Getting to Know the Opponent: Meet UNC’s Elijah Hood

In DOTD’s new series previewing the top players UGA will face next fall, we begin our first installment on North Carolina’s Elijah Hood.

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Georgia faces many talented players in 2016, and one of the guys on that list will face UGA in Week 1. That man is Elijah Hood of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Hood is a running back from Charlotte, N.C. and is entering his junior season at North Carolina. He had an outstanding campaign in 2015 as he rushed for 1,463 yards and 17 touchdowns.

The big-framed back also averaged 6.7 yards per carry. Because of his season, Hood was named to the All-ACC First Team and had the third-best rushing total in the conference.

The state of North Carolina has a knack for producing top running backs, and Hood certainly falls into that category. The biggest things Hood has going for him are his size at 6-0, 220 pounds and the way he plays. He’s a very physical and powerful back.

The tough runner has decent speed and is very reliable. He’s an important piece in North Carolina’s high-powered offense. He was a big reason that the Tar Heels went to the ACC Championship in 2015.

Hood’s biggest performance was against in-state rival North Carolina State in the regular season finale. He rushed for 220 yards, scored two touchdowns on the ground and averaged a ridiculous 10.5 yards per carry.

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Another impressive performance was in the ACC Title Game against Clemson. Although, Hood’s stats didn’t pop off the sheet in that game, he did average over four yards a carry, which was very impressive considering Clemson had one of the toughest and most physical defenses last year.

Hood looks to build on his stellar breakout campaign last year by being even more productive this year. With the Tar Heels starting a new (albeit promising) quarterback this year, Hood will be leaned on to carry a major load on offense particularly in the first game against the Bulldogs.

Kirby Smart and Mel Tucker will definitely focus on stopping this guy. If they can’t, it should be a long night in Atlanta on September 3.