Mark Richt has a Dream Team -- Isaiah Crowell, the state of Georgia's No. 3 prospect, announced live on ESPNU from his Columbus high school that he'll play for the Georgia Bulldogs and not the Alabama Crimson Tide. Whether he lives up to the hype or not, Crowell's importance to this class can't be understated. The Dawgs have recruited him literally for years, selling his potential UGA commitment to other Peach State recruits along the way.
That strategy worked, by the way, as the Dawgs have a top-10 class composed largely of in-state talent, a departure from Richt's recent classes that have not only slipped in quality but also looked beyond the state's borders.
Before the announcement a red and black shirt was seen peeking out from under Crowell's jacket, so drama was somewhat muted, but still. This is big.
Crowell took what felt like hours to remove his Under Armour jacket, revealing ... a shirt and tie. He then dug around for a while, eventually pulling out a black and red hat with a Georgia logo peeking through a silhouette of the state, an appropriate symbol for his effect on this class indeed. Topping it all off, he produced a tiny white bulldog in a red sweater, whose name he did not know.
He's a running back, not a public speaker.
Crowell is rated as the No. 4 running back in the nation by Rivals and the No. 23 player overall. He had offers from 12 other schools. Auburn was in the running until late, when Crowell canceled a visit to the Plains. Crowell visited both Alabama and Georgia within the past month, attending a UGA basketball win at Stegeman Coliseum as fans chanted his name.