Georgia's O-Line Ranks 2nd Among SEC Despite Concerns about experience
Georgia listed as having the second-highest grade for returning offensive lines for the 20/21 season according to PFF. Why is that impressive? Because only two lineman with ten or more starts remain. (Trey Hill with 18 and Ben Cleveland with 16)
The “Wall of Georgia” lost Andrew Thomas, Solomon Kindley, and Isaiah Wilson to the 2020 NFL Draft, Thomas, and Wilson going in the First Round. Then in the off-season, after a wild story involving a folding chair and a severed pinky, Cade Mays announced his decision to transfer to Tennessee.
With the loss of these four starters, having 115 combined starts amongst them, one would think it could be a rebuilding year on the line with such little game experience. Fortunately for Georgia fans, the Kirby Smart era has changed the University of Georgia football program from a team that rebuilds, to a team that reloads.
Offensive Line and Assistant Head Coach, Matt Luke appears to be picking up right where Sam Pittman left off, scoring 4 and 5-star lineman left, right and center. Another note to add is the offensive changes coming to Georgia this season.
With new OC Todd Monken, it appears that he may try to replicate the success Joe Brady had at LSU with more of a spread offense. As we mentioned in a previous article, Jamaree Salyer entered college at 342 pounds and has dropped down to 309 in the off-season. This indicates an O-Line that will see a lot more horizontal movement and pulls which require that extra agility.
It's worth noting as well that Sam Pittman's tenure at Georgia wasn't just about recruiting some of the nation's top talents along the offensive line, but once those players arrived on campus, he rotated the unit more than almost any program in the country. This decision to get players much needed playing time instead of sticking with a traditional five-man front has lead to this much-needed experience when players depart at the rate in which they did this offseason.
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