GEORGIA
› Last season: 11-3 (7-1 SEC)› 2019 opener: Aug. 31 at Vanderbilt (7:30 p.m.; SEC Network)› Fun fact: All 12 of Georgia’s regular-season games this year will be in Athens, Atlanta or within a two-hour drive of some part of the Peach State. Georgia’s out-of-state contests are against Vanderbilt, Tennessee, Florida and Auburn.› Coming Friday: Kentucky
Georgia junior left tackle Andrew Thomas already has 28 career starts for the Bulldogs, having earned Freshman All-America honors in 2017, and he has widely been projected as a first-team All-American this year.
The 6-foot-5, 320-pounder from the Atlanta suburb of Lithonia is closing in on a finance degree, and he's among the largest budding pianists on the planet.
In other words, Thomas isn't one to cap his talents. Playing the piano has come to the forefront as a way to unwind from the field and the classroom, though there are overlapping characteristics to all three.
"Playing the piano is about learning keys, which is like learning assignments," Thomas said last week at SEC Media Days. "Both of those go hand in hand. You have to practice and remember a lot of things, and it's the same with football."
Thomas is well past the "chopsticks" phase with his new hobby. His favorite song to play right now is "All of Me" by John Legend.
The biggest adjustment Thomas faces this year in Athens is becoming the vocal leader of an offensive line that was among the three finalists last year for the prestigious Joe Moore Award, given annually since 2015 to the nation's top such unit in college football.
Left tackle Isaiah Wynn was the leader up front for the 2017 Bulldogs before becoming a first-round pick of the New England Patriots, with center Lamont Gaillard serving in that spot last season. Gaillard was a sixth-round pick of the Arizona Cardinals this past spring.
"Even though I got to play early, it was hard for me to step up and say certain things," Thomas said. "I tried to lead by example, but now that I'm a junior, I'm a leader on the team and have to be more vocal and call out people when I see that they need to do something.
"It's a challenge, because I'm usually a very reserved guy. At the same, when I do speak up, because I don't speak a lot, people listen and understand where I'm coming from."
Fourth-year Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart admits Thomas isn't the loudest guy on his roster, but he agrees Thomas can command plenty of respect.
"He speaks with his play, first and foremost," Smart said. "The guy has been a physical, dominant player for two years. He's not a big talker, but that's all right. I think he can take on more of a vocal role, but what we love about Andrew is his toughness and the things he does to represent the university.
"He is just tremendous."
Georgia's first-team offensive line at its G-Day spring game consisted of Thomas at left tackle, Solomon Kindley at left guard, Trey Hill at center, Ben Cleveland at right guard and Isaiah Wilson at right tackle. That quintet relegated former five-star signees Cade Mays and Jamaree Salyer to the second team.
The 2019 signing class provided more talent for offensive line coach Sam Pittman with Clay Webb, the premier center prospect nationally, and four-star tackles Warren McClendon and Xavier Truss.
"I think this will be the most talented line we've had," Thomas said. "Coach Pittman does a great job in recruiting and has a great relationship with the guys. He tells us the truth, and I think that's why they still decide to come. Coach Pittman told me if I played well and was ready that he would play me as a freshman, and, looking back, I'm grateful for that.
"There is a lot of work that we still need to do, but we want to be the driving force that carries the team."
Thomas was a game captain three times last season, and he was selected last August as the student-athlete speaker for Georgia's dedication of the completed west end zone renovation at Sanford Stadium. As "tremendous" as Thomas has been to this point, Smart foresees even better days, weeks and months ahead.
"He was able to play early on, but he wasn't physically ready," Smart said. "He didn't have the body that he has now, and he didn't have the strength. He's put on some really good weight."
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.