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Published Jan 24, 2019
Next in line
Anthony Dasher  •  UGASports
Editor

Georgia has the reputation for being Running Back U, a moniker that’s suddenly hard to dispute now that Todd Gurley and Sony Michel will be starting in opposing backfields in next week’s Super Bowl.

But did you know that’s not the only position where Georgia can lay such a claim? The Bulldogs have historically produced an impressive list of centers who have gone on to achieve greatness, not only in the SEC, but also in the NFL.

Of course, David Andrews’ name jumps immediately to mind.

A non-draftee free agent, Andrews will be playing in his third straight Super Bowl for the Patriots.

He hasn’t been the only former Bulldog to make his mark at the position.

Ben Jones parlayed an All-SEC career into a strong NFL run. Old-timers will remember names like Ray Donaldson and Len Hauss, while multi-year starters such as Russ Tanner, Brandon Kublanow, and of late Lamont Galliard, all became household names.

So who’s next?

With the graduation of Galliard, the starting job will be wide open when the Bulldogs kick off spring practice in March.

Trey Hill, Jamaree Salyer, Warren Ericson and possibly early enrollee Clay Webb each figure to get reps at the position at the very least.

If we had to guess, Hill figures to have the best shot.

The former Houston County product began the season as the No. 2 backup, then replaced Galliard early in the game at Kentucky after the senior hyper-extended his knee.

Hill played the rest of the game, and with the exception of a high snap that resulted in one of Georgia’s two fumbles on the day, the former Houston County standout appeared to play well.

“To be honest with you, there were times this year during fall camp, when we thought Trey Hill may be a starter,” Smart said after the game. “We kind of tossed the idea around a lot of times. He’s just continued to work."

Quarterback Jake Fromm was also impressed, not just with Hill’s play but the fact Georgia is now at the point where it can adjust personnel and not have it hamper the effectiveness of the offense.

“Coach Pittman gets those guys just on another level as far as mentally and physically, playing with the offensive line, and Trey was ready,” Fromm said. “We helped each other out a lot today, and it was awesome to see.”

If Hill does win the job, he’ll likely go into the Georgia record book as the largest Bulldog to ever play the position.

Previous Georgia centers have typically come in at around 300 pounds—maybe a little less, maybe a little more.

Not Hill. At 6-foot-4 and 330 pounds, the former four-star would easily become the biggest to line up at the position. Salyer (325) and Ericson (315) wouldn’t exactly be small, either.

“Trey’s done a tremendous job,” Smart said. “Here’s a guy who got plugged in and had to play against Kentucky. He did a fabulous job in that game to come in and execute at a high level. He’s played well.”

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