Tag: Warren Ericson

Former Georgia OL returns to UGA, takes coaching role

Former UGA OL Warren Ericson joins the Georgia football coaching staff

A former Georgia offensive lineman is headed back to Athens. On Tuesday, Warren Ericson joined the Bulldogs’ coaching staff as a graduate assistant. He will serve under offensive line coach Stacey Searels.

Ericson played multiple positions along UGA’s offensive front during the back-to-back national championship seasons in 2021 and 2022. He signed with the Bulldogs in 2018 as a four-star recruit who was the No. 5 center in his class per the 247Sports composite.

He appeared in 36 games as a Bulldog, including 14 starts. Ericson went undrafted in the 2023 NFL draft before signing a minicamp deal with the Denver Broncos. Ericson joined Wofford as an offensive quality control coach before announcing his return to his alma matter.

The move comes after Georgia offensive line assistant Jeremy King accepted the offensive line coach’s role at Western Carolina last week.

Ericson adds to a coaching staff that features a slew of Georgia graduates, most notably head coach Kirby Smart, wide receivers coach Brian McClendon, offensive coordinator Mike Bobo and defensive analyst Will Muschamp.

You love to see former Dawgs returning to Athens to coach!

Versatile Georgia OL declares for 2023 NFL draft

Georgia offensive lineman Warren Ericson is entering the 2023 NFL draft

Georgia offensive lineman Warren Ericson is entering the 2023 NFL draft. Ericson, who was originally a member of the class of 2018, had one year of eligibility remaining.

The former four-star recruit played in more than 10 of Georgia’s games during the 2022 college football season. Ericson, who has played both center and offensive guard for Georgia, started at right guard for 14 of Georgia’s 15 games back in 2021.

The 6-foot-4, 305-pound offensive lineman closes his career as a back-to-back national champion. Offensive tackles Warren McClendon and Broderick Jones also declared for the 2023 NFL draft.

Georgia returns a great deal of talent along the offensive front. Amarius Mims and Tate Ratledge are expected to anchor Georgia’s offensive line in 2023 along with offensive guard Xavier Truss.

Warren Ericson wrote a nice note to the University of Georgia community to thank everyone for his time in Athens.

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Report: UGA Preseason All-SEC center Trey Hill out indefinitely

Georgia senior guard Trey Hill is sidelined indefinitely after undergoing two arthroscopic surgeries. Details here

According to a report from 247Sports that has since been confirmed by multiple sources, Georgia senior guard Trey Hill is sidelined indefinitely after undergoing arthroscopic surgery to repair minor injuries to both knees.

The news comes just a few days after the Bulldogs’ Preseason All-SEC  center was tabbed as the highest-graded interior lineman by Pro Football Focus after his performance in Georgia’s 45-16 win versus South Carolina.

Hill has been Georgia’s anchor at center for 22 straight starts, earning AP All-SEC 2nd team honors in 2019.

The Warner Robins, Georgia, native is out for the Bulldog’s matchup with Vanderbilt this Saturday and will likely miss the rest of the season including the Missouri makeup game that will either be played Dec. 12 or Dec 19 and bowl appearance.

Georgia can turn to sophomore guard Warren Ericson, who started the 2019 Sugar Bowl versus Baylor at center and has seen time at both right guard and center this season, or true freshman Sedric Van Pran, the top center prospect of the 2020 recruiting class.

If Hill was limited by these knee injuries, however minor they may be, it’s smart to clean up things through surgery now as he is set to enter the 2021 NFL Draft this spring.

I’ll miss watching Hill dominate defensive lines, but the Bulldogs should be in good hands with Ericson and Van Pran moving forward.

Here’s a look back at one of Hill’s best plays versus South Carolina last week.

Make sure you’re caught up on Georgia football before the Bulldogs take on Vanderbilt this Saturday! I break it down in this week’s episode of the UGA Football Live with J.C. Shelton. I’m joined by special guest Chris Milton, UGA running back Kendall Milton’s dad. We talk about Kendall’s transition from recruit to freshman standout and how he’s progressing from his knee injury. Listen here:

2020 CFB countdown: 50 days until Georgia football

Join us as we count down the days until Georgia kicks off Sept. 7!

There are 50 days until Georgia is scheduled to kick off versus Virginia in Atlanta on Sept. 7

Georgia guard, No. 50, Warren Ericson is a redshirt sophomore from Suwanee, Georgia.

In 2019, Ericson saw action in six games and started at right guard against Baylor in the Sugar Bowl. Part of Georgia’s 2017 No. 1 ranked recruiting class, Ericson was rated as the No. 12 guard and the No. 5 center out of North Gwinnett High School.

Because of former Georgia guard Cade May’s transfer to Tennessee and Ben Cleveland’s history of injuries, Ericson should see plenty of game time in 2020.

See our projected 2020 offensive depth chart here.

UGA football player card: OL Justin Shaffer

Georgia Bulldogs offensive lineman Justin Shaffer will be a key player along the University of Georgia’s offensive front in 2020

Justin Shaffer, Offensive Line (#54):

Class: Senior

Height: 6-4

Weight: 330 pounds

Hometown: Ellenwood, Georgia

High School: Cedar Grove High School

Georgia Bulldogs offensive lineman Justin Shaffer will be a key player along the University of Georgia’s offensive front in 2020. Shaffer played in six games last season and missed the rest due to a scary neck injury. He’s since been medically cleared to return to football.

Shaffer has played in 26 games throughout his career, primarily at offensive guard. His experience will be valuable heading into the 2020 season. Matt Luke and Georgia’s offensive line is replacing several NFL draft picks.

Shaffer helped the Dawgs have college football’s top offensive line last season.

Shaffer is putting in some work this off-season:

Shaffer, Warren Ericson, Ben Cleveland, Jamaree Salyer, and several talented freshman are projected to compete at offensive guard next season. Georgia’s offensive line will have to grow a lot before the Bulldogs face off against the Alabama Crimson Tide in September.

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UGA football player card: OL Warren Ericson

Georgia Bulldogs offensive lineman Warren Ericson came to Athens as a four-star offensive guard recruit out of North Gwinnett High School.

Warren Ericson, Offensive Line (#50):

Class: Redshirt sophomore

Height: 6-4

Weight: 305 pounds

Hometown: Suwanee, Georgia

High School: North Gwinnett High School

Georgia Bulldogs offensive lineman Warren Ericson came to Athens as a well regarded four-star offensive guard recruit out of North Gwinnett High School. Ericson enrolled early in Athens and ended up playing in three games as a freshman. During this season he took a redshirt.

Ericson played in six games last season including the Sugar Bowl, where he started at right guard. This one game of starting experience will be valuable heading into the 2020 season. Georgia is replacing several NFL draft picks along the offensive front and can use an experienced lineman like Ericson.

He played a role on college football’s top offensive line last season:

Ericson, Ben Cleveland, Jamaree Salyer, and several talented freshman are projected to compete at offensive guard next season.

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Which UGA o-lineman has most to gain this spring?

With so many starting spots available, who will offensive line coach Matt Luke turn to during his inaugural season in Athens?

Following the departure of former offensive line coach Sam Pittman, the new head coach at the University of Arkansas, multiple Bulldogs he recruited to the University of Georgia followed suit.

Tackle Isaiah Wilson, a redshirt sophomore, declared early for the NFL Draft. Fellow tackle and projected first round pick Andrew Thomas did as well following his junior season. Relatively surprisingly, guard Solomon Kindley made the same decision despite qualifying for a redshirt senior season.

Cade Mays, the first Georgia Bulldog since Jonas Jennings to play all five OL positions in red and black, transferred to Tennessee to play with his younger brother in Knoxville for their father’s alma mater.

Center Trey Hill and guard/tackle Ben Cleveland are the only holdovers to start on the Bulldogs’ offensive line. Both players are entering their final season of eligibility.

With so many starting spots available, who will offensive line coach Matt Luke turn to during his inaugural season in Athens?

Xavier Truss:

Assuming Ben Cleveland gets early reps at right tackle (if not right guard), the left tackle spot will be wide open and thus attainable for the redshirt freshman Truss. At six-foot-seven and 330 pounds, he’s got the length and mass necessary to protect right-handed grad transfer QB Jamie Newman’s blindside. Combine that with the motor and footwork necessary to facilitate outside run plays and he may just be the Dawgs’ best fit at LT.

Warren Ericson:

Following injuries and the several aforementioned early NFL Draft declarations, Ericson started at right guard in January’s Sugar Bowl win over Baylor. In 2020, the redshirt sophomore may have to rotate behind seniors Cleveland and Justin Shaffer at either of the guard positions, but can put himself in a good position to secure solid substitute reps before Cleveland and Shaffer exhaust their eligibility. Matt Luke clearly sees something in Ericson.

Warren McClendon:

The younger of the OL’s two Warrens, McClendon shares with Ericson ample opportunity to break into the starting lineup. With both tackle spots ripe for the taking, McClendon can compete with Truss at left tackle, but seems more suited for right tackle as his size. The cousin of former Georgia running back Bryan McClendon saw limited action in 2019 but has the skills and build to impose his will upon SEC defenders in 2020.

Justin Shaffer:

Shaffer has patiently waited his turn to start on the Bulldogs’ offensive line, and an untimely injury extended that timeline. He made his first career start against Tennessee and started every play of the game. In his start against South Carolina, a neck injury sidelined Shaffer for the remainder of the regular season. After having fully recovered from his injury, he’s deserved his time to show out in the trenches for the Dawgs and is expected to be a mainstay on Georgia’s 2020 offensive line.

Georgia can dominate the offensive trenches in 2020

The University of Georgia football team lost an abundance of talent in the offensive trenches this off-season.

Kirby Smart and the University of Georgia lost an abundance of talent in the trenches this off-season. Georgia is losing four starting offensive linemen from the 2019 season. Kirby Smart recruits aggressively so the Dawgs can reload and not rebuild.

Center Trey Hill will be the only returning start from 2019’s line. That doesn’t mean UGA will lack talent in 2020. The Bulldogs return numerous offensive linemen  (in addition to Hill) with valuable experience including: Justin Shaffer (now healthy), Ben Cleveland, and Jamaree Salyer. Georgia will need each of their experience in the week three trip to Tuscaloosa to face Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide.

In fact, Georgia’s returning linemen are among the best in the SEC, per PFF’s Brent Rollins:

Georgia will have three of the top-graded returning nine offensive linemen in the SEC. The Dawgs additionally added five-star offensive tackle Broderick Jones, four-star Tate Ratledge, top-rated center Sedrick Van Pran, four-star offensive tackle Chad Lindberg, and a pair of three-star linemen in the class of 2020.

One of the talented newcomers will likely work their way into the line-up, possibly two. Georgia also returns Warren Ericson, who started at right guard in the Sugar Bowl against Baylor, 2019 five-star center Clay Webb, Warren McClendon, Xavier Truss, Owen Condon, and more.

The biggest question mark for UGA is who will replace stud left tackle Andrew Thomas? That may be too big of an adjustment for five-star freshman Broderick Jones, but he’s the best bet to take over that position. Aside from left tackle, quality depth is the second biggest concern along Georgia’s offensive line. Kirby Smart will rely on new offensive line coach Matt Luke to get the most of the talented group.

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