Georgia guard competition rages as season approaches

With Georgia set to begin its season, its competition to start at guard continues to rage on.

Micah Morris, Daniel Calhoun, Michael Uini, and Juan Gaston have all been battling for the two starting spots this fall. Morris is expected to start at left guard, leaving the other three fighting to start at right guard.

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart, however, doesn’t see the season opener as the end of the competition.

“Those guys have really been competitive and gotten better,” Smart said. “We’ve had young players show up, play well. We’ve had old players have days they play well. They’ve all had some nicks and bumps and bruises. Some guys have missed a little time in that guard competition, but, I mean, it’s continuous, right? It’s not even about this game and how we’re going to play in this game. It’s about today and how we’re going to play them today and how we’re going to practice them and keep getting guys better.”

One name making waves is Gaston.

The former Rivals100 recruit has impressed since enrolling early this winter. He has worked with the first team this fall. UGASports reported on Sunday that Gaston is likely starting for Georgia against Marshall.

“Huge,” defensive lineman Jordan Hall said of Gaston. “Huge frame, youthful, one of those energetic guys. Has a long way to go, but big frame, great feet. Coach Smart says he’s a dancing bear all the time. He just has a good feel for the game. He’s one of these younger guys, coming in and taking everything all in and just having fun.”

No matter who takes the field for Georgia’s first offensive snap on Saturday afternoon, Smart says the evaluation will be a day-by-day process that will continue into the season.

“We’ve got position battles that — they don’t go on until the game. They go on through the whole year because I value Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, sometimes Thursday of practice weeks probably more than some game reps,” Smart said. “We have a saying around our place: If you’re going to play winning football, we want to play you. So we’re looking to have as many guys as possible above that winning threshold line, and that’s the goal to play all those guys.”