Such a Shame

For the third time in his Georgia career, Trinton Sturdivant will miss a season due to an ACL injury however third time may be the mis-charm as the left tackle’s career could be over after this latest setback. After a freshman All-American season in 2007 when he started 13 games protecting Matt Stafford’s blind side, helping the Dawgs won the Sugar Bowl, Sturdivant missed the 2008 season after tearing his left ACL and then the 2009 season when he tore the same ligament.

The left tackle was eased back into play last season, appearing in twelve games while starting seven at left tackle, but now a tear of the other knee’s ACL could mean curtains for Sturdivant’s college career. The fifth-year senior could petition the NCAA for a sixth-year hardship or he could decide to cash in his chips and try to move on to the NFL. He briefly considered applying for the NFL draft earlier this off-season before deciding to return in order to help ease scout’s concerns over his two knee injuries. Now he will have to prove even more skeptics wrong next year.

What will Sturdivant’s injury mean to this offensive line and this offense? Second-year quarterback will now have one fewer big body in front of him with starting experience. Earlier this spring practice, it was revealed that Cordy Glenn would be the left tackle. Glenn is now surely locked into place as he has a bit of experience protecting the blind side but has played mostly guard or out at right tackle in his Bulldog career. Senior center Ben Jones will likely whip whomever moves into the left tackle spot into shape but you’d like, if you are Murray, to have as much experience as possible out there. New offensive line coach Will Friend could decide to shuffle his line and move sophomore Kenarious Gates out to tackle or perhaps shift Justin Anderson from guard outside after one year away from the offensive side of the football.

Perhaps Friend will turn to a redshirt freshman such as Austin Long or Brent Benedict to man the outside of the line, however both are coming off injuries themselves (Back surgery, knee injury, respectively). Or maybe the coaching staff will turn to a true freshman to take the spot of a former true freshman All-American in Watts Dantzler or Zach DeBell. Dantzler is 6’7 and pushing 300 lb, and seems to be a perfect fit for a right tackle off the jump. DeBell projects to be a left tackle, eventually, after he hits the weight room and adds to his huge frame.

This isn’t how anybody wanted Sturdivant’s career to end and perhaps it won’t. But Mark Richt won’t have the mountain that is Sturdivant this season, so he and Friend will have to act quickly, especially with the G-Day game coming this weekend. A large chunk of Bulldog Nation will descend upon Sanford Stadium to see if Richt and company have made the changes to put 2010 behind them. Plenty of eyes will now be on the offensive line to see if Friend can pull off a little magic with Boise State a little over four months away.