By: Kipp Branch

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

Kirby Smart announced on Wednesday that Fall Camp for UGA will begin on July 31st. Smart in his second year at UGA returns a stacked defense and most of the questions surrounding the 2017 Dawgs circulate around the offensive line.

Smart spoke to the media on Wednesday and had this to say about his offensive line:

Smart said that when camp begins, the first team offensive line will “probably” be the same as the one that finished spring practice: Isaiah Wynn (left tackle), Pat Allen (left guard), Lamont Gaillard (center), Solomon Kindley (right guard) and Dyshon Sims (right tackle).

Georgia arguably signed its best offensive line class ever in February.

“We think we’ve recruited more length. But that doesn’t mean those guys are going to come in and inherit the position just because they pass the look contest,” Smart said. “So, each one of those positions will be evaluated, we’ll compete throughout camp. I’m just excited to get them in and let them compete.”

We know about Jacob Eason and the improvement expected for his sophomore season.

We know about Nick Chubb, Sony Michel, and company which may be the best running back group in America.

We know about Roquan Smith, Trent Thompson and others coming back on the defense.

But what about this offensive line? Let’s take a look at the expected starters as of today.

Center:  Lamont Gaillard. The 310 pounder came to UGA as a defensive lineman and moved to OL. The junior won the teams “Own the Trenches Award” during spring practice. Look for Gaillard to provide leadership to this OL as it looks as if he’ll have two new starters playing at each of the guard positions. Gaillard could have an all SEC type of year at Center.

Left Guard: Pat Allen. The 6’5 300 pound Allen won the LG job during the spring and the Maryland native who redshirted in 2015 has gained the respect of his coaches and teammates with his work ethic. Allen will have to fight for this spot in the fall with bigger guards coming in like Netori Johnson who tips the scales at 340 lbs. fighting for this spot.

Right Guard: Solomon Kindley. The 6’5 342 pound monster from Jacksonville redshirted in 2016 and looks ready to be an anchor in the interior of the Bulldog offensive line. Kindley is one of those big bodies OL Coach Sam Pittman loves and it looks like Kindley will be the RG this fall.

Left Tackle: Isaiah Wynn. The 300 pound Wynn has been a regular on the UGA offensive line making 26 starts over his Bulldog career. Smart calls Wynn a team leader and the senior will be counted on the lead this OL in 2017.

Right Tackle: Dyshon Sims. Sims played in all 13 games in 2016 and is a little undersized at 295 pounds, but has the versatility to play many spots along the OL if needed. The senior from Lowndes County High School will play RT for now and depending how the highly touted OL class coming in develops may determine whether he stays at RT.

Name to watch out for is 5-Star Tackle Isaiah Wilson who is 6’7 and listed as 350 lbs. in the UGA media guide. Wilson has dropped weight this summer as he gets ready to compete in the SEC. Wilson should push Sims for PT and could be an All-American before he leaves Athens.

The OL was not up to UGA standards in 2016, but look for the 2017 unit to be much better which could end up being a big reason the Dawgs compete for an SEC title.