Georgia Bulldogs

Top recruit's mother not satisfied with UGA's defensive system

Published Aug. 4, 2015 3:02 p.m. ET

foxsports

When recruiting a high school prospect, it's a known fact that coaches sometimes have to recruit parents just as hard, if not harder, than the prospective students themselves. The Georgia Bulldogs may have the ear of five-star defensive lineman Rashan Gary but his mother isn't quite as sold. Strangely enough, her hesitance has little to do with the school or the coaches, but with the X's and O's of the defense.

“I know they run a 3-4 defense, and I don’t know how good that would be for my son,” Jennifer Coney told the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

Apparently Gary's mother knows her football schemes and doesn't believe her son can shine in the 3-4 defense.

“In that three-person line, their job is to hold the offensive line so the linebackers can come in to make the tackle. Well, how is Rashan supposed to shine in a 3-4? A 4-3 defense is what I prefer. It’s OK for him to play in a 3-4, only if they rotate in a 4-3. I just don’t see how playing in a 3-4 defense would benefit him.”

Thankfully J.J. Watt's mother doesn't share the same complaints about her son.

Despite her opinions on the defensive systems currently in place, Coney has many positives to say about Georgia.

“I really like Athens,” she said. “Rashan was on campus and I went around the city on my own, and it’s such a nice town. I like the facilities and I really like the entire coaching staff. (Defensive coordinator Jeremy) Pruitt, (defensive line coach Tracy) Rocker and coach Mark Richt are really good men.”

If Gary decides to call Georgia his college home, expect the team to find many useful ways to get him involved in the defense and whether the individual accolades comes or not, as long as Gary develops into the player many project him to be, he and his teammates are sure to shine on the field together.

(h/t Atlanta Journal Constitution)