An early-look at Georgia's projected pre-spring offensive depth chart
Georgia is set to return eight starters from an offense that put together a dominant rushing attack in 2017.
Still, replacing running backs Nick Chubb (1,345 yards, 15 touchdowns) and Sony Michel (1,227 yards, 16 touchdowns) will be tough, considering what their production and leadership meant in the locker room.
But the Bulldogs should field an experienced group heading into offensive coordinator Jim Chaney's third season. Given the gains it made this past season, a bevy of expectations will be placed upon the Georgia offense.
With roughly two months to go before spring practice begins, here is an early look at the projected offensive depth chart.
Quarterback
Jake Fromm (Soph.)
Justin Fields (Fr.)
Stetson Bennett IV (R-Fr.)
Analysis: Fromm is coming off an exceptional true freshman season that saw him throw for 2,615 yards, 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions. While it figures to be tough for Fromm to relinquish the starting quarterback job, Fields will do his best to challenge him for playing time. Fields offers a running threat, which could lead to Georgia creating a specific package for him in games. Bennett, a walk-on, is the biggest beneficiary of Jacob Eason's decision to transfer since he now jumps into the third quarterback spot.
Running back
D’Andre Swift (Soph.)
Brian Herrien (Jr.) OR
Elijah Holyfield (Jr.) OR
Zamir White (Fr.) OR
James Cook (Fr.)
Analysis: Georgia lost the best running back duo in program history (Chubb and Michel) and will still be loaded at the position. Swift, who ran for 618 yards and three touchdowns as a third-stringer, is the favorite to be the starting tailback. From there, Georgia will have four capable backs to choose from. White, however, is recovering from a torn ACL and it is unknown if he will be 100 percent by the time the season starts.
Fullback
Turner Fortin (Jr.) OR
Nick Moore (Sr.) OR
Holyfield
Analysis: A search to replace Christian Payne will begin, with Moore and Fortin being the top two traditional options. Moore, however, may actually be in line to be Georgia's next long snapper now that Trent Frix has exhausted his eligibility. While these two are listed as fullbacks, one option to consider may actually be Holyfield, who filled in as Georgia's fullback in the SEC Championship when Payne was injured. With Holyfield, due to his skill set, Georgia could potentially add options to its formations including a fullback. If Holyfield were to see time as a fullback, it would more than likely be in addition to his running back duties. And that is something to at least think about until spring practice begins.
Wide receiver
X receiver: Riley Ridley (Jr.), Tyler Simmons (Jr.), Trey Blount (Soph.), J.J. Holloman (Soph.)
Y receiver: Terry Godwin (Sr.), Jayson Stanley (Sr.), Michael Chigbu (Sr.), Matt Landers (R-Fr.)
Slot receiver: Mecole Hardman (Jr.), Ahkil Crumpton (Sr.), Kearis Jackson (Fr.)
Analysis: Georgia only loses Javon Wims from the receiving group, although that’s a pretty tough departure to take. Godwin and Hardman, however, should be in for big jumps statistically, and Ridley showed his value in the national championship game. The Bulldogs have great depth at the position too. While Holloman didn't get much playing time as a freshman, he has the frame (6-foot-2 and 195 pounds) to potentially step into a role similar to what Wims provided. After spending a year on the scout team, Landers (6-5, 195 pounds) could also be one to watch.
Tight end
Isaac Nauta (Jr.)
Charlie Woerner (Jr.)
Jackson Harris (Sr.)
Analysis: All three of these tight ends played valuable roles on offense in 2017 — primarily as run blockers — and will look to do so again. As the offense opens up even more for Fromm, he will likely have additional opportunities to find the tight ends in the passing attack. The tight end group be joined by freshmen Luke Ford and John FitzPatrick in the summer.
Offensive line
Left tackle: Andrew Thomas (Soph.), D’Marcus Hayes (Jr.)
Left guard: Kendall Baker (Sr.), Justin Shaffer (Soph.)
Center: Lamont Gaillard (Sr.), Sean Fogarty (Sr.)
Right guard: Ben Cleveland (Soph.), Solomon Kindley (Soph.)
Right tackle: Isaiah Wilson (R-Fr.), Cade Mays (Fr.)
Analysis: The good news is Georgia’s offensive line only lost Isaiah Wynn. The bad news is that Georgia lost Wynn, its best lineman from the 2017 season. Without Wynn, Thomas will move to left tackle, which should open up the right tackle spot for some good competition between a 2017 five-star in Wilson and a 2018 five-star in Mays. Even without Wynn, Georgia's offensive line should still be a great strength for Georgia's football team in 2018.
This story was originally published January 24, 2018 at 12:32 PM with the headline "An early-look at Georgia's projected pre-spring offensive depth chart."