Daily Dawg Thread – 07May2019 – Class Of 2020 4-Star OT Joshua Braun – By Matthew Hall
The University of Georgia Football program is no stranger to having some of the country’s most elite talent and size on the offensive line that it puts out onto the football field. In fact, many of the Dawgs’ proponents and opponents alike would agree that Georgia has the best offensive line group in the nation at this current point in time and in moving ahead towards the 2019 college football season. What makes UGA’s O-Line so effective is not just the talent that is consists of but also the depth of the unit as well. Meaning, and in a nutshell without a plethora of words as to an extensive explanation, the Georgia offensive line is prolific in that when one member comes off of the field for a play or two, another lineman of equal or even greater value steps in to take his place. Such an equation on the gridiron for the course of a entire game and over the duration of a season essentially does nothing but wears down opposing defenders to the core. This type of offensive recipe thus opens up holes and running room for the stable of Georgia backs running the ball while also providing an enormous amount of protection for starting quarterback Jake Fromm to step back in the pocket with time to make decisions and to be effective in the UGA passing game.
An additional characteristic that can be attributed to the offensive line grouping that Georgia currently possesses on its roster is their enormous size and stature. Just take a gander at these numbers attached to the massive players on the offensive line for the Georgia Bulldogs Football program: Warren Ericson (6-4, 305), Justin Shaffer (6-4, 330), Trey Hill (6-4,330), Solomon Kindley (6-4, 335), Jamaree Salyer (6-4, 325), Andrew Thomas (6-5, 320), Ben Cleveland (6-6, 335), D’Marcus Hayes (6-5, 315), and Isaiah Wilson (6-7, 340). It is safe to assume that in examining these numbers one can easily see where this is going and can get a clear picture of what is attempting to be relayed here. The fact of the matter is, the Georgia Bulldogs have a healthy cluster of fast, aggressive, tenacious, and strong group of athletic refrigerators on the offensive line making it an arduous task for the opposition to get through them and thwart the Dawgs’ offense. The culmination of such is largely due to the recruiting efforts on the part of Georgia Football Head Coach Kirby Smart, Offensive Line Coach Sam Pittman, and the rest of the UGA coaching staff. Even with the host of O-Line talent that is currently present on the Georgia roster though, the recruitment of top talent at the position never seems to cease taking place and the Dawgs look to be in pretty good shape at the moment to possibly add another future member to the fold in Class of 2020 4-Star OT Joshua Braun of Suwannee High School in Live Oak, Florida.
Braun fits the prototypical mold of what the Dawgs have brought in to fill the ranks of the offensive line standing in at 6-6 and 335 pounds. The 4-star “Sunshine State” OT is currently rated the #26 overall offensive tackle prospect in the country and the #39 overall player in the state of Florida for the Class of 2020 per 247Sports Composite Rankings. He was a visitor to the Georgia Bulldogs’ most recent spring game and has been recorded as saying that that the visit to Athens and the G-Day game was a positive one. Braun has already had an ongoing relationship with UGA offensive line coach Sam Pittman as the O-Line coach had previously attempted to recruit Braun’s brother when he was at Arkansas. Coincidentally, his brother is Parker Braun who ended up attending Georgia Tech and is an offensive line member there playing for the Yellow Jackets. The younger Braun has further transmitted the message that the University of Georgia intrigues him a great deal as he has family that lives in the Atlanta area.
The Live Oak prospect has several official visits coming up soon to include ones to Florida and South Carolina in May and with Georgia in June. Braun has stated that he is likely to have his mind made up of where he will want to play at the conclusion of the aforementioned official visits and that his decision could possibly come as early as the end of June. It should be noted that he is currently predicted to commit to Mullen and the University of Florida per 247Sports Crystal Ball predictions. Hopefully Smart, Pittman, and the rest of the UGA coaching staff can have some sway on such taking place given that his official visit to Athens in June is a memorable and momentous one. Georgia Head Coach Kirby Smart has not been shy about his desire to land the Suwannee 4-Star OT.
Joshua Braun would be a real gem and prize to obtain provided that he commits to the University of Georgia. Pittman seems to have a great deal of interest in landing him and bringing the young offensive tackle into the brotherhood of the offensive line that is present in Athens and in developing the future O-Line star under his wing. Braun does seem to have taken a liking to Coach Pittman and his coaching style saying that Pittman’s methodology fits what he is used to in an O-Line coach: “the fatherly advice kind of coach”. Braun currently holds 7 offers altogether to include ones from Florida, South Carolina, Auburn, Florida State, Michigan, Miami, and UGA. It would appear that Georgia will have one of the final pitches to land the prospective OT recruit during his official visit to Athens next month. Whether he decides to “Commit To The G” is currently unknown but he has stated that the recruiting process thus far with the Dawgs has been a positive one and that he feels comfortable with where he stands with the Dawgs at this present point in time. Could Braun be the next member to join the “Great Wall” of Georgia and the UGA offensive line in Athens?