There are position battles raging on in Athens this preseason for the Georgia Bulldogs. They’ll begin their fall camp on Tuesday, when they hit the field for the first time.
This is where we take a look at the positions of importance for the Bulldogs.
Center
Right now, junior Brandon Kublanow is listed as the first team option at this position. Just behind him is senior Hunter Long. I’ve maintained all along that I felt this is the position of most important to fill and do it quickly. Why? Georgia’s calling card last year and likely this year will be the running game. Strong offensive line play is needed to make this so. The center needs to know his job and everyone else’s job on the offensive line. Plus, he needs to be an extension of the quarterback. If it is Kublanow, they will have experience on the offensive line. The only issue is that none of it is at center.
Quarterback
The success of a team is predicated on the play of the quarterback. Does he put the offense in the best position to be effective? Does he take care of the football? As we heard from SEC on CBS Analyst Gary Danielson, these two things are exactly what Georgia needs out of their quarterback. They don’t need game-changing QB play, but they need good quarterback play. We’ve been told all along that it is close between redshirt sophomore Brice Ramsey, junior Faton Bauta and now junior transfer Grayson Lambert from Virginia. If it is still close come the final scrimmage of the fall, then look for Ramsey to get the call.
Inside Linebacker
This is a position group that has featured standout play over the past couple of seasons by the likes of Ramik Wilson and Amarlo Herrera. As of right now, the depth chart has Reggie Carter and Tim Kimbrough with the first team. Carter is also listed with Leonard Floyd as an option at the ‘Mike’ linebacker. We could also be seeing the likes of senior transfer from UAB Jake Ganus and freshman Natrez Patrick from Mays HS. This group needs to be strong in the middle of the field and make sure the Bulldogs defense can stop the run. True freshman RoQuan Smith has also been impressive to upper classmen during the summer workouts, according to what senior left tackle John Theus told 247Sports.com.
Wide Receiver
The passing game was not as strong in 2014 as Georgia fans had gotten accustomed to seeing in the last few years. Now you also lose leading pass catchers Chris Conley and Michael Bennett. The good news is that Malcolm Mitchell is 100 percent healthy from the torn ACL that ended his 2013 season prematurely and kept him out for the first three games of last season. It will also help if the Bulldogs can get the Justin Scott-Wesley of early 2013 back this season. He also missed most of that year with a torn ACL. It will also be interesting to see how new offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer uses Isaiah McKenzie in the passing game. Did we get a nice preview in the ‘G-Day’ game with the 73 yard touchdown hookup from Brice Ramsey? Players like Reggie Davis, Kenneth Towns, Clay Johnson will also likely be looked upon to make plays too. Absent on the unofficial depth chart was five-star true freshman Terry Godwin. Look for him to factor as well.
Defensive Line
This group of the defense has been looked upon for the last few seasons to be solid with their production. That is exactly what they have been. This year they’ll try to replace the production from linemen like Ray Drew, Toby Johnson, and Mike Thornton. At the moment Sterling Bailey, John Atkins and Josh Dawson are listed as the first team defensive linemen. Returning players like James DeLoach and Chris Mayes are also going to be looked upon to contribute this season. True freshman Jonathan Ledbetter impressed head coach Mark Richt and others during spring practice as an early enrollee. The Tucker-product is right now listed as the second team defensive end. We have not yet seen fellow freshman Michael Barnett on the field, because he missed all of the spring with a shoulder issue that he had repaired. He is expected to be ready to compete on Tuesday and is right now listed as the fourth defensive tackle. Who can forget about the best prospect in the state, Trent Thompson? By all reports, Thompson is expected to play meaningful snaps early in his career.
–
These are the five position groups of note to look out for as the Bulldogs take to the practice field on Tuesday. As is usually the case, what unforeseen position battles could we see once the players get on the field?
Loading ...
