BleedGopher
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per the AP:
When a skinny Rashod Bateman was just beginning to come into his own halfway through high school in Tifton, his southern Georgia hometown, he went with what he knew and made an early verbal commitment to the successful, second-tier program located less than a three-hour drive away.
“Georgia Southern was just like the school you go to,” Bateman said. “I didn’t think I was going to be that highly recruited.”
His development accelerated, however, and after a standout performance at a summer camp prior to his senior year he had his first scholarship offer from a power conference team: Minnesota. Fast forward to Saturday, when Bateman’s fledgling career will experience a full-circle moment with Georgia Southern’s visit to TCF Bank Stadium to face his Gophers.
Bateman, the rising star sophomore whose 237 receiving yards rank third in the Big Ten, is one of 12 natives of Georgia on Minnesota’s roster. Running back Rodney Smith (Jonesboro), cornerbacks Terell Smith (Snellville) and Chris Williamson (Atlanta), and kicker Michael Lantz (Fayetteville) are among other key players.
Though the Gophers would be hard-pressed to ever turn the heart of SEC country into a true pipeline for talent, the highlight reel that Bateman has already assembled can certainly have a snowball effect.
“People back home down south, not a lot of them think about coming to the north just because it’s so far from home and a lot of them are scared of the cold,” Bateman said. “But I think once they see success from a kid from down south or from their hometown, I think they feel like they can do the same thing.”
https://www.augustachronicle.com/ne...ll-circle-as-minnesota-hosts-georgia-southern
Go Gophers!!
When a skinny Rashod Bateman was just beginning to come into his own halfway through high school in Tifton, his southern Georgia hometown, he went with what he knew and made an early verbal commitment to the successful, second-tier program located less than a three-hour drive away.
“Georgia Southern was just like the school you go to,” Bateman said. “I didn’t think I was going to be that highly recruited.”
His development accelerated, however, and after a standout performance at a summer camp prior to his senior year he had his first scholarship offer from a power conference team: Minnesota. Fast forward to Saturday, when Bateman’s fledgling career will experience a full-circle moment with Georgia Southern’s visit to TCF Bank Stadium to face his Gophers.
Bateman, the rising star sophomore whose 237 receiving yards rank third in the Big Ten, is one of 12 natives of Georgia on Minnesota’s roster. Running back Rodney Smith (Jonesboro), cornerbacks Terell Smith (Snellville) and Chris Williamson (Atlanta), and kicker Michael Lantz (Fayetteville) are among other key players.
Though the Gophers would be hard-pressed to ever turn the heart of SEC country into a true pipeline for talent, the highlight reel that Bateman has already assembled can certainly have a snowball effect.
“People back home down south, not a lot of them think about coming to the north just because it’s so far from home and a lot of them are scared of the cold,” Bateman said. “But I think once they see success from a kid from down south or from their hometown, I think they feel like they can do the same thing.”
https://www.augustachronicle.com/ne...ll-circle-as-minnesota-hosts-georgia-southern
Go Gophers!!