Tag: georgia offensive line

What UGA offensive linemen have to step up with Tate Ratledge out

Two UGA offensive linemen have to step up with Tate Ratledge out

Georgia Bulldogs All-SEC offensive guard Tate Ratledge is out for an extended period of time after undergoing tightrope surgery on his ankle. Ratledge suffered his injury in the first half against Kentucky, so Georgia has a taste of life without their star offensive guard.

However, Georgia’s offense did not exactly perform as expected against Kentucky. The Bulldogs scored just 13 points and did not surpass 300 total yards of offense.

Georgia will have to rely on offensive guard Micah Morris to fill in for Tate Ratledge. Morris regularly receives snaps as part of Georgia’s offensive line rotation. Morris, who appeared in 13 games last season, has seen action in all three of Georgia’s games to start the 2024 season.

“We play Micah (Morris) a lot,” said Georgia coach Kirby Smart. “So, we have three guards that play. That’s why we do that because there’s a chance of injury and we play three guys. So, I didn’t see a lot different with him going out. Micah stepped in and played. Micah probably had to play more than he typically does, and he and Dylan (Fairchild) did a good job.”

Morris has plenty of experience and should be ready to step in. He’ll have an extra week to prepare for Georgia’s big road game against the Alabama Crimson Tide on Sept. 28.

Another offensive lineman that becomes more important with Tate Ratledge out is offensive tackle Monroe Freeling. The 6-foot-7, 315-pound offensive tackle has played in all three of Georgia’s games to start the 2024 season. Freeling, a sophomore, saw an uptick in snaps against Kentucky.

Who is the biggest player on Georgia football’s roster

Looking at the average size of the Georgia Bulldogs’ starting offensive line is bigger than an average NFL offensive lineman

The Georgia Bulldogs always have one of the biggest offensive lines in college football and the NFL. Georgia’s projected starting offensive line in 2024 is left tackle Earnest Greene, left guard Dylan Fairchild, center Jared Wilson, right guard Tate Ratledge and right tackle Xavier Truss.

The average size of a Georgia starting offensive lineman is 6-foot-5, 315-pounds. Georgia’s average starting lineman is larger than the average offensive lineman in the NFL, according to a recent University of Idaho study.

6-foot-7, 320-pound offensive tackle Xavier Truss is Georgia’s biggest starting lineman. However, he is not the biggest player on the Georgia team.

6-foot-11, 325-pound offensive tackle Jahzare Jackson, a former basketball player, is Georgia’s tallest player. 6-foot-8, 365-pound freshman offensive lineman Nyier Daniels is Georgia’s heaviest player.

Georgia has consistently had one of biggest offensive lines in the country, but in the Kirby Smart era, Georgia has also had one of the nation’s best offensive lines. Dating back to the 2018 NFL draft, Georgia has had five offensive linemen selected in the first-round.

Georgia is expected to have a strong offensive line again in 2024. The Bulldogs have four preseason All-SEC players along their offensive front.

Georgia football 2024 offensive line position preview

Previewing Georgia football’s offensive line depth chart. The Bulldogs return several experienced players from 2023

The Georgia Bulldogs are breaking in two new starters on the offensive line. Center Jared Wilson, who replaces Sedrick Van Pran, is the Bulldogs’ new anchor in the middle. Wilson has been battling injuries in fall camp, but participated in Georgia’s latest scrimmage.

Georgia will also have to replace star right tackle Amarius Mims, who was selected in the first-round of the 2024 NFL draft. Georgia is expected to turn to right tackle Xavier Truss. Truss is a second-team All-SEC selection.

Overall, Georgia’s offensive line is experienced and should be one of the best units in the country. In fact, Georgia has four All-SEC players on its offensive front.

Georgia returns All-American offensive guard Tate Ratledge (first-team All-SEC selection). The Bulldogs return second-team All-SEC guard Dylan Fairchild along with third-team All-SEC offensive tackle Earnest Greene.

Fans should expect Georgia to also rotate in Monroe Freeling and Micah Morris.

Georgia football’s depth chart at offensive line

Georgia Bulldogs offensive lineman Xavier Truss is a versatile player with experience at guard and tackle. Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Starting offensive line

Left tackle: Earnest Greene (Redshirt Sophomore)

Left guard: Dylan Fairchild (Redshirt Junior)

Center: Jared Wilson (Redshirt Junior)

Right guard: Tate Ratledge (Redshirt Senior)

Right tackle: Xavier Truss (Redshirt Senior)

Georgia’s top depth options

  1. Guard Micah Morris (Redshirt Junior)
  2. Tackle Monroe Freeling (Sophomore)
  3. Tackle Bo Hughley (Redshirt Freshman)
  4. Center Drew Bobo (Redshirt Sophomore)
  5. Guard Daniel Calhoun (Freshman)

Georgia’s depth options do drop off after Monroe Freeling. The Bulldogs’ top seven offensive linemen would start for most major college football programs.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Georgia football begins the 2024 college football season against the Clemson Tigers in Atlanta on Aug. 31 at noon ET.

Projecting Georgia’s starting offensive line ahead of spring practice

UGA football returns an experienced, physical offensive front

The Georgia offensive line should be a team strength in 2024. The Bulldogs return experienced seniors in Tate Ratledge and Xavier Truss, who both could have entered the NFL draft.

Georgia did lose center Sedrick Van Pran and right tackle Amarius Mims to the NFL draft. Van Pran’s experience and consistency will be tough to replace. Georgia got a taste of life without Amarius Mims throughout the 2023 season because he missed several weeks with an ankle injury.

Ultimately, Georgia returns three starters from its offensive line and should have one of the best offensive line units in the country. Georgia’s offensive line returns an impressive amount of depth, so the Bulldogs have several good options in the event a starter suffers an injury. In recent seasons, Georgia has rotated the offensive line to keep players fresh.

What five players do we project to start along Georgia’s offensive line entering spring practice? Who are Georgia’s top depth options behind the starters?

Projecting Georgia’s starting offensive line

Who do we project to start at every position on Georgia’s offensive line?

The Georgia Bulldogs should have one of the best offensive lines in the country again in 2023. Georgia’s ability to pass protect and establish the run is a major reason the Bulldogs have won back-to-back national titles.

Georgia returns all three starters from the interior of the 2022 offensive line. The Bulldogs also return offensive tackle Amarius Mims, who is a first-team All-SEC selection. Overall, Georgia has four offensive linemen on the All-SEC team. The offensive line should remain a strength of Georgia’s in 2023 thanks to all of the returning experience and talent.

Who do we project to start at every position on Georgia’s offensive line?

Georgia OL Tate Ratledge talks Bulldogs offensive line battle

“We have a lot of competition going on. [We’re] just competing every day and with a lot of depth”

One of Georgia football’s biggest questions for the 2023 season is along the offensive line.

The Bulldogs lose starting left tackle Broderick Jones and starting right tackle Warren McClendon to this year’s NFL draft.

Starting center Sedrick Van Pran elected to delay turning pro and will be back as the anchor up front, along with starting left guard Xavian Truss and starting right guard Tate Ratledge.

Ratledge, a rising redshirt junior, spoke on the changes along the Georgia offensive line after a spring practice session last week.

“We have a lot of competition going on. [We’re] just competing every day and with a lot of depth, I think one of Coach Searels’ goals is to find a starting five and then find a backup group where there’s not much drop-off. I think right now we do a lot where everybody gets a lot of reps, so there’s no telling [who will play where]. People are getting a lot of reps every practice.”

Rising junior Amarius Mims is a key contender at right tackle. The former five-star prospect saw action as a reserve in 12 games in 2022.

Ratledge mentioned Mims has a different mindset so far this offseason.

“He’s gotten very mature with how he goes about things, just coming into practice, not really taking plays off and things like that,” Ratledge said. “[He’s] just going out there and grinding every day and just really stepping into the shoes that he’s got to fill.”

Rising redshirt junior Austin Blaske and rising redshirt freshman Earnest Greene are battling for the left tackle spot. Blaske appeared in nine games last season and Greene missed the season due to injury.

There is plenty of time to make decisions of how the offensive front will look for the Bulldogs. The talent is there but finding continuity is the challenge.

Ratledge says the impact of the returning starters is helping the process.

“I think we have a couple guys that have been through it and know what to do, can really help the young guys come along and kind of take people under their wing and kind of show them the way.”

You can catch the Dawgs live from Sanford Stadium in the annual ‘G-Day’ game scheduled for April 15.

 

UGA offensive line deserves credit for dominant season, CFP performance

The Georgia offensive line was superb in pass protection all season

The Georgia offensive line deserves a lot of credit for its role in helping the Bulldogs win back-to-back national championships. Last year, Broderick Jones stepped into the starting line up against Will Anderson and Alabama and helped turn the tide in Georgia’s 33-18 win.

This year, Georgia’s offensive front absolutely dominated TCU in the national championship. For a second straight year, Georgia leaned on a former five-star recruit, who had not been starting, in key moments throughout the College Football Playoff. In 2022, the Dawgs relied on Amarius Mims after the usual starting right tackle, Warren McClendon, suffered a knee injury in the SEC championship.

The 2022 Georgia offensive line was particularly effective as pass blockers. Broderick Jones, Xavier Truss, Sedrick Van Pran, Tate Ratledge, and company allowed just nine sacks in 15 games this season. In 2022, Georgia attempted 492 passes, which means that the Bulldogs allowed sacks on 1.8% of passing plays or approximately every 55 pass attempts.

PFF pointed out Georgia’s dominance against TCU and claims the Dawgs only allowed three pressures. Quarterback Stetson Bennett was barely touched in Georgia’s championship win.

Georgia’s offensive front gave Stetson Bennett just enough time to pass, despite being in obvious passing situations, in the Dawgs’ CFP semifinals win over Ohio State.

Georgia had its best offensive attack in a longtime (or maybe its best offense ever) thanks in large part to the offensive line. Georgia scored 44 rushing touchdowns and averaged 501.1 total yards per game in 2022.

The Great Wall of Georgia brought physicality, toughness, and a championship in the first year under offensive line coach Stacy Searles. Georgia’s quarterbacks stayed clean and were rarely flustered by the opposing pass rush.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbz2y40j067srkf player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=]

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Georgia Bulldogs OL transfers to SMU

The Georgia Bulldogs lost some depth along the offensive line when Owen Condon announced his transfer to the SMU Mustangs football program.

Georgia Bulldogs offensive lineman Owen Condon has transferred to the SMU Mustangs football program. Condon has played in 22 career games for Georgia across four seasons.

The 6-foot-7, 310-pound senior out of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, should have more opportunities for playing time at SMU. Condon faced stout competition along the offensive line at Georgia.

He played in 14 out of 15 games for UGA in 2021, but primarily had a reserve role after starting the 2020 season opener against Arkansas. Condon will hope to start for SMU. Condon is a former three-star recruit from Bishop McGuinness High School.

Former Georgia offensive lineman Owen Condon during the Peach Bowl. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

The Bulldogs are losing a pair of offensive line starters in Jamaree Salyer and Justin Shaffer to the 2022 NFL draft. Georgia will reload with elite offensive line talent like Broderick Jones, Amarius Mims, and more.

Owen Condon announced his transfer to SMU via his Twitter account:

We wish Condon luck at SMU. He is transferring a little bit closer to home and should have a big role for the Mustangs in the American Athletic Conference.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

How good was Georgia’s OL under former coach Matt Luke?

UGA’s front under Matt Luke…

Georgia’s offensive line coach for the last two seasons, Matt Luke, elected to step down shortly after the Bulldogs’ national title citing family reasons.

You might hear Dawg fans who are thankful for Luke’s departure, but the reality is that UGA’s front under the former Ole Miss head coach was one of the best in the SEC.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CaTT008FoBn/?utm_medium=copy_link

Luke also helped build a wall of talent. While in Athens, Luke was involved in the recruitment of two five-star and three four-star lineman, including Broderick Jones (5), Amarius Mims (5), Tate Ratledge (4), Aliou Bah (4) and Earnest Greene (4).

While I wouldn’t be worried about coach Kirby Smart finding a quality replacement for Luke, his impact on this Georgia team was undeniable and that UGA front was a big part of the Bulldogs’ national title.

Here are a few names to keep an eye out for as Smart and staff look for a new captain up front.

 

Projecting UGA’s depth chart at offensive tackle

The Georgia Bulldogs need a good performance out of their offensive line in 2021.

The Georgia Bulldogs need a good performance out of their offensive line in 2021. Quarterback JT Daniels isn’t the most mobile athlete, so the offensive line’s protection of him will be critical, especially in week one against Clemson’s talented defensive line.

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart and offensive line coach Matt Luke has built up some quality talent along the offensive front. The Dawgs should have a strong running game again in 2021.

Can Georgia’s offensive line avoid poor performances this season? Last year, the offensive line and running backs surprisingly could not establish the run against Mississippi State. Georgia still beat Mississippi State, but the Dawgs needs to be able to run the ball effectively against each of their opponents this year.

How does Georgia’s depth chart stack up at offensive tackle?