As Austin Blaske and Earnest Greene III compete for the starting job at left tackle, Kirby Smart said there’s a common thread that continues to bind the two.

“They’re both extremely physical,” Smart said after practice on Saturday.

The competition between the two has been one of the more interesting battles for the Bulldogs this spring, as each player looks to replace Broderick Jones.

So far, Smart likes what he’s seen.

“They’re both doing a good job, they’re competing hard, they’re rotating in there,” Smart said. “They both are exceptional kids. They’re great kids and they practice really hard.”

At 6-4 and 330 pounds, Greene is back on the field after undergoing back surgery in the fall. Meanwhile, Blaske (6-5 and 310) is Georgia’s most versatile offensive lineman with the ability to play all five positions.

“He’s the most physical player I’ve ever seen,” Bulldog right tackle Amarius Mims said of Blaske earlier this week.

Greene’s apparently right there with him.

“They both have had dinged up injuries and neither one has flinched. They won’t come out,” Smart said. “Earnest waves somebody off because he wants to stay out there and get his reps. His ankle was dinged up one time.”

Ditto for Blaske.

“It’s the same thing with his shoulder and knee. I see the guy limping. He wants his reps,” Smart said. “I respect more than anything a guy’s mental and physical toughness. They both have that. They’ve both done a great job.”

Freshman Monroe Freeling has also been repping at left tackle with Mims telling reporters he’s also slipped back and forth between left and right in order to improve the depth at the position.

However, from the sound of it, the starter will come from either Blaske or Greene. Whoever starts, the other can also expect plenty of playing time.

“We have not made it through a season in I think four years that we didn’t have a starting tackle miss a game,” Smart said. “That tells me you better have three tackles and we’re trying really hard to develop three and four tackles.”