The names on the jerseys were different. But for the second straight year, Georgia had two running backs rush for over 1,000 yards.

One year after Nick Chubb and Sony Michel became the top rushing duo in college football history, Elijah Holyfield and D’Andre Swift accomplished the same feat, totaling 1,018 and 1,049, respectively.

Although their numbers were modest compared to the numbers posted by Chubb and Michel, Holyfield and Swift kept the Bulldogs’ running game operating at its expected efficiency.

Will the same be true in 2019?

As Georgia gets ready to begin spring practice later this month, the Bulldogs will do so without Holyfield, who left Athens a year early to enter the NFL Draft.

Fortunately, the cupboards aren’t exactly bare.

Swift is back for his junior year, along with senior Brian Herrien and sophomore James Cook. The wildcard in the backfield is redshirt freshman Zamir White, who is attempting to come back from the two ACL tears he suffered in less than a 12-month period.

Come fall, Georgia will welcome freshman Kenny McIntosh into the fold.

Before fall practice began, a lot of eyes were on White, who, after tearing his ACL in November of his senior year in high school, was cleared early in fall camp—only to suffer another ACL tear while working on Georgia’s punt coverage team.

Fortunately, the Bulldogs didn’t miss much of a beat.

As Chubb and Michel did the season before, Swift and Holyfield essentially shared the duties at running back, and the results were impressive.

Swift, who rushed for a career high 186 yards against Auburn, found the end zone 10 times, with Holyfield adding seven scores.

Brian Herrien rushed for 298 yards on 50 attempts with three touchdowns, with the freshman Cook not far behind with 296 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Altogether, the group enabled the Bulldogs to average 238.8 yards per game, tops in the SEC.

Holyfield and Swift certainly had their moments in other games, but Georgia’s SEC East-clinching victory at Kentucky stands out.

Swift earned SEC Offensive Player of the Week honors after rushing for 156 yards, including a career-best 83-yard run, while Holyfield set his career high with 110.

Both players outdistanced Kentucky running back Benny Snell, who managed only 73 yards against Georgia, which rolled to the 34-17 victory.

Not surprisingly, Georgia’s two lowest rushing effort resulted in two of the Bulldogs’ three losses.

Against LSU, the Tigers held Georgia to just 113 yards on 30 carries, as former offensive coordinator Jim Chaney mysteriously went away from the run after initially enjoying success against the Tigers’ front seven.

However, if you want to pick a lowlight for 2018, that would be Georgia’s Sugar Bowl loss to Texas.

The fact that the Longhorns got off to such a quick lead certainly affected the way the Bulldogs were forced to go about their offensive business. Nevertheless, the Bulldogs still only ran for 86 yards on the night. It easily proved to be the most disappointing effort for Georgia last year, and a big reason the team left New Orleans with its tail between its legs.

That would obviously be Holyfield.

Holyfield said after the Sugar Bowl that he still wasn’t 100 percent. It wasn’t long after that when he decided to turn pro anyway. Although some questioned the move, early indications are that the decision was the right one, as Holyfield’s name has been mentioned by some NFL Draft experts to be moving up the boards.

He’ll have a chance to advance his name even farther with a solid performance at this week’s NFL Combine in Indianapolis, and later this month at Georgia’s Pro Day.

We’ll include White in this conversation, since he redshirted last year. But a lot will obviously depend on how well he ultimately recovers from his most recent ACL tear.

Early indications are promising.

White was back on the field going through non-contact drills during bowl practice, both in Athens and New Orleans. It’s not believed that White will be allowed any contact this spring as a precaution, but time will tell.

Nobody has worked harder than the North Carolinian when it comes to giving him a chance to get back on the field. But its unclear how much he’ll resemble the player he once was before the injuries took place.

Come May, the Bulldogs will welcome McIntosh into the fold.

At 6-foot and 195 pounds, the Florida native will get an early look in fall camp, where it will be determined how exactly he will in into Georgia’s 2019 plans.

Swift figures to be the proverbial bell cow for the group, and the guess here is he’ll surpass last year’s rushing totals to become one of the better running backs in the SEC.

Otherwise, a lot will depend on the health of White and how effective he can be.

If he is one hundred percent, that’s obviously going to be a huge boon for the Bulldogs who otherwise will have to lean on the trio of Herrien, Cook, and potentially McIntosh to help Swift carry the load.

They’re certainly capable, although the way it stands today, it appears Herrien will go into the season as the No. 2 back.

Herrien averaged 5.9 yards per carry, while Cook showed that he can be an explosive player, both running and catching the ball.

Coaches want Cook to add more muscle, but word is strength coach Scott Sinclair has been working hard to do just that, and fans will in fact see a bigger version than they did a season ago.

Making sure everyone stays healthy will certainly be a key, but from the standpoint of talent, there’s no reason Georgia’s rushing game won’t keep churning along.