Georgia Football: Breaking Down Spring Practice

The Georgia Bulldogs got off to a really slow start last season, but ended up finishing the year strong and won 10 games for the first time since 2008. This year, they return a total of 15 starters and expect to compete not only for an SEC championship, but a BCS National Championship.

Although, it's not going to be easy, because Georgia does have a few questions to answer. Several key players of the offensive line are no longer there. There isn't a real backup quarterback, and special teams is a huge question mark.

That's what spring football is for, as the Bulldogs try and answer some of those key questions. Georgia opens up practice March 20 and will prepare for the spring game that takes place on April 14.

With not much time to prepare, here is everything you need to know involving the Georgia Bulldogs heading into the spring.

Schedule

Georgia begins spring practice on March 20 and will play their spring game on April 14.

Offensive Depth Chart

Quarterback: Arron Murray, Hutson Mason 

Running Back: Isaiah Crowell, Richard Samuel, Keith Marshall

Wide Receiver: Malcolm Mitchell, Marlon Brown

Wide Receiver: Tavarres King, Chris Conley

Tight End: Arthur Lynch, Jay Rome

Offensive Tackle: Austin Long, John Theus

Offensive Guard: Kenarious Gates, Dallas Lee

Center: David Andrews, Hunter Long

Offensive Guard: Chris Burnette

Offensive Tackle: Watts Dantzler

Defensive and Special Teams Depth Chart

Defensive End: Garrison Smith, Derrick Lott

Nose Tackle: John Jenkins, Kwame Geathers

Defensive End: Abry Jones, Mike Thornton

Outside Linebacker: Jarvis Jones, Ray Drew

Middle Linebacker: Alec Ogletree, Amarlo Herrera

Middle Linebacker: Mike Gilliard, Christian Robinson

Outside Linebacker: Cornelius Washington, Chase Vasser

Cornerback: Sanders Commings, Jordan Love

Cornerback: Branden Smith, Damian Swann

Strong Safety: Shawn Williams, Quintavius Harrow

Free Safety: Bacarri Rambo

Kicker: Marshall Morgan

Punter: Collin Barber

Best Position Battle

I think the best position battle in the spring, and the biggest concern this offseason, for the Bulldogs is the offensive line. Six starters return on the offensive side of the ball, but three offensive linemen have moved on.

Georgia does have some solid players returning—such as Chris Burnette, Dallas Lee, and Kenarious Gates—to help fill the holes but it may involve a little switching around. Gates is a versatile player who's capable of playing the tackle or guard position, and Lee may even end up playing center if that becomes an area of concern.

Georgia also picked up a talented lineman in John Theus, and he may see quality minutes from day one. Watts Dantzler also played a little bit at right tackle last season.

Georgia may have to get creative in how they fix these offensive line troubles, but it's an area that has to be corrected before the Bulldogs are ready to take that next step.

Big Man on Campus

It's without question that Aaron Murray is the biggest man on campus for the Bulldogs. He's one of the top quarterbacks in the country and arguably the top quarterback in the conference. Last year, he lit the conference on fire, throwing for over 3,000 yards and 35 touchdowns. We'd like to see him raise his completion percentage up a bit, but you can't complain about a second-year starter playing as well as he did last season.

Having a quarterback and a leader like Murray really gives the Bulldogs an advantage over every other team in the east division and a chance to once again show up in the SEC Championship Game.

Biggest Shoes to Fill

Special teams wasn't exactly a strength for the Bulldogs last season, as they only connected on only 59.5 percent of their field goals. This season, they enter the spring with both their starting punter and kicker no longer on the team. That leaves both true freshmen Collin Barber and Marshall Morgan with great hopes to become the starters.

Morgan is a versatile player who can punt and kick and has one of the strongest legs in the country. Barber is a 3-star player who the Bulldogs have really high expectations for as well.

Special teams was an area of concern last season, and possibly relying on freshmen to turn it around forces the youngsters to fill big shoes quickly.

Most Important Questions to Answer

Besides the offensive line, the Bulldogs do have to address a few issues, such as running back. Isaiah Crowell came in with a lot of hype his freshman season, but didn't really live up to the expectations. He has great playmaking ability and is explosive, but can he step his game up and contribute at the level we all think he's capable of?

Another position to address is the backup quarterback position. We know Murray is the starter, but who will be prepared to be under center if something happens to him? There are talented players, such as Hutson Mason, Faton Bauta and Christian LeMay, but none have any game experience. This should be interesting to watch.