Georgia Football 2012: Latest News, Updates and More from Spring Practice

If it wasn't for the dominance of LSU and Alabama, Georgia would have been one of the teams everybody was talking about last year. After all, the Bulldogs really looked like a fantastic team as the season went on, with their high-scoring offense and impressive defense.

This season, the Bulldogs will look to stay consistent all year as they compete for a possible BCS National Championship. They return a total of 15 starters, including nine on the defensive side of the ball.

They should once again be the favorite in the East Division, but that doesn't mean this team doesn't have questions going forward. The offensive line and special teams are just a few of the issues Georgia is dealing with.

However, that's what spring practice is for, and it kicks off on March 20 for the Bulldogs, as they prepare for their spring game on April 14.

Stay tuned for all the latest news, updates and more involving your Georgia Bulldogs in spring practice.

Georgia Recap

Now that the spring is over for the Georgia Bulldogs, they will have a few months off before the fall kicks in. The spring game game ended with the red team beating the black team by a score of 32-31. You can read the recap here.

But while there were a few interesting things going on in the game, the news may be what's happening off the field at the quarterback position. Head coach Mark Richt would still like to redshirt backup quarterback Hutson Mason despite a solid spring performance were he completed 9-12 passes and threw for over 130 yards and a touchdown.

“We haven’t really changed our thoughts on what we would like to do with Hutson this season,” Georgia head coach Mark Richt said via redandblack.com “We definitely would like to be able to redshirt him if at all possible.”

Doing this would create a year of separation between him and current starter Aaron Murray.

More Injuries for the Bulldogs

Spring practice is not a success if you can't keep your players healthy and right now the Bulldogs are dropping left and right. One key player you won't see when the spring game kicks off on April 14 is 5-star running back Keith Marshall. He suffered a hamstring injury and likely won't participate for the rest of the spring.

"I would say the chance of Keith going is probably not very good," Head coach Mark Richt said.

Another player that likely won't participate in the spring game is fullback Richard Samuel who has spent some time at running back as well. He is suffering from a concussion, although there is a slight chance he could be good to go if he gets cleared in time.

"It's hard to say on Richard. Once the symptoms are gone, we do some physical exertion. If they're okay on that then we get closer to being able to get in," Richt said. "It's a process. I think Richard felt pretty good today, but I don't know if he's gonna be able to go through that process in enough time to make it for G-Day."

Safety Bacarri Rambo is also dealing with a hamstring issue while appealing a four-game suspension for a positive drug test.

Reactions to Suspensions

The Georgia Bulldogs have been hit with several suspensions that will cripple their secondary for a few games next season. Defensive starters such as Sanders Commings, Alec Ogletree, Bacarri Rambo and Branden Smith have all been suspended due to off the field issues.

“The bottom line is that if there are things that need to be disciplined around here, we’ll discipline them,” Head coach Mark Richt said. “We don’t treat a starter any different than a walk-on. We’ll discipline even if it hurts -- and it hurts sometimes.”

Defensive end Cornelius Washington, who was suspended last year for a DUI arrest, also had a few words on the recent suspensions on his teammates.

“I don’t know, at the end of the day I look at it like this: a guy is going to do just what a guy wants to do,” Washington said. “A man’s going to do what a man wants to do. You’ve just got to gain their respect enough that they value your opinion and they want to do things the way you ask them to do it.”

The suspensions that have been handed down are for four games, which Georgia will play Buffalo, at Missouri, Florida Atlantic and Vanderbilt.

Bacarri Rambo Suspended?

One of the top safeties in the country in Bacarri Rambo has been suspended for the first four games of the season for a failed drug test according to reports.

Rambo's high school coach, Alan Ingram, says he knows the story and believes his former player is a victim of being at the wrong place at the wrong time.

"Bacarri went down to Panama City Beach with some friends," Ingram said. "One of the nights he went to bed before they did. He got up the next morning, was hungry and found some brownies on the table. He had some with some milk and told me, 'I got high.' The other guys got up and told him that the brownies were not for him. Apparently they were laced with marijuana.

"I think that is the story. I think that is exactly what happened. Not many times would I say that, but he has never lied to me before."

While this is a very interesting case, it has yet to be confirmed by either the Georgia athletic association or the university.

March 23 Updates

Georgia recently kicked off its spring practice, and with all of the talent the Bulldogs are returning, it's extremely excited just to be back on the field. Although, head coach Mark Richt says that they are heavily focused on the defensive side of the ball early on.

Richt told WCTV:

"

It was very good to get some football tempo out there. We began our competition phase of the spring where we actually keep score on a couple of drills. It was a defensive day all the way. The defense is locked in right now. They’ve been competing very hard and getting after it, and there are some good things I’m seeing on defense.

"

The Bulldogs will resume their spring practice on March 24 as they continue to prepare for the spring game on April 14.

Christian Robinson the Leader of the Defense?

The Bulldogs ranked fifth in the country last year in total defensive and finished with 35 sacks on the year, which was good for second in the SEC.

They return nine starters from that unit, but senior linebacker Christian Robinson is taking it upon himself to be a leader on the defensive side of the ball this season.

Robinson told NBC affiliate 11Alive:

"

Ben Jones, Brandon Boykin and leaders like that were a voice on this team last year. When people spoke, they listened. I feel like it's my time to speak up, and we have a lot of other guys like Sanders (Commings) and Bacarri (Rambo). It's our time to be the voice.

"

It's good to see other players step up, especially with cornerback Brandon Boykin no longer on the roster.

Robinson finished his junior year with 47 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks.

Mark Richt Speaks on Carlton Thomas Transfer

Carlton Thomas was going to enter his senior season as a Bulldog but has decided to transfer at the last minute. He finished last season with 361 rushing yards, but he's not happy with the lack of carries he's getting as a Bulldog.

According to ESPN.com, Thomas said in a statement:

"

This decision was based solely on the fact that this is my last year to play, and my parents and I felt like it was the right move to make. I want to make more of an impact on the field. I didn't want to disrupt Georgia's team and preparation for next season, so I made the final decision to leave earlier rather than later in the year.

"

Head coach Mark Richt spoke on Thomas's decision before the Bulldogs kicked off spring practice. Richt told NBC affiliate 11Alive:

"

Carlton has decided to move on. He came to me and said he had discussions with his family. We wish him well, and before long he will have his Georgia degree. That's a good thing, and I hope he's really grown from his experience here at Georgia.

"

This now opens things up even more for sophomore running back Isaiah Crowell, who has huge expectations this year. Other players that will compete for carries include Richard Samuel, Ken Malcome, Brandon Harton and true freshman Keith Marshall.

Updates

This slideshow will continue to be updated with the latest news, quotes, position battles and more throughout spring practice.

Stay tuned for everything involving your Georgia Bulldogs.