It’s game week! Preseason camp is over, and the team is well into opponent preparation. After all of the news reports and tidbits I’ve picked up over the past month, this is my sense of how the various position groups are faring heading into the season.

Offensive line: Lukewarm

If you were counting on definitive answers along the offensive line to make you feel better about the 2017 season, you’re going to be waiting for a while. The combination of newcomers, minor injuries, and the sheer number of open spots on the first and second team lines means that there are still decisions to be made. That’s maddening to fans looking for resolution to the team’s biggest question, and Kirby Smart is in no hurry to announce anything decisive. Though there hasn’t been and likely won’t be official confirmation, a starting line has begun to coalesce. There are nuggets of good news – Isaiah Wynn has looked to be the veteran anchor he was expected to be. True freshman Andrew Thomas has been a pleasant surprise and might even start. But as for nailing down specific positions and the depth chart? Ask us again in the second quarter of the App. State game.

The bright side? There is finally enough depth to have a legitimate competition. In less than three weeks, Georgia will have to name a traveling roster for the Notre Dame trip. Assuming there are 10 offensive linemen on the travel roster, there are about 11 or 12 players competing for those 10 spots. Some familiar names might be left off that list. In fact, given how fluid the composition of the line might be over the next couple of weeks, the battle for a coveted trip to South Bend might be more interesting than the competition to be a week one starter.

The big question remains how the line will perform. It was underwhelming at G-Day, but we were reassured that the incoming class would help. Thomas and perhaps Isaiah Wilson could crack the rotation, but the lines we’ve seen in practice have largely been returning players. In some sense, that’s a positive – the fewer freshmen linemen that play, the better, even when you’re talking about one of the best OL recruiting hauls in the nation. On the other hand, you’re relying on the development of players who either contributed to last season’s sub-par line or weren’t able to unseat those who did play. That development should be aided by another year with Sam Pittman, and it’s the first time since 2014 that a Georgia team will have the same line coach and blocking approach for consecutive seasons.

Tailbacks: Surface of the sun

Take a returning group of Chubb, Michel, Herrien, and Holyfield. Add true freshman D’Andre Swift, who was turning heads early in fall camp, and you have one solid unit. When the big question for the tailbacks is who gets the carries after the first two guys, you can feel pretty good about the position.

Quarterbacks: Throwing more logs on the fire

The team replaced Lambert with another touted freshman, and Ramsey is back in the fold as a quarterback rather than a punter. Let’s not assume just yet that the position is in a better spot than it was a year ago. Fromm’s potentially more talented than Lambert, but Fromm is far less experienced and would have to go through the same growing pains Eason experienced a year ago. So whether the QB position is in better shape seems to hang on the progress of Eason. That progress is…ongoing. There have been good moments, but we’re still a ways from feeling as confident about the position as we are about the tailbacks. Fromm, for his part, has been fairly anonymous. That’s a good thing as far as snuffing out any kind of manufactured controversy. He hasn’t struggled any more than you’d expect, but he also hasn’t overtaken Eason. That’s fine – he’s a good true freshman quarterback who will be brought along as such. As with the tailbacks, it’s worth watching who comes off the bench. With Fromm a redshirt candidate until he plays, do things go well enough that Ramsey can handle the rest?

Tight ends: Simmering

Nauta, Blazevich, and Woerner are all a year older. It’s an experienced and healthy group. We’ve been proclaiming “The Year of the Tight End” for what seems like three or four years now, and it’s unlikely that Georgia will have a better combination of depth, talent, and experience for a couple of seasons. Don’t forget about Harris and Davis either. Now it’s up to the coaches to use them.

Receivers: Warming up

Jacob Eason didn’t have a ton with which to work a year ago, and it was a mixed blessing that Isaiah McKenzie became a favorite target. McKenzie was a capable playmaker and will be missed, but Georgia still lacked much of a deep threat or physical outside receivers. With much of the same group back, is there hope for improvement? Start with Javon Wims – the 6’4″ JUCO transfer had a typical JUCO adjustment and recorded just two receptions through the first six games. He added 15 receptions in the back half of the season. Terry Godwin, a former 5* prospect, has been a steady contributor since his freshman season but recognizes the need to play a larger role. Chigbu and Stanley have been known more for their blocking, but this is their best opportunity to earn playing time a some of Georgia’s larger receivers before younger receivers develop. Riley Ridley showed us what he can do at times as a freshman, but consistency and personal discipline will determine whether he’s a breakout star in 2017.

Newcomers should be able to contribute early. Ahkil Crumpton is a JUCO known mostly for his kick return ability, but he’ll also be an option for several of the McKenzie-type plays. Mark Webb’s size should get him on the field on special teams as well as at receiver. J.J. Holloman electrified the crowd at G-Day, but he’s been quiet in August as he cautiously rehabilitates a hamstring injury. Don’t be surprised to see him contribute with relatively little fanfare.

An issue is what seems like a glut of talent in the slot. Crumpton, Godwin, and Hardman are cut from similar cloth. It will be a challenge for the coaches to keep them involved and still have the personnel on the field to improve the vertical passing game. Godwin has the experience and talent to line up outside on certain plays. Any of these slot receivers, in addition to Michel, Swift, and Herrien, could feature in the Wildcat, on jet sweeps, or just about any play in the book designed to get the ball into space.

Defensive line: A rolling boil

This is a fun group to think about, and new position coach Tray Scott has to be excited. Thompson, Atkins, and Ledbetter are enough to make you smile, but then you remember Rochester, Marshall, Carter, Hawkins-Muckle, Young, and Clark. Chauncey Manac can contribute at DE in pass situations. There’s depth, and it’s good depth. Malik Herring, a key member of the 2017 signing class, might have to be a redshirt candidate. With Thompson, this group can be very effective against the run. The first order of business is conditioning: it’s nice to have a deep rotation, but some of the linemen need to make themselves available for more snaps when the team needs their skills in the game. The next step is to become a more disruptive group on pass plays.

Linebackers: On the back burner

We’ve heard quite a bit from and about Lorenzo Carter in the preseason. Good things. But how often have you seen the names Roquan Smith or Natrez Patrick in practice or scrimmage reports this month? If linebackers were an unknown, that would be a sign to worry. Because we know plenty about Carter, Smith, Patrick, and Bellamy, no news is good news. Reserves D’Andre Walker and Chauncey Manac will contribute depth on the outside, and Tae Crowder and Jaleel Laguins will try to hold off some talented freshmen on the inside. Several in this group can be moved around and matched up depending on the opponent. If there’s a doubt about this group, it’s the same as the defensive line: can all of this talent generate a more effective pass rush?

Secondary: Cold front?

The outlook was sunny for Georgia’s veteran defensive backfield. Though they’d be replacing the production of Mo Smith and lost some reserves to attrition, the group still had enough experience and returning starters to get by – barely. An injury to Malkom Parrish caused a sudden chill in the optimism. Without Parrish for the first couple of games, Georgia will have to shuffle its secondary and play inexperience underclassmen or perhaps even true freshmen. There is competition among that young talent though, and coaches have been pleased with the newcomers. Safety J.R. Reed could follow Jake Ganus and Mo Smith in a line of transfers who make an immediate contribution to the defense. The duration of Parrish’s absence will have a lot to say about the composition of this group after the first couple of weeks, but it might be a matter of time before we see more significant playing time for freshmen Richard LeCounte III or Deangelo Gibbs.

Special teams: Thawing

Georgia’s 2016 struggles on special teams began in the season opener and rarely let up. There was the occasional bright spot (Blankenship at Kentucky), but even the Human Joystick dropped off until the UL-M game. Punting fell to a reserve quarterback. That’s enough about last year.

We might see a new set of kickers thanks to a pair of graduate transfers. Fans got a glimpse of punter Cameron Nizialek at G-Day, and he seems in position to start the season. David Marvin is neck-and-neck with Rodrigo Blankenship for placekicking, and the two might split placekicking and kickoff duties. The departures of Reggie Davis and Isaiah McKenzie mean that we’ll see new returners as well. JUCO transfer Ahkil Crumpton was a mid-summer addition to the team and will try to fill in for McKenzie as both a returner and receiver. Mecole Hardman and Terry Godwin are also possibilities for kick returns.

Coverage units should benefit from Georgia’s strong recruiting. A large, fast Nate McBride charging down the field on kick coverage would be an impressive sight. The only way some talented newcomers like McBride might make the limited travel roster is on special teams. There is competition for those special teams roles among young defenders and even tailbacks and receivers. As Smart fills out his 85-man roster and improves the quality of depth, that quality will begin to show up on special teams. There’s too much turnover among the specialists – kickers and returners – to justify confidence in special teams heading into the season, but there’s at least hope that it won’t be the train wreck that it was a year ago.

Kirby Smart is the prophetic voice of experience. From last month:

“We do not have much depth in the secondary past the group that’s playing,” Smart said. “I’ve never played a year that didn’t have an injury where one of these freshmen that are going to be running with our twos is going to have to step up and play in one of these big games.”

Sure enough, the secondary is already facing its first injury crisis.

In a potential blow to Georgia’s defense, senior cornerback Malkom Parrish could miss the start of the season after sustaining a foot injury. Parrish broke a bone in his foot and required surgery, according to a source with firsthand knowledge of the situation. Such an injury usually keeps a player out several weeks.

Georgia’s depth chart at secondary is one of extremes: “We have a void in our secondary,” Smart explained. “We have old and we have young. We have nothing in the middle.” The first team defensive backs are all upperclassmen, each with multiple years of experience. The second team is much more green with either true freshmen or underclassmen who have seen limited action beyond special teams.

The void Smart spoke of was addressed with a strong group in the 2017 signing class, but it leaves the secondary as one of the positions at which the team can least afford an injury to a starter. It appears as if the team will be without a starting cornerback against the veteran Appalachian State offense and possibly even the talented Notre Dame offense. Georgia’s response to the injury will require exposing some inexperience in nickel situations. As Seth Emerson noted, senior Aaron Davis is most likely to shift back to cornerback from the nickel/star spot. I agree that sophomore Tyrique McGhee will get a good look at star especially for the opener. If Parrish’s injury lingers, it will open up opportunities for freshmen DeAngelo Gibbs and Richard LeCounte III to become part of the solution.

The lack of reserve experience in the secondary was a big reason for the hesitancy earlier this year in deciding on a position for Mecole Hardman. Hardman, who spent last season as a reserve cornerback, showed promise on offense, but Smart was noncommittal about a permanent move until just last month. That ship seems to have sailed though. I’m a little relieved not to hear anything about yanking Hardman back to defense, even if part-time, as a knee-jerk response to this injury. It was a risk to remove a talented athlete from the secondary in light of the experience gap, but it’s a decision Smart is going to have to stick with to realize the biggest potential payoff from moving Hardman to receiver. Smart is going to have to rely on those raw but talented underclassmen and newcomers to round out his secondary.

Kirby Smart had fewer than two months to salvage and fill out his first signing class in 2016. It wasn’t the largest class, and it didn’t receive the accolades of his first full class in 2017, but last season’s newcomers still had a considerable impact on the 2016 team. How big of an impact? 16 of the 21 signees saw playing time in 2016. About 10 of them became what I’d consider “regulars”: either outright starters or frequently-used reserves like David Marshall and Brian Herrien. Others saw occasional action, had their playing time limited by injury, or contributed on special teams.

One signee, Chad Clay, was dismissed from the program. That leaves just four players who enter 2017 as redshirt freshmen.

• OL Chris Barnes
• OL Ben Cleveland
• OL Solomon Kindley
• DE/OLB Chauncey Manac

It’s interesting that three of the redshirts were offensive linemen. Even with the state of the offensive line in 2016, the coaches still balked at playing many true freshmen. It’s the toughest position to play as a freshman, and a true freshman on the offensive line is often a last resort. That said, a couple of true freshmen in the 2017 class, especially Isaiah Wilson and Andrew Thomas, are expected to compete for significant playing time – if not starting roles. They’ll be competing against these three redshirt freshmen as well as some more veteran prospects. With Gaillard and Wynn returning, several positions are up for grabs.

Kindley actually saw playing time as a true freshman. He was in for a single snap against Missouri. The coaches considered Kindley one of the team’s top eight linemen and planned to play him more as the season went on, but injuries affected that plan, and he never saw the field again. Georgia appealed to the NCAA to salvage his redshirt, and that appeal was granted earlier this year. Kindley will still have four years of eligibility, and he’s likely to step in for Gaillard at right guard if Gaillard starts at center. Cleveland, a former 5* prospect, has looked the part of a dominant lineman since high school, but he’s a good example of how even the bluest of the blue chips can have an adjustment moving to the college game. He’s a contender at either guard or right tackle, but it feels like a pivotal year for his development.

In many years Chauncey Manac might have played as a true freshmen, but the need at his position in 2016 didn’t justify burning the redshirt. He could be an important piece in Georgia’s search for an improved pass rush. Manac’s combination of size and speed give the coaches some flexibility, and Manac spent the spring working at both outside linebacker and defensive end.

Smart said if the Bulldogs often played against offenses such as Georgia’s, LSU’s and Arkansas’, which are more traditional, pro-style offenses, Manac would exclusively be an outside linebacker. However, with the amount of spread teams Georgia faces, Manac can be utilized on the defensive line due to his speed and size.

A 3-4 defensive end with some speed whose size isn’t a liability is a nice ace in the hole for Kirby Smart and his defensive staff.

If you like to inject as much college football as possible into your veins, it’s a good day.

ESPN today rolled out a new version of its Apple TV app that introduces the ability to watch four live simultaneous streams which can be displayed on the screen at the same time.

As the article notes, you’ll be able to configure the four streams any number of ways including everything from four equal panes to one primary stream while keeping an eye on the other three. This will be especially great when ESPN goes with the Megacast and offers different views of the same game on separate streams.

Of course it’s not perfect or for everyone:

• You’ll only get games and streams offered by ESPN and ABC. That’s a ton of content and will include the SEC Network programming, but you won’t be able to include the featured CBS game (or Fox, NBC, etc).
• You’ll need the 4th generation (post-2015) Apple TV hardware (and, it goes without saying, a decent internet connection. This isn’t something that will work at tailgate.)
• You’ll have to authenticate with an active cable subscription. This won’t work for cord-cutters – at least until ESPN launches its own streaming service.

But if you can check all of those boxes, your Saturday experience on the couch just got better.

Most of us have the SEC East title as our minimum threshold for a successful 2017 season. There are some other objectives along the way – winning in Jacksonville – but a lot of them move us closer to the goal of playing in the SEC title game. Barrett Sallee brings up an unpleasant thought which, if not corrected, would leave a big stain on the season.

No, Georgia Tech doesn’t have the street cred as big brother Georgia…but it has two wins over the last three seasons — both at Georgia — and is fresh off a 9-4 season. That’s enough to give the Yellow Jackets the edge over Kirby Smart’s crew for now.

Question that conclusion if you’d like, but it reminded me of one big to-do for 2017: unless Georgia can win in Atlanta, this year’s seniors would become the first Georgia class since the redshirt seniors of 2002 to finish with a losing record to Tech (*). It’s bad enough that they’ve already dropped two, but I don’t want to live in a world in which Nick Chubb has to carry that stigma around for the rest of his life.

(* – Carter was in. Jasper was down.)