The competition at both offensive guard spots has been one of the more interesting storylines for Georgia so far this spring.

The reason? There’s no shortage of worthy candidates.

Xavier Truss and Devin Willock are two attempting to make an impression.

The duo spoke to reporters following practice Tuesday afternoon, touching on their work thus far and their hopes for potentially earning starting roles this fall.

Truss wants to be more physical at the point of contact.

“Playing physical means finishing on a play, no matter if you make a mistake or not,” Truss said. “It’s covering down after a play is over, running and sprinting to the ball, and finishing. These are all factors that go into being an elite offensive lineman.”

So far, so good.

Truss was seen last week taking first-team reps at left guard, a position he started playing for the first time in his career last fall.

Willock, who is among those battling veteran Warren Ericson for the top spot at right guard, is banking on the lessons he learned playing on scout team against the likes of Jordan Davis and Devonte Wyatt.

It could be working.

Sources tell UGASports that Willock has indeed been pushing Ericson for playing time and is creating a situation that could bear watching moving forward.

“That’s been one of the biggest things for me, just to play against those guys day in and day out,” Willock said. “Especially on the scout team, I was playing multiple positions. I’d be playing guard, tackle, each side, so I was definitely getting better.”

Willock said he’s getting looks at both right and left guard.

“I’m just trying to do my part; that’s all I’m trying to do,” he said. “At the end of the day, I’ve got to be the best version of myself. And if I’m the best version of myself, I’m the best version for the team. That’s what I’m trying to do.”

For Truss, his introduction to playing guard came after starter Tate Ratledge went down with a Lisfranc injury in the opener.

Ratledge remains limited, but is expected to be ready for fall camp.

In the meantime, Truss knows he has an opportunity as optimal as he’ll ever have to impress new position coach Stacy Searels.

“It’s a very important spring, summer, and fall for me,” Truss said. “But I think as long as I’m playing to the best of my ability, collectively as a unit, the best five will be out there.”

Whether that’s Truss, Willock, or someone else, remains to be seen.

There’s no shortage of options. Sophomore Amarius Mims is a natural tackle but could get a look at playing inside. Others include Chad Lindberg, Micah Morris, Dylan Fairchild, and Jared Wilson.

“We’ve got a lot of talented guys on the team, and really just battling it out to be the best,” Willock said. “We’re a connected group. There’s a lot of us, and we’re just trying to do our part.”

Truss knows what it’s like to play an integral role.

He started at left tackle in Georgia’s Peach Bowl win over Cincinnati, and in the Bulldogs’ win at Tennessee, played in all but nine snaps after coming in for an injury to Ericson.

“That game (Tennessee) was a huge confidence booster,” Truss said. “That was my first game starting since the Cincinnati game, so it was nice to be out there and stepping in for Warren.”

Now in his second year at the position, Truss said his confidence has grown.

“I think definitely,” Truss said. “At first it was hard getting used to playing lower and playing a different position, but now being there for so long, I’m kind of getting used to it.”