University of Georgia photoGeorgia defensive line coach Rodney Garner is thrilled with how defensive tackle Corvey Irvin (90) and two other junior-college transfers are performing for the Bulldogs.

ATHENS, Ga. — Not that the NCAA is expected to investigate, but the Georgia Bulldogs essentially have three linemen playing for two teams this season.

Defensive tackle Corvey Irvin, defensive end Jarius Wynn and offensive guard Vince Vance are listed as Georgia starters heading into Saturday’s game against visiting Central Michigan. All three enrolled in January 2007 after starting out at Georgia Military College, which wasn’t by choice then but is a source of pride now.

“It’s going to be special Saturday,” Irvin said. “We’re going to be representing GMC. We’re going to put GMC on the map and let every junior college kid out there know that it’s possible and that it can be done.”

The 6-foot-8, 320-pound Vance started at left guard in last week’s 45-21 win over Georgia Southern and is expected to keep that job all season. The 6-4, 286-pound Irvin became a starter when Jeff Owens was lost for the season last Saturday with an ACL injury, while the 6-5, 273-pound Wynn is battling junior Roderick Battle for a starting assignment.

Georgia was in dire need of linemen following the 2006 season and signed not only the GMC trio but offensive guard Scott Haverkamp from a Kansas junior college. Haverkamp started the first three games last season before violating team rules and leaving the program.

In October 2006, Bulldogs recruiting coordinator Rodney Garner expressed his disappointment in the inability to get junior college talent through the university’s administrative channels. He had tried months earlier to sign GMC linebacker Jasper Brinkley but couldn’t, so Brinkley and his twin (Casper) signed with South Carolina.

Before signing the four junior college players in 2007, Georgia had not gone that route since the 2001 class.

“I’m still very appreciative of the administration and their commitment to allow us to sign those guys,” Garner said. “I really feel like they’re good young men. So many times J-C kids get stereotyped that they’re bad kids and this or that, but I can honestly say we brought in some really good kids and that we’re happy that they’re a part of our program. I think they represent this institution and this athletic association very well.

“It’s to our advantage that the kids played at GMC and played for Bert Williams. He knows what this program is built on and what Coach (Mark) Richt stands for.”

Richt prefers to stay away from junior colleges and instead bring in players from high school and teach them what he calls the “Georgia way.” With Vance, Irvin and Wynn, however, he was amazed from the start at their ability to adjust.

None of the three started any games last season but provided valuable depth, especially in Georgia’s impressive stretch run.

“The buy-in process came easier for these guys,” Richt said. “They wanted to do it the right way. They wanted to do it the Georgia way. They couldn’t get enough of trying to do what the coaches wanted them to do, and because of their attitude and work ethic, you would never know that they were junior college players. You would say that they were fifth-year seniors.”

Wynn, whose cousin Shedrick played for Richt and Garner in 2001-02, credits GMC for aiding in that adjustment.

“We were the type of guys who were going to come into the system, bond and work hard,” Wynn said. “When we were at GMC, all we knew how to do was go hard. Go hard at everything we do.”

The biggest negative about junior college players, as Garner points out, is that by the time they are coming into their own, it’s time for them to go. Irvin and Wynn are seniors, and Garner would love to have more time with each.

Vance actually redshirted his first year at GMC and came to Georgia with three years to play three seasons.

Though their time at Georgia will be shorter than the rest of their teammates, the GMC trio believe everything has worked out well — for them and for the Bulldogs.

“It’s a good thing, especially since we came from GMC and went through a lot of stuff together,” Vance said. “Not being able to go where we wanted to right out of high school was tough on all of us. We wound up at GMC, which is not an easy place to go through. Hopefully we’ve kind of set the standard at Georgia for recruiting out of junior colleges.”

Said Irvin: “They took a chance, and they lucked up and won. They won the lottery when they got us.”

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