First off, let me open this column with an apology.
It has been far too long since I've posted anything in this blog. So let's change that.
Spring practice is only a few weeks away, and most people already know the bigger battles to keep an eye on, like the O-line and the linebacking corps.
But there are a few others I'm watching that might not get as much media love.
And here they are.
1) Third-string running back.
Who cares about a third-stringer, right?
Me.
Obviously D'Andre Swift, a rising sophomore, is expected to be the starter, but what's the rotation after him?
Based on what we saw at the end of 2017, it would appear that Elijah Holyfield, who also moonlighted as a fullback for the SEC Championship Game, would be primary the back-up, perhaps being the "thunder" to Swift's "lightning," but what about Brian Herrien, the reliable-if-unspectacular junior?
Oh, and let's not forget about the pair of 5-star freshmen coming in: Zamir White and James Cook.
Caveat: White is recovering from a torn ACL last fall, so I wouldn't expect the training staff to hurry his recovery along, but Cook figures to be in the mix once he's on campus this summer.
The reason this is something that piques my interest is that whoever wins the job will likely be the one called upon in the fourth quarter to provide fresh legs that might salt away a game, something Holyfield/Herrien did admirably in 2017.
2) Punter.
Look, I know the main goal in any game is to make sure your punter stays on the sideline, but as we saw in 2017, when Cam Nizalek rented out his final year of eligibility, a good punter really can make a difference.
Georgia finished the year 8th in the nation in net punting at 41.65 yards per punt, an increase of four yards per punt over 2016.
Now that Nizalek is gone, who steps in? Does the junior Marshall Long step back into his role after suffering a knee injury in late 2016?
Or does a walk-on step in and take over?
And can any of them hold off Jake Camarda, the incoming freshman from Norcross who can reportedly handle all the kicking duties?
Color me interested.
3) Wide receiver.
Yes, I know. Plenty of production returns at this position with the likes of Terry Godwin, Mecole Hardman and Riley Ridley figuring to be at the top of the rotation. The only problem is that, among them, Ridley is the only one over 6-feet tall (6-2).
What's missing is the player who fills in for Javon Wims (6-4), the long, lanky target who could high point a ball with the best of them.
Who fills that 50-50 ball role? Perhaps Ridley?
Or does one of the rising sophomores grab that spot, among Jeremiah Holloman (6-2), Trey Blount (6-2) and Matt Landers (6-5)? Or perhaps someone like Jayson Stanley (6-2, junior) or Michael Chigbu (6-2, senior) finally breaks through.
And as far as freshmen go, the Bulldogs signed two at receiver this year: Kearis Jackson (5-11, early enrollee) and Tommy Bush (6-5), both of whom might jump into the mix.
We know how much Jake Fromm like to throw the back shoulder fade, and I want to know who's going to be going up for them this year.
