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ATHENS - As the Georgia Bulldogs wrap up spring practice this week several players are hoping to set themselves apart on the offensive line.
New assistant coach Phil Rauscher will have to replace the entire left side of the line with Monroe Freeling and Micah Morris heading to the NFL.
It’s never easy to replace two starters on the left side but the Dawgs will have several options pushing for those starting roles.
However, the rest of the line appears to be in great shape. The Dawgs are returning starting center Drew Bobo and will return several players at both right guard and right tackle.
Starting roles are up for grabs and Kirby Smart said recently that even previous starters have to hold onto their jobs before September rolls around.
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“Some young players are coming along, progressing”, Smart said about the offensive line. “A couple guys that didn't play much last year, you see the progress and them getting better. Are they going to get into the rotation? Is it going to be four guys interior, three guys exterior, play seven to eight guys, so that you got guys in case guys get hurt? I don't know if we're there yet. I think we've got some really good battles going on.”
“For the first time that I've been here, we've got guys that started most games, or a lot of games that have somebody either beating them out or playing better than them in spurts. That's not just on the line. We’ve got guys playing really well. He's playing better than the guy that started every game in front of him. So, did we just have it wrong or did he just get better and the other guy stayed the same? And I think that's a really good thing, and it defeats complacency for a guy that says, ‘I'm going to sit back and start, because I started last year.’ Now here, this dude is playing better than you. Yeah, you may still have a role, you still may play, but your role may change, because this guy is playing more snaps than you.”
That’s a big statement from Georgia’s head coach. His message this spring has been clear. The best players are going to play and previous starters may lose their job.
Last season we saw two true freshman see the field consistently throughout the 2025 season. Two Atlanta natives, Dontrell Glover and Juan Gaston Jr., both shined at right guard and right tackle last season. As previous starters, most would expect them to start once again as sophomores. However, that may not be the case. While both have starting experience, it’s clear both need to continue growing as players and develop more and more this summer and through fall camp.
“They're both working hard”, Smart said last week. “Juan has done a good job with his weight of getting it down. I still would love to be a little bit further down. He's bounced between guard and tackle, doing both. He's a swing guy that can play both. I would love to have a little more consistency and stamina in Juan's play. As he gets tired, his playability goes down. If he's going to play every snap in a game, he's got to get in better shape to do that.”
“Dontrell has worked really hard”, Smart added. “He's been fighting a little injury bug. He got dinged up, but he hasn't missed a practice. He's not 100 percent, but he's out there competing and getting better and getting reps and still knows he has growth to do.”
