UGA Football Spring Preview: Dawgs Will Look Different At Running Back
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ATHENS - The Georgia Bulldogs running back room will look completely different this spring.
No Dell McGee, no Kendall Milton, and no Daijun Edwards.
Kirby Smart’s two leading rushers from last season, and his old running backs coach, are no longer in Athens. But you’re crazy if you think Kirby is worried about his running back room. It’s still a deep group, led by a new, hungry assistant coach in Josh Crawford.
The Dawgs will have a new leading rusher in 2024, and the odds-on favorite is former Florida Gators running back, Trevor Ettiene. A tough, physical, experienced back who had a very productive career in Gainesville, Ettiene rushed for 753 yards last fall along with 8 touchdowns.
The 5-foot-9 205-pounder is one of Georgia’s quickest and most explosive backs on the roster, and he transferred to Georgia to win a national championship. He’s one of the top returning backs in the conference, and he’s bound for a giant senior season this fall.
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Then there’s Branson Robinson. A bowling ball of a running back who brings a physical runner style, Robinson missed the entire 2023 season due to a knee injury, but if he can stay healthy over the next several months, he’s going to carry the ball a lot in 2024. He showed flashes of big-play ability as a freshman in 2022, and he has the potential to be a game-changer for the Bulldog offense if he can come back from last year’s injury. If he’s healthy, Robinson could be Georgia’s No. 2 back this fall.
Another back looking to have a big season is Roderick Robinson. Another bigger, tackle-breaking back who runs behind his pads, Robinson trucked multiple Florida State defenders in the Orange Bowl on his way to a season-high 70 yards on just six carries. He’s already tough to bring down, and sources say he’s worked extremely hard over the last two months to prepare for a big spring. Look for this 6-foot-0 240-pound back to keep the chains moving in 2024. He may not start, but he will get his share of carries.
Don’t forget about Andrew Paul. A back that brings more size at 5-foot-11 220-pounds. The Dallas, Texas native missed the entire 2022 season due to a knee injury, but last year he played in seven games, rushing for 129 yards and one touchdown on 29 carries.
But hey, there’s Cash Jones. Who? Cash Jones. The walk-on back played in all 13 games last fall and rushed for 161 yards on 22 carries with one touchdown. He’s a reliable pass-catcher out of the backfield who showed good burst and the ability to make an impact with the ball.
A freshman already on campus to know about is four-star, Chauncey Bowens. The big 5-foot-11 215-pounder out of The Benjamin School (FL) committed to Georgia last summer and is coming off a strong senior season where he rushed for 811 yards on 112 carries with 10 touchdowns.