UGA spring football preview

Like last year, Georgia's spring practice starts, stops, then starts again in earnest. Following Thursday's opening practice, there will be an 11-day interruption for the university's spring break. As always, the culmination of spring ball will be the annual G-Day intra-squad game, which is scheduled for April 16 in Sanford Stadium.

Coming off a 6-7 season -- Georgia's first losing season in 14 years -- the Bulldogs have a lot of work to do. At least a half-dozen players will be at new positions. Two newly hired assistant coaches will be on the field. Big holes, created by graduation and early exits to the NFL, must be filled.

Today, a preview of spring practice 2011:

Two hot topics

1. The starting quarterback's status: After famously spraining his right ankle in a pickup soccer game Feb. 19, Aaron Murray expects to be a full participant in spring practice. "I'm doing good, feeling great," he said. "I'll be good to go come practice time." In the past few days, he shed his walking boot, began doing a bit of running and spent an evening throwing to his receivers. Coach Mark Richt said Murray is on pace to participate "the very first practice." With the long break between the first and second practices, though, it wouldn't be a surprise if the trainers limit his activity on Day 1.

2. The tailbacks' status: Caleb King was suspended from the Liberty Bowl for missing academic appointments, and Washaun Ealey was suspended from off-season activities for almost three weeks after failing to report on time to an early-morning punishment run. "I just wanted to grab his attention in all areas," Richt said of the Ealey suspension. "We want him to be great, and he can be if he really takes the right attitude towards it. ... Lesson learned, hopefully." Both King and Ealey are in good, albeit tenuous, standing for the start of spring practice, which will be their last chance to make a favorable impression before the summer arrival of touted tailback recruit Isaiah Crowell.

Three key projects

1. Rebuilding the receiver corps: While A.J. Green trains for the NFL draft, Georgia faces the daunting task of replacing arguably the best receiver in school history. The Bulldogs also must replace last season's second most productive receiver, Kris Durham, who completed his eligibility. Rising junior Tavarres King, the leading returning receiver with 27 catches last season, will line up at flanker "to have an opportunity to do some of the things A.J. was doing," Richt said. Coaches will look for others to emerge this spring from a group that includes Marlon Brown, Rantavious Wooten, Michael Bennett, Israel Troupe and early enrollee Chris Conley. "I think there are plenty of guys who can make plays for us," Richt said, "and young guys coming in [this summer] who are going to be hungry."

2. Shoring up the offensive line: Expected to be a pillar of last season's team, the unit underachieved. With the graduation of starters Clint Boling and Josh Davis, the departure of coach Stacy Searels to Texas and the hiring of Will Friend from UAB as Searels' replacement, the offensive line bears watching closely this spring. Ben Jones is back for his fourth season as the starting center, and Trinton Sturdivant and converted guard Cordy Glenn are the almost-certain starters at left and right tackle, respectively. "The guard spots are really up for grabs right now," Richt said. Rising sophomore Kenarious Gates, who started three games last season, is a leading candidate for one of the spots.

3. Filling the holes at linebacker: Georgia must replace three of last season's four starters at the position -- Justin Houston, a possible first-round NFL draft pick who started all 13 games at outside linebacker; Akeem Dent, the team's leading tackler who started 13 games at inside linebacker; and Darryl Gamble, who started seven games on the outside. The linebacker group also lost a coach with the departure of inside linebackers coach Warren Belin to the Carolina Panthers; he was replaced by Kirk Olivadotti, hired from the Washington Redskins. At inside linebacker, the Bulldogs will count on Christian Robinson, who started 10 games last season, and converted safety Alec Ogletree. At outside linebacker, the leading candidates to start are Cornelius Washington and USC transfer Jarvis Jones. Prized signee Ray Drew will join the OLB competition in August.

On the move

These players will be at new positions:

Alec Ogletree: After starting four games at safety as a freshman last season, he moves to inside linebacker. "Just watching the way he runs, the way he closes on people, the way he can blitz, I think he can be a unique player at that position," defensive coordinator Todd Grantham said.

Bruce Figgins: The fifth-year senior shifts from tight end, perhaps the Bulldogs' deepest position, to fullback, perhaps their thinnest. Last season's top two fullbacks, starter Shaun Chapas and backup Fred Munzenmaier, completed their eligibility. "We think Bruce can be extremely valuable to us at the fullback position," Richt said. "Plus, he already knows what to do at tight end, so it gives us the [advantage] of having him in the game and the other team not knowing exactly where he will line up."

Cordy Glenn: After starting 34 games over the past three seasons, all but four of them at offensive guard, he shifts to offensive tackle. "I don't think Cordy will be anything but a tackle [this season]," Richt said.

DeAngelo Tyson: He moves from nose guard to defensive end -- a change desired by Tyson and made possible by the signing of junior-college nose guard John Jenkins, who will arrive this summer. Meanwhile, Kwame Geathers and Mike Thornton will work at the nose.

Justin Anderson: He moved from the offensive line to the defensive line last year, but missed almost the entire season because of toe surgery, and now he is moving back to the offensive line "unless you can talk him out of it," Grantham said. On offense, Anderson will work at guard "to start out," Richt said.

Brandon Burrows: A redshirt freshman who is listed on the roster as a defensive end, he will practice at inside linebacker, Grantham said.

Injury report

The Bulldogs enter spring practice with unusually few injury issues. Outside linebackers Dexter Morant and T.J. Stripling will be sidelined as they continue rehabilitation from last season's shoulder and knee surgeries, respectively. Both are expected to be available by August.

Odd schedule

You might ask: Why not wait until after the university's spring break to start practice, rather than having an 11-day interruption between the first and second practices?

The reason, Richt said, is that he generally wanted to keep practices on a Tuesday-Thursday-Saturday schedule so that players and coaches would have a day off between sessions. The only exceptions are Friday practices during a high school coaching clinic and on the day before the G-Day game.

"If you have two practices back to back, the coaches tend to want to stay up all night watching film of practice, preparing for the next day, and they don't have a chance to go home," Richt said. "If you spread it out just right, it's good for your players and your coaches."

Coach speak

"You just want to see them compete. You just want to see them prove they can hold off the young pup coming in."

-- Coach Mark Richt on what he expects from returning tailbacks Washaun Ealey, Caleb King, Ken Malcome and Carlton Thomas before the arrival this summer of prized recruit Isaiah Crowell

Player speak

"There are going to be so many opportunities out there on the field. I just tell [all of the receivers] to work like they're the No. 1."

-- Flanker Tavarres King on the wide-receiver position

Spring calendar

Note: All events are closed to the public except the G-Day game.