Georgia’s Micah Morris ‘one of the best guards in the country’ despite injuries
ATHENS — There’s no player who better represents the current state of Georgia’s offensive line than senior Micah Morris.
He’s a throwback to an era of the Georgia offensive line where it was among the best in the country and not scrutinized on a weekly basis. He’s been Georgia’s most consistent offensive lineman this season.
Morris is also the lone scholarship player remaining from the 2021 national championship team. He was a baby-faced freshman when Jamaree Salyer and Warren McClendon were clearing paths for Zamir White and James Cook.
“Micah doesn’t realize how much of a leader he is sometimes, but his word has so much pull,” Georgia tight end Lawson Luckie said. “And he’s earned that through the amount of years he’s been here and the hard work he’s put in this program and the growth he’s had.”
Morris has come a long way from when he arrived at Georgia from Camden County High School in Kingsland. He’s the only 2021 signee still playing for Georgia. The other three offensive line signees in that class were drafted.
And despite playing through hand, shoulder and hamstring injuries, Morris is playing some of his best football of his career.
“He’ll do anything for you, and he’ll fight and claw for every inch,” quarterback Gunner Stockton said. “So it means the world for this team for him to push through.”
Morris is the strongest member of Georgia’s team; he reportedly can bench press 420 pounds and squat multiple reps of 505 pounds. All that time in Georgia’s strength-and-conditioning program has turned Morris into both a rock and boulder.
“He’s a really big individual, really big, really strong, just a freak athlete, in my opinion,” running back Chauncey Bowens said. “I think he’s one of the best guards in the country.”
Rarely do offensive linemen draw attention to themselves. But it’s hard to ignore Morris when he comes pulling off the edge to plow over some poor defensive back.
The senior offensive linemen has gone viral on multiple occasions this year for his almost cartoonish pancakes. From a technical standpoint, it’s what Morris does best.
On the first play of overtime against Tennessee, Georgia flipped Morris to the right side of the offensive line for him to pull left and clear a path for running back Nate Frazier. The 21-yard run was the longest of the day for Georgia, and it came on Morris’ 93rd play of the game.
All those snaps have added up for Morris this season. He first began dealing with a hand injury in preseason camp. Coming out of the Alabama game, he had a hamstring injury that limited him in practice last week.
In the second quarter of Georgia’s game against Kentucky, Morris left holding his shoulder. It looked to be another injury not just for Morris but for an offensive line that has started five combinations in the first five games.
If left tackle Monroe Freeling, who left the Kentucky game with an ankle injury, doesn’t start Saturday, it would give Georgia six in six.
But Morris will be there. He ended up missing only one play before returning on the next drive. Behind Morris, Georgia added another touchdown to go up 21-7.
At this point, Morris personifies the football cliche of hurt, not injured.
“We have a tough culture here. We have a physical culture here, and they believe in pushing through if they can, and I’m proud of them for that,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said. “You know, there’s value for them in terms of the culture they develop for our team, but there’s value for them in terms of what they want to do at the next level because those guys play hurt every week, and that’s the first question they ask.”
Smart listed Tate Ratledge and Dylan Fairchild as guys who pushed through injury last season. They’re both now NFL starters, something Morris could well be one day if he continues to play as he has this season.
Their injuries cleared the way for Morris to start his first game of his Georgia career. It came on the road against Alabama after three-plus seasons of backup duty.
All that time waiting built up a tremendous amount of respect for Morris. He easily could have transferred elsewhere and likely played at a high level.
This season, Georgia has started two freshmen at right guard in Juan Gaston and Dontrell Glover.
Morris may well be the last of his kind. He’s certainly a reminder of the good ol’ days of Georgia football, when the Bulldogs went 42-2 during his first three seasons in Athens.
His strength, both physical and mental, uplifts not only Georgia’s offensive line but also the entire Georgia football program.
“He’s a dude that people love,” Luckie said. “And to see him really mature since I’ve been here and grow into a true leader has been really impressive and invaluable.”
About the Author
Connor Riley has been covering the University of Georgia since 2014 before moving to DawgNation full-time before the 2018 season. He helps in all areas of the site such as team coverage, recruiting, video production, social media and podcasting. He graduated from the University of Georgia in 2016.
