Center was already a position where Georgia didn’t have a ton of depth and the Bulldogs have taken a hit, as Malachi Tolliver is dealing with an ankle injury according to head coach Kirby Smart.
Tolliver was the backup to Drew Bobo this spring, as Bobo is set to step in for Jared Wilson. The New England Patriots took Wilson in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
“Yeah, all those guys are competing and battling, doing a really good job there. Drew’s been a great for us,” Smart said. “Very consistent, understands it, leads it, covers down, great shape, great effort player.
Tolliver redshirted in his first season at Georgia. He signed as a three-star prospect out of Cartersville High School in the 2024 signing class.
Bobo started two games for Georgia last season when Wilson missed time with a foot injury. He is in his fourth season in the Georgia program.
“I’d get a little nervous and be anxious about going in. But I think that kind of calmed my nerves, especially after the first game that I started,” Bobo said. “I realized that I’ve been there before, I’ve played in these games, and I’m really excited to be able to play in all of them this season.”
Behind Bobo, Georgia has true freshman Cortez Smith and redshirt freshman Waltclaire Flynn. Smith was a four-star prospect out of Parkview High School.
Georgia added Flynn out of the transfer portal via UCF. Smart added that Flynn had been dealing with a bit of an injury during Georgia’s scrimmage but that he was able to push through it.
“All those guys are competing and battling,” Smart said of the center position. “Really proud of where they are.”
Smart added that Dontrell Glover has also worked some at center.
As for other injuries, Smart indicated that Josh McCray is working his way back into shape after missing the early part of practice with an illness.
“I don’t know that he’s behind,” Smart said of McCray. “The biggest thing is getting him in shape and getting him reps.”
Georgia held its first scrimmage on Saturday and will hold another this coming Saturday.
The Bulldogs open the 2025 season against Marshall on Aug. 30. The game is set for a 3:30 p.m. ET start.
