Georgia Football: Welcome to the D’Andre Swift show

Georgia Football has a history of producing big-time running backs. Could D’Andre Swift be the next on that list?

The Georgia Football team has a long history of producing elite running backs. From the days of Herschel Walker to more recent players like Todd Gurley, Sony Michel, and Nick Chubb, it seems like a foregone conclusion that there will always be a formidable backfield in Athens, Georgia.

D’Andre Swift is poised to become the next star running back for the University of Georgia in 2018. Swift, a rising sophomore from Philadelphia, was able to make an impact as a freshman despite having to share carries with Sony Michel and Nick Chubb in 2017.

Swift committed to Georgia early in the 2016 college football season. After Michel and Chubb announced in December of 2016 that they were both planning on returning to Athens for their senior seasons, some wondered if Swift would nix his commitment to the Dawgs and go elsewhere to get more playing time. Swift actually did the opposite. He remained firm on his commitment to Georgia and embraced the competition he faced when he arrived on campus.

As a freshman, Swift didn’t necessarily “light up” the stat sheet in terms of overall numbers but that’s only due to Michel and Chubb limiting his opportunities. Despite the limited opportunities, he certainly made the most of them.  Last season, Swift had 73 carries for 597 yards and three touchdowns. That meant he averaged 8.2 yards per carry, in case you were wondering. He also caught 15 balls for 146 yards and a touchdown. For those of you who don’t remember swift’s performances last year, watch the below video. Even I saw ‘wow’ plays that I had somehow forgotten.

Perhaps Swift’s shining moment of his freshman season was his late-game touchdown in the SEC Championship game against Auburn. Swift took a shotgun handoff from quarterback Jake Fromm and bolted down the sideline for a 64-yard score to essentially seal the victory for the Dawgs and send the team to the Rose Bowl.

Swift stands at 5’9″ and weighs 215 pounds. His low center of gravity and strength make him a nightmare for defensive players to tackle. He’s every bit as quick and shifty as Sony Michel, if not quicker. His ability to run both inside and outside the tackles, as well as his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield, make him the ideal versatile college running back.

One area that he definitely seems to have the advantage over the like of Chubb, Michel, and even Todd Gurley is durability. Outside of a small groin strain earlier this year in spring practice, there was never any news about Swift sustaining any injuries during his freshman season. If he can continue with that durability through the increased workload he’ll be receiving, SEC defensive coordinators will have their hands full every week.

Next: Previewing the 2018 South Carolina Gamecocks

There’s a reason Swift has been named a preseason Heisman contender despite only carrying the ball 73 times as a freshman. He’s just that good. Just like the great Georgia running backs before him, he’s a threat to take it the distance each and every time he touches the ball. The Chubb and Michel era is over in Athens. Get ready for D’Andre Swift to take the college football world by storm in 2018.