Georgia offensive line among nation's best

ATHENS, Ga. - They used to be the weak link of the Georgia offense, a bunch of oversized, under-experienced players who carved out puny holes and let their quarterback take a beating.

Now, they're all grown up.

If the Bulldogs are going to contend for another SEC title, they'll rely on a deep, experienced offensive line to make things easier for new quarterback D.J. Shockley, an unheralded group of receivers and a trio of sophomore running backs.

Georgia's starting five averages an imposing 310 pounds, led by 340-pound guard Max Jean-Gilles, who passed up a chance to enter the NFL draft. He's joined by guard Nick Jones, center Russ Tanner and tackles Daniel Inman and Dennis Roland.

But this is more than a bunch of behemoths. The starters are all juniors and seniors, with 104 starts among them, a group that knows every nuance of the offense and each other. That's not all - four of the second-teamers are juniors and seniors, with a total of 19 starts and extensive time in backup roles.

"We've got a lot of experience. We've got a lot more depth," coach Mark Richt said. "These guys know what they're doing. They've played together a lot."

The line has certainly come a long way since 2003, when most of these same players looked woefully overmatched as freshmen and sophomores. The Bulldogs gave up 47 sacks, more than any team in the Southeastern Conference, and not one running back managed to gain 100 yards in a game.

"We had to take it upon ourselves to be great," Jean-Gilles said. "That made us into men. We were like boys back then."

Boys no more, the line showed tremendous improvement last season. Georgia cut it sacks by more than half to 21. Meanwhile, freshmen Danny Ware and Thomas Brown each had four 100-yard performances on the ground.

This season, the No. 13 Bulldogs will likely rise - or fall - on the strength of the guys up front. Early on, as Shockley gets comfortable in the starting role and the receivers find their way, Georgia will probably focus on a punishing ground game to power the offense.

That's just fine with the big men. They are a tight-knit group that's used to missing out on the individual accolades. Jean-Gilles is the most well-known of the group, largely because of his flirtation with the NFL.

"The camaraderie is just so good," Inman said. "We are like brothers. We spend a lot of time together. There can't be conflict on the line. You've got to be one."

Richt has often said that the toughest place for a young player to break into the lineup is on the offensive line. Freshmen and sophomore have to take their lumps as they build strength in the weight room and learn the complexities of the college game.

"We have game experience playing in hostile environments," Inman said. "We've learned the speed of the game. We've seen all the different blitzes, all the different defenses. You don't mess up as much as you did when you were younger."

The line received a major boost when Jean-Gilles decided to hang around for his senior year. As the 2004 season was winding down, just about everyone - even his teammates - figured he would trade Saturdays at Sanford Stadium for Sundays in the pros.

But Jean-Gilles wants to make history, figuring another season at Georgia might help him become one of the highest-picked guards in NFL history.

"I made my decision, and I'm sticking to it," he said. "It's the best decision I ever made."

The rest of the line certainly had no complaints.

"It's good to see him back," Inman said. "I was surprised that he stayed. Then again, I think he made the right decision."

As for the new quarterback, Shockley is more mobile than his predecessor, David Greene, which will change up the offense just a bit.

A scrambler can help obscure breakdowns on the offensive line, but also cause confusion among a unit that relies on split-second timing and proper positioning.

"No matter who the quarterback is, he's got to be where he's supposed to be and do what he's supposed to do," line coach Neil Callaway said. "You can't have someone doing his own thing back there."

No longer viewed as a shortcoming, Georgia's O-line is intent on establishing itself as one of the nation's best.

"Maybe people aren't doubting us like they did in the past," Inman said. "Still, we've got to produce. Just because people say we're supposed to be good doesn't mean we're going to be good."