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Basically... The offense looked like it was stuck in the mud last year thanks to the problems on the young offensive line and injuries at the skill spots. The positive out of all that was the experience gained by several players making this year's offense full of experienced reserves. The line will be better and the offense will be explosive, despite how it looked most of this spring, if everyone can stay healthy.
Star of the offense: Senior QB David Greene
Player that has to step up and become a star: Freshman RB Danny Ware
Unsung star on the rise: Junior WR Bryan McClendon
Best pro prospect: Senior WR Fred Gibson
Top three all-star candidates: 1) Gibson, 2) Greene, 3) OT Max Jean-Gilles
Strength of the offense: Quarterbacks
Weakness of the offense: Receiver depth
Quarterbacks
Projected Starter
- David Greene, Sr. - There are prettier, statistically superior, and more talented all-around quarterbacks in college football, but with the possible exception of Oklahoma's Jason White, there isn't one with the experience and the command of his team at the highest level that David Greene has. He threw for a career best 3,307 yards last year despite missing several receivers at various times with injuries and without much of a running game. On the down side, he only threw 13 touchdown passes with 11 interceptions. More than anything else, he's a winner.
Projected Backups
- D.J. Shockley, Jr. - Shockley still hasn't quite found his niche in the offense. He's one of the best all-around talents in the SEC even though he hasn't had too much of a chance to show off getting hurt each of the last two years. He's coming off a knee injury that knocked him out for half of last year, and now he's coming back to add a running element to the mix. If nothing else, he'll be a star in 2005.
- Joe Tereshinski, Soph. - Tereshinski is an interesting quarterback. His job mostly consists of being the protector on punts and occasionally long snapping, but he has a good arm and a little bit of experience. However, if he's in at quarterback, it's either a blowout or there are major injury issues with Greene and Shockley. He struggled in the spring game completing 5 of 17 passes for 43 yards with two interceptions
The Skinny: David Greene is the unquestioned number one quarterback and leader of the explosive Bulldog offense. The key will be to use the talents of D.J. Shockley without disrupting the flow like it did in 2002. Freshman Blake Barnes should be the quarterback of the future graduating early and looking sharp this spring. Most teams would dream of having Georgia's talent glut.
Player to keep an eye on: Blake Barnes ... Quarterback Rating: 9.5
Running Backs
Projected Starters
- Danny Ware, Fr. - Ware has been one of the stars of the spring. He has tremendous moves and good power with his 6-1, 210-pound frame. He was singled out by the coaching staff as the best looking offensive player on the field during some practices. With projected starter Kregg Lumpkin going down for the year with a knee injury, Ware took over the starting role.
- Fullback Jeremy Thomas, Sr. - Thomas is a good sized fullback who get a few short yardage carries rushing for 62 yards and two touchdowns last year. He's a talented receiver catching 17 passes for 174 yards and a great blocker as well. He was suspended for the first two games of the year, but he'll get his starting job back when he returns.
Projected Backups
- Kregg Lumpkin, Soph. - Lumpkin grew into the team's most reliable tailback finishing off a good freshman season with 90 yards and a touchdown in the Capital One Bowl. He was the second leading rusher with 523 yards and tied for the team lead with six touchdowns despite only starting one game. All set to be the team's starter, he went down for the year with a knee injury late this summer.
- Michael Cooper, Soph. - Cooper is the biggest runner in the mix at 215 pounds and is in the best shape of his career. He led the Bulldogs with 673 rushing yards and six touchdowns. Down about ten pounds from last year, he's a little bit quicker now. He has problems with migraine headaches which might be tough enough to limit him.
- Tyson Browning, Jr. - The speediest running back on the roster, the 5-8, 167-pound junior could be a big play wide receiver evidenced by his 93-yard catch for a touchdown against LSU and his talents as a kick returner. He ran for 286 yards and two touchdowns.
- Tony Milton, Jr. - Milton ran for 82 yards last year and has the most experience of any of the backs, but he's still trying to come back healthy after a serious leg injury knocked him out last year.
- Des Williams, Soph. - The former linebacker will spend his time at fullback until Jamario Smith comes back healthy and Jeremy Thomas comes off suspension. The 245-pound Williams is a big blocker with 4.5 speed.
The Skinny: There are several good options to choose from, and they should all benefit by the better offensive line. Most of the backs went through growing pains of their own, and now the key will be to find the hot hand at the right time and hope that one back can become a bit of a workhorse. If Tony Milton and Albert Hollis can return from injuries, there will be even more talent to help the production.
Player to keep an eye on: Danny Ware ... Running Back Rating: 7.5
Receivers
Projected Starters
- Fred Gibson, Sr. - Always one of the most dangerous receivers in the SEC, Gibson hasn't quite been a superstar on a national scale thanks to a few injuries. He was never himself last year having problems with his knee and hamstring limiting him to 36 catches for 553 yards and three touchdowns. He looks ready to be among the best receivers in the country after a five catch, 129-yard, two touchdown performance in the spring game.
- Reggie Brown, Sr. - Brown came through when injuries hit the rest of the receiving corps leading the team with 49 catches for 662 yards and three touchdowns. He had problems with his hamstring last year and his knee a few years ago, so durability is the only concern with this big, athletic playmaker.
- Martez Milner, Soph. - Milner, who only caught one pass for 15 yards last year, will take over for Ben Watson who caught 23 passes. Mostly a special teams player, he'll become a factor in the passing game even though he isn't the receiver Watson was.
Projected Backups
- Brian McClendon, Jr. - McClendon has some of the best wheels on the team with big time sprinter's speed. He didn't catch too many passes last year, but he averaged 14.7 yards per grab on 11 catches. He'll be a deep threat backup to Reggie Brown.
- Sean Bailey, Soph. - A great young prospect, Bailey caught six passes for 66 yards as a freshman hurt by a hamstring problem. He has decent size and is a tremendously quick backup behind Fred Gibson.
- Leonard Pope, Soph. - At 6-7 and 250 pounds, Pope is a big player and a strong all-around prospect. He caught one pass for 21 yards and is a strong blocker earning Freshman All-SEC honors.
The Skinny: The talent is there; it just has to stay healthy. Injuries, inexperience and inconsistency prevented this corps, which included Damein Gary and Michael Johnson, from being as good as it should've been last year. Now, Fred Gibson has to be counted on for a full season for the passing game to show any improvement. That's asking a lot.
Player to keep an eye on: Brian McClendon ... Receiver Rating: 8.5
Offensive Line
Projected Starters
- Tackle Daniel Inman, Soph. - The 6-7, 321-pound sophomore started 12 games last year and was also a deep snapper when needed. Inman is too strong a blocker to keep out of the starting lineup.
- Guard Nick Jones, Soph. - With Randall Swoopes off the team, Jones moved over from guard to center to back up Russ Tanner and then moved back to guard to start. Jones has a bit of experience starting in the middle when Tanner played guard.
- Center Russ Tanner, Soph. - Tanner moved over from center to guard helping out when injuries hit the line and will start at center. While all the newcomers struggled a bit on the line last year, they all started to come into their own as the season wore on. Tanner made bigger strides than anyone else getting good enough that he should be considered among the nation's stronger centers.
- Guard Max Jean-Gilles, Jr. - The star of the line, the 340-pound tight tackle grew into an All-SEC caliber player and a dominant run blocker. Now he'll move over to guard. He started every game and was the one the Bulldogs primarily ran behind.
- Tackle Dennis Roland, Jr. - Roland is a massive pass blocker at 6-9 and 317 pounds growing into a decent starter as last year went on. He started the last two games and will be the starter this season able to play either tackle spot. He's not necessarily a powerful blocker, but he's becoming efficient and a nightmare to try to get around on the edge.
Projected Backups
- OG Fernando Velasco - Good enough to start at either guard position, the 6-4, 327-pound Velasco will combine with Max Jean-Gilles at tight guard. He has a couple of starts under his belt and at very least will be a tremendous reserve.
- OG Josh Brock, Jr. - Brock has had issues with his shoulder and ankle, but should be ready to go by the start of the season at split guard. He isn't a huge dominator, but he is a reliable starter who plays through injuries.
- OG Michael Turner, Soph. - Turner will get every shot at one of the guard spots if he can recover from the injuries that kept him down last year. He's one of the more athletic guards on the team.
- OT Darrius Swain. Jr. - Swain played himself into a starting spot at guard this spring and worked with Fernando Velasco to man the position. He moved back to defense this summer.
- OG Bartley Miller, Jr. - Miller starter last year before being knocked out with shoulder problems. The 301-pound junior is good enough to get back his starting spot if he can stay healthy.
The Skinny: The line had to start from scratch at the beginning of last year, and it looked like it allowing 47 sacks and failing to do much of anything in the running game. It got better as last year went on, and now its a deep group with excellent backups at every position. The dominos fell this spring when backup center Randall Swoops was off the team. Things should be much better this year after a year of working together.
Player to keep an eye on: Daniel Inman ... Offensive Line Rating: 7.5
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