Leaner "Meatball" at the nose

Mike Thornton may not be fond of the nickname, but he's not letting it affect his low center of gravity.

Center David Andrews has had some battles with Thornton this spring, according to coach Mark Richt.

“He’s very low to the ground,” Richt said. “David was very used to blocking them big guys and sometimes David could use his quickness to his advantage and get his pads underneath theirs naturally just because of the size difference, but Michael, he’s got some good quicks and he’s got a low center of gravity. David’s had some trouble dealing with him on certain blocks. He’s trying to cut him off and Michael’s made some plays.”

It's only natural to compare Thornton and Mayes's size to the guys they're attempting to replace. So it's likely to be a recurring storyline well into the fall. But if they can help this defense stop the run better than the one Jenkins and Geathers centered then size really won't matter.