If there is one thing we know about the Kirby Smart era, it is he always has talent on the depth chart.
For the past two seasons, Georgia has had the deepest offensive line unit in College Football. Georgia's offensive line was filled with talent. It was two-deep at almost every position, which is unusual when there is virtually no drop-off from your starter to your second and third-string offensive linemen. With the departure of five offensive linemen from a year ago, four of which will be going to the NFL, and Cade Mays taking his talents to Rocky Top (Tennessee). Georgia will have a "rebuilding" year at offensive line. But that is what most of the mainstream media are saying as of right now. Many Dawg fans and the media that surround Georgia Football strictly know that the term "rebuilding" is not an accurate description for Georgia's offensive line next season. Offensive line coach Matt Luke has been in the as offensive line coach since December, after the departure of Sam Pittman. Luke had all of the bowl preparations to work with the offensive line and start seeing what he has in the room at the offensive line position for the future. It is also important to note that Luke had to work without both his starting tackles in preparation for the Sugar Bowl as they both skipped the Sugar Bowl as they have entered the NFL Draft. Not only that, but starting right guard, Ben Cleveland was ruled academically ineligible for the Sugar Bowl. These noticeable absences from the Sugar Bowl didn't make or break the Sugar Bowl for the Dawgs as it might of in years past. Georgia overcame the departures of those players, as Coach Luke, in just a few weeks of being in Athens, had suitable replacements. Jamaree Salyer and Cade Mays replaced Andrew Thomas and Isaiah Wilson at the two tackle positions. At the same time, redshirt freshmen Warren Ericson stepped up and played every snap at right guard, replacing Ben Cleveland. Now with the departure of Cade Mays and starting left guard Solomon Kindley. Many see this as a formidable task, but the truth is Coach Luke followed up those departures by bringing a whole new class of talented offensive linemen in the 2020 recruiting class. Georgia was able to sign six offensive linemen that will replace the outgoing five, and those six offensive linemen will all arrive in the summer as they will be asked to start competing for starting jobs across the offensive line immediately. One of the essential parts of the line is already secured, as Trey Hill will be returning as the starting center next season, as long as one of the freshman doesn't push him over to a guard spot. Next season Hill will be a junior, while it is expected that Ben Cleveland will reprise his role at right guard, a position that he had been battling it out with Cade Mays for the permanent job last season. When healthy, Cleveland is a dominant offensive guard who can be considered one of the best in the country. But the questions remains if he can stay healthy enough to last a full season for Georgia and have a chance of getting drafted in a year. Jamaree Salyer, the junior native of Atlanta, Georgia, will most likely be the blind side protector for Jamie Newman (the presumptive starter) on the left side of the line at tackle. Salyer saw extensive action at right tackle last season behind Isaiah Wilson. Salyer notched the start at right tackle in the Sugar Bowl against Baylor and played well. If Salyer can add some agility this offseason, he could be a dominant left tackle next season for Georgia. The only worry about him is if he is quick enough to deal with some of the speed rushers that he will meet off the edge. The two remaining spots along the line will be a good battle as there is one guard spot left, and the right tackle position is still up for grabs. If Cleveland stays on the right then you can expect guys like Warren Ericson and Clay Webb to be challenging for that last spot at guard. Many have singled out Webb, the redshirt freshman to take a big step forward in 2020 as he saw limited action in 2019 but did show improvement along the way. The right tackle position is another exciting position as we will see redshirt freshman Xavier Truss battle it out with some of the freshmen for that last tackle spot. Truss saw limited action in the 2019 season but showed a lot of potential in his showings this past season. He played notably well against Murray State and Arkansas State, where he played at right tackle in both of those games. Look for freshmen like Broderick Jones, Chad Lindberg, and Tate Ratledge to push for that last tackle spot on the starting offensive line. With the number of freshmen that are coming to Athens from the 2020 class, it will make sure that the competition will be high, and the "Top Dawgs" will rightfully rise to the top. "The Great Wall of Athens" is still intact; it is just undergoing some renovation, not a "rebuild." Make sure to subscribe to the Top Dawg Notification Forum, located on the right side of your screen. Simply checking the box to agree to terms and providing your email address, will sign you up for immediate notifications of posts that are posted to Top Dawg Blogging. Thank you and Go Dawgs!
1 Comment
ray reno
4/15/2020 04:48:15 pm
This was good.
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Harrison Reno
Is the founder and author of Top Dawg Blogging. Harrison has been blogging for the past 4 years Archives
April 2020
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