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As Fourth of July 2016 drew to a close, Georgia fans heard discouraging news: Sony Michel is hurt. The junior running back suffered a non-football accident Sunday evening which left him with a fractured left forearm.
The details surrounding Michel’s injury have not been officially confirmed, but it sounds like Michel was riding an ATV and accidentally wrecked. What we do know for certain, however, is that Michel had surgery sometime Monday and is expected to make a full recovery.
Georgia did not announce a timetable for Michel’s return to action. There are reports that he could be out six to eight weeks. The Bulldogs’ first game of 2016 is a little more than eight weeks away.
Obviously, this puts Michel’s status for the season opener against North Carolina in question. If that timetable is legitimate, then Michel could possibly not even return to the field until right before the game. That’s not ideal.
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If Michel misses that first game, then Georgia could be missing its top two running backs. Nick Chubb is on the mend from tearing ligaments in his left knee last year against Tennessee. He’s made strides and is clearly on the road to a return to action, but his availability against the Tar Heels is in doubt.
The Bulldogs have recruited talented running backs like crazy for the last decade-plus. Knowshon Moreno, Isaiah Crowell, Keith Marshall, Todd Gurley, Chubb and Michel were all four- or five-star prospects in high school. That backfield recruiting success has garnered Georgia the tile of “running back U.”
This is where all that work pays off.
Because Georgia recruited well with Chubb and Michel’s class and with the two classes that have followed them, the Bulldogs should be fine at the tailback position. Senior Brendan Douglas will likely assume the starting role if neither Chubb nor Michel can play. And there’s still a lot of talent behind him.
Redshirt freshman Tae Crowder (a former three-star recruit) and true freshmen Elijah Holyfield and Brian Herrien (former four- and three-star recruits, respectively) are all waiting in line for opportunities, too. And don’t forget about Shaquery Wilson, who recently switched from wide receiver to running back.
We also must keep in mind Georgia’s burgeoning love affair with the wildcat formation. This is obviously up in the air with offensive coordinator Jim Chaney now at the helm, but the Bulldogs utilized the wildcat formation to give receivers Isaiah McKenzie and Terry Godwin a combined 154 rushing yards and three touchdowns in 2015.
If Chaney decides to use them more in the running game, then that just adds to Georgia’s rushing attack and helps offset the potential absences of Chubb and Michel.
Dawn of the Dawg ran a poll on Twitter yesterday asking our followers whether or not the Bulldogs should panic now that Michel’s name is on the injury list. Of the participants, 65 percent said no, Georgia should not panic.
And they’re right. Georgia’s got too much depth at tailback to be concerned right now. Michel’s fractured arm shouldn’t keep him away for more than a game or two anyway, so Douglas and company would only need to carry the position for a limited amount of time if Michel and Chubb are still out by the time the season begins.
Many Bulldog fans were understandably discouraged by the news of Michel’s injury, but it’s going to be fine.