ATHENS — Dylan Fairchild knew it would happen. The Georgia offensive guard had a feeling that at some point this season, the Bulldogs were going to ask Drew Bobo to step up and deliver.
That day came on Saturday when the redshirt sophomore made his first start in place of the injured Jared Wilson.
“I just knew that he was going to have to step up and he did,” Fairchild said. “And he did a great job and all of us are so proud of him. I mean, me and Jared were talking about it yesterday, just so proud of him for stepping up and doing a great job.”
Bobo was on the field for all 68 snaps of Georgia’s 31-13 win over Auburn on Saturday. The Bulldogs finished the game with 381 yards of offense, but didn’t turn the ball over and converted on 7 of 13 third downs.
Georgia coach Kirby Smart still doesn’t know if Wilson will be able to go this week. A foot injury he picked up against Alabama limited him to an emergency center role against Auburn.
But because of Bobo’s performance, that emergency plan of action never came to fruition.
“Drew is a tremendous athlete,” Smart said on Saturday. “People don’t give him enough credit for second on blocks, getting downfield, effort. I mean he is probably one of our highest effort players ‘cause every play he’s running down field to go hit somebody. And I was really proud of him and it was a great moment. He was a ring bearer at my wedding, and just got a lot of respect for Drew and the way he works, and to see him grow up and just be the great man and person that he is. I was happy for him to have success today.”
Bobo is the son of Georgia offensive coordinator Mike Bobo. But that tie-in isn’t the only reason that made Saturday a special moment for Bobo. He was an Auburn commit during his recruiting process. At the time, his dad was still the offensive coordinator at Auburn. Drew Bobo spent his senior season at Auburn High School in Auburn, Ala.
But when Auburn fired Mike Bobo, Drew and Mike both ended up at Georgia. Mike is in his second season at Georgia as the offensive coordinator after serving as an analyst during the 2022 season.
While expectations for Drew Bobo may not have been all that high — he was the No. 635 ranked recruit in the 2022 recruiting cycle — Bobo kept getting better to where he could put himself in a position to help the Georgia program.
The opportunity to make his first start arose on Saturday and Bobo made the most of it.
To the surprise of none of his teammates.
“I think being the center of the Georgia Bulldogs, there’s a lot of pressure within itself,” quarterback Carson Beck said. “So for him to come out there, you know, in his first start and I thought he played a really good game. I mean, there wasn’t no bad snaps. I mean, no miscues as far as ideas and that type of stuff. Obviously, I don’t I don’t watch them play. So I don’t know if there’s any physical type of type deals. But no, I thought I thought he played a really good game.”
Depth is critical on the offensive line, as Saturday showed. That the Bulldogs have developed Bobo into a capable option at center is a win for the Georgia football culture.
“We’re not like we used to be. Nobody is, that I know of, has nine, ten great offensive linemen,” Smart said. “So we’re thin, and it’s gonna become a recurring theme, in my opinion, across college football. You’re thinner, and thinner, and thinner. And you gotta be smart, maybe in how you practice. But I’m proud of the guys we have, and they’re doing a great job.”
