With only two weeks left until the first game starts, the preparation for the season has become a lot more urgent. On Wednesday, Kirby Smart raised some concerns about the offensive line that isn’t very familiar to Georgia fans.
He isn’t concerned about who the starters are going to be, but rather who is going to be the quality depth behind them.
“Getting a formidable backup center. Getting a good two sets of tackles; who’s going to be the tackle if this guy goes down, who’s going to be the right tackle of the competition, which guards can go out and play tackle, who are the guys that can play left and right side, who are the guys that can just play left or go left tackle and left guard. Kendall Baker’s been at left tackle for a couple of days, working out there.”
Instead of being concerned about his starting offensive line, he’s worried about making sure he has the right guys behind them. This concern is foreign territory for Georgia fans who have never seen an offensive line as stacked as the current one that is in Athens.
This isn’t to say that Smart shouldn’t be concerned about the twos and threes because this is normal for any head coach, but it’s nice to have a year where there isn’t question marks surrounding the starters.
Kirby’s concern about the depth isn’t about the talent; it is about making sure he has the right guys in the right place. He mentioned this with 5-star freshman Cade Mays saying this.
“It’s been an experiment for us,” Smart said. He’s played some right tackle here; he’s played some left tackle here, he’s working at some guard. I think it’s easier for him to stay at the left side. He’s handled moving in there well, but it’s just an experiment right now.”
The depth that Georgia has built on the offensive line is so unheard of that there is a good possibility three 5- stars may not be on the starting offensive line this season. The only other team in the country that can do this is Alabama.
There may be a reason for concern when it comes to having all the depth players ready to play at a moments notice, but the days of worrying about the talent behind the starters are gone.
“So, when you say ‘concerned,’ I’m concerned about every spot because the competition’s thick; but more importantly, is if this spot goes down, who goes where? I think Sam [Pittman] does a good job of putting himself in a situation if something happens we know the plan of action.”