Analysis: Five offensive players missing spring drills the most

With the SEC putting the kibosh on any team and individual practices, meetings, or organized activities through May 31 due to COVID-19, college football teams are obviously going to have a lot of catching up to do once they're ultimately allowed to proceed.

There’s no doubt the canceling of spring practice will have an effect on the players who needed that time to develop.

Below, here are five offensive players who will feel those effects the most.

We’ve received glowing reports from head coach Kirby Smart regarding Newman, who he says has been a quick study and has been working extremely well with his new teammates.

Still, considering both Newman and offensive coordinator Todd Monken are both in their first years with the program, the fact neither are going to have the 15 days of spring practice under their belts when workouts ultimately do resume is a big blow.

Although Newman should be up to snuff when it comes to the plays, there’s nothing like being able to build chemistry on the field with his new team. Hopefully, he and the rest of the offense will be quick studies. They’ll need to in order to make up for the lost time.

Although he’s a veteran, Shaffer missed eight weeks last year with a neck injury. Despite the fact he’s been cleared for weeks, missing out on the spring will cost him some valuable preparation time.

Shaffer would have been able to shake off whatever cobwebs remained following what was a scary injury.

With some talented players coming into the fold, Shaffer could also have used the time to establish himself as the man to beat for the starting job at left guard.

Truthfully, we probably could have plugged in any of Georgia’s receivers here.

As we mentioned earlier, spring practice was when coaches were hoping Newman and all the Bulldogs’ receivers would start building chemistry. Instead, now it’s going to take a little more time.

But back to Robertson. The reason we included the former five-star here is that Robertson is still the same talented player he’s always been.

He’s still just as fast, and he’s still just as capable of making big plays. Because of that, the quicker he perfects his timing with Newman, the bigger of a threat he’ll become in the fall. Newman throws a great deep ball, and Robertson can go get it. They just have to be on the same page.

Georgia’s depth at running back is such that Milton wasn’t being asked to come in and be the man right off the bat.

Nevertheless, as with any freshman running back, the reps he would have received in spring surely would have been a benefit.

At the minimum, it would have given him the edge over incoming freshman Daijun Edwards. Now, at least from a practice standpoint, the two will be starting from scratch, so to speak. Milton will have had meetings, and will have an advanced knowledge of the new offense. That will help him in picking up his assignments, especially in pass protection.

Milton will obviously still be in a position to make an early contribution, even if the lack of spring may delay his immediate impact.

Salyer, we understand, is expected to get looks at left tackle for the Bulldogs, a position he’s yet to play collegiately, so he certainly would have benefited from any reps he could have received this spring.

Fortunately, Salyer is arguably Georgia’s most technically sound offensive linemen, so hopefully the time away won’t hurt him quite so much.

Salyer may not be the prototypical left tackle, but folks said the same about Isaiah Wynn, and he turned out OK.