He’ll have some explaining to do over the next few days to avoid a drop in April’s draft.

Hilda Sorrow, a Athens-Clarke County police spokeswoman, says Charles was arrested at 3 a.m. Friday under the suspicion of drunken driving. Charles failed parts of a sobriety test and his blood alcohol level of .095 was above the legal limit. According to local jail records, he was released an hour after being arrested on $1,750 bond.

Charles, projected by most to fall in the second or third round, left Georgia after his junior season and is tied for the school’s record in touchdowns by a tight end with 10. He caught 45 passes for 574 yards last fall.

Boykin did a little bit of everything for the Bulldogs during his career but is expected to be full-time corner at the next level. Former Florida Gator Janoris Jenkins, who played last season at North Alabama, should go before Boykin along with South Carolina’s Stephon Gilmore, LSU’s Morris Claiborne and Alabama’s Dre Kirkpatrick.

No doubt Boykin will be one of the combine’s fastest players in the 40-yard dash. According to CBSSports, on Jan. 26 at Senior Bowl practice Boykin showcased elite-level quickness and athleticism that could help his stock.

The first player off the board for the Bulldogs will likely be guard Cordy Glenn. The Tennessee Titans’ pick at No. 20 seems like the right spot. The 6-foot-6, 345-pounder opened a lot of eyes at the Senior Bowl with a strong performance and according to most draft experts, is Georgia’s only projected first-rounder.

Charles, one of the SEC’s most-gifted tight ends, would’ve benefited from another season in Athens and been an almost sure first-round lock. Clemson’s Dwyane Allen and Stanford’s Cody Fleener are in front of Charles, according to scouts, at his position. That could change for the lanky, 6-3 junior with a strong effort in Indianapolis.

Making up the rest of UGA’s group at the combine is Justin Anderson, Ben Jones, DeAngelo Tyson, punter Drew Butler and kicker Blair Walsh.

Defensively Georgia ranked 5^th in the nation in total defense, and the Bulldogs only lose two players off the 2011 squad.  Brandon Boykin is by far the biggest loss on this team.  Boykin was all over the field for the Bulldogs, and it will take multiple guys to replace his production.  The only other loss on defense is DE Deangelo Tyson, and his production will be relatively easy to replace.  Next year’s defense could easily be the best defense in the country if Georgia can avoid the injury bug this off-season.

Georgia also lost their kicker Blair Walsh and punter Drew Butler to graduation.

Needs Met: Georgia only lost a few guys, and they did an awesome job at replacing every position they needed to fill.  Up front they signed 5-star Offensive Tackle John Theus.  Most feel that he can compete for the starting job next year.  They also signed two more O-linemen, and JUCO transfer Mark Beard is already on campus and learning the system.  The Bulldogs brought in three RBs, and Keith Marshall is easily the best of the three.  I have seen Marshall run track and play football, and since he enrolled in January, I have no problem stating that he will play next year because of his speed.  However, don’t count out RB Todd Gurley or FB Quayvon Hicks, both guys could push for serious PT next year.  Georgia rounded out their offense by signing one receiver, one TE, and one QB.

Defensively, an outstanding defense just got better with this recruiting class.  Josh Harvey-Clemons gave the Bulldog faithful a signing day scare, but ultimately the only LB in this class will be a huge addition to this defense.  Look for Harvey-Clemons to compete for playing time, and possibly come in for blitzing situations.  Sheldon Dawson was the only DB signed in this class, but I think he will be hard to keep off the field with 4.4 speed.  Up front is where the Bulldogs added the most depth by signing four DE’s, and I think Jordan Jenkins is the best of the bunch.  Jenkins’ film was so amazing that you should check out his basketball clips on youtube.com.  Georgia finished up their defensive class by signing two DT’s, and I think that Jonathan Taylor could push for playing time next year.

Georgia signed a kicker and a punter that could play right away next year because of the lack of depth.

Biggest Get: John Theus or Keith Marshall.  Both guys could play immediately, but I love the explosiveness that Marshall brings to the offense

Biggest Miss: Ricky Parks.  Parks was an in-state TE that went to Auburn.  Georgia was on him early, and with Orson Charles’ early departure to the NFL, Parks could have helped in that department.

Final Evaluation: I think competing for a National Title in 2012 is a reasonable expectation, and this recruiting class only adds fuel to that fire.  I think every position was filled, and a ton of depth was added with this class.

Final Grade:  A

Other 2012 Signing Report Cards:

• Alabama Crimson Tide: A+
• Florida Gators: A+
• Kentucky Wildcats: C
• Ole Miss Rebels: C

Coming into this year, all eyes were on Mark Richt and Mike Bobo from Georgia fans, and really SEC fans as well.

Georgia started slow and was, quite frankly, dominated by Boise State. The defense could not stop Kellen Moore nor the rushing attack of Boise. The Georgia offensive line was mauled and was less physical than that of Boise. That was week one.

However, slowly but surely, even after the loss to South Carolina, progress has been made. It wasn’t pretty, nor did it get them any publicity within the national picture, but the Dawgs are getting better week by week.

Games three through six were nothing pretty, but the Bulldogs went 6-0 during that stretch, defeating their nemesis – Florida – in Jacksonville.

However, last week against Auburn, this team fired on all cylinders both offensively and defensively.

Aaron Murray has been steady throughout this year, but in his last four games he has thrown for 14 touchdowns. He is playing lights out right now.

MURRAY TO MICHAEL BENNETT:

The running game is solid, but there needs to be more production. The Dawgs did rush for 304 yards as a team…a very good day. Isaiah Crowell rushed for 132 yards and touchdown, and Carlton Thomas rushed for 127 yards.

However, the biggest improvement on offense throughout this season is at wide receiver. Freshmen Malcolm Mitchell and Michael Bennett have been nothing short of very good this season. Mitchell is a true deep threat with his blazing speed, and Bennett catches everything thrown his way. These two are fun to watch. Add in tight end Orson Charles and Tavarres King, and this group is playing very good right now.

MURRAY TO MALCOLM MITCHELL:

Defensively, Jarvis Jones is playing like an All-American. He leads the SEC in sacks right now with 10 total and tackles-for-loss with 16. Defensive back Bacarri Rambo is leading the SEC in passes defended with 14 and leading the SEC in interceptions with seven on the year. These two players have helped take this defense to another level this year.

JARVIS JONES IS SACKING FOOLS:

BACARRI’S PICK-SIX:

The Bulldogs are peaking at just the right time in 2011. Even with starting slow, Mark Richt and this team have regained their confidence, and they will be a force in Atlanta (pending a win against Kentucky this weekend) against whomever they play from the West. They will match up against either Alabama, LSU or Arkansas.

It just took a little bit longer for things to click for Brown; however, last Saturday against Vanderbilt, the light switch may have come on.

Against the Commodores, who have one of the toughest secondarys in the SEC, Brown caught four passes 121 yards and two touchdowns from quarterback Aaron Murray.

With Malcolm Mitchell sitting out the Vanderbilt game, Georgia needed either Tavarres King, Michael Bennett or Marlon Brown to step up their game and be the go-to receiver in Mitchell’s absence. All three made an impact on the outcome, with Brown catching two touchdowns, King catching one and Bennett catching seven passes for 89 yards.

Here’s King’s touchdown:

With Georgia entering the bye week to heal up and game plan against the Gators, Malcolm Mitchell will return to the lineup from the hamstring injury he suffered against Tennessee on the following play:

With the addition of Mitchell, Georgia’s leading receiver, in the lineup, as well as the steadiness of King and Orson Charles and the increased production of both Bennett and Brown, Aaron Murray will have a cast of receivers to the throw the football to. With the emergence of a running game in Isaiah Crowell, it makes Murray that much better in the passing game, and the passing game, most notably play action, is a lot more potent because of it.

The Bulldogs’ offense could be getting ready to click just at the right time this year for the Bulldogs.

New strength and conditioning program. Check.

Returning Starting QB. Check.

Nation’s #1 RB. Check.

The reality is dropped passes, untimely penalties, lethargic play and questionable coaching has fans seeing visions of 2009 and 2010 all over again. The huge loss of starting Inside LB Alec Olgetree who will be out 4-6 weeks following foot surgery creates a large hole to fill. It is unbelievable to me that a team with the prestige and tradition of UGA had to use a walk-on Senior and a true freshman as backups at Inside LB.

I’d like to able to take a few positives away from Saturday nights debacle, but it’s pretty hard to find any. Freshman Malcolm Mitchell had a great night, Brandon Boykin’s 80 yard TD run was awesome, the TD pass to Orson Charles on 4^th down was exceptional. I could bore you with stats and percentages but I just don’t have the heart.

In UGA’s defense, they did play eight true Freshman; Crowell, Herrea, receiver Malcolm Mitchell, cornerbacks Nick Marshall, Damian Swann and Chris Sanders and safeties Corey Moore and Quintavius Harrow.

The Bulldog Nation showed up at the Georgia Dome to see what we had been hearing about all Spring and into the Summer camp; a new attitude, no “energy vampires”, “he’s real deal” etc. None of that materialized that I could see.

The most positive of the evening was probably one of the most touching invocations delivered by Dan Reeves, the former Atlanta Falcons coach. Even the UGA legend Herschel Walker couldn’t keep Georgia from doing what Georgia does best the last few years: looking lost, looking outmatched and simply confused.

Richard Samuel was obviously more dinged up than we had been led to believe, the OL couldn’t contain a 3 man rush, and Aaron Murray made some “Un-Murray-like” throws into coverage he normally doesn’t do. I don’t know who picked the shoes for UGA but they were slipping around all night and I’ve never seen so many helmets come off in one game. The dreadlocks got to go guys……

From the opening series, it was obvious that Georgia wasn’t prepared. Slow to get plays called, slow to get players on and off the field and a delay-of-game penalty when punting from inside their own 20 yard line set the tone for the night. The main issue as I see it is this team doesn’t seem to have an identity. Is it a power run game team; a balanced pass/run team; a play good defense and hope to score point’s team? What’s its personality?  OC Mike Bobo was calling plays from the Coach’s booth instead of his normal sideline spot -  might want to re-think that move.

And the question remains; was Boise State that much better or Georgia just that much worse? There is still plenty of season to play as Conference play opens next week in Athens when the Gamecocks get between the hedges. A win next week and the Boise State game will fade some.

The loser of the South Carolina/Georgia game has never played in the SEC Championship game so next week’s showdown is an elimination game of sorts. Georgia’s season could be over before it even got started. I know it is a long season and a marathon not a sprint; still lots of football to play…yada,yada,yada.

Injuries to critical starters, weak OL play, lack of depth and just plain ol’ uninspired play has the USS Richt taking on water and the waves of change are getting bigger.

Michael Ford, RB, LSU: Ford kept Oregon off balance with 96 rushing yards on 14 carries and two touchdowns. His five-yard burst with 6:23 left in the third quarter pushed the Ducks behind the eight ball, giving the Tigers a commanding 23-13 lead.

Barrett Trotter, QB, Auburn: In Cam Newton’s absence, Trotter kept Auburn’s winning streak alive with poise from the pocket, passing for 261 yards and three touchdowns in the Tigers come-from-behind victory over Utah State.

Alabama’s First-Team D: Kent State’s initial first-down of Saturday’s game came with six minutes to play in the second quarter. The Crimson Tide gave up just 90 total yards and limited the Golden Flashes to minus-9 yards on the ground. Alabama will need to have better play from its QBs heading into next week as AJ McCarron and Phillip Sims combined for four interceptions.

Charles Sawyer, DB, Ole Miss: By now, all SEC fans have seen the replay of Sawyer’s 96-yard pick six against BYU, and if you didn’t, you can see the defensive highlight in Saturday Down South’s replay vault. Sawyer’s was the only bright spot for the Rebels who couldn’t get much going offensively in a 14-13 loss to the Cougars.

Tyler Bray, QB, Tennessee: Bray played a part in the Volunteers first three touchdowns in a rout of Montana, tossing TD passes to Da’Rick Rogers, Justin Hunter and Marlin Lane in building a 21-0 lead. Bray finished seven yards short of 300 yards but helped an offense manage 439 yards with no turnovers. Tennessee converted 10-of-17 third downs as well.

Joe Adams, ATH, Arkansas: Adams may be the SEC Player of the Week after not one, but two punt returns for scores during the Razorbacks’ blowout of Missouri State. Adams finished with 185 total yards on seven touches with that pair of electrifying touchdowns. Second-string QB Brandon Mitchell went 10-for-11 with 104 yards and a touchdown. Don’t worry, Tyler Wilson’s job is safe.

Chris Rainey, ATH, Florida: Rainey scored three touchdowns – in three different ways – during Florida’s 41-3 beating of Florida Atlantic in Will Muschamp’s debut in Gainesville. Rainey caught a touchdown pass from John Brantley, scored on a 14-yard run and returned a blocked punt 22 yards to the house. Fellow speedster Jeff Demps scored twice and averaged 8.8 yards per carry.

Stephen Garcia, QB, South Carolina: Trailing 17-0 in the second quarter, Garcia spelled inefficient QB Connor Shaw and led the Gamecocks on six consecutive scoring drives in a 56-37 win over East Carolina. Garcia finished with 166 yards of total offense highlighted by a 32-yard touchdown run in the second – the longest scoring run of his career in the Garnet and Black. Coach Steve Spurrier announced Garcia as the starter for next week’s marquee matchup at Georgia.

Larry Smith, QB, Vanderbilt: We all knew Vanderbilt’s starting QB was talented, but exceeded expectation in the Commodores’ season-opener Saturday against Elon, a 45-14 romp. Smith made things happen with his legs and his arm, totaling 159 yards of offense with three touchdowns and no turnovers.

Orson Charles, TE, Georgia: First-down throws to Charles seemed to be the only thing that worked during Georgia’s 35-21 loss to Boise State in Atlanta. The junior from Tampa, Fla. caught six passes for 108 yards including a 36-yard touchdown that brought the Bulldogs within 14 late in the third quarter. Isaiah Crowell’s debut at running back was less than impressive – 60 yards on 15 carries.

Vick Ballard, RB, Miss St.: Ballard had the top rushing performance of any SEC tailback in Week 1, galloping for 166 yards and three touchdowns in Thursday’s 59-14 drubbing at Memphis. Ballard made the most of his 10 carries with scoring runs of 1, 46 and 66 yards.

Danny Trevathan, LB, Kentucky: Trevathan, a senior linebacker from Leesburg, Fla., had a game-high 13 tackles in Thursday’s less-than-stellar 14-3 win over Western Kentucky. The Wildcats struggled offensively with 11 first downs and three turnovers but managed to win against a Hilltoppers squad even more dreadful under center.

When: September 3, 2011

Where: Atlanta, Georgia – The Georgia Dome

Game Time: 8:00 PM

TV: ESPN

What You Need To Know About Boise:

Boise State enters this game with a great deal of confidence. The Broncos’ program is really firing on all cylinders right now. Boise has a senior at quarterback in Kellen Moore, and he is one of the more underrated players in the country. He does nothing flashy, but he wins football games.

Boise State’s defensive line will be another strong key for this team. Boise will have four senior starters along the defensive front, and in all likelihood, 10 of 11 starters on defense will be seniors. The only remaining non-senior will be a junior.

This team is full of veteran players who know how to win and play one big game a year. Moreover, this team has experience in kick-off games like this, when they traveled to D.C. last year to open up and beat Virginia Tech.

What You Need To Know About Georgia:

The Georgia Bulldogs enter this showdown as the underdog, even though they hail from the SEC.

The Bulldogs have offensive firepower in quarterback Aaron Murray, wide receiver Tavarres King and tight end Orson Charles. Murray is the best returning quarterback in the SEC, after throwing for over 3,000 yards his freshman season, with 24 touchdowns.

The question marks on offense are at offensive line and at running back. There has been attrition at both positions; therefore, there are several question marks surrounding this team.

Defensively, Georgia looks pretty solid, but the Bulldogs are hoping to answer those with Kwame Geathers and JUCO transfer John Jenkins at nose tackle in this 3-4 defense. USC transfer Jarvis Jones and former safety Alec Ogletree will likely have a huge impact on the linebackers and in the pass rush. The secondary is very veteran-led, with Brandon Boykin and Bacarri Rambo both returning, and the secondary has all the tools to be a ball-hawking group.

Key Matchup:

The key matchup in this game is Georgia’s offensive line against Boise State’s defensive line. Georgia’s line has a number of question marks, while the Broncos’ line has several veterans ready to impress the rest of the country.

This will be a big game not only for Georgia but for the rest of the SEC as well.

We already know this.

What we don’t know is just who will step up and help replace Green’s production in the receiving game?

AJ Green was very dependable and dominant at times throughout his career.

Every year, Green had over 800 yards receiving and over five touchdowns. Even last year, Green was suspended for the first four games, but no problem – he still led them in yards, receptions and touchdowns.

Looking at Georgia’s roster, Tavarres King looks to be the main wide receiver and Aaron Murray’s go-to guy at the moment. King caught 27 passes for 504 yards and three touchdowns last year.

However, don’t sleep on returnees Marlon Brown and Rantavious Wooten. Brown looks to have all the talent in the world, but he has yet to put it together.

Newcomers Malcolm Mitchell, Chris Conley and Justin Scott-Wesley will also help with some production. Of those three, Malcolm Mitchell looks to be a stud of an athlete. He was highly regarded as a defensive back, but the Bulldogs will play him at wide receiver. It could be a great addition.

Along with the receivers, tight end Orson Charles looks to be Aaron Murray’s biggest target on the offense. Charles played high school ball with Murray in Tampa, Florida, and he is ready for another stellar season. Last year, Charles caught 26 passes for 422 yards and two touchdowns. He will have a better year this year, as he looks to be the best tight end in the SEC.

Obviously for the newcomers and returnees, there is no AJ Green on the roster.

So, for Aaron Murray and this Georgia passing offense to help replace the likes of an AJ Green, new and returning receivers will have to step up along with Charles at tight end to replace all of that production.

If you will remember, the last two winners have been Arkansas’ DJ Williams and Florida’s Aaron Hernandez.

The 2011 Mackey Award watch list includes these four from the SEC:

Brandon Barden, Vanderbilt
Orson Charles, Georgia
Phillip Lutzenkirchen, Auburn
Michael Williams, Alabama

I look for Orson Charles to have the best season (numbers wise) out of these four because of Aaron Murray. Brandon Barden is just as good as any of those four though.