.

Jarvis Jones- 6-3, 234 and 4.00 average stars. From GA, was a transfer from USC. Made 26 career starts, was All-SEC and a 1st round pick.

Sterling Bailey- 6-5, 239 and 3.67 average stars. From GA, made 19 career starts.

Ray Drew- 6-5, 253 and 5.00 average stars. From GA, made 18 career starts. Bit of a bust.

Josh Dawson- 6-4, 225 and 3.67 average stars. From GA, made 5 career starts.

Jordan Jenkins- 6-3, 245 and 4.00 average stars. From GA, made 40 career starts.

Davin Bellamy- 6-5, 230 and 3.67 average stars. From GA, made 2 career starts.

Lorenzo Carter- 6-5, 235 and 4.67 average stars. From GA, made 7 career starts. Kind of had a poor sophomore season.

What does this tell us?
Well, first it tells us that Tyreic Martin is a DT here. Michael Lemon was the biggest commit to actually play DE for Richt at 255 pounds. Richt loves height and length at this position, but doesn't necessarily care about mass overall. Several kids were 6-4'ish and only 220 but had athleticism and length to grow into the position. Richt really seems to want kids who can move and be explosive rather than hefty kids right out of the gate. His philosophy seems to be speed over mass.

How do our current players fit in with this?
Richt has to be happy with what he currently sees at DE from the returning players. Demetrius Jackson is like a prototype for what Richt likes at this position. AQM fits the mold nicely along with the frame of Scott Patchan. Personally, I think Richt will see Chad Thomas as too big and will look to shape him with a little more explosiveness. Jo Jo Jackson meshes with his history perfectly. I see the need for a little more depth here based on what Richt has traditionally used. There's talent here, but another two or three explosive rushers are needed to take that next step.

Overall picture:
What Richt has done especially well is marry his coaches' strengths together quite well. Diaz wants a front four that gets into the backfield and is disruptive. Our DL coach is one of the best at teaching kids how to use their length, hands, explosiveness to do just that. Bethel and Jackson are going to need to play this year I believe, but the future is bright at this position and while more is needed, we definitely have players to fit the mold necessary.

Richt was excellent at identifying and recruiting pass rushers at UGA. He brought in several 5-star types, but his best success was with relentless athletes with something to prove. Six of his players were drafted, but several others made the NFL as tenacious, try-hard types. Interestingly, one of the biggest busts was a consensus 5-star and his most accepted reason for failing was a lack of motivation. With Coach Kool identifying/motivating the motor in players, and the recruiting history of Richt, I'm expecting that we will get back to the days of hitting QB's and making them uncomfortable in playing us.

Love this stuff. Thanks for the efforts. It's gonna be great to start hitting QB's again and putting offenses on their heels. September can't get here soon enough.

Go Canes!

 

[HurricaneVision]

Where does Trent Harris fit under this philosophy?

That remains to be seen. Based on history, Richt uses more speed at LB, but more height at DE. I'm sure he'll have a role due to his intelligence and motor. If I had to guess, I'd say he's a weak side DE and nickel rusher, but that's purely speculation on my part.

 

[Zbrod95]

Where does Trent Harris fit under this philosophy?

That remains to be seen. Based on history, Richt uses more speed at LB, but more height at DE. I'm sure he'll have a role due to his intelligence and motor. If I had to guess, I'd say he's a weak side DE and nickel rusher, but that's purely speculation on my part.

They could use him the way Alabama used Tim Williams.