Although Stacy Searels has drawn the ire of more than a few Georgia fans after what most agree was a sub-par year for the offensive line, players at last week’s NFL Combine support their former coach and the job he’s done since returning to Athens in 2022.

During last week’s Combine in Indianapolis, UGASports asked of Georgia’s former offensive linemen at the event to give their take. Former guard Dylan Fairchild did not make it out for an interview during his expected session.

Center Jared Wilson has known Searels longer than most.

Wilson originally committed to Searels when he was the offensive line coach at North Carolina. When Searels took the job at Georgia, his presence helped the center pick Georgia as his new home.

“Yeah, I was committed a little bit to Chapel Hill for a while, so me and Coach Searels talked a lot,” Wilson said. “We had already built a little bit of a relationship, so it was smooth when he came in.”

Unlike Wilson, Tate Ratledge did not have a previous relationship with Searels when he took over for Matt Luke in 2022.

Ratledge committed to Sam Pittman. When Pittman became the head coach at Arkansas, Ratledge was set to decommit until a phone call from the current Razorback coach changed his mind.

“Coach Pittman had left seven days before signing day, and I remember he called me and told me ‘Georgia's the place for you, that's where you need to go, that's where you're gonna get developed the most,” Ratledge said. “That phone call is one of the big reasons I ended up staying, going with Georgia.”

Ratledge worked under Luke for two seasons before spending the last three coached by Searels.

“There’s a big difference between both of them. Coach Searels has a lot more aggressive coaching style, which is something I really appreciate,” Ratledge said. “That’s how I've been coached my entire life with my dad and everything. Both coaches are great, both do a great job; it’s just a little bit different in coaching styles.”

Ratledge was asked if that “different style” ever “took some getting used to” by his former teammates.

“Yeah, I think so. It takes some people to get used to it, just because they haven't been coached like that before. But for me, it was a really quick adjustment,” Ratledge said. “Like I said, that's how I've been coached my whole life, and I feel like that's how I respond best.”

However, Ratledge admitted that last year’s offensive line did not have the season it hoped for.

The Bulldogs ranked next to last in the SEC in rushing (124.4 yards per game). While the offensive line is not entirely to blame for those troubles, players will tell you the season did not go quite as planned.

In pass protection, the Bulldogs were marginally better. Georgia allowed 25 sacks in its 14 games, tied for fifth-most in the league. Four of those came in the loss to Notre Dame, including a key one of Gunner Stockton late in the first half that led to the Irish adding a key touchdown en route to their 23-10 win.

Ratledge was asked if Searels was to blame.

“If you watch that film, most of it's on us. It's not coaching; it’s execution, taking the right steps, little things,” Ratledge said. “A lot of our success, or not having success last year, was more so on the players. That starts up front with us. Everybody knows we didn't have our best year, and we take full accountability for that.”

Xavier Truss said he enjoyed Searels' “tough love,” too.

“Yeah, man, I love Coach Searels. I think, you need a coach like Coach Searels to, excuse my language, light a fire under your ass when you need it,” Truss said. “When you're not in the building and it's not so serious. But when you're in the building, it's work. You're here to work. You have a job to do.

"Having Coach Searels as my coach, we got a lot of time to get together either at his house or off campus. We enjoy being around each other on a more personal level. We get to see both sides of Coach, but I respect his ability to pretty much gain the respect and attention of the room.”

Truss was asked if he thought Searels receives a bum rap.

“I think it all comes back down to us. We're a unit. It's how we play,” Truss said. “He's doing his best job that he can out there as a coach. If he wasn't, he wouldn't be the offensive line coach at Georgia. So, again, that kind of falls back on the O-line, and it's our responsibility to be a good reflection of our coach and our staff.”