As long as Kirby Smart has been the head coach at Georgia, whenever questions arise about his offensive line his standard answer has always been his desire to get the best five players on the field.

Could that desire create a change at one of its key positions?

For months, it’s been assumed that junior Jared Wilson would step in as the replacement for Sedrick Van Pran at center.

However, could Smart and offensive line coach Stacy Searels have second thoughts?

According to sources attending practices thus far, senior Tate Ratledge has received a lot of reps at center.

“I definitely got a lot more comfortable over the spring and during the summer I’ve continued to get more snaps,” Ratledge said last week.

Searels has always cross-trained members of his offensive line and it makes sense to have an experienced backup for Wilson just in case.

However, the added reps for Ratledge could also speak for the development of two of Georgia’s most dependable offensive linemen – Dylan Fairchild and Micah Morris.

The duo split time last season at left guard and were expected to do so again this fall. With Ratledge at center, Morris and Fairchild could both be on the field.

Maybe the coaches are trying to determine if a switch could make the offensive line even more imposing than expected.

Considering Ratledge’s extensive experience, a move would not come as a surprise.

“His maturity has grown. He's always been a great practice player. He loves football. He's become kind of the centerpiece of that group,” Smart said. “I think him coming back just validated to the others that they want to do something special. Both he and (Xavier) Truss made that decision. Their leadership has really been the different mindset, at least in the spring, in terms of our identity on offense and what they want to do in terms of forcing people into being physical. I could see it.

"It permeated our spring by the physicality that our offensive line played with, and they've got to continue to do that because they'll be challenged this year.”

Whether that means Ratledge will be under center when the Bulldogs take the field for the opener against Clemson, time will tell.

If it does, it sounds like he will be ready.

“Figuring out how to take a set at center, stuff like that and not treating it like I’m still at guard has been the biggest change,” Ratledge said. “But I’m getting a lot more comfortable at the position.”