On Saturday Georgia got a commitment from Blair Walsh, a place kicker from Fort Lauderdale, FL.
“They offered me a couple of weeks ago. I went up today, and I absolutely loved it,” Blair gushed. “It was such an easy decision."
Blair’s commitment is Georgia’s second commitment from a kicker in less than two months. It follows Drew Butler’s commitment for the Class of 2007 in January. With both commitments the Bulldogs have addressed losing Gordon Ely-Kelso this year and Brandon Coutu next year. Still, Butler will punt, and Walsh will kick.
“Coach Richt felt like I could be their man coming in as a freshman,” Walsh said. “I know that Drew is supposed to just punt for us.”
Blair committed to his coaching hosts John Jancek and David Johnson. He took in Georgia’s season-ending basketball game with Tennessee during his unofficial visit.
“The coaches took me to everything possible. They took me Terry Business School, and I met the head of that program. They covered every base. It was a no pressure thing. They never asked me about committing. I did it at the end of the trip. The recruiting was outstanding,” he said. “Georgia has everything I want. The coaching staff is great. I wanted to make the commitment. I am extremely excited to be a Dawg. I have watched them and been a big fan of them. Everyone down here raves about Georgia.”
Georgia has used walk-on kickers rather than signing scholarship kickers in the recent past. The formula has worked – Billy Bennett, Brandon Coutu and Gordon Ely-Kelso have performed in the solid tradition of Georgia kickers over the last few years. The lone scholarship kicker who did not walk on, Andy Bailey, has struggled with his performance over the last few years.
Still, kicking has long been one of Georgia’s strongest attributes, and Walsh said that is another factor that he eyed.
“There is a great kicking tradition at Georgia,” he said. “Kevin Butler was an absolute stud. Brandon will be a stud, too.”
The current and future place kickers talked football, and their head coach.
“When I talked with Brandon tonight he raved non stop about Coach Richt. He told me that he will have faith in me, and I have been looking for that. I realized that Coach Richt is just like my high school coach – when you see Georgia line up for a 58-yard attempt – that means something,” Walsh said.
Walsh stacks up to all of Georgia’s most recent kickers in terms of leg strength. He’s hit a 57-yard field goal and was 21 of 24 over the last two years on kicks inside the 48-yard line.