ATHENS - This is about the halfway mark of preseason camp, so it's a good time to take stock. Yes, this time of year every team is unbeaten, every unproven player is poised for a breakout season, the offensive line is jelling ... we know, we know.

So let's try to go a bit further, beyond the boundless optimism, to see what's real and what's really still uncertain:

ALL BUT SETTLED

- Offensive line top six: This happened a lot earlier in camp than perhaps expected. The starting lineup, barring a late change, will be: LT Kenarious Gates, LG Dallas Lee, C David Andrews, RG Chris Burnette, RT John Theus. And Watts Dantzler is the top reserve, able to play right guard or each tackle spot. The gap between Dantzler and the next reserve is a wide one right now.

- Rookies who will play: You can pencil in the vast majority of the 17-member recruiting class to see action as soon as the opener: (P Collin Barber, OL Mark Beard, CB Sheldon Dawson, TE Ty Flournoy-Smith, RB Todd Gurley, S Josh Harvey-Clemons, FB Quayvon Hicks, OLB Jordan Jenkins, TB Keith Marshall, K Marshall Morgan, OT John Theus); and outside linebackers Josh Dawson and James DeLoach are pretty likely as well. Meanwhile, quarterback Faton Bauta and defensive tackle John Taylor are the only one coaches have said is likely to redshirt. The only players on the bubble are offensive lineman Greg Pyke and receiver Blake Tibbs. (Taylor also has an outside chance to play if there's an injury.)

- Malcolm Mitchell's status: At least for the first couple games, the Bulldogs seem very comfortable using Mitchell, Damian Swann and Branden Smith. They also like the receivers left over, although Mitchell (and perhaps Smith) will still get some plays on offense. Now what happens post-Missouri, once Sanders Commings returns, should be dictated by how Mitchell, the corners and receivers look those first two games.

UNSETTLED

- Tailback: I'd bet on either Ken Malcome or Richard Samuel starting on Sept. 1, but Marshall and Gurley will definitely get carries too. How this rotation shakes out is anybody's guess. They can talk all they want about committees and needing more than two tailbacks, but four is a big number.

- Fullback: Is former walk-on Merritt Hall the real deal? I guess we'll find out. Hicks still has the long-term potential to be a standout at this spot, and Samuel will still get fullback carries. Zander Ogletree, is still around although you'd have a hard time knowing that right now.

- Backup QB: The whole plan to redshirt Hutson Mason is going to unravel if Aaron Murray suffers any kind of serious injury. And by serious, I mean one game. At this point, Christian LeMay hasn't done enough to inspire confidence in the coaches that he could get the job done in a critical game. If Murray sprained his ankle the week leading up to the Missouri game, my guess is Mason would start. Conversely, if Murray got hurt DURING the Mizzou game, and Georgia had, say, a 14-0 lead, I could see it going either way between chancing it with LeMay or burning the Mason redshirt. That's where we're at right now.

- Suspensions: Since camp began, we only found out that Branden Smith is cleared and free to play the opener. That's great for him, but at most he was facing a one-game suspension, and we knew he'd be there for the critical trip to Missouri. But still unannounced is what happens with safety Bacarri Rambo and inside linebacker Alec Ogletree. Mark Richt is playing coy with the media on their status, which, if he's doing it for competitive purposes, is of dubious value.

STILL A WORRY

- O-line depth: If one starter gets hurt, the Bulldogs will plug Dantzler in somewhere and feel OK. But if two starters go down, they would be in trouble at this point. There is at least flexibility, with Burnette, Lee and Gates capable of playing multiple positions, including center. But Will Friend has been rather blunt when it comes to the backups, so one or two will have to use the final couple weeks of preseason to show they can be counted on.

- Christian LeMay: Perhaps it's just bad timing, but I swear every time I watch the quarterbacks in practice, I see LeMay overthrowing a receiver. He does, by all appearances, still have a positive attitude and is working hard. But so far the only real progress he's made is that he's now past walk-on Parker Welch for third on the depth chart, behind Mason.

- Receiver playmaking ability: This is the main concern with Mitchell not being available for every offensive snap. Tavarres King's performance in the Outback Bowl alleviated some of those worries. But when it comes to the rest of the unit, you have to decide that this time Marlon Brown really is ready to break out. Or that Rantaviouos Wooten can be a deep threat too. Perhaps that happens.

OVERRATED

- Who plays the "other" OLB spot: Jarvis Jones will start at the Sam ... or perhaps the Will ... Honestly in Todd Grantham's defense it doesn't matter too much. Remember last year when out of nowhere Alec Ogletree started outside for one game? That's why whether Ramik Wilson, T.J. Strippling or one of the freshmen is first-team opposite of Jones isn't exactly a pressing issue. My bet is on Wilson or Jordan Jenkins (who actually is backing up Jones right now.) Technically, Chase Vasser is first-team, but he's suspended the first two games, which could allow Wilson or one of the freshmen a chance to surpass him.

- How the freshmen kickers "look": It won't really matter whether Marshall Morgan boots 65-yarders in warmups or goes 0-for-3 in a scrimmage, or if Collin Barber's punts hang so high they end the Midwest drought. All that really matters is how they perform when the games start.

- The scholarship count: Georgia may only be at about 70 players recruited to campus on scholarship - but so is Southern Cal, the nation's second-ranked team. Yes, USC's issue is because of sanctions, while Georgia's are self-inflicted. But as I've said before, the Bulldogs have only lost one player who would have been a starter (Isaiah Crowell). When I covered South Carolina, Steve Sppurrier used to always say he could live with 65-70 scholarship guys, that the last 10-15 were always extraneous. Now it's not ideal for the future, which is why Georgia is going to try to sign 34 guys. But for the purposes of the 2012 season, the Bulldogs aren't worried. ... Yet.

UNDERRATED

- Who returns kicks and punts: The battle to replace Brandon Boykin as the team's return specialist hasn't received enough attention. We saw in the SEC championship game that having the right person back there, who can break one open, can turn momentum and perhaps decide a game. Georgia hasn't settled on anyone yet and the race at latest report was fairly wide open. It will be winnowed down in the next week or so.

- The talent on defense: Hopefully Georgia fans apprecaite what they're about to watch in 2012. It's not just the starters, but the depth is deceivingly good. Consider that a talent like John Taylor will likely have to redshirt at nose tackle. Garrison Smith, who looked good as a starting end late last year, is a second-teamer right now. Christian Robinson and Amarlo Herrera are second-team at inside linebacker. Ray Drew, a five-star recruit two years ago, will have trouble seeing the field. The only real worry is the backups in the secondary, which is why Mitchell is there and the team is hoarding defensive back recruits.

- Scholarship count: If there's a rash of injuries, then yes, it's time to be very worried.