No. 50 in our Roster Review series is yet another example of a Georgia player whose perseverance has started to pay off.
Redshirt sophomore Warren Ericson wasn’t the highest-recruited offensive lineman, compared to others brought in by the Bulldogs over the past three seasons. But that hasn’t kept the former North Gwinnett standout from becoming an integral part of Georgia's future plans.
His first two seasons saw Ericson play in a smattering of games, before getting his big break by starting the Sugar Bowl at right guard ahead of Ben Cleveland, who did not make the trip to New Orleans due to academic reasons.
By all accounts, he held up quite well, which you can read about here.
Ericson played every offensive snap in the win over Baylor, proving to new position coach Matt Luke that he’s capable of playing an expanded role for the team this fall.
The former four-star performer is versatile enough not only to play both guard positions; he has also worked at center, giving the Bulldogs another person to use in case of an emergency.
For more on Ericson:
Ericson was a part time player to start the year for Georgia, seeing action in just five games: Murray State, Arkansas State, Tennessee, Missouri and Georgia Tech.
It wasn't until the Sugar Bowl against Baylor that Ericson earned his first big break, getting the nod at right guard in place of Cleveland and from all accounts handled himself very well.
Ericson did get flagged for a holding call that drew the ire of head coach Kirby Smart, but otherwise he proved to be someone coaches can count on, should his role be expanded this fall.
With Cleveland back, Ericson is expected to return to a backup role.
Look for Ericson once again to see reps at right guard, but also at center in case of an emergency.
As of this writing, Ericson projects to be one of the first interior linemen off the bench for Georgia, with a chance to earn a starting role in 2021.
Darryl Gamble, Stan Dooley, Russ Tanner