Georgia could very well have the best offensive line in the country this coming season. The Bulldogs bring back four starters from the 63-3 win over Florida State in the Orange Bowl and the group has regularly been a finalist for the Joe Moore Award.

The strength of the offensive line is undoubtedly at the guard position. Tate Ratledge was a Second Team All-American selection last season and returns as a key leader for the offensive line.

But it was Dylan Fairchild who recently earned some very high praise from ESPN’s Matt Miller.

“The top returning guard in the nation, Fairchild was a first-year starter last season but ended the year with first-round grades from scouts,” Miller said. “The junior left guard allowed only three pressures and no sacks and was called for only one penalty.

‘“Fairchild is just so smooth,” said an AFC East area scout. “Everything is done at a really high level.”

Fairchild moved into the starting lineup for Georgia when current Cincinnati Bengal Amarius Mims went down with an ankle injury during the 2023 season. He started 10 games for the Bulldogs a season ago, working at left guard.

This is Fairchild’s fourth season in the Georgia program. He has starting experience and now some draft praise to boot.

But it’s not a guarantee that Fairchild starts for Georgia this year. Ratledge is back, as is fellow fourth-year guard Micah Morris. He could just as well end up starting for Georgia. The Bulldogs also have Xavier Truss who can play guard, though he’s expected to play right tackle.

Morris and Fairchild both want to play significant roles for Georgia this year. But there’s no bad blood between the two teammates.

“We just want to get each other better. Pushing each other to be better all the time,” Morris said this spring. “At the end of the day, that’s my brother. We’ve been through a lot together. All the practices, runs, stuff like that. It’s definitely something great. Because whenever there are two solid players like me and Dylan just getting each other better, it’s making the team better and that’s the goal.”

With so many talented options, the Bulldogs will rotate at the guard and tackle this fall. That’s nothing new for Georgia, as it has rotated the last several years along the offensive line.

The depth of the group has always been a big reason it has consistently been one of the best in the country. Injuries happen in football and the Georgia offensive line has not been immune to that.

Injuries are what got Fairchild onto the field in the first place. He’s now clearly good enough to play. He’s going to play a big role for the Bulldogs this fall, whether he starts or not.

Time will tell if Fairchild is able to become one of the five best offensive linemen for the Bulldogs.

“We just look at it as let’s get our best five out there,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said this spring. “The more guys we have above the line playing winning football, we typically have anywhere from eight to 10 above that line. I hope we fall in that same area at the outcome of this spring as well.”