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While the nation waits for the top quarterback, running back and wide receiver to announce their college choice, one of Georgia's most important recruits made his choice almost a year ago.
He's only 5-foot-10, but for a kid that connected on two 59-yarders in high school and just missed on a 67-yarder, Blair Walsh might end up as top player in the Bulldogs recruiting class.
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| Blair Walsh's leg could vault Georgia to the top in the SEC. (Provided to CBSSports.com) |
Mark Richt sure does.
Richt was at Florida State when the Seminoles signed the high school phenom in 1993 after seeing two national championship-caliber teams go down thanks to Wide Right I (1991) and Wide Right II (1992).
Bentley proved to be the winning piece to the puzzle when he hit the game-winning field goal in the 1994 Orange Bowl, giving Bobby Bowden his first national title.
"Having a big league kicker is critical for a team that wants to be a champion. It's especially important in the SEC where we play so many close games," said Richt. "We've had some really good kickers here and if you take away the clutch kicker, there's no telling how many games it would have cost us."
Richt hasn't experienced any "Wide Rights" at Georgia, but with the departure of Brandon Coutu and Andy Bailey, who combined for 66 field goals and 158 extra points over the past four seasons, Richt knows he needs a strong, tough-minded kicker heading into 2008.
Enter Walsh.
Walsh, who is rated the No. 1 kicker by Scout.com and the only four-star player at his position, is expected to step right into the starting lineup for what should be the preseason No. 1 team.
"Richt said we aren't giving you the scholarship and not expecting you to start, we are expecting you to come in and take this job as a freshman, but it doesn't mean you don't have to work for it," Walsh said.
No problem. He's been working at being the best for the past three years.
That's not a mistake ... Walsh has only been kicking footballs since his sophomore year of high school.
