Offensive line outlook

After having three players drafted off its offensive line—including first-rounders Andrew Thomas and Isaiah Wilson—there obviously will be some restructuring that will have to take place up front for Georgia.

Fortunately, first-year offensive line coach Matt Luke has plenty of options, suggesting that Georgia’s new-look offensive line might not be as vulnerable as some might have you to believe.

Although there are certainly favorites to come in four of the five position battles, competition promises to be keen.

Jamaree Salyer (left tackle), Justin Shaffer (left guard), Trey Hill (center) and Ben Cleveland (right guard) in my opinion will enter the season as four of the five starters. That leaves right tackle, where you could see a host of players in the running to replace Isaiah Wilson. This group could include the likes of Warren McClendon, Xavier Truss, and freshman Tate Ratledge.

-- Returning Scholarship Players --

(Projected starters in bold)

Jamaree Salyer (LT)

Justin Shaffer (LG)

Trey Hill (C)

Ben Cleveland (RG)

Warrren McClendon (RT)

Xavier Truss

Warren Ericson

Clay Webb

Owen Condon

Netori Johnson

-- Newcomers --

Chad Lindberg

Austin Blaske

Devin Willock

Sedrick Van Pran

Broderick Jones

Tate Ratledge

-- Starting jobs up for grabs--

• Left tackle: Jamaree Salyer is the heavy favorite to start, but redshirt freshmen Xavier Truss and Warren McClendon are expected also to get looks. Freshman Austin Blaske will also work out at the position, we understand.

• Left guard: Justin Shaffer was cleared in January, after missing most of the year with a neck injury. He has two career starts under his belt, but will need to hold off Clay Webb and Warren Ericson.

• Center: Trey Hill isn’t perfect, but finished the year strong and will be the starter again this fall. His backups are expected to come from a list that includes Warren Ericson, Clay Webb, and Sedrick Van Pran.

• Right guard: Cleveland is the solid favorite to be the starting right guard after missing the Sugar Bowl for academic reasons. Warren Ericson started in his place during the Sugar Bowl and proved quite capable, while Clay Webb will also get a look. Of the freshmen, Chad Lindberg appears to be another option.

• Right tackle: If Broderick Jones wasn’t injured and expected to miss an untold amount of time, it would be tempting to put him here. But since that’s not expected to be the case, we’ll call this a battle between Warren McClendon and Xavier Truss, but keep an eye on true freshman Tate Ratledge.

-- Mr. Intrigue --

This is a good question as it pertains to the offensive line. There are several players you wonder about, how quickly will they adjust, how fast will they be able to contribute and where. But for today’s purposes, we’ll go with senior Justin Shaffer. Shaffer was an afterthought for some when he signed out of Cedar Grove as a relatively unheralded three-star prospect. For his first three seasons, he played primarily a backup role, only to suffer a neck injury that cost him most of last year. Now healthy, Shaffer is primed to be Georgia’s starter at left guard.

-- His time to shine --

That would be Jamaree Salyer. For arguably any other team, Salyer would already be a seasoned starter. Yet because of Georgia’s recent depth, his first real opportunity will come this season—at left tackle. Ironically, that’s the one position where Salyer hasn’t practiced until this year, but there’s little doubt this former five-star has all the tools it takes to be very successful.