ATHENS — ESPN College GameDay analyst David Pollack can’t help but marvel at the offense Kirby Smart has built.

“I think when you look at their team offensively, there is no concern,” Pollack told DawgNation in a recent interview. “They are going to have one of the most physical, nastiest, offensive lines, and they continue to get deeper and deeper.

“My gosh, they keep bringing in more and more talent.”

The Georgia offensive line is indeed staggering.

The Bulldogs are loaded from tackle to tackle, with four of the five projected starters expected to be selected in the first three rounds of the 2020 NFL Draft, including Outland Trophy favorite and likely top-five pic Andrew Thomas at left tackle.

That sort of protection should allow Jake Fromm to sleep well on Friday nights en route to a dream season, Pollack suggests.

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“Jake Fromm is set to have a huge year,” Pollack said. “The running back, D’Andre Swift, is going to be in the Heisman conversation.”

 

Pollack isn’t as sold on the receiver position, where UGA lost four of five top pass catchers from a season ago before adding grad-transfer WR Lawrence Cager (Miami) and TE Eli Wolf (Tennessee).

“I think the receivers, they’re not experienced or great there,” Pollack said, “but they haven’t been for many years, but they are still going to be really good.”

That said, Georgia has proven consistent in producing NFL picks at the receiver position, even if the pass numbers under Smart haven’t been overwhelming.

 

 

The real issue for Georgia, Pollack points out, is on the defensive side of the ball.

“Defensively, the linebacking corps was a place you looked at with them and you worried about,” Pollack said. “Losing Roquan Smith, obviously, you can’t just find that ….  the defensive front seven and linebackers have question marks.”

Pollack isn’t completely sold on Georgia’s secondary, as much talent as Smart has recruited on the back end.

“Deandre Baker was the best cornerback in college football for the last couple years, it was fun to watch him, he was unbelievable, and now you lose him,” Pollack said.

“You’ve got plenty of guys back there, but defensively, can they get back to dominating?” Pollack said. “Can they get back to being one of those teams that creates a lot of turnovers and you see those Savage pads out?

Smart aims to answer that question with a more aggressive scheme with hopes of creating more havoc.

But to Pollack’s point, the offense appears a lot better off than the defense entering the offseason workouts.

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