Georgia football coach Mark Richt held an unscheduled news conference following Thursday's practice but refused to delve into the news of the day.
Reports surfaced Wednesday night that All-America safety Bacarri Rambo and starting inside linebacker Alec Ogletree have been suspended for multiple games this season after failing drug tests. Alan Ingram, who was Rambo's coach at Seminole County High in Donalsonville, Ga., was told by his former standout that the suspension would be four games.
"I can't confirm anything," Richt said. "I'm just going to be waiting for us to go through our process. When there is something to report, I'll report it to everybody."
A Georgia student-athlete who violates the school's drug policy a second time is forced to miss 30 percent of the ensuing season. Rambo was suspended for last year's opener against Boise State.
Richt and Georgia media relations director Claude Felton map out before every spring the media sessions after each of the 15 workouts. Players originally were supposed to be available to the media Thursday, and Richt wasn't scheduled until after Saturday morning's scrimmage, but the post-practice itinerary was flipped.
After a lengthy opening statement in which he described the offense and defense battling to a dead heat and how Malcolm Mitchell played some receiver when he wasn't getting reps at cornerback, Richt was peppered with questions relating to the latest setbacks in an offseason already saturated with them.
"I don't like distractions," he said. "That's for sure."
When asked to be more specific about the process, Richt said, "We've got our guidelines, and we've got our policies. There are certain things we've got to do when we're taking care of business, and that's what we're talking about."
To head off additional queries, Richt said, "Y'all want to talk about football?"
According to Ingram, Rambo tested positive for marijuana after returning from spring break at Panama City, Fla. Rambo told Ingram that he woke up one morning and ate some brownies that he didn't know contained marijuana.
"Bacarri has met with [Georgia athletic director] Greg McGarity and could appeal," Ingram said. "It's so unfortunate, because he chose to come back for his senior season and was planning on having another big year."
Odds and ends
Richt said Richard Samuel approached him before the spring about playing some fullback and that he will be in the mix for a starting spot there. ... Cornelius Washington has impressed Richt as a defensive end this spring, both as a run-stopper and a pass-rusher.