Georgia football adds their 2nd offensive lineman to the 2021 class.
As long as Kirby Smart is in Athens, fans can be sure of two things: great recruiting and production on the gridiron. For the past 5 seasons, there’s been a whole lot of both for the UGA football team.
Since 2015, Smart has lifted the program to a 54-15 record, and averaged a 3rd overall recruiting class- and to think Bulldog fans were upset over the Mark Richt firing..
But as of recently, many people are predicting Kirby to take a backseat to Dan Mullen this season. Now, is this because fans are grasping at straws, praying for a swing in the Eastern division?
Possibly.
It doesn’t seem like Kirby is slowing down to the noise, as he just added his 2nd offensive lineman commit to the 2021 class. Today, Dylan Fairchild announced his allegiance to the red and black.
https://twitter.com/DylanFairchild6/status/1266810026162892801
What’s UGA football getting?
The 6’5, 300 pound guard brings more than just size to Georgia- he also wields unlikely athleticism which can be seen on his highlight tape.
It’s probable that he developed the athleticism from his wrestling background. In 2020, Fairchild was named All-County Boys Wrestler of the Year.
And you certainly see flashes of it during his play on the football field. His footwork is really what stands out to me the most. It’s amazing to see such a large guy shuffle his feet at such an elite level to mirror opposing defenders in pass protection.
Smart will surely put this to use for years to come as he just added the highly-touted USC transfer J.T. Daniels. It’ll be up to players like Fairchild to keep him safe.
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And to be frank, I don’t think he’ll have any issues doing just that.
Furthermore, Fairchild also succeeds in run blocking thanks to his quick first step off of the line. He uses this to his advantage as he frequently reaches the second-level to pancake opposing linebackers.
There’s little doubt that the Bulldogs just snagged a real dog for 2021.
The question now becomes, how will he develop under new Bulldogs offensive line coach Matt Luke?
While Luke’s tenure at Ole Miss certainly wasn’t anything to write home about, It’s unarguable on whether or not the coach knows how to develop lineman.
In his short-lived stint in Oxford, Luke managed to send 3 offensive lineman to the NFL.
Only time will tell whether Dylan Fairchild will share the same fate; however, after committing to a program like Georgia, he’s definitely off to a good start.
In my opinion, the Bulldogs aren’t going anywhere.