Top tight end prospect addresses UGA's status after Shane Beamer's departure
Despite the departure of coach Shane Beamer to the University of Oklahoma, tight end recruit Ryland Goede’s interest in Georgia remains unchanged.
The 2019 four-star prospect out of Kennesaw Mountain has built a strong rapport with the Bulldogs’ coaching staff and also carries a tight bond with pledges Dominick Blaylock and JD Bertrand. With Beamer taking a job with Oklahoma, those relationships remain the same, and other Georgia coaches have insisted on patience for the highly rated tight end.
“I’ve talked to several of the coaches, and they have just been telling me not to worry,” Goede said in a text message to The Telegraph. “They told me to be patient with the process because they’re going to find another great coach.”
Goede has been on a number of visits to Georgia. While the Bulldogs have been considered a favorite to land the 6-foot-7 in-state product, nothing has been officially revealed. Georgia is in competition with Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Michigan, Ohio State and other Power 5 programs for Goede’s services. He revealed that he is getting closer to a decision with hopes of making it “soon” after he narrows down his list of offers.
For now, Goede seems to be the lone tight end target in 2019 for Georgia. He ranks as the fifth-best tight end prospect nationally and the 15th-best overall recruit in the state of Georgia, according to the 247Sports.com composite rankings.
Beamer broke the news to Goede in the same way that he did for those already signed or enrolled in the program — by phone call Monday morning. For Goede, he came away impressed with how Beamer handled the situation.
The former Georgia assistant was extensive in explaining his move, rather than bluntly stating his intentions to coach elsewhere. Beamer also wished Goede the best and promised to follow his collegiate career.
“Coach Beamer, you know, he’s such a great guy,” Goede said. “He walked me through his own decision process and just explained it to me. That really shows to me how much he cares about his guys and future players. Oklahoma is getting not only one of the best guys around the game but also one of the best coaches in football.”
The late departure of Beamer fuels an interesting debate regarding the newly implemented December signing period. In previous years, there have been instances in which a prospect signs with a program with the intention of playing for his position coach, only for a departure to come.
With an early signing period, that risk has become greater.
Georgia head coach Kirby Smart previously said there are times where a prospect commits to a school based on a coach-to-player relationship. While that may be the case for many recruits, Goede said he is taking the bigger picture into account with his decision.
“I like it because you sign to a school and not just a coach,” he said. “As a recruit, you just have to know that.”
This story was originally published January 23, 2018 at 12:38 PM with the headline "Top tight end prospect addresses UGA's status after Shane Beamer's departure."