Locking down Georgia’s starting left tackle position in recent years has provided long-term benefits, with Isaiah Wynn and Andrew Thomas becoming NFL first-round draft picks.
The Bulldogs conducted their second spring scrimmage Saturday inside Sanford Stadium, with left tackle continuing to be held down by Xavier Truss, a 6-foot-7, 330-pound redshirt sophomore from West Warwick, Rhode Island. Truss earned his first career start at left tackle in January’s 24-21 topping of Cincinnati in the Peach Bowl.
“Truss has played there the most and has worked there the most,” Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart said after the scrimmage on a Zoom call. “He’s continuing to work and has gotten better. With him, so much of it is communication, demeanor, body language and fight, and he’s improved in all those areas.
“I’m very pleased with where he’s headed and what he’s doing.”
The start by Truss inside Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium was the result of a domino effect that began when veteran right guard Ben Cleveland elected to opt out of the game against the Bearcats. Justin Shaffer shifted from left guard to right guard, and Jamaree Salyer moved from left tackle to left guard.
Truss, who saw action in six of Georgia’s 10 games a season ago, is competing with Broderick Jones, a five-star signee in 2020, and Amarius Mims, a five-star early enrollee, as well as Salyer, who Smart said is getting reps at guard and tackle. Smart added that Jones and Mims are also competing at right tackle.
“It’s always going to be open, but Truss is getting most of the reps there until we can figure out who the best five are,” Smart said.
Sophomore receiver Jermaine Burton, who hyperextended his knee late last month, didn’t scrimmage. Smart said several of the younger receivers made plays Saturday, including redshirt freshman Ladd McConkey out of North Murray High School.
The Bulldogs will wrap up spring next Saturday with the G-Day game.
“I was pleased with the effort and enthusiasm at the scrimmage,” Smart said. “We did have some rain, and it was really good to practice in that. Every year we end up with a game that has a threat of that or some rain, and I thought the players handled that well.
“We were not able to finish in the stadium, but we did get to finish back in the indoor.”
Vols conduct eighth
Tennessee on Saturday morning held its eighth spring practice, which took place inside Neyland Stadium and was open to fans.
There was not any media availability afterward, but Volunteers first-year coach Josh Heupel posted on Twitter: “Thank you for coming out today. See you in two weeks at the Orange & White game.”
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524. Follow him on Twitter @DavidSPaschall.