Dawgs Open Pre-Season Camp, All Eyes on Murray
By Editorial Staff
(Photo Courtesy of Yardbarker.com)
While not officially ringing in Fall, the start of pre-season practice at the University of Georgia signifies the start of Football Season and officially gets things rolling towards a new season.
As camp opens today all eyes are generated in two distinct directions when it comes to the 2010 Georgia Football team. One is cast directly on Red-shirt Freshman Quarterback Aaron Murray as he takes over under center for the Dogs. The other is cast at Todd Grantham’s new look Georgia Defense.
Murray has an experienced group around him and is expected to lean on them significantly this season. Much of the optimism on offense comes from the return of A.J. Green and an experienced offensive line as well as a capable running backs duo in Wayshaun Ealey and Caleb King.
Murray has been compared to another Georgia Quarterback that took over a veteran team. Of course any comparisons to David Greene should be held until after the season. At any rate Murray was in the news today as camp opened as he has elected to go without the glove on his throwing hand that he had practiced with throughout spring.
Tony Barnhart breaks down the SEC East Quarterbacks and had this to say about Murray:
"Murray, the redshirt freshman from Tampa, is the guy. And, like David Greene in 2001, he’s going to be surrounded by a lot of really good players. There is a veteran offensive line, one of the top three receivers in all of college football (A.J. Green), and what should be a very good running game with Caleb King and Washaun Ealey. I’ve heard from more than one SEC coach outside of Georgia that this kid has all the intangibles to be a great player. And you have to say that Mark Richt and Mike Bobo know how to coach the position. Georgia’s offensive line has to take it as a challenge to keep Murray’s uniform clean. He has to stay vertical and he can’t get hurt. Let me repeat that: HE CAN’T GET HURT!Georgia’s options after Murray (Logan Gray and true freshman Hutson Mason) are limited—and scary."
The AJC’s Tim Tucker also discusses the depth chart at Quarterback and confirms that the plan is for Logan Gray to spend all of preseason practice practicing as a wide receiver. That move would make true freshman Hutson Mason Murray’s backup. While that might not be ideal, Gray won’t be too far removed from quarterback duty once the season opens were Murray to suffer a substantial injury.
Seth Emerson had this to say about Murray from Media Day:
"And while Murray obviously hasn’t taken a college snap yet, it is fascinating (at least to me) that Richt takes a positive approach with his redshirt freshman, while Spurrier is loathe to say anything nice about a fourth-year guy who started every game last year."
It is a very good point and one reason that Mark Richt has been so successful in my opinion with so many different quarterbacks while at the University of Georgia.
"“My goal is just to go out there and be me,” Murray said. “I won’t be David Greene. I won’t be Matt Stafford.”But then he added: “I can take some pointers from them.”"
That is exactly what we should expect from Murray. He isn’t going to be David Greene and he will not be Matthew Stafford. But like them before him, Aaron Murray has the chance to be very good. For Georgia Fans everywhere that is a really good thing.