The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
2013 signing class behind small draft
UGA had only one player picked, the fewest in 25 years.
ATHENS — ESPN personality Tony Kornheiser often cites a producer who once told him that when it came to television decisions, “The answer to all your questions is money.” Let’s steal and tweak that: When it comes to the recent struggles of the Georgia football program, the answer to all your questions is the 2013 signing class.
Why did the team only go 8-5 last year? Plenty of factors, but front and center was how the smoking crater left by the 2013 class left very little experienced talent. The seniors and redshirt juniors who should offer leadership and experience were sorely lacking.
This year’s NFL draft was an embarrassment for Georgia, which only had one player picked, the fewest in 25 years. What happened? The answer to all your questions is 2013, a class that lives in infamy.
UGA signed 33 players that year and 18 have since transferred or taken a medical disqualification. The ones who have stayed? Leonard Floyd was good and declared for the NFL draft after his junior season, becoming a top 10 pick last year. Four others went undrafted this year while next year, Davin Bellamy offers up the best shot to be drafted.
One more player from that class was picked: cornerback Brendan Langley as a third-rounder. But that was after Langley transferred to Lamar, an FCS school. It’s possible that the most highly rated member of the class, safety Tray Matthews, will be picked next year ... as an Auburn Tiger, which he is now.
Predictably, there were many hyperbolic statements thrown out about this year’s draft being an indictment of Georgia’s recruiting over the previous few years, laying the problem at Mark Richt’s feet and blaming it for the poor talent base that Kirby Smart inherited. Is this fair?
Again, the answer to all your questions is ...
Here’s the truth: If NFL teams were allowed to raid Georgia’s current roster, they gladly would. The talent is there. It just wasn’t in the draft.
Five players could have entered the draft and didn’t: tailbacks Nick Chubb and Sony Michel, Bellamy and fellow outside linebacker Lorenzo Carter, and safety Dominick Sanders. Maybe make it six if you include Aaron Davis, the versatile defensive back.
Those players will be in next year’s draft. So could a handful of rising juniors: defensive linemen Trent Thompson (who is still on track to return to the team), Jonathan Ledbetter and DaQuan Hawkins-Muckle; and inside linebackers Roquan Smith and Natrez Patrick.
A few more rising seniors could improve their stock this year: offensive lineman Isaiah Wynn, receiver Javon Wims, tight end Jeb Blazevich and nose tackle John Atkins.
A 2018 prediction: Georgia will either tie or break the school record for most players drafted. That was eight in 2013. Only two Georgia players were picked a year later, but in 2015 it was five as it was in 2016.
There’s every reason to believe this year’s draft was a blip on the radar for a program that annually has among the most alums in the NFL.
This isn’t to say there’s no shame in what happened last weekend. The more damning stat is the state of Georgia produced the most draft picks (29). Three went in the first round, including Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson.
In fact, the draft was almost a who’s who of recruiting misses for Georgia: Watson, Rakewon McMillan (Ohio State), Alvin Kamara (Tennessee, by way of Alabama), Montravius Adams (Auburn) and Carl Lawson (Auburn).
Those were big names that Georgia just couldn’t land. There were other misses in the evaluation process.
The 2013 recruiting cycle was Georgia’s last under defensive coordinator Todd Grantham. He was replaced by Jeremy Pruitt and a completely overhauled defensive staff, which over the next two years helped replenish the talent base.
That will be reflected in next year’s draft and probably the one after that. Last weekend wasn’t a good advertisement for the program. Hard to get too worked up about. But if you have any other questions ... you know the answer.