UGA football roster: Clay Webb in striking distance of a starting job

Several starting offensive linemen left UGA football after the 2019 season and their absence has created tight position battles at several positions.

The departure of four contributors on the UGA football offensive line has opened the door for several younger players to compete and realistically take over starting roles. One such young pup is Clay Webb, the former five-star center from Oxford, Ala.

While Webb is yet to make an impact between the hedges, he has impressed coaches on the practice field. Webb was a co-winner of the Offensive Scout Team Player of the Year award in 2019. He enters 2020 as a redshirt freshman and in a good position to earn substantial playing time if not a starting job.

Webb’s main position is center, but he’s just as capable of playing either guard position and even tackle if the situation gets dire at that spot. At guard, he’ll compete with established players Justin Shaffer and Ben Cleveland, as well as Warren Ericson who is another young lineman to keep an eye on.

Webb was a solid wrestler in high school, which means he is excellent at finding ways to gain leverage over opponents. Strength, physicality, footwork and flexibility are all there. Webb even has some quickness, which helps make him capable of filling in at a tackle position if he needs to.

The only trait Webb has been missing is size. He was last recorded at 6-3 and 290 lbs., though he may have bulked up over the previous few months. He is competing against well-built 300-plus pounders with similar skill sets, so size is a pretty big deal.

At the very least, Webb is a key backup for the 2020 season. A guy who can let Georgia keep their linemen fresh and takeover in case of an injury at a moment’s notice. But he has the talent and skill to be much more than a backup. It’s a matter of when not if, Webb becomes a star player on the offensive line.