On Monday night, Allen discussed his eagerness to sign with Georgia in the Fayetteville (NC) Observer. Today, he signed with Clemson. The July article (with some minor tweaks) is below. My feelings then hold true now.
- It looks as though blue chip tight end Dwayne Allen of North Carolina is no longer committed to Georgia. While I wish him the best, I really don't understand why we recruited him so aggressively given his flip flopping vs. our scholarship numbers at TE.
For 2008 our TE roster will look like this:
- SR - Tripp Chandler
Soph - NaDerris Ward
Soph - Bruce Figgins
RFr - Aron White
FR - Bryce Ros
Sure, there are some variables. White may end up at WR (although I doubt it), and Ward's shoulder may not hold up. But we only play two tight ends per game for meaningful minutes.
Allen appears to be a very talented kid, but how many TEs does UGA really need on roster at one time?
White and Ward are in the Randy McMiracle mold while Bruce Figgins looks like a Ben Watson starter kit. Plus, Bryce Ros looks like the hybrid H-back/TE that LSU used while Coach Searels was working with Jimbo Fisher and the Tiger offense.
A variety of quality tight ends is a good thing because they can grow into fullbacks, offensive tackles, centers, defensive ends and even linebackers. They also help out at tight end. But you can only have 85 guys on the roster at one time.
Did we really need six TEs?
The thing that I'd wager frustrates the Georgia coaching staff the most is that Allen occupied a scholarship from Dec. 2006 to the morning of signing day (roughly 400 days). If he had come clean with us any of the 5-6 times he wavered, we could've signed Zebrie Sanders (OT) or Omar Hunter (DT).
Frustrating. But the good news is that Richt announced at noon today that things aren't quite finished yet. Stay tuned to the recruiting sites for more info.
PWD
