Richt: Ben Jones Impressing

ATHENS – On National Signing Day in February, there was plenty of talk about incoming offensive lineman Ben Jones, but Jones managed to get through the first three weeks of spring practice without making much public impact.

That changed Modnay, when Georgia head coach Mark Richt listed Jones among the players who have most impressed him this spring.

“He’s got an ankle (injury) that I know is killing him,” Richt said. “He isn’t telling anybody but I know it’s bothering him. He keeps practicing, he keeps trying to get better. He’s a tough kid. He’s caught my eye for sure.”

Jones, a 6-foot-2, 306-pounder from Centreville, Ala., still is in the running to start at center for the Bulldogs, Richt said, and that could start a domino effect on the offensive line, allowing Chris Davis to move back to his natural position at guard.

Jones “is definitely going to be in the competition,” Richt said. “He has not surpassed Chris, but you see the elements of toughness, of learning what to do, of competing every play. You can tell he’s trying like mad to do it just the way coach says. You can see he’s coming. I don’t know if he’s coming fast enough to start in the fall, but I’m not going to put it past him.”

Jones is unavailable to speak to the media. Offensive line coach Stacey Searels refuses to speak to the media, and Davis is the only offensive lineman allowed to speak to the media.