Georgia Football 2012: Predicting the Pre-Spring 2-Deep Depth Chart

With spring practice less than two weeks away, Mark Richt and his coaching staff are making the final preparations to the roster before they take the field.

Fortunately for Richt, a lot of the players that were on last year's squad will be back, so the depth chart will not have a dramatic change.

However, due to new players coming in and players battling injuries, there will be some positions that will have some serious competition when spring practice begins, which is never a bad thing.

Here's a look at the pre-spring depth chart for the Bulldogs.

Quarterback

Starter: Aaron Murray

Backup: Hutson Mason

There's no competition here, as Aaron Murray has been one of the best quarterbacks in the SEC the last two seasons. The one thing to look at is who will be the backup?

It's Hutson Mason's job to lose, but Christan LeMay had a great spring last season, and if he continues on the upward trend and Mason struggles, the coaching staff could make a change.

Running Backs

Starters: RB Isaiah Crowell, FB Alexander Ogletree

Backup: RB Ken Malcome, RB Keith Marshall, FB Quayvon Hicks

This could be an interesting position battle one spring practice begins.

Keith Marshall and Todd Gurley could give Isaiah Crowell a run for his money if they learn the offense quickly.

And Ken Malcolme had a sold 2011 season, racking up 174 yards on 42 carries.

Let's not forget Richard Samuel, who adds veteran experience, but will also get a shot at linebacker during spring practice.

At fullback, Alexander Ogletree will take over as the full-time starter since Bruce Figgins has graduated.

Wide Receivers/Tight End

Starters: WR Malcolm Mitchell, WR Tavarres King, TE Arthur Lynch

Backups: WR Marlon Brown, WR Chris Conley, TE Jay Rome

Other than the tight end position, this part of the depth chart is the same as last year. The one thing to watch for is Malcolm Mitchell will likely see some time on defense, but there's a chance his playing time on offense will decrease.

Also Michael Bennett, who had a breakout season in 2011, should see more playing time.

As for the tight ends, Arthur Lynch will go into spring as the starter, but expect Jay Rome to have a great spring and could be the starter on opening day.

Offensive Line

Starters: OT Watts Danztler, OG Chris Burnette, C David Andrews, OG Kenarious Gates, OT Austin Long

Backups: OT John Theus, OG Dallas Lee, C Hunter Long, OG Kolton Houston, OT Mark Beard

This is another area where the competition will be intense. Kenarious Gates, Chris Burnette and Dallas Lee will be the only starters returning, but there are a few players wanting to make an impact.

Theus will not be on campus until the fall, but is expected to see a lot of playing time early. David Andrews will try to fill the void left by Ben Jones, and Watts Danztler is expected to be much improved from last season.

Hopefully, the O-line is able to come together because in order for Murray to have a better season than last year, the five hogs up front have to be a cohesive unit.

Defensive Line

Starters: DE Garrison Smith, NT John Jenkins, DE Abry Jones

Backups: Derrick Lott, NT Kwame Geathers, DE Mike Thornton

The only player from this unit that is missing is DeAngelo Tyson, which will be a big loss. But Garrison Smith saw a lot of action towards the end of the season when Tyson was injured and got better each time he was out on the field.

Both John Jenkins and Kwame Geathers are as good as it gets at the nose tackle position, but Jenkins made more plays once he became the starter midway through last year.

Linebackers

Starters: OLB Jarvis Jones, MLB Alec Ogletree, MLB Michael Gilliard, OLB Cornelius Washington

Backups: OLB Ray Drew, MLB Amarlo Herrera, MLB Christian Robinson, OLB Chase Vasser

There are no changes to this depth chart from last year other than Michael Gilliard was the backup for Christian Robinson at the start of last season. But since Robinson got injured early in the year, Gilliard took over and never looked back.

All eyes will be on Ray Drew because he is supposed to be the next big defensive playmaker for the Bulldogs.

This is by far the best and the deepest position for the Bulldogs. If the defense is better this year than last, the linebackers will be the reason for the success.

Secondary

Starters: CB Branden Smith, CB Sanders Commings, FS Bacarri Rambo, SS Shawn Williams

Backups: CB Malcolm Mitchell, CB Damian Swann, FS Corey Moore, SS Quintavious Harrow

As deep as the linebackers and defensive line is for the Dawgs, the secondary is the complete opposite.

With three reserves gone due to transfers and suspensions, there is no room for any other player to be suspended for a long time or have a serious injury.

As said earlier, Mitchell will get a shot at corner, and if everything goes according to plan, he should be playing there at the start of the season.

The only starter that's missing is Brandon Boykin, who has moved on to the NFL.

Special Teams

Starters: K Marshall Morgan, P Colin Barber

Backups: K Jamie Lindley, P Adam Erickson

With Drew Butler and Blair Walsh gone, the Bulldogs had to find two highly-ranked specialists, and they did just that by signing Colin Barber and Marshall Morgan.

Once they arrive on campus, both players should have the opportunity to win the kicker and punter position, which should not be a problem.

As for the backups, Jamie Lindley and Adam Erickson are veterans, but don't have a lot of in-game experience, if any at all. So Morgan and Barber could see backup duties as well if the other kickers on the roster can't perform.