Not Everyone Is Inspired By Georgia's Recruitment "Dream"

Coming off a middling 2009 college football season, the Georgia Bulldogs needed a recruiting gimmick to court the current crop of the state's more than 200 rising high school seniors preparing to commit to major college programs next February. The concept that coach Mark Richt has been selling prospective recruits since the early spring: in-state talent should band together at Georgia to form a "dream team" that would be a perennial contender for SEC and national championships.

It's a nice thought, of course, if not exactly a particularly novel concept. Worse still, the dream team sell hasn't exactly resonated with all the Georgia high school talent still weighing its options.

Georgia has a dream in recruiting, but it may not be my dream, too, said Thomas County Central defensive tackle Ray Drew, who is considering the Bulldogs among his 27 scholarship offers.

"What I'm saying is that, in the end, I have to do what's best for me and my family, like every recruit. If I sign with Georgia, it would be because it was the best fit for me and not to be part of the Dream Team."

Ten of the 11 early commitments for the Bulldogs 2011 recruiting class are from the state, so obviously the pitch has been effective with some. Still, most recruits want to see that a school is getting the best talent available, not simply appealing to a sense of localized pride to keep in-state talent from straying elsewhere. Georgia is going to get recruits no matter how inspired its sales pitch is, but for those on the fence, the school is going to have to try a little harder than that.

This post originally appeared on the Sporting Blog. For more, see The Sporting Blog Archives.