The days of lackluster offensive line play are over at Georgia. If it wasn’t already evident last year for Bulldog fans, its about to be clear now.
Reality is going to be cruel to opposing teams and pleasant for Georgia.
“The offensive line competition has probably been the most heated, maybe other than receiver, that we’ve had,” Smart said. “And I think a lot of that has to do with the recruiting and having good quality players.”
The projected starting lineup for week 1 against Austin Peay is as follows:
LT- Andrew Thomas 6’5 320
LG- Kendall Baker 6’6 305
C- Lamont Gaillard 6’2 308
RG- Ben Cleveland 6’6 335
RT- Isaiah Wilson 6’7 340
This is the biggest offensive line Georgia has had since 2010 where it was the heaviest line not only in college, but also the NFL.
Obviously the size of a player doesn’t determine the actual skill level of the individual, but four of these guys are returning starters from last years dominant o-line.
The newest addition to the offensive line, right tackle Isaiah Wilson, happens to be a 5 star redshirt freshman. With a year behind him in the system, it has helped him get more acclimated to the speed of the game and totally reshaped his body.
Before signing Isaiah Wilson in 2017, Georgia had not signed a 5 star OT since John Theus in 2012. We all saw how well that turned out. Its safe to say expectations are high and there should be little to no drop off at his position.
The most impressive part of the offensive line is that unlike the Mark Richt era, there is an abundance of guys behind the starters who are extremely talented. The depth is at a whole new level thanks to Sam Pittman who has taken Georgia from rags to riches in the trenches.
“When it comes to our first and second teams, we’ve got a lot of interchangeable parts,” Smart said. “Not only that, a lot of them have experience because even the freshmen, both of them were here in the spring. So when you see Cade Mays and you see Trey Hill and those guys, even Warren Ericson, they’re out there in the spring, so you feel like these aren’t first-year players. They’re out there able to compete. So I’ve been very pleased with the competition at that position.”
The depth built by Sam Pittman has now put Georgia in unfamiliar territory. He has brought comfortability on the offensive line knowing that the entire unit is capable of doing its job at the highest level.
Georgia is no longer in a position where its “an injury away” or “trying to get by with a weak link” on the offensive line anymore. Sam Pittman’s bulldozer is fully operational.