"Scathing" article on OL play

UGA has had several All-SEC and All-America caliber OL in recent years. IMO the talent has been fine, but obviously it's the development and/or level of play that underwhelms....

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I think Friend is a decent coach but why not get an NFL guy in here that has coached his guys up against various pro bowl defensive linemen and linebackers week in and week out

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Because we won't spend that kind of dime on one.

I agree with the article. Our recruiting in general has disappointed, but particularly on the OL.

Want to know where our stud Georgia-bred OL are? They're at other schools. Vadal Alexander will be a 4 year starter at OT at LSU (if he doesn't leave early to the NFL), David Beasley is a starting guard at Clemson, Max Garcia is a starting guard at UF, Cameron Erving is a starting tackle at FSU, Tre Jackson is a starting guard at FSU, Ja'Wuan James is a starting tackle at UT, Austin Shepherd is a starting tackle at Bama, Evan Swindall is a starting center at Ole Miss.

That's not to say we haven't signed some guys from GA who are quality, but we've too often chased guys like Avery Young and Laremy Tunsil only to be left hanging, all the while players like the above have left our backyard and gone on to start at other local schools. Not just fill the depth chart, but start. And that doesn't even go back to some of the monumental misses like James Carpenter and Chance Warmack who both went to Bama and were drafted in the 1st round in recent years.

I understand that evaluating OL is difficult, but it's also our coaches job. I also understand recruiting is difficult, but that's also our coaches job.

I think most here would probably rather have Austin Shepherd, Vadal Alexander, Ja'Wuan James, or Cameron Erving starting at tackle over Gates. That's 4 OT's from in-state that we let get away, that are all better than the one we got.

The fact that we can't sign everybody is why it's so important that we make sure the folks we do sign are the right guys.

If we lined up in the "I" 85% of the time, and ran downhill at Clemson with that 265lb freak fullback leading the way we would've battered them.

Instead 70% of our run plays were finesse, shotgun, slow developing plays and our guys couldn't hold the edge against Clemson's undersized speed. We played right into their only defensive strength. I still can't believe that was our gameplan.

Preach Emerson, preach