Georgia Football: Projecting the 2012 Starting Lineup for the Bulldogs

It's never too early to look at the 2012 season, and according to Nationalchamps.net, Georgia is one of the five best teams in the country.

Why is that, you ask? The reason could be they have a good amount of their key players coming back, including Aaron Murray, Isaiah Crowell, Jarvis Jones, John Jenkins and Malcolm Mitchell.

But there will be some changes in next year's lineup, because the Bulldogs will have to replace three offensive linemen, a kicker, a punter and possibly a tight end and safety.

Here's a projected look at the 2012 starting lineup for the Bulldogs.

Quarterback

Aaron Murray

There is no doubt who will be the starting quarterback next season. Murray had a great 2011 season and could be in the running for the 2012 Heisman.

What's interesting is who will back him up because Hutson Mason may not be with the team by the fall. If that's the case, then Christian LeMay will be the No. 2 and the new starter if Murray decides to leave after the 2012 season.

Running Backs

Tailback: Isaiah Crowell

Fullback: Alexander Ogletree

Crowell had a strong freshman season and should continue to get better if he can stay healthy throughout the entire season. If he can't, then Ken Malcome and Keith Marshall should be able to carry the load.

Ogletree will take the place of Bruce Figgins, who will graduate this season. He played a lot throughout the entire year and rushed for 24 yards on two carries.

Wide Receivers

Malcolm Mitchell

Tavarres King

I'm going to assume King comes back for his senior season because he wants one more year to prove the scouts he is a No. 1 guy. If not, either Chis Conley or Michael Bennett will start opposite of Mitchell.

One thing to note about Mitchell is he will probably play some cornerback next season just to add some depth. He played a lot of cornerback when he was playing high school ball in Valdosta, Ga.

Offensive Line/ Tight End

OT: Watts Dantzler

OG: Chris Burnette

C: Dallas Lee

OG: Kenarious Gates

OT: John Theus

TE: Jay Rome

This one is tough to judge because the offensive line for the Bulldogs is always changing. They have to replace Ben Jones, Justin Anderson and Cordy Glenn, who are all graduating this year. Expect Lee to start at center but play some guard as well. Theus has not signed with the Bulldogs yet, but when he does, expect him to play right away.

As far as the tight end spot goes, Rome has a chance to be part of a tradition of great tight ends. That said, this is assuming that Orson Charles decides to enter the NFL in 2012 (honestly, I don't see why he would stay).

Defensive Line

DE: Abry Jones

NT: Jon Jenkins

DE: Garrison Smith

The only person that will be missing is DeAngelo Tyson, who is a senior. Jones, Jenkins and Smith all played well down the stretch and should be more of a force in 2012.

Another player that will see a lot of playing time is Derrick Lott, who played in two games this season.

Linebackers

OLB: Jarvis Jones

ILB: Christian Robinson

ILB: Alec Ogletree

OLB: Chase Vasser

I think the only difference will be Vasser will take the place of Cornelius Washington, who will test the NFL waters.

This is a very talented and deep group that will continue to give opposing offensive lines fits. Ogletree can have a breakout season if he stays healthy, and Jones could win a lot of awards if he continues to get better.

Secondary

CB: Damian Swann

CB: Branden Smith

FS: Sanders Commings

SS: Shawn Williams

I don't think Bacarri Rambo will stay, but the secondary will be fine without him. Swann will take the place of Brandon Boykin, who is graduating, and showed glimpses of what he can do in the few games that he played.

Williams had a great season and will be one of the most feared players in the conference.

Smith and Commings have plenty of game experience, so they should provide a lot of leadership.

Special Teams

K: Scott Eichler

P: Cody Johnson

RET: Branden Smith

This is really a guess when it comes to who will be the new kicker and punter, but one thing is for sure, they will have some big shoes to fill with Blair Walsh and Drew Butler leaving.

As for the return specialist, Smith has the most experience, so he will start the season as the kick and punt returner. But don't be surprised if a freshman gets a chance to make an impact in the return game and Smith just focuses on playing defense.