JReb1 said:
Jack Lambert said:
I hope Aaron Murray wins the starting job because this kid is really talented and he had such an amazing high school career. Murray was as dominant as Tim Tebow in high school.
Thine wish is answered!
BTW, that's BS that Durham's not #1 as SE!
***I've annotated the White starters below (5 offense (6 including PK Walsh, .5 defense (1.5 including P Butler). The .5 is for a mulatto/"half" White.
Richt: Aaron Murray is UGA's No. 1 quarterback (WITH FULL DEPTH CHART)
3:44 pm April 22, 2010, by Tim Tucker
(Updated 7 p.m.)
COLUMBUS â€"- The question that had consumed Bulldog Nation for months was answered Thursday: Aaron Murray is Georgia's No. 1 quarterback.
Coach Mark Richt posted the team's preseason depth chart, listing Murray, the redshirt freshman from Tampa, ahead of Logan Gray, the junior from Columbia, Mo., at quarterback.
Richt cautioned that being No. 1 on the depth chart at this point is no guarantee of starting the season opener against Louisiana-Lafayette on Sept. 4, but conceded that it does represent a significant step in that direction for Murray.
"He's in good shape, I'll say that,"Â Richt said before speaking to the Chattahoochee Valley Bulldog Club here Thursday night.
Richt said Gray earned the No. 1 spot with his performance in spring practice
"We see Murray ahead of Logan right now," Richt said. "It's just a matter of, on a consistent basis, [Murray] performed better than Logan at this point. That's really all there is to it. It's the usual things -â€" accuracy, decision-making, those types of things."Â
After briefly hesitating, Richt answered the inevitable question of whether Murray would have been No. 1 in the quarterback pecking order even if a third QB, Zach Mettenberger, had not been kicked off the team on Sunday. The answer, Richt said, is yes.
"I'm not out to hurt anybody worse than they may have been hurt to this point,"Â Richt said, "but Aaron would have been the No. 1 quarterback."Â
Mettenberger was arrested in Remerton, near Valdosta, early last month on charges of underage possession of alcohol, disorderly conduct, obstruction and possession of false identification.
Although Murray has not played in a college game, he had a much-celebrated high school career in Tampa. He was a Parade Magazine All-American, was rated the No. 3 quarterback prospect in the nation by Scout.com and was named MVP of the prestigious Elite 11 camp for the nation's top high school quarterbacks. He became a near legend in Florida prep circles by returning early from a dislocated ankle and broken fibula to lead his Plant High team to a state championship in 2008.
Throughout Georgia's spring practice, which concluded with the G-Day intra-squad game on April 10, Murray shared snaps with Gray and Mettenberger.
Although Murray was widely considered the favorite in the competition all along, Richt and offensive coordinator Mike Bobo avoided providing a pecking order, either publicly or within the team, until Thursday.
Murray had a shaky performance in the G-Day game, completing 10 of 22 passes for 96 yards and throwing one interception, but by all accounts played much better in the team's other spring scrimmages, which were closed to the media and public.
Richt expressed confidence Thursday in the redshirt freshman's ability to thrive in the role of No. 1 quarterback through the off-season.
"He played on a [high school] team that knew how to win and knew what it takes as far as camaraderie and unity,"Â Richt said. "I think our team will respond to him regardless of his age."Â
Gray was Georgia's No. 2 quarterback last season but played minimally behind senior starter Joe Cox. Gray briefly considered a move to another position before spring practice, but with Mettenberger's dismissal, Gray and Murray are the only quarterbacks in the program until the arrival this summer of recruit Hutson Mason from Marietta's Lassiter High.
Richt still doesn't rule out the possibility of Gray eventually playing another position, but said he made progress at quarterback during the spring.
The depth chart was posted after the coaches met individually with each player on the team over the past 10 days.
While most attention was focused on the quarterback battle, the depth chart also revealed the current status of several other highly competitive positions. Orson Charles is listed No. 1 at tight ahead, ahead of 2009 starter Aron White. Bacarri Rambo and Nick Williams are the No. 1 safeties.
Washaun Ealey is listed as the No. 1 tailback, but Richt said Ealey and Caleb King actually are co-No. 1. King is not included on the depth chart because he was injured at the end of spring practice. He is expected to be fully recovered by summer from the sore knee that bothered him the final two weeks of spring ball.
GEORGIA PRE-SEASON DEPTH CHART
(Note: Players who were injured at the end of spring practice are not listed on the depth chart.)
OFFENSE
SE
12 Tavarres King (6-1, 180, RSo.)
16 Kris Durham (6-5, 209, Sr.)
15 Marlon Brown (6-5, 200, So.)
25 Rhett McGowan (6-0, 182, RFr.)
23 Greg Lanier (6-1, 185, RFr.)
LT
60 Clint Boling (6-5, 304, Sr.)
- ***White
67 Jonathan Owens (6-4, 294, RSo.)
LG
71 Cordy Glenn (6-5, 328, Jr.)
64 Dallas Lee (6-4, 296, RFr.)
65 John Bodin (6-6, 300, RSo.)
C
61 Ben Jones (6-3, 300, Jr..)
- ***White
68 Chris Burnette (6-2, 290, RFr.)
58 Ben Reynolds (6-2, 245, RFr.)
RG
63 Chris Davis (6-4, 295, Sr.)
- ***White
76 Ben Harden (6-3, 300, Jr.)
55 Josh Parrish (6-4, 290, RFr.)
RT
78 Josh Davis (6-6, 300, Sr.)
66 Kolton Houston (6-5, 270, Fr.)
TE
7 Orson Charles (6-3, 230, So.)
81 Aron White (6-4, 236, Jr.)
89 Bruce Figgins (6-4, 260, Jr.)
88 Arthur Lynch (6-5, 250, So.)
86 Derek Rich (6-5, 245, Sr.)
QB
11 Aaron Murray (6-1, 206, RFr.)
- ***White
6 Logan Gray (6-2, 192, Jr.)
FB
49 Shaun Chapas (6-2, 245, Sr.)
- ***White
43 Kevin Lanier (5-11, 209, RSo.)
39 Dustin Royston (5-11, 230, RFr.)
43 Charles White (6-1, 224, Jr.)
44 Josh Sailors (5-9, 225, Jr.)
22 Matt Sweat (5-11, 231, So.)
31 Chris Young (6-5, 215, Fr.)
TB
3 Washaun Ealey (5-11, 205, So.)
30 Carlton Thomas (5-7, 180, RSo.
27 Dontavius Jackson (5-10, 205, RSo.)
45 Brian Brewer (5-10, 215, Sr.)
36 Wes Van Dyk (6-0, 208, Jr.)
29 Alex Parsons (5-9, 196, Jr.)
FLK
8 A.J. Green (6-4, 207, Jr.)
17 Rantavious Wooten (5-10, 170, So.)
3 Taylor Bradberry (6-3, 197, RSo.)
87 Brandon Harton (5-5, 170, Fr.)
Injured
48 Fred Munzenmaier (6-2, 240, Sr.)
4 Caleb King (5-11, 210, Jr.)
27 Cameron Allen (6-1, 209, RSo.)
70 A.J. Harmon (6-5, 310, RSo.)
77 Trinton Sturdivant (6-5, 306, Jr.)
73 Austin Long (6-5, 295, RFr.)
54 Tanner Strickland (6-5, 328, Jr.)
36 Cortney Newmans (5-9, 219, Jr.)
28 Israel Troupe (6-1, 215, Jr.)
19 Craig Sager (6-2, 209, Sr.)
DEFENSE
LE
93 Abry Jones (6-3, 290, So.)
97 Brandon Wood (6-1, 286, Sr.)
85 Derrick Lott (6-4, 295, RFr.)
64 Matthew DeGenova (6-1, 225, Jr.)
N
94 DeAngelo Tyson (6-2, 294, Jr.)
98 Kwame Geathers (6-6, 326, RFr.)
98 Candler Cook (6-3, 250, Jr.)
RE
58 Demarcus Dobbs (6-2, 274, Sr.)
74 Kiante Tripp (6-6, 275, Sr.)
86 Nick Franks (6-2, 250, Jr.)
OLB
83 Cornelius Washington (6-4, 248, RSo.)
50 Darryl Gamble (6-2, 250, Sr.)
33 Chase Vasser (6-3, 215, RFr.)
41 Ricky Lowe (6-7, 235, So.)
OLB
42 Justin Houston (6-3, 259, Jr.)
95 Reuben Faloughi (6-5, 232, RFr.)
15 Brock Boleman (6-6, 223, RFr.)
ILB
51 Akeem Dent (6-2, 233, Sr.)
35 Mike Gilliard (6-2, 200, So.)
37 Akeem Hebron (6-1, 223, Sr.)
49 Jason Veal (5-11, 223, RSo.)
47 Chris Grund (6-0, 220, Sr.)
30 Micah King (5-10, 220, Jr.)
ILB
45 Christian Robinson (6-2, 216, RSo.) ***Mulatto
38 Marcus Dowtin (6-2, 220, Jr.)
22 Richard Samuel, 6-2, 222, Jr.)
26 Jeremy Sulek (6-1, 218, RSo.)
48 Jackson Griffeth (6-2, 196, RSo.)
CB
2 Brandon Boykin (5-10, 185, Jr.)
1 Branden Smith (5-11, 175, So.)
47 Chad Gloer (5-10, 193, Sr.)
13 Blake Sailors (5-11, 185, RFr.)
4 Luis Capella (5-10, 170 RFr.)
SS
39 Nick Williams (6-2, 219, Jr.)
31 Quintin Banks (6-2, 213, Sr.)
36 Shawn Williams (6-1, 195, So.)
16 Josh Murray (6-2, 204, Sr.)
FS
18 Bacarri Rambo (6-0, 210, RSo.)
23 Jakar Hamilton (6-2, 196, Jr.)
87 Eric Elliot (5-9, 186, Jr.)
CB
25 Vance Cuff (5-11, 177, Sr.)
19 Sanders Commings (6-2, 214, RSo.)
10 Jordan Love (6-0, 185, RFr.)
28 Corey Dunson (6-0, 192, RFr.)
Injured
79 Justin Anderson (6-5, 330, Jr.)
53 Jeremy Longo (6-3, 255, RSo.)
SPECIALISTS
P
13 Drew Butler (6-2, 203, Jr.)
- ***White
57 Blair Walsh (5-10, 185, Jr.)
99 Jamie Lindley (5-11, 168, Jr.)
PK
57 Blair Walsh (5-10, 185, Jr.)
- ***White
31 Brandon Bogotay (6-3, 200, Jr.)
99 Jamie Lindley (5-11, 168, Jr.)
SN
69 Ty Frix (6-1, 206, RSo.)
- ***White
86 Derek Rich (6-5, 245, Sr.)
94 Billy Johnson (6-0, 225, RSo.)
H
13 Drew Butler (6-2, 203, Jr.)
- ***White
http://blogs.ajc.com/uga-sports-blog/2010/04/22/richt-aaron-murray-is-ugas-no-1-quarterback/Edited by: DixieDestroyer