For over a month, Georgia coaches traveled the nation to evaluate prospects all day, every day. Coaches at Georgia had the opportunity to observe commits, targets, and flip options from a variety of classes.
We discovered a couple things about Georgia football recruitment going into the summer during those weeks of the assessment period.
The Bulldogs bring on a coach from the ACC to bolster Mike White’s staff.
Since assistant Akeem Miskdeen left for Michigan on April 4, the Georgia Bulldogs have had a position open on their bench. Though Miskdeen has been gone for almost two months, the Bulldogs have at last found a substitute for him.
Anthony Goins, a Boston College assistant, will be joining Georgia, the university has announced. Goins becomes a member of Mike White’s on-court staff alongside Patrick Blake, Erik Pastrana, and Antonio Reynolds Dean.
Goins leaves Boston College after three seasons to join Georgia. Goins had spent the previous eleven years attending Clemson, Quinnipiac, Yale, and Dartmouth.
Goins released a statement saying, “I couldn’t be more delighted to join Georgia basketball.” “Over the past two years, Coach White and his team have built the Georgia program to incredible heights. As soon as I arrived on campus, I could sense the excitement and momentum. I’m incredibly grateful to Coach White for providing me with this chance. I’ve had an amazing three years working with Coach Grant, the staff, and the Boston College community, but I’m eager to start working in Athens.”
Throughout Goins’ tenure, Boston College’s victory count increased, culminating in a 20-16 result and an NIT bid in the 2023–24 season. With their 20-win season, Boston College became the first team to do so since 2011.
Goins worked with Reynolds Dean as an assistant at Clemson University, where he was a member of the Tigers staff. The Tigers team from 2020–21 advanced to the NCAA Tournament.
Goins worked at Quinnipiac University from 2017 to 2019. The Bobcats finished 16–15 in the 2018–19 season, marking their first winning season in five years. In 2019, Quinnipiac was also invited to the CollegeInsider.com Tournament (CIT), which was just QU’s fifth-ever playoff trip.
Goins had three productive seasons at Yale between 2014 and 2017. The Bulldogs won their first Ivy League championship since 2002, when they were 22-10 overall and 11-3 in their year in New Haven. Yale achieved school records in 2015-16, finishing the season with an overall record of 23-7 and a conference record of 13-1. For the first time in fifty-four years, the Bulldogs received an automatic trip to the NCAA Tournament after winning the Ivy League championship.
In the NCAA Tournament’s opening round, Yale, ranked as the 12th seed, defeated Baylor, ranked as the 5th seed, to record the program’s first-ever tournament win.
During his first season as a college student, Goins led Dartmouth to their highest victory total in fifteen seasons in 2013–14. Goins also worked as an assistant coach at Salisbury Prep School in Connecticut for three seasons. During his time there, the school earned a cumulative record of 64–18.
Goins, who was born and raised in Greensboro, North Carolina, completed his education at Oscar Smith High School in Chesapeake, Virginia. 2008 saw him graduate from St. John’s with a bachelor’s degree in sports management. Goins assisted with women’s practices and participated in men’s team practices while still an undergraduate.
Alabama Football has a difficult September schedule.
The early-season schedule for Alabama football might be the hardest it has faced in a number of years. With the Tide hosting Western Kentucky on August 31 and South Florida the following week, the first year under Kalen DeBoer should go fairly well. But Alabama’s next two games of the month—a home game against Georgia and a road game against Wisconsin—will be tough challenges.
Alabama was no stranger to difficult preseason games under head coach Nick Saban. Even in the previous fall, the Crimson Tide’s turbulent September had the potential to ruin a weaker program’s season. Alabama looked inept offensively against South Florida on the road after suffering an unexpected home loss to Texas. The poor performance and Bama’s then-unsettled quarterback situation made the Tide a laughingstock for a short while, even though they won the game rather easily. A week later, Alabama had to bounce back from a loss to Ole Miss, another team ranked in the top 15.
For supporters of Alabama football, this September was the most anxious they have ever experienced. Although the fan base shouldn’t be as nervous about the 2024 slate, it could still be just as challenging on the field.
Under Luke Fickell, Wisconsin looks to challenge for a Big Ten spot in the second season. The Badgers’ reputation is based on physicality, trench play, and fundamentally solid football; they are never an easy out.
In order to compete more effectively against top teams, Wisconsin tries to modernize its offense while adhering to its basic principles under Fickell. Even though Alabama is the superior team in this game, the Tide will not be happy with the boisterous road atmosphere and the 11 a.m. kickoff. As it did in a similar location in Texas two years prior, Bama needs to refrain from sleepwalking.
In recent years, Georgia has emerged as one of the top teams in college football. The Bulldogs, led by Kirby Smart, will have one of the top rosters in the league in 2024, along with a first-rate coaching staff. Before what could be the most eagerly anticipated match of the college football regular season, both teams will have a bye week.
Perhaps Coach DeBoer needs this game to make a statement early in his tenure. The Alabama fan base was finally vulnerable after more than fifteen years of being spoiled, and they saw a comeback the previous season.
That comeback should be complete when UGA visits Tuscaloosa, probably as the top team in the nation. The Alabama football fan base should have Bryant-Denny Stadium rocking in what will be an incredible college football atmosphere, even though the national media may not give the Tide much of a chance to win.
The outcome of these next two games could have a significant impact on Alabama’s season. This stretch by itself won’t significantly affect Alabama’s prospects of making the playoffs because 12 teams are now competing for the postseason championship. Nevertheless, it will reveal a great deal about this young team’s composition. The tide should only become better as the season goes on, so it will be encouraging if they can go through September largely unscathed.
