Will Jackson's bond with Ray Beno dates over several hundred snaps, a forceful collage of cut blocks, scoop blocks and double teams on the left side of the Georgia Tech offensive line.
That partnership has lent both players invaluable knowledge as they prepare for the upcoming season.
"If I'm doing a combo block with Ray, I know how he's going to handle it, how long he's going to stay on the block, just little things like that," Jackson said. "You know how he's going to be playing, so it helps out a lot."
Tech's line has amassed a pool of such bits of data. Guards Omoregie Uzzi and Jackson are about to enter their third season as starters. Center Jay Finch and offensive tackle Beno each started 11 games last season. Offensive tackle Tyler Kidney made six starts. That experience, which brings awareness of both self and neighboring linemen, should prove an invaluable asset for the Yellow Jackets and their ACC title aspirations.
"I want us to dominate every single play," said Uzzi, a two-time All-ACC pick.
The offense and the team's performance could well hinge on the level of dominance that Uzzi's unit achieves. Quarterback Tevin Washington will need as much time and pocket space as possible to connect with an inexperienced group of wide receivers. Consistent running alleys will grant B-back David Sims more confidence to run through them. Sustained drives will relieve pressure from a defense that has potential but questions to answer.
Uzzi said he wants the line, and the team generally, to adopt an attitude to "not depend on this guy or depend on that guy. It's up to me. Those are the kind of guys that I want playing with me."
The wisdom gained from a season, or two seasons, of play should help release the line to play with such fervor.
"I remember my first year, I was just hesitant in everything," Jackson said. "Now, I know where I'm supposed to go. It's second nature."
As is often the case with offensive linemen, the group is characterized by its intelligence, cohesion and appetite for toil. Offensive line coach Mike Sewak sees a couple of next steps for his linemen. One, playing with the same accountability that Uzzi envisions. Two, freeing themselves to think less about technique and to play with a brawler's abandon. Sewak, a letterman at Virginia, remembers a roommate asking him if he thought about his footwork at the snap of the ball.
"I said, '... I just take a good first step and then just go after it,'" he said. "Finish the guy, knock him out. Whatever it takes to get him out of the way, get him out of the way."
Preseason practice, which begins Aug. 3, will sort out the depth chart. Shaquille Mason and Trey Braun, the latter recovered from a broken leg suffered in the spring, will push Jackson and Uzzi at guard. A rotation is a possibility. At tackle, Morgan Bailey, Bryan Chamberlain and Errin Joe will challenge Beno and Kidney. This is the deepest offensive line group that coach Paul Johnson has fielded in his tenure, which heads into its fifth autumn.
"Bryan's been working his butt off, so it's going to make for an interesting camp," said Beno, who himself appeared lean and muscle-bound in an interview Thursday.
Should the line perform as it intends, the season to follow will carry an intrigue all its own.
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