ATHENS — Georgia knew entering spring practice it was going to have to replace offensive line starters Monroe Freeling and Micah Morris. Add in that center Drew Bobo has been recovering from offseason foot surgery, and the Bulldogs had a third new lineman working with the first-team offense.
Juan Gaston stepped in at the right tackle position, which wasn’t all that surprising. He was a rotational piece for the Bulldogs last season, playing both guard and tackle. With Earnest Greene moving to left tackle, Gaston is the leading candidate to be Georgia’s full-time right tackle this fall.
As for the other two spots, few would’ve predicted at the start of spring practice that Cortez Smith would be Georgia’s top healthy choice at center and that freshman Zykie Helton would earn the nod at right guard.
“I mean, we have 14 practices to decide who started every position,” Smart said on Helton working with the first-team offense. “So, we put the guys out there that practice and play the best. I mean, he earned that.”
Helton emerged as one of the breakout players from spring practice. By the time G-Day rolled round, it was no secret that he had improved his stock significantly from when he arrived just months ago.
Still, it’s impressive to see a true freshman assert himself so quickly on the offensive line.
“Z has really good feet, you know he’s quick, explosive,” Greene said. “He gets to his anchor really well. Being able to do that helps his age barrier a little bit.”
Helton has clearly put himself in a position to help the offensive line. He’ll need a strong showing in fall camp to lock down a starting spot, but Georgia said it is very encouraged by what it has in Helton.
As for Smith, he likely won’t start over a healthy Bobo. Bobo was an All-SEC center last season and might have been Georgia’s most important offensive lineman. Gunner Stockton’s play after Bobo suffered his injury against Georgia Tech would certainly indicate as much.
Smith didn’t play as a freshman last season. A midseason injury prevented him from developing. When Malachi Tolliver got the start for an injured Bobo against Charlotte, it had proved to be too late in the year for Smith to pass the more established Tolliver.
Yet, with an additional 15 practices this spring, Smith made clear strides. It was enough to unseat Tolliver from his spot with the first-team offense.
“He was more consistent with his snaps, which is critical,” Smart said. “You know, we got to have, you know, we learned last year, you know, you got to have two centers. Sometimes you got to have three. And he’s going to get more work at guard and provide some depth there and continue competing at center. And I was pleased with his growth and his leadership.”
In an ideal world, Bobo comes back for Georgia’s first game of the season against Tennessee State. But if he’s not ready, Georgia wants quality depth at center. Smith’s ascension this spring puts Georgia in a better position to have that.
Greene noted that Bobo is a big reason for Smith’s progression; the son of Georgia offensive coordinator Mike Bobo helped Smith better understand the nuances of the position.
Smith is entering his redshirt freshman season and has four years of eligibility remaining. Georgia wants him to be ready in the present, full well knowing he might be Georgia’s center of the future.
Georgia had to get comfortable last year playing freshmen on the offensive line. It had been a luxury for the Bulldogs to be able to develop offensive linemen for years before turning them into starters. With how the sport has changed, Georgia isn’t able to hoard talented offensive linemen like it once did.
Dontrell Glover and Gaston both started games last season, the first time since 2018 that Georgia started a true freshman on the offensive line.
Coming out of spring practice, Georgia said it feels good about another true freshman, in Helton, being able to help right away. As for Smith, he’s clearly leveled up in his second year in the Georgia program.
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