Georgia
Justin Shaffer: Georgia football guard kept working and working until he became a 2022 NFL Draft prospect
ATHENS – Justin Shaffer isn’t flashy. He’s not a loud particular person. The one time he actually drew consideration to himself was when Georgia would rating. He would typically be the primary offensive lineman ultimately zone to have a good time along with his teammates.
“Shaffer, he didn’t say a lot however when he did, you listened,” quarterback Stetson Bennett mentioned of the Georgia offensive lineman.
That type of respect comes while you bear the journey that Shaffer did throughout his time in school. One the place he was typically ignored till he was main the Bulldogs to a championship within the ultimate recreation of his profession.
Shaffer signed with Georgia out of Cedar Grove Excessive College within the 2017 signing class. That very same recruiting haul produced first-round offensive linemen in Andrew Thomas and Isaiah Wilson. Each of these gamers have been top-100 general prospects within the 2017 recruiting cycle. Shaffer was the No. 388 ranked recruiting prospect for that class.
Shaffer wasn’t even the highest-rated recruit on his personal highschool crew. That may belong to 4-star offensive lineman Netori Johnson, who additionally signed with Georgia within the 2017 recruiting class.
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Undeterred by the expertise round him, Shaffer simply put his head down and continued to work. And work. And work some extra.
He appeared poised to make an influence on Georgia’s offensive line within the 2019 season, beginning video games towards Tennessee and South Carolina. However a neck harm pressured him to overlook the ultimate eight video games of that season.
Then the person that recruited him to Georgia, Sam Pittman, left to grow to be the brand new head coach at Arkansas. It proved to be an eye-opening expertise for the offensive lineman.
‘Going into school I had coach (Sam) Pittman, and I used to be pondering he might be there the entire time,” Shaffer mentioned on the Senior Bowl. “However he moved on to larger an higher issues, and it might be the identical manner within the league.
“You can have one coach one 12 months, after which the following 12 months one other coach. In order that was an expertise for me studying tips on how to regroup and acquire and absorb data in another way.”
In got here Matt Luke to switch Pittman. With Wilson, Thomas and Solomon Kindley off the NFL, Georgia had a variety of openings on its offensive line getting into the 2020 season. Regardless of signing class after class of highly-touted recruits, Shaffer had performed himself right into a beginning function for the Bulldogs.
Shaffer began all 10 video games in the course of the 2020 season, with 9 coming at left guard. He then took benefit of the additional 12 months of eligibility afforded to him by the NCAA because of COVID-19 and returned to Georgia for his tremendous senior season.
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He as soon as once more began each recreation for Georgia, doing so on the left guard place. Whereas Georgia moved teammate Jamaree Salyer, Broderick Jones and Sedrick Van Pran round in the course of the course of the 12 months, Shaffer was a relentless presence on the left guard place. Coaches and media took discover of Shaffer’s steadiness, as he was named Second Group All-SEC.
Shaffer capped his lengthy and winding profession in the easiest way doable, strolling off the sphere as a champion following Georgia’s 33-18 win over Alabama.
All that work, all that point turned Shaffer from an ignored member of the Georgia crew into a probable draft decide. After a strong efficiency at each the NFL mix and Senior Bowl, Shaffer is predicted to be taken within the fifth or sixth spherical of the 2022 NFL Draft.
It’ll be a serious milestone for a key determine on Georgia’s crew in latest seasons. Definitely a second value getting loud about for the offensive guard from Ellenwood, Ga.
Justin Shaffer poised to grow to be a 2022 NFL Draft decide
