LeMay joins the team, Richt mum on academic issues, and injury updates

It was getaway day in Athens on Tuesday: The football team held its last campus-based practice in the morning, then excused players to go home for the Christmas break. Those headed to the Liberty Bowl report back on Sunday, where it’s off to Memphis.

Head coach Mark Richt sat down with the media after practice, and a few tidbits were revealed, such as a future quarterback becoming (sort of) a current quarterback for the Bulldogs:

- Christian LeMay, the quarterback recruit from Charlotte, N.C., has been at practice the past three days, according to Richt. LeMay plans to enroll early.

LeMay is expected to be the team’s lone quarterback recruit this class, and will become the team’s third scholarship quarterback for next season. (Nick Marshall, who has also committed, can play quarterback but was recruited as a defensive back.)

While Aaron Murray has a stranglehold on the starting job, LeMay’s presence should give him a head start on competing with Hutson Mason for the backup role. (Richt wasn’t absolutely sure he could comment yet on LeMay, so he wanted to hold off on doing anything but confirming that he had been out there at practice.)

- Richt said any word on academic issues wouldn’t come until Wednesday, when grades are in. He also wouldn’t comment when asked specifically about tailback Caleb King, whose playing status is in doubt, according to a source close to the player.

“We won’t have the final report until tomorrow, so we’re gonna have to wait,” Richt said.

(And since the Bulldogs are off until Sunday, it might be until then that any announcement is made, if there’s any to be made. But it’s always possible that UGA could announce something before then.)

For what it’s worth, Richt said it wasn’t under consideration to take the redshirt off of freshman Ken Malcome.

- Defensive end Brandon Wood (shoulder) will not play in the bowl, so the senior’s career is over. Wood, a Buchanan native, played in 37 games, and recorded 16 tackles and one sack this season.

But another end, Demarcus Dobbs, is probable with a number of nagging injuries, including his elbow.

- Richt also updated the status of a couple players who had season-ending injuries. He does expect nose tackle Justin “Bean” Anderson to be ready for spring practice. Anderson had toe surgery after playing a few games.

But the prognosis isn’t as good for linebacker T.J. Stripling. Richt said he’d “be surprised” if the freshman was ready for spring practice, after having knee surgery in October.