Georgia Bulldogs: Austin Long
Editor’s note: Over the next two weeks, we’ll take a closer look at each of Georgia’s position groups at the end of spring practice. Today we examine the offensive line:
Returning players/stats: Chris Burnette, Sr. (12 starts in 2012); Kenarious Gates, Sr. (14 starts); Dallas Lee, Sr. (14 starts); David Andrews, Jr. (14 starts); Mark Beard, Jr. (Two starts); John Theus, So. (14 starts); Austin Long, Sr.; Watts Dantzler, Jr.; Zach DeBell, So.; Hunter Long, Jr.; Xzavier Ward, So.; Greg Pyke, RFr.
Newcomers: Brandon Kublanow, Fr. (ESPN's No. 145 overall prospect in 2013, No. 2 center. Expected to enroll this summer); Aulden Bynum, Fr. (No. 47 OT. Enrolled in January); Josh Cardiello, Fr. (No. 21 OG. Enrolled in January); DeVondre Seymour, Fr. (No. 14 OT. Could enroll this summer)
Returning players/stats: Chris Burnette, Sr. (12 starts in 2012); Kenarious Gates, Sr. (14 starts); Dallas Lee, Sr. (14 starts); David Andrews, Jr. (14 starts); Mark Beard, Jr. (Two starts); John Theus, So. (14 starts); Austin Long, Sr.; Watts Dantzler, Jr.; Zach DeBell, So.; Hunter Long, Jr.; Xzavier Ward, So.; Greg Pyke, RFr.
Newcomers: Brandon Kublanow, Fr. (ESPN's No. 145 overall prospect in 2013, No. 2 center. Expected to enroll this summer); Aulden Bynum, Fr. (No. 47 OT. Enrolled in January); Josh Cardiello, Fr. (No. 21 OG. Enrolled in January); DeVondre Seymour, Fr. (No. 14 OT. Could enroll this summer)
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
ATHENS, Ga. -- Although he started every game at right tackle last season as a true freshman, that doesn’t mean John Theus will remain there this fall.
Offensive line coach Will Friend wasn’t ready to proclaim him a starter at the end of spring practice, at all, but a more reasonable question is probably whether the sophomore starts at left or right tackle. Because it would be a considerable upset if Theus loses a starting spot at any point in his career.
Last season, Theus became the third true freshman offensive tackle to start Georgia’s season opener since freshmen became eligible to play in 1973. And while he wasn’t perfect, he won multiple freshman All-America rosters and validated the excitement that accompanied his signing with Georgia more than a year ago.
Offensive line coach Will Friend wasn’t ready to proclaim him a starter at the end of spring practice, at all, but a more reasonable question is probably whether the sophomore starts at left or right tackle. Because it would be a considerable upset if Theus loses a starting spot at any point in his career.
Last season, Theus became the third true freshman offensive tackle to start Georgia’s season opener since freshmen became eligible to play in 1973. And while he wasn’t perfect, he won multiple freshman All-America rosters and validated the excitement that accompanied his signing with Georgia more than a year ago.
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
ATHENS, Ga. -- Hutson Mason is not a rookie, but he felt like one in some ways during Saturday’s G-Day game.
After redshirting last fall -- his third season in college -- to gain a year of separation between himself and fourth-year starting quarterback Aaron Murray, Mason had to shake off some jitters entering his first competitive game in a year.
“Coming into this, I was treating this like a game for me because it’s been so long that I’ve really emotionally and mentally been like, ‘Hey man, this is game day,’ ” said Mason, who led the Black team to a comeback 23-17 victory over the Red. “I wanted to kind of see how my body would react being out there with 40,000 people. It’s not quite like game day, but you kind of get your body back into that feeling and getting ready.”
It was not a perfect day for the redshirt junior. The Black punted on his first three drives and he scrambled and threw an interception to freshman linebacker Reggie Carter at midfield on his fourth.
“I thought that the pick earlier was the worst decision that I’ve made at Georgia, but definitely this spring,” Mason said. “That was just pathetic. I’ve got to throw the ball away.”
But Mason improved as the day progressed. He threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to Jonathon Rumph in the second quarter and drove the Black to two field goals in the fourth quarter to provide the six-point margin of victory.
Mason completed 16 for 27 passes for 191 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
“We slung it around today pretty well and we had a juco guy in Rumph, so he doesn’t really know what he’s doing,” Mason said. “So I was really just happy for the guys to step up and make the most of their opportunities when they needed to.”
G-Day all-stars: Every spring game has its surprise standouts.
After redshirting last fall -- his third season in college -- to gain a year of separation between himself and fourth-year starting quarterback Aaron Murray, Mason had to shake off some jitters entering his first competitive game in a year.
[+] Enlarge
Dale Zanine/US PresswireQuarterback Hutson Mason redshirted last season and treated G-Day like a comeback.
Dale Zanine/US PresswireQuarterback Hutson Mason redshirted last season and treated G-Day like a comeback.It was not a perfect day for the redshirt junior. The Black punted on his first three drives and he scrambled and threw an interception to freshman linebacker Reggie Carter at midfield on his fourth.
“I thought that the pick earlier was the worst decision that I’ve made at Georgia, but definitely this spring,” Mason said. “That was just pathetic. I’ve got to throw the ball away.”
But Mason improved as the day progressed. He threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to Jonathon Rumph in the second quarter and drove the Black to two field goals in the fourth quarter to provide the six-point margin of victory.
Mason completed 16 for 27 passes for 191 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
“We slung it around today pretty well and we had a juco guy in Rumph, so he doesn’t really know what he’s doing,” Mason said. “So I was really just happy for the guys to step up and make the most of their opportunities when they needed to.”
G-Day all-stars: Every spring game has its surprise standouts.
DawgNation Mailbag: Spring break edition 
March, 15, 2013
Mar 15
8:45
AM ET
By
Radi Nabulsi | ESPN.com
ATHENS, Ga. -- The Georgia Bulldogs are enjoying spring break after having their first three practices of spring camp last week. As we wait for the players to return to Athens and resume camp life, we will take a moment to answer the questions from our readers in our weekly DawgNation mailbag.
Cappy_88: Radi, give me a 2012 roster player (outside of Jordan Jenkins, Ray Drew, and Josh Harvey-Clemons) who you think will have a breakout year in 2013 and why?
Cappy_88: Radi, give me a 2012 roster player (outside of Jordan Jenkins, Ray Drew, and Josh Harvey-Clemons) who you think will have a breakout year in 2013 and why?
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
ATHENS, Ga. -- The big news out of Athens this week concerned raises for each of Mark Richt’s football assistants -- including a big raise and new three-year contract for offensive coordinator Mike Bobo.
Bobo received a $240,000 pay bump to $575,000 per year and assistants Will Friend and Tony Ball also got sizable raises, but all nine Richt assistants received a pay increase of some sort.
Bobo received a $240,000 pay bump to $575,000 per year and assistants Will Friend and Tony Ball also got sizable raises, but all nine Richt assistants received a pay increase of some sort.
UGA spring preview: 5 positions to watch
February, 28, 2013
Feb 28
7:00
AM ET
By
David Ching | ESPN.com
ATHENS, Ga. -- Coaches always emphasize the importance of competition during spring practice, and there will certainly be more than enough at Georgia once the Bulldogs start spring drills on March 2.
The competition on the defensive side of the ball will be the story of the spring, as coordinator Todd Grantham and company work to find replacements for the 12 departed regulars who figured heavily into the Bulldogs’ defensive plans last fall.
Here are five positions that bear close watching this spring:
The competition on the defensive side of the ball will be the story of the spring, as coordinator Todd Grantham and company work to find replacements for the 12 departed regulars who figured heavily into the Bulldogs’ defensive plans last fall.
Here are five positions that bear close watching this spring:
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
ATHENS, Ga. -- In reviewing Georgia’s seven recruiting classes since 2006 -- when ESPN entered the recruiting game -- last week, we opined that the Bulldogs’ 2009 haul was the best of the bunch. As the various member sites from Recruiting Nation collectively review their schools’ 2009 classes today, let’s take a closer look at what made that group so special.
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
Editor’s note: Over the next several weeks, we’ll take a look at each position on Georgia’s depth chart and project how it might look in the future. Today we examine Georgia’s offensive guards and centers.
2012 two-deep depth chart:
LG: Dallas Lee (Jr.), Kenarious Gates (Jr.)
RG: Chris Burnette (Jr.), Lee (Jr.)
2012 two-deep depth chart:
LG: Dallas Lee (Jr.), Kenarious Gates (Jr.)
RG: Chris Burnette (Jr.), Lee (Jr.)
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
By the numbers: UGA classes since 2006
January, 18, 2013
Jan 18
7:00
AM ET
By
David Ching | ESPN.com
ATHENS, Ga. -- Here’s a breakdown of Georgia’s last seven recruiting classes and what they managed to accomplish in college and beyond:
2006
ESPN top five classes: Florida, USC, Texas, Georgia, Notre Dame
Georgia’s ranking: 4
2006
ESPN top five classes: Florida, USC, Texas, Georgia, Notre Dame
Georgia’s ranking: 4
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
Editor’s note: Over the next several weeks, we’ll take a look at each position on Georgia’s depth chart and project how it might look in the future. Today we examine Georgia’s offensive tackles:
2012 two-deep depth chart:
LT: Kenarious Gates (Jr.), Mark Beard (So.)
RT: John Theus (Fr.), Watts Dantzler (So.)
2012 two-deep depth chart:
LT: Kenarious Gates (Jr.), Mark Beard (So.)
RT: John Theus (Fr.), Watts Dantzler (So.)
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
Editor’s note: Each day between now and Georgia’s Capital One Bowl date with Nebraska, we will review the season for a key Bulldogs player and attempt to project what’s next. Today we’ll look at offensive lineman Mark Beard.
No. 79 Mark Beard
Sophomore/Offensive line
Role in 2012: After enrolling at Georgia in January, the junior college transfer became one of the Bulldogs’ top offensive line reserves in his first season at UGA.
The good: Beard appeared in all 13 games and started twice at left tackle. He initially shuffled between guard and tackle after he arrived at Georgia, but eventually seemed to find a home on the edge. By the end of the season, his improved play had caused offensive line coach Will Friend to develop a three-man rotation on the left side of the line that featured Beard, Kenarious Gates and Dallas Lee.
No. 79 Mark Beard
Sophomore/Offensive line
Role in 2012: After enrolling at Georgia in January, the junior college transfer became one of the Bulldogs’ top offensive line reserves in his first season at UGA.
The good: Beard appeared in all 13 games and started twice at left tackle. He initially shuffled between guard and tackle after he arrived at Georgia, but eventually seemed to find a home on the edge. By the end of the season, his improved play had caused offensive line coach Will Friend to develop a three-man rotation on the left side of the line that featured Beard, Kenarious Gates and Dallas Lee.
Editor’s note: Each day between now and Georgia’s Capital One Bowl date with Nebraska, we will review the season for a key Bulldogs player and attempt to project what’s next. Today we’ll look at left guard Dallas Lee.
No. 64 Dallas Lee
Junior/Offensive guard
Role in 2012: One of the returning starters on a rebuilding offensive line, Lee and his line mates enjoyed a productive season in which they exceeded modest expectations.
The good: A season after starting seven of the eight games in which he played -- he missed the rest of the season after breaking his leg against Florida -- Lee has started all 13 games at guard this season. It was not uncommon to see Lee or fellow guard Chris Burnette pull and lead tailbacks Todd Gurley or Keith Marshall through a hole for a big gain, as the line’s steady improvement helped power a largely effective running game.
The bad: It’s not necessarily all that bad, but Lee lost some playing time at points as Georgia’s coaches experimented with different rotations. In the most frequent lineup change, Kenarious Gates would shift to Lee’s spot at left guard with Mark Beard taking over for Gates at left tackle. There were also times that Lee shifted to right guard to fill in for an injured Burnette. And reserve Austin Long has started to see time along the line here and there.
Crystal ball: Georgia’s coaches have made it clear that not only will there be open competition for starting spots along the line for the Jan. 1 Capital One Bowl against Nebraska, but spring practice will require the starting linemen to prove they deserve to keep their spots. Lee will be a senior in 2013 and has started 20 of the last 21 games in which he participated, so he seems to be a likely starter next fall. But keep an eye on the position battles during spring and preseason practices to see if any of the reserves continue their pushes for additional playing time.
No. 64 Dallas Lee
Junior/Offensive guard
Role in 2012: One of the returning starters on a rebuilding offensive line, Lee and his line mates enjoyed a productive season in which they exceeded modest expectations.
The good: A season after starting seven of the eight games in which he played -- he missed the rest of the season after breaking his leg against Florida -- Lee has started all 13 games at guard this season. It was not uncommon to see Lee or fellow guard Chris Burnette pull and lead tailbacks Todd Gurley or Keith Marshall through a hole for a big gain, as the line’s steady improvement helped power a largely effective running game.
The bad: It’s not necessarily all that bad, but Lee lost some playing time at points as Georgia’s coaches experimented with different rotations. In the most frequent lineup change, Kenarious Gates would shift to Lee’s spot at left guard with Mark Beard taking over for Gates at left tackle. There were also times that Lee shifted to right guard to fill in for an injured Burnette. And reserve Austin Long has started to see time along the line here and there.
Crystal ball: Georgia’s coaches have made it clear that not only will there be open competition for starting spots along the line for the Jan. 1 Capital One Bowl against Nebraska, but spring practice will require the starting linemen to prove they deserve to keep their spots. Lee will be a senior in 2013 and has started 20 of the last 21 games in which he participated, so he seems to be a likely starter next fall. But keep an eye on the position battles during spring and preseason practices to see if any of the reserves continue their pushes for additional playing time.
Editor’s note: Georgia’s football season is at the halfway mark, and the Bulldogs will take this weekend off before resuming SEC play next Saturday at Kentucky. We'll take a look at a different position group each day this week and evaluate how it performed in the first half of the season in our DawgNation midseason report cards.
ATHENS, Ga. -- The public opinion of Georgia’s offensive line was, for a time, much more positive than it is today, after the Bulldogs’ numerous breakdowns led directly to a 35-7 loss at South Carolina.
Will Friend’s rebuilt line had been surprisingly effective in the first five games, paving the way for Georgia to rank among the nation’s most explosive offenses.
ATHENS, Ga. -- The public opinion of Georgia’s offensive line was, for a time, much more positive than it is today, after the Bulldogs’ numerous breakdowns led directly to a 35-7 loss at South Carolina.
Will Friend’s rebuilt line had been surprisingly effective in the first five games, paving the way for Georgia to rank among the nation’s most explosive offenses.
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
This week Georgia coach Mark Richt was discussing recruiting battles against Tennessee, and the first names brought up a reporter -- Cordarrelle Patterson, Jawuan James, Antonio Richardson -- elicited a candid remark by Richt.
“Why are you saying all of the guys we lost?” Richt said. “The guys you mentioned were two of the best-looking offensive tackles I have seen in a while. And certainly Cordarrelle is a freaky ball-player. We tried really hard to get all of those guys.
Just as the Bulldogs have annual battles on the field with Tennessee and others in the Southeastern Conference, they also go head-to-head for some of the top prospects in the country. Quite often, those prospects are from the state of Georgia.
“Why are you saying all of the guys we lost?” Richt said. “The guys you mentioned were two of the best-looking offensive tackles I have seen in a while. And certainly Cordarrelle is a freaky ball-player. We tried really hard to get all of those guys.
Just as the Bulldogs have annual battles on the field with Tennessee and others in the Southeastern Conference, they also go head-to-head for some of the top prospects in the country. Quite often, those prospects are from the state of Georgia.
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
Upon Further Review: UGA 56, FAU 20
September, 17, 2012
9/17/12
4:02
PM ET
By
David Ching | ESPN.com
ATHENS, Ga. -- After rewatching Georgia’s 56-20 win against Florida Atlantic on ESPN3 today, I can’t say that I learned much that wasn’t apparent from watching the game live.
The Bulldogs’ first-team offense was as good as I’ve seen it, there was an ugly first half for Georgia’s defense and the game eventually turned into a bludgeoning. But let’s jump into some of the finer points of the Bulldogs’ win in this week’s “Upon Further Review.”
• This is one of those situations where you ask if someone wants the good news or the bad news first. I prefer the bad news first in such a scenario, and that would be that Georgia’s defense had a truly awful first half against another opponent which had no business moving the ball so effectively.
The Bulldogs’ first-team offense was as good as I’ve seen it, there was an ugly first half for Georgia’s defense and the game eventually turned into a bludgeoning. But let’s jump into some of the finer points of the Bulldogs’ win in this week’s “Upon Further Review.”
• This is one of those situations where you ask if someone wants the good news or the bad news first. I prefer the bad news first in such a scenario, and that would be that Georgia’s defense had a truly awful first half against another opponent which had no business moving the ball so effectively.
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
ABOUT THIS BLOG
David Ching
David Ching came to ESPN.com in 2011 after six years covering UGA for the Columbus (Ga.) Ledger-Enquirer and Athens (Ga.) Banner-Herald. He lives in Athens. Email him at davidchingespn@gmail.com.
Radi Nabulsi
Radi Nabulsi joined ESPN.com in 2011 after covering the University of Georgia for Rivals.com for four years and for the UGA Athletic Association since 1993. Nabulsi is a graduate of the University of Georgia's Grady College of Journalism and lives in Athens. He can be reached at radinabulsiespn@gmail.com.
Kipp Adams
Kipp Adams joined ESPN.com in 2011 after covering University of Georgia football and basketball recruiting for five years at Rivals.com. He lives in Sandy Springs, Ga., and enjoys spending time with his two sons. He can be reached at kippadamsespn@gmail.com.