One of the many Georgia competitions this spring will be at left tackle, which is always one of the most vital positions on any football team.

That’s certainly the case for the Bulldogs, who hope sustained health will lead to better consistency from the position than we saw last year.

Injuries are always part of football, especially on the offensive line.

Even now, Monroe Freeling is recovering from off-season shoulder surgery and is expected to be limited for spring practice. Although he should be fine for the start of the season, his absence from drills means position coach Stacy Searels probably won’t be able to nail down his starter until fall camp.

With many of Freeling’s left tackle reps expected to go to Earnest Greene III – who started nine games despite battling injuries of his own.

“Ernest has fought through some injuries that people may or may not know,” Searels said recently. “I don't talk about injuries, but he's fought through some things that limited him (last) year.”

There are other options besides Greene – look for several of Georgia’s younger players to receive extended looks.

Redshirt sophomore Bo Hughley is one.

The Atlanta native has put in the work, added more muscle and mass, and is finally in a position to compete for reps.

You can expect to read about over the next month include Jahzare Jackson, who, at 6-8 and 348 pounds, certainly has the frame but still lacks experience.

Still, once Freeling is healthy, he will be the likely top contender for the starting job despite his struggles.

The rising junior started the final five games in place of the injured Greene, so he knows the position. It’s also conceivable that whichever Freeling and Greene doesn’t start at left tackle, they could slide over to right.

“Monroe's a kid who came in this program, was probably about 280, now plays at about 315, 320,” Searels said. “He's extremely athletic, works hard, and wants to be good.”

There’s a lot of work to be done, not just by Freeling but the entire offensive line.

Georgia’s struggles running the football last fall have been well-documented.

The Bulldogs’ inability to consistently run the football put the rest of its offense in a bad way, including a dip in pass protection like was witnessed in Georgia’s Sugar Bowl loss to Notre Dame.

“We probably didn't play our best pass protection game,” Freeling said. “We didn't play with the great technique, but you gotta give them credit.”

The Irish sacked quarterback Gunner Stockton four times in the game, including a critical strip-sack against Freeling that resulted in a late touchdown to spark Notre Dame to its 23-10 win, knocking the Bulldogs out of the College Football Playoffs.

“I mean, I just didn't play with the greatest technique, to be honest,” Freeling said. “I mean, really at the end of the day, it just comes down to technique. You’ve got to get off the ball.”