Georgia offensive line figuring out its best look minus Amarius Mims

ATHENS, Ga. — Georgia will be without star offensive tackle Amarius Mims for the next few weeks, but it remains to be determined how they’ll handle his loss. After Mims went down with an ankle injury on Saturday in a 24-14 win over South Carolina, Xavier Truss bumped out to right tackle from his starting spot at left guard. Dylan Fairchild entered the game to play on the interior, a lineup that UGA rolled with the rest of the way.

Is that how they’ll look come this Saturday? Head coach Kirby Smart was not certain. According to him, there are a few factors that’ll play into the decision that he and offensive line coach Stacy Searels have to make this week.

“It’s going to depend on the health of some of the other o-linemen, where is Blaske’s health, where do we get the best five from? A lot of that will play itself out over the next three or four days,” Smart said on Monday.

“I do think Truss gives us that flexibility, and he did a nice job on the run the other day to be able to go do that.”

Truss has a history at offensive tackle, as Smart made sure to point out after the game on Saturday when he stepped in. The 6-foot-7, 320-pound native of West Warwick, Rhode Island was recruited to Georgia in 2019 as an offensive tackle and saw time there early in his career. In Georgia’s 2020 season Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl victory over Cincinnati, Truss served as the Bulldogs’ starting offensive tackle.

Truss moved into the starting lineup full time last season as a guard. It was after that 2020 season that he made the transition inside primarily, but still has maintained getting some reps on the outside as well. That certainly paid off on Saturday.

As for the other options to replace Mims, a First-Team All-SEC selection in the preseason and projected first round pick in next spring’s NFL Draft, Georgia could go with Austin Blaske. He competed for the starting spot on the left side during spring practice and fall camp, but the job was ultimately won by Earnest Greene. Blaske rotated in at times with the first team in the season opener but has missed the last two games with an MCL sprain. Smart said on Monday that they are expecting him back at practice this week.

The Bulldogs also have five-star freshman Monroe Freeling and a seasoned veteran in Chad Lindberg that could theoretically get the nod. Lindberg has played in each of the first three games, primarily as a blocking tight end for heavy sets, while Freeling saw the field in each of the first two games. The snaps seen so far this season by Jared Wilson and Micah Morris could also allow Georgia to get creative.

Whoever it is, it won’t be Mims. He’ll undergo a tightrope surgery on his ankle this week with hopes of getting him back before season’s end. In the meantime, the Bulldogs will have to figure things out without him.

“We practice that all the time so it’s kind of what we do. Put the next man up,” Smart said immediately after the game in his press conference. “I was proud of the way Truss being able to bounce up there and play. If you remember Truss’ history, he has been up there and played I guess 2 or 3 years ago. He’s played out there before. I can’t say how he played but we were able to run the ball.”

“Just really got to trust Mr. Ron and make sure he’s good,” Sedrick Van Pran added, postgame as well. “As far as us, it was about making sure we honored him, making sure that the next guy up stepped up and understanding that at the end of the day, there’s still a game to be won and somebody has to fill his shoes.”

Kickoff time for this Saturday’s game against UAB is set for 7:30 p.m. ET at Sanford Stadium. Brian Custer, Rod Gilmore and Lauren Sisler will be on the call for ESPN2.