Welcome to Good Day, UGA, your one-stop shop for Georgia football news and takes. Check us out every weekday morning for everything you need to know about Georgia football, recruiting, basketball and more.
How the OL’s 2-deep stacks up before Appalachian State
Kirby Smart kept most of his plans for the Appalachian State game tight to the hip in a press conference on Monday. There were no clear updates on the potential suspensions of wide receiver Riley Ridley and running back Elijah Holyfield or the competition for starting place kicker. Smart also didn't release a depth chart to the media, as he did last season and as Mark Richt did in the seasons before hit. But we can still make educated guesses as to what the lineup will look like against Appalachian State.
The position group of the most concern to fans is the offensive line. According to Smart, the lineup of the offensive line still hasn't been set yet. But four days before the season-opener, we have some indication of what that group could look like. Seth Emerson of DawgNation noted what the OL's two-deep looked like during the media viewing period of Georgia's practice on Monday.
The first team during the media viewing period was left tackle Isaiah Wynn, left guard Pat Allen, center Lamont Gaillard, right guard Solomon Kindley, with [Andrew] Thomas as the fifth piece on the line.
The second team also was similar to what it was most of last week: LT Isaiah Wilson, LG Dyshon Sims, C Sean Fogarty, RG Kendall Baker and RT Ben Cleveland.
Appalachian State QB Taylor Lamb a threat on the ground
Chip Towers of DawgNation has a nice story about Appalachian State QB Taylor Lamb's connection to UGA through his grandfather, Ray Lamb, who served as a high school liaison for the program for nearly two decades. But more important to Georgia fans will be the Bulldogs' plans to stop Lamb when he comes to Athens on Saturday.
Appalachian State's run-first offensive scheme relies heavily on the run-pass option and runs from the quarterback. Last season, Lamb rushed for 9 touchdowns and 506 yards at 5.7 yards a pop. As Seth Emerson noted on Monday, his proficiency toting the rock could lead to problems for Georgia considering the Dawgs will likely play without their top run-stopping defensive back, Malkom Parrish.
"He can take the ball, pull it and make plays," Smart said of Lamb. "Every game you see he has made yards with his legs, whether that is by scramble or that is by design runs. He does a great job on both of those things."
In fact, where Parrish's injury could loom largest is against the quarterback run. Parrish easily is Georgia's defensive back with the best tackling skills.
Kirby Smart’s lips are sealed on potential suspensions
Smart was mum in his press conference regarding potential suspensions to Ridley and Holyfield, both of whom were arrested separately on marijuana charges in the spring.
"Both of those guys, discipline will be handled internally," Smart said, according to Emerson.
UGA’s student-athlete handbook stipulates that an athlete will be suspended 10 percent of his or her games in the case of a possession of marijuana arrest. For football, that equates to a one-game suspension.
Decision on starting kicker could be made “shortly”
Along with the offensive line, another position of high interest this preseason has been kicker. The starting job is down to sophomore Rodrigo Blankenship, the incumbent and an SEC All-Freshman selection last season, and David Marvin, a graduate transfer from Wofford. Smart said there was still no decision on who will be the top kicker against Appalachian State, but the decision should come down soon.
"That hasn't been determined yet. We think it'll be decided here shortly, though," Smart said, according to Emerson.
Matthew Stafford to become highest-paid player in NFL history
Matt Stafford just got historically paid. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the former Georgia QB will ink a new five-year deal with the Detroit Lions that will make him the highest-paid player in the history of the NFL at $27 million a season. The deal is worth $135 million total, according to Ian Rappoport of NFL Network.
Georgia pressing hard for 4-star TE Luke Ford
How do we know Georgia's coaching staff really wants a commitment from 4-star 2018 tight end Luke Ford? Because they mailed him more than 100 letters on Monday alone.
Dawgs on Twitter
Good dog
Dumb like a fox.
Miss a previous edition of Good Day, UGA? Get caught up here.
The post Georgia football: A look at the offensive line's 2-deep 4 days from kickoff appeared first on DawgNation.
