I can’t say it’s a surprise: Michael Lemon is off the team. He had been suspended indefinitely while facing a felony aggravated battery charge, and Coach Richt took the extra step to dismiss Lemon over the weekend.

“He’s been dismissed as a result of some poor decisions and conduct that is not in line with standards we have in place at Georgia,” said Richt. “I have had discussions with Michael and he understands the decision.”

Richt isn’t one to close doors, and he left open the (ever-so-slight) possibility of Lemon returning to the team.

“(Lemon) expressed a desire to find a path back to the team at some point but that’s a decision that will depend on several factors and will come at a later date.”

Whether “several factors” means a year away somewhere else and a favorable resolution to the criminal charges, I don’t know. If the University expels Lemon, it’s a moot point. I doubt we’ll see him back in a Georgia uniform for quite a while, if at all. But, pending the outcome of the criminal charges, I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that Coach Richt is working to help Lemon find as soft of a landing as possible.