Georgia Football: Who Leads the Way for Running Back University?

Georgia football always has a stable of talented running backs. 2019 is no different as we take a look at who will take the reins this spring and fall.

Knowshon Moreno, Todd, Gurley, Nick Chubb, Sony Michel, and Elijah Holyfield. There is something that all five of these former star college running backs have in common. Aside from playing at the University of Georgia, these players have created a legacy for Georgia football.

There may never be a unanimous vote on who has rightfully earned the title of Running Back University, but there is no doubt Georgia is a top contender for that title.

Year in and year out the Dawgs have produced some of the Nation’s top draft talent when it comes to the position and the 2019 season is appearing to be no different.

Last season, Georgia relied heavily on the star duo Elijah Holyfield and D’Andre Swift who were asked to take upon the role as the two prominent backs throughout the season.

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In the 2018 season, the tandem combined for 2,067 yards and 17 touchdowns for UGA’s offense. Both rushers averaged 6.4 YPC and quickly became a handful for any opposing defense.

Now that Holyfield is off to the NFL, there is a new spot available to become the next big duo at UGA alongside Swift. So who will become the next Chubb and Michel?

It is pretty evident that Swift will be the starting running back for the upcoming season and will take the majority of the carries. The second man up though is not so clear.

Last season, Dawg fans started to see Brian Herrien come into his own and by the end of the year, Herrien was getting more and more carries.

In 2018, Herrien rushed for 295 yards and seven touchdowns on just 50 carries. The rising senior has stayed the course and worked his tail off to earn a more notable role in the offense.

A few seasons ago, many were questioning if Herrien would ever be able to find his way into some playing time. Here we are in 2019 though talking about if he could be the No. 2 back for the Dawgs.

Also in contention alongside Herrien is highly touted former five-star Zamir “Zeus” White.

Before the season last year, White was sidelined for the remainder of the year due to a knee injury that White suffered in practice.

The recovery process has been slow for White, but Coach Smart has said that White will be good to go come fall.

The former No. 1 running back has received high praises by many based on his performances in practice. Some have even gone the distance to say that White could be just as good if not better than Gurley.

Those are some big shoes to fill, but I don’t think anybody would be upset with having a Todd Gurley 2.0 on the team.

With a frame of 6 feet and 215 lbs has all of the tools necessary to become the next big thing in Athens. White is a workhorse in the weight room, and it takes no time to tell why he got the nickname Zeus.

By August 31st I believe it will be a little more clear on how the running back depth chart will look, but for now, I would venture to say that it will look along the lines of Swift as the starter, Herrien as the backup, and Zeus in the third spot.

I believe that once White gets back under his feet and gets the first couple of games under his belt, I think that he slowly gets a more dominant role in the offense.

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Regardless of how the depth chart looks, it is safe to say Georgia is going to have another dominant running game this year. Adding on possibly the best offensive line in the country as well to that will be a nightmare for any opposing defensive coordinator.

I am by no means capable of running an offense at the collegiate level, but if I had any advice for Coach Coley and Coach Smart this season it would be along the lines of RUN THE DAMN BALL!!

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