Who Replaces Ratledge at Right Guard?
It didn't take long for Georgia to face its first serious injury since the start of the 2021 season as Tate Ratledge went down with a season-ending foot injury during the first drive against Clemson. Georgia for the most part came out of the game unscathed besides that, but now the question remains.
How does Georgia deal with the loss of Ratledge?
Head Coach Kirby Smart and Offensive Line Coach Matt Luke's immediate answer was to place Warren Ericsson in at guard for the rest of the night. Ericsson was manageable at the position but made a good bit of errors during the game.
Perhaps a week or two at the position would eliminate these errors as Ericsson has taken most of his snaps at center over the last several months. Ericsson is not the only possible long-term answer here, however.
Another option would be to bump Jamaree Salyer to guard. The long time Georgia left tackle is going to play guard at the next level, and stayed at UGA for 2021 to garner a higher draft grade. However, with Clemson as the first game of the season, Georgia saw it best to play him at tackle. His experience there was invaluable and he played well at the position. Moving Salyer would place him at his natural position, but it would then open up the left tackle position once more. Georgia could then move Broderick Jones, Amarius Mims, or even Xavier Truss into left tackle.
A player that can fill the gap is one that Dawgs Daily on SI has been high on. Jared Wilson has wowed the staff just as much as Mims has during the Spring and Summer camps, but Wilson is a guard through and through. Wilson is a freshman, but he is more than capable of taking the position vacated by Tate Ratledge.
There are a couple more options that are a bit more far-fetched, Owen Condon and Xavier Truss. Both have started at Georgia at the tackle positions, but both are capable of moving inside as well. Truss is a road grader who would be excellent in the run game, however, his pass protection is a little suspect. His size and athleticism are reminiscent of Georgia's previous right guard Ben Cleveland.
Owen Condon on the other hand is a little more of an enigma. He has less game tape, and what game tape he has isn't the best. That being said, Condon does have talent, and he could very well sneak into the conversation.
Georgia has plenty of options, and they have time. The next few weeks consist of UAB, South Carolina, and Vanderbilt. All of these should be easily winnable games for the top 5 ranked Bulldogs. There's enough time for them to find the best answer to this question.
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