ATHENS — Georgia coach Mark Richt wasn’t exaggerating when he described offensive lineman Cordy Glenn as “a man of very few words.”
You won’t find Glenn quoted anywhere in this article, even though it’s about him. He doesn’t care much for talking — or, more specifically, interviews. As you might expect of a man who is 6-foot-5 and 350 pounds, Glenn lets his play on the football field do his talking for him.
A senior, Glenn is Georgia’s starting left tackle. As such, he’s very big reason the Bulldogs have piled up yards and wins the past couple of months. The 15th-ranked Bulldogs (7-2, 5-1), winners of seven consecutive games, lead the SEC in pass efficiency and average nearly 430 yards per game entering Saturday’s game against No. 20 Auburn (6-3, 4-2).
When Trinton Sturdivant went down last spring with his third major knee injury, it was to Glenn whom the Bulldogs turned to fill the void protecting quarterback Aaron Murray’s blind side. At that point, Glenn had started almost every game of his career at left guard.
“I think Cordy has improved every week,” Richt said. “I think he’s very comfortable there now. I think his future is very bright.”
In distance, such a move is only a couple of yards to the left, but in assignment and responsibility, it’s miles and miles away.
“The angles are different,” offensive line coach Will Friend said. “You’re blocking a different type body. You’re out there in space a little bit more. It’s not like going from one guard to the other guard. It’s a totally different deal.”
Said Richt: “It is different. Cordy is a big strong, guy, and he is very athletic. When you play guard it is a smaller space. You’re not dealing in pass protection with quite as much.”
Glenn’s transition has been a work in progress. Murray was sacked six times in the Bulldogs’ season opener against Boise State, which featured star defensive end Shea McClellin and tackle Billy Winn.
Glenn and his offensive line colleagues also had their hands full the next week with South Carolina’s Melvin Ingram and Jadeveon Clowney. Murray was dropped twice in that game, a 45-42 loss.
But in the seven games since, Georgia quarterbacks have gone down only 11 times. And Glenn has faced top-notch passing-rushing talent throughout the winning streak.
He held his own against Mississippi State’s Fletcher Cox and Josh Boyd and Vanderbilt’s Tim Fugger. And after facing off against Ronald Powell and Florida’s formidable defensive front, Glenn was named SEC offensive lineman of the week. His performances have earned him the honor of being a game captain for the Bulldogs four times this season. He’ll have the big “C” (for “captain”) sewn on his No. 71 jersey again this week.
“He has really played well the last couple weeks,” Friend said. “He wasn’t a new starter to start the year, but he was new at his position. I think for a couple of weeks he was still kind of getting used to the feel of being out there at tackle because it is different. He’s really improved.”
Glenn will be in for year another supreme challenge this weekend. Auburn’s Corey Lemonier, a 6-foot-4, 240-pound sophomore defensive end is second in the SEC in both sacks (6.5) and tackles for loss (12.5). But that’s just the life of playing left tackle in the SEC. Odds are you’ll be facing a future NFL player every week.
The best news for Glenn is his own NFL stock has skyrocketed as a result. He considered making the jump after his junior season, but backed off. Now, as he gets set to start his 46th game for the Bulldogs, most draft boards have him projected as a top-20 pick.
“I think he could play tackle or guard in the NFL,” Richt said. “I think he made a wise decision to come back and play another year and prove he could be athletic enough to play on the edge, too, in the best league in college football.”
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