Updates on Houston, strength staff

There’s just two days left for Justin Houston to announce his decision on whether to go pro, and so far all remains quiet on the Georgia linebacker.

All we do know at this point is that Houston is in Athens. Whether he’s still mulling things over, or he’s made a decision and just waiting to announce it, remains a mystery.

Steve Pennington, who was Justin Houston’s head coach at Statesboro High School, said Houston hasn’t returned his calls or texts. Houston’s brother is also in one of Pennington’s classes.

“And even he doesn’t even know. Seriously,” Pennington said. “It’s either weighing on him very heavily, or he might not know yet. I don’t know. But I’m real surprised that it’s been this quiet. Maybe he’s just real torn.”

Houston who finished the regular season as the SEC sacks leader, then was passed in the postseason by Auburn’s Nick Fairley. Houston has been expected to make the jump, but evidently Georgia coaches are trying hard to convince him that returning for his senior year would elevate his draft stock.

Longtime NFL draft analyst Mike Detellier, who is based out of Louisiana, believes Houston could end up a late first-round pick.

“He’s coming off a really big season,” Detellier said. “I mean a big-time season for him where he was very productive, and with so many teams running that 3-4 or variances of it you can understand what he would bring to the table.”

Strength staff update: Former player Thomas Brown has come back to Georgia as a full-time assistant to new strength and conditioning coordinator Joe Tereshinski, UGA confirmed on Friday. John Kasay Sr. is also on board as a part-time employee.

Clay Walker, who had been an assistant, will be “phasing out” of the strength program, to use UGA’s wording, as he finishes up his PhD.