Loss of Tanner Strickland Could Be a Blessing For The Bulldogs

Georgi'a 2009 offensive line totals 16, with 3 incoming freshmen likely to redshirt, 2 redshirt freshmen, and 1 senior, and 10 OL currently in the sophomore and junior classes, which is not a very evenly distributed OL, to say the least.

On-campus chatter and off the record comments seem to indicate that while Strickland was on the two deep, he wasn't a projected starter as previously reported.  He did, however, come on strong and was likely to move up the ladder after UGA's lone senior OL, Vince Vance, completes his eligibility this year, and after Boling, Chris Davis and Josh Davis, all juniors, do so after the 2010 season.

Rumor has it that Georgia's top 9 OL before Strickland's injury included Vance, 3 juniors (Boling, C. Davis & J. Davis), and 5 sophomores (Sturdivant, Jones, Glenn, Anderson and Strickland), with the starters being Jones at center, Vance and Glenn at guard and Sturdivant and Boling at tackle.

Going into 2011, Georgia's OL would have 6 rising seniors (if Sturdivant doesn't leave early and Hardin doesn't transfer), and then only 7 in the next three classes.

Strickland could apply for a medical hardship and would likely be granted one, based on the severity of his injury, which would move his last year with the program to 2012, and would serve to even out the large class a little and soften the blow of losing so many seniors at one time.

While Georgia is likely to redshirt all three incoming freshmen OL and Strickland out with his injury, there will be 12 OL competing for playing time. On most SEC teams, only 7 or 8 OL start or get significant PT in any one year anyway, so Strickland's absence this year may not be critical.  It could also give some of the younger OL more time on the field when the Bulldogs have significant fourth quarter leads this year.

The downside is that while Chris Davis and Bean Anderson are quality OL likely to be starters anywhere else in the SEC, Josh Davis is a notch below them, and may not be ready to step into an OT rotation until mid to late September.  If another OL has a major injury before the end of September, and the customary minor injuries begin to pile up early in the 2009 season, UGA's once deep OL could grow a bit thin. 

Sill, a similar number of injuries just about anywhere else in the SEC would cripple their offense.  At UGA, it is likely their OL would soldier on still capable of dominating any SEC opponent. 

While he could be missed this year, and there is a possibility that one of UGA's current sophomore OL would be able a couple of years from now to start two years instead of one.