When spring practice begins for Georgia two months from now in March, Isaiah Wilson says he’ll be ready to go.
“I feel I know the whole playbook,” Wilson said. “I feel that I can be really good under Coach (Sam) Pittman.”
That’s just what the Bulldogs are counting on.
After announcing that Andrew Thomas would be moving from right to left tackle as the replacement for Isaiah Wynn, Pittman tabbed Wilson and true freshman Cade Mays as the two top candidates to take over the vacant right tackle spot.
With his redshirt season now behind him, Wilson says he’s better prepared to make his claim.
Although many felt the former five-star would have the opportunity to perhaps start as a true freshman, the Brooklyn native acknowledged sitting out last season was the best decision for him.
“I think the redshirt year was the best thing that could have happened to me, honestly,” he said. “It helped me a ton. I’m a way better player, my weight’s more in check; I just feel a lot better.”
At 6-foot-7, Wilson has never been a small man, although the Brooklyn native laughs there’s actually a lot less of him than there used to be.
“I’m at 330 … 50 pounds lighter,” said Wilson, whose major goal when he got to Athens was to get in better shape.
It wasn’t easy.
“It was an adjustment heat wise,” Wilson said. “It can get real humid out there, so you get tired, you can’t really breathe; it was a big adjustment.”
Should Wilson earn a starting role, the Bulldogs would potentially have one of the biggest lines in the SEC.
Consider this: Left tackle Thomas (320), left guard Kendall Baker (6-6, 305), center Lamont Gaillard (6-3, 310), right guard Ben Cleveland (6-6, 340) and Wilson (6-7, 330).
Add in returnees that include Solomon Kindley (6-4, 330), Pat Allen (6-4, 300), D’Marcus Hayes (6-5, 315) and Justin Shaffer (6-5, 340), redshirt freshman Netori Johnson (6-4, 330), along with incoming freshmen Jamaree Salyer (6-4, 305), Mays (6-5, 300), Trey Hill (6-4, 330), Warren Erickson (6-4, 290) and Owen Condon (6-7, 270), the Bulldogs won’t be lacking for size.
“I’m proud of what we’ve done recruiting wise,” Pittman said. “It’s still yet to be seen if it will work out like we think it’s going to work out, but I know we’ve got high character kids that work, so we think we will be OK.”
So, does Wilson.
“The sky is the limit,” Wilson said. “We have all the potential in the world, all the talent in the world in my opinion, we have one of the greatest OL coaches … The sky is the limit.”