Sometimes, life’s a beyotch.
Rare is the season when each and every one of a team’s scholarship running backs return for a second consecutive year.
In the advent of the NCAA transfer portal, this is especially true. But not at Georgia; at least not in the running back room.
All five of the Bulldogs’ scholarship running backs were ranked as either four- or five-star recruits coming out of high school, giving Kirby Smart and offensive coordinator Todd Monken one of the deepest units in the nation.
The question is, how does Monken plan to distribute the ball?
I have a feeling he’ll manage.
Snark aside, this is all a good reason to run your offense a little more quickly so that you generate more offensive plays per game, as well as keeping your foot on the gas in the second half to get all your offensive players more touches. Then there’s always the nice luxury of depth when it comes to injuries. We shall see.
(By the way, it’s good to see the news that both McIntosh and Milton are fully healthy.)
Nothing like fresh bodies in the 4th quarter.
LikeLiked by 1 person
This article is exactly why we aren’t going to be LSU 2019 or some Big XII team. You have 5 guys who each individually could be feature backs.
Before Zeus’s injury, NC high school coaches who saw both Gurley and White in person said White would be better. Hopefully, Z has a huge year.
LikeLiked by 3 people
I used to think that idea had merit. I think it turns out that Todd was bigger, faster and more athletic.
Doesn’t mean Zeus can’t have a big year but I’ve given up on his being a “Mount Rushmore” RB at Georgia.
However, that K. Milton kid….
LikeLiked by 3 people
I totally agree. My only comment meant that NC high school coaches really did believe Zeus would have been better than Gurley pre-injury.
LikeLike
Chubb did pretty well 2 years after surgery. I have high hopes for Zamir this year. He punishes the tackler which will help the other guys in the RB room.
LikeLiked by 6 people
And he’s still doing pretty well! God bless him! DGD
LikeLiked by 3 people
I think Zeus was probably closer to fully developed in HS whereas Gurley grew some after his senior year. As I recall he was only a four star, but over the summer before freshman year the word out of camp was he was absolutely 100% the real deal. Not just nice shoutouts from other players and coaches, but straight up “look the F$&@ out this kid is amazing.” And then from day one he pulled off something amazing in every single game he played.
Zeus is real good but he ain’t remotely on Gurley’s level and has zero chance of getting there this year. Not to knock the kid but… just not happening. Could he produce similar stats due to being used correctly in this scheme though? Absolutely.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Gurley was fucking Jim Brown. I knew we had something when I saw his height, weight and that he was world junior champion in the 110 High Hurdles.
First touch at UGA? Return a KO for a TD:
Big backs are NOT supposed to be able to do this:
Freak.
LikeLiked by 4 people
Niiice.
LikeLike
Exactly. It’s not to say Zeus isn’t great, but we haven’t had many close comparisons for Gurley since 1982.
LikeLike
Thanks for that. I do think that Chubb is special too. You don’t think Chubb belongs in the same room as Gurley? This could be a fun topic. (Well, it’s kind of the topic since Walker stalked for our benefit)
LikeLike
people forget that Nick had a log td against Clemson in what I believe was his first game. He also looked the part from game 1. Then Tennessee happened.
LikeLike
Gurley was on another plane with the likes of Marcus Lattimore, Leonard Fournette, Darren McFadden, etc. but Chubb damn sure belongs in the room.
LikeLike
Yup, if Georgia gets the run going against Clemson, this game has a good chance of being one-sided. Their line is going to have to get to JT and if Georgia is running the ball well; it will all but negate that opportunity. A/nd with that said, I think Georgia is going to kill them with quick passes to Gilbert and the Big 0. Which will cause all kinds of problems as their line backers back peddle off the ball, just to be rewarded with a quick pass out of the backfield to the back. I think they are going to have all kinds of problems dealing with Georgia’s back and tight ends, which pulls the defense up and leaves them vulnerable to the deep pass.
LikeLiked by 6 people
Bingo, UGA has a better chance of negating the vaunted Clemson D-Line with our stable of studs. They touch a rock (weird), we run the rock. #RBU
LikeLiked by 7 people
I think UGA will spread them out with the WRs, Gilbert, and Washington. Once they bring in the a lot of DBs to cover those guys, then UGA will go heavy manball.
With only 5 to 6 guys in the box our RBs are going to have a big day. I see a lot of runs bounced to the outside and the he gone.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Man, that’s blue pill stuff right there!
LikeLike
I laughed and just have to ask; are you referring to the original “blues” or to the male wonder drug?
LikeLike
Wonder drug. I got a stiffy reading those posts.
LikeLike
I read somewhere around here that McIntosh might go into the portal. I sure hope that they all stay, they all are really important.
LikeLike
I hadn’t heard that. I think 7/1 is the deadline to enter the portal if one wants to play this year.
LikeLike
I’d be kind of surprised if we keep them all.
LikeLike
As someone who’s criticized cook (a lot) he’s pretty deadly lined up in the slot as a receiver and that needs to happen early and often.
LikeLike
Cook has grown in versatility and strength. The pressure should be on Monken to produce and Smart to go for points. Cook, Washington, and Gilbert can be used in so many ways, Daniels supposedly does his film work. The OC has the tools to create mismatches in so many ways. At the same time, we can all point to our favorite offensive player that was under utilized. We shall see. I do feel the best with this offense that I have since the Greene years.
LikeLike
Can one of y’all on twitter send JT the clip of Greene’s play action fake? Gawd that was such a sight to behold!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Any news whether Carroll is moving back to RB now that we’ve re-stocked the DB position? If so, we’d have six 4-star & 5-star RBs, not five.
LikeLike
hope so….could be just me, but RB is his position – needs to stay there.
LikeLike
I really do hope we go a little faster this year. We have so many weapons that it would be a shame to waste them, and we could really get on a roll against some of these teams. Plus, it’s great practice for when we have to go fast/match scores.
LikeLiked by 7 people
I think the target number should be in the 75+ range, I believe we averaged 70 last year which was tick up from the prior 3 years. The Alabama (under Tua) and LSU teams were averaging over 75+ in their high octane offensive runs
LikeLiked by 1 person
With all the talk about our WR/TE corps, Pickens injury, Gilbert new, etc.. the RB room has been pushed away from the spotlight. Woe to the opponent who forgets what we have lining up behind and beside the QB…
LikeLiked by 6 people
I would love to see the gas pedal nailed to the floor for 60 minutes. 2017/18 would have had a different outcome….
LikeLiked by 4 people
Is this the dreaded…(dun dun dun)… RAT POISON???
LikeLiked by 3 people
Hearing the Austin Powers bit here.
LikeLike
I love all this optimism, but I will believe it when I see it. Remember we are playing Clemson who has a pretty damn good coach and has consistently proven it over time.
LikeLike
Daijun Edwards has been a pleasant surprise given his limited touches last season, but recall that if Kirby hadn’t wasted so much time on Zac Evans we would more than likely have Tank Bigsby instead of Edwards.
Just an observation.
LikeLike