Richt pleased with Caleb King

ATHENS — Fans may be ready to call Caleb King a bust, but Mark Richt is actually quite pleased with the progress of his sophomore running back.

King failed to secure the starting job as Knowshon Moreno’s replacement at tailback during spring practice, but Richt said King made big strides in several key areas.

“I think a lot of people may have read between the lines that we’re not happy with what Caleb is doing,” Richt said. “That’s not true at all. I’ve very pleased with his progress. He has become an outstanding pass protector, he understands the system better, and he’s an outstanding runner.”

While no starter will be named until well into fall practice when all five of Georgia’s running backs have had their shot to compete, Richt said King is definitely in the mix. In fact, as far as Richt is concerned, King is the frontrunner to handle the bulk of the carries this year.

“He’s still a relatively young guy in his career,” Richt said. “He’s certainly the No. 1 guy going into camp.”

ROAD TO RECOVERY

King’s primary competition for the starting tailback job is Richard Samuel, but after missing the spring with a wrist injury, the sophomore hasn’t had a real opportunity to give King a run for his money.

That should change by the time fall practice starts.

“I feel like I’m getting close. I’ve started doing lifting and everything,” Samuel said. “The only lift I haven’t done is power clean, and I’m getting there.”

Samuel said he lost about eight pounds following his surgery because of his reduced workout routine, but he has gained most of that back already. As important as getting physically prepared for the spring, however, Samuel said the time off gave him some time to study the fundamentals of his position.

“I feel like it cost me my strength, and I lost a little bit of strength in that time,” Samuel said. “But I was able to sit down in the film room and in my room and study the playbook more.”

Samuel said he’ll meet with doctors again in late July or early August before being given the final go-ahead to resume all football activities.

KEEPING QUIET

Richt has earned a bit of criticism this offseason for his critiques of the media’s role in last season’s struggles, the fairness of playing Florida each year in Jacksonville, Fla., and the daunting out-of-conference schedule his team faces, and he said he has learned his lesson. In the future, Richt said, he’s going to do a better job of keeping quiet.

“I’m going to give a lot less of my opinion,” Richt said. “A lot of times, I will say things pretty tongue-in-cheek, but it doesn’t read that way. So I’ve just got to guard my words. That’s just the position I’m in, especially this time of year.”

TWO ON DAY ONE

Georgia had two players selected on the first day of Major League Baseball’s annual amateur draft Tuesday, including first baseman Rich Poythress, who was a second-round selection by the Seattle Mariners.

Poythress discussed a potential deal with the Boston Red Sox, as well, but after talking to the Mariners at length, he knew where he wanted to be.

“I turned down a good opportunity with Boston just because of how I felt about the Seattle organization,” Poythress said. “The way they felt about me, I had some talks over the phone there for about 10 or 15 minutes, and it was a little bit of a circus, but it was a great opportunity for me.”

Poythress said he doesn’t have a deal in place with Seattle yet, but while he would be open to coming back for his senior season should a contract agreement not arise, he’s confident the next stage of his career is at hand.

“I feel like I’m ready to go play pro ball, and I feel like this is my best opportunity to go start my career,” he said.

BIG SURPRISE

Georgia pitcher Trevor Holder wasn’t expecting to be drafted in the early rounds, so when his mother called crying late Tuesday night, he assumed she was overcome with joy that Poythress had been selected.

Instead, she was calling to congratulate him on being picked by Washington in the third round of the draft — seven rounds earlier than he had been taken last year before choosing to return to school.

“I was actually sitting around watching the (Los Angeles) Lakers game, and all of a sudden I got a call from my mom and she was crying,” Holder said. “I honestly thought she was calling to tell me about Rich getting drafted, and I was like ‘Mom, Rich got picked a while ago. What are you crying about?’ And then my phone just started ringing off the hook, and I got steady text messages.”

As for his big leap up the draft board, Holder said health and a strong postseason played a big part, but his best asset is that he’s ready to play baseball. With Washington’s first overall selection, San Diego State pitcher Stephen Strasburg, likely to command more than $30 million, Holder’s contract demands made him a nice target.

“I’m sure they didn’t want to pick someone else who’s going to hold out, who’s younger and has more leverage to hold out and get more money,” Holder said. “That’s not the case with me. I want to go play, and I’m extremely happy about this opportunity.”

CRAZY EIGHTS

In all, Georgia had eight players taken in the first two days of the baseball draft. Six Bulldogs were selected on the second day. Closer Dean Weaver was taken in the seventh round by the Nationals, Matt Cerione in the 13th round by Seattle, junior pitcher Matt Walters in the 17th round by Baltimore, infielder Michael Demperio in the 25th round by the Los Angeles Angels, pitcher Alex McRee in the 26th round by the Dodgers and catcher Bryce Massanari in the 30th round by the Colorado Rockies.

Catcher Joey Lewis is expected to be taken on the final day of the draft today.