Under-the-radar RB will complete remarkable academic comeback, sign with UGA on Tuesday
There is a new Bulldog in the Class of 2016 at UGA.
New Manchester RB Brian Herrien, as reported Friday on DawgNation, did receive his offer and will sign with UGA on Tuesday at his high school. Herrien shared that news on social media late Saturday night.
I am signing at my school(new Manchester high school) on Tuesday ✍?? that's all I'm saying .
— brian herrien (@brianherrienn) May 15, 2016
The 6-foot-1, 210 pounder is an impressive specimen in the Class of 2016, but his story is rather unique. He got to know UGA coach Kirby Smart back when he was still the defensive coordinator at Alabama. When Smart got the UGA job, he quickly dispatched assistant coach Glenn Schumann to check on Herrien.
Herrien — who likely would have been at least a three or four-star back had he been evaluated by all the recruiting services — does not have a star ranking. Part of that was due to the fact he didn’t go to prospect camps to showcase his skills early in his career. The biggest reason for that lack of star status would have been his academic standing.
The senior’s final semester grades at New Manchester were tabulated and posted on Friday, and that completed a remarkable turnaround that saw Herrien make nothing but As and Bs since the spring semester of his junior year. Herrien ran for 1,970 yards and 16 touchdowns as a senior, but the biggest numbers he put up came when he raised his ACT score to an 18 and then bumped up his grade-point average on the NCAA sliding scale for academic eligibility.
The senior’s final day of classes came on May 12, and look for him to work to join the Class of 2016 at UGA on June 1, if possible. That process will involve his final academic transcripts and ACT scores being approved by the NCAA Clearinghouse prior to enrollment. His spring semester grades won’t be officially approved by the Douglas County school district office until Monday.
What type of athlete is UGA getting, aside from that lack of any star ratings? Check out these two clips Herrien posted on his Twitter timeline. They provide a telling example of what he can do with or without the stars.
UPDATE: 247sports has given Herrien a three-star rating at RB. He is now regarded as the No. 31 player at his position for the Class of 2016.
They didn't think I could do it …….so I did ????? pic.twitter.com/KeI5Y4ffwO
— brian herrien (@brianherrienn) March 21, 2016
❤️??‼️…………NEXT UP✊? pic.twitter.com/06byIWChWr
— brian herrien (@brianherrienn) November 9, 2015
Jeff Sentell covers UGA football and UGA recruiting for AJC.com and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Follow him on Twitter for the latest on who’s on their way to play Between the Hedges. Unless otherwise indicated, player rankings and ratings are from the 247Sports Composite.
