Austin Blaske able and willing to do it all for Georgia in 2023
Spring drills will soon begin at Georgia. The Bulldogs will once again enter the five-week stretch as defending National Champions while also having to replace some key pieces. That means opportunity for some who’ve worked hard while waiting their turn. Do-it-all offensive lineman Austin Blaske fits that description.
The 6-foot-5 310-pound junior from Faulkville, Ga. has done almost everything but start to this point in his career. Blaske has been a scout teamer, a sixth offensive lineman with a tight end’s number, and a special teams contributor. He has also gotten extensive work at both tackle and center.
Now, with two years plus a redshirt left, Blaske’s plan is to make the most of it. And the task doesn’t matter.
“I’m going to work where they tell me to work,” Blaske told DawgsHQ right after the Bulldogs won their second National Champoinship in as many seasons. “I can play all five — guard, center, and tackle. So I’m just going to be ready to play everything. Just focused on getting myself better at everything.”
A change of plans…
Circumstances have changed since Blaske answered questions after that game. It was assumed then that Sedrick Van Pran, after 30 straight starts at center, would be moving on to the NFL. That would have flung the door wide open for Blaske to step in and start in 2023.
But Van Pran, surprisingly, decided to stick around for one more season. For some players that would have meant another year of waiting but Blaske isn’t a one-position player. He was labeled as a tackle coming out of high school and started out there when he first arrived at Georgia.
With Broderick Jones and Warren McClendon deciding to forego remaining eligibility and enter the 2023 NFL Draft, tackle is the present need.
“It’s going to be a lot of hard work,” Blaske said. “We’ve got a lot of guys leaving and guys are going to have to step up. I’m one of those guys who is going to have to step up. I’m going to work on putting some weight on and getting ready to play.”
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An opportunity earned…
Blaske’s offseason focus is on flexibility and strength, two things that often go hand in hand. The former three-star lineman knows that he’s at his best when he bends well. He’s even better when he’s also firing on all cylinders from a power standpoint.
Sure, there are other boxes he’ll try and check off between now and the start of the 2023 season, using spring practice and preseason camp as arenas. But he’s able to focus on those two in particular because other tools are there in spades.
Blaske has gained a reputation as one of the highest-effort, most physical players on the team over the past three years. From offseason workouts and competitions to fully-padded practices, the Bulldog lineman has, at different points, turned more than a few heads.
Every day at Georgia has meant something to the 2019 GHSA unanimous All-State selection. Max effort was best both for him as a player and UGA as a program.
“He definitely does,” Blaske said of Kirby Smart‘s emphasis on the scout team. “Everyone’s important. From the first-string to the scout guys, we’re all important. We couldn’t have done it without everyone on this team, especially the scout guys that give us a look every week. I was there my freshman year and they’re part of the reason we won National Championships”
