As a true freshman, Chauncey Bowens did not receive many opportunities to show what he could do in Georgia’s backfield.

But that could be about to change.

With Trevor Etienne’s decision to move on to the NFL, it’s expected that Nate Frazier will ascend to the top of the pecking order in Georgia’s running back room.

However, he will need some help, and this is where Bowens comes in.

Of course, Roderick Robinson and Branson Robinson could still have a say. But after both had their seasons stymied last fall with injuries, it’s fair to wonder whether they can stay healthy.

If so, that would be much better for the position.

If not, then Bowens could become a bigger fixture in the backfield.

“Coming in as a freshman, you know, it's always tough to kind of learn and adjust, and learn the playbook,” Bowens said recently. “You have to get used to the physicality and the speed of the game.”

Bowens received a handful of opportunities last fall.

The native of Port St. Lucie, Florida, played in five games as a true freshman, rushing 16 times for 58 yards.

But Bowens said the lessons he was taught in practice go far beyond what he learned on the field.

“In high school, maybe you don't have to study as hard to learn the playbook,” Bowens said. “But here, it's like, you have to learn how to study, you have to learn how to take in all the knowledge and just be a real. You have to be a student of the game every single day.”

Bowens certainly has plenty of potential.

A former four-star performer, Georgia flipped Bowens from Florida after his high school career at The Benjamin School, during which he rushed for 3,062 yards and 33 touchdowns.

Ironically, it was at Florida where Bowens first met a player who one day would be his teammate at Georgia – the aforementioned Etienne.

Per Bowens, Etienne served as his host on his official visit to Gainesville. Upon their arrival in Athens, the friendship resumed.

“He's just a natural leader, I mean, I tell a lot of people this, like, when I was at Florida when I committed to Florida, he was there,” Bowens said. “He's just a natural leader, you know, he's one of those guys who has that ability to just walk in a room and, you know what I mean, everyone kind of revolves around him.”

Bowens hopes to be that same kind of player before his playing days as a Bulldog are over.

He also wants to help Georgia’s run game regain its previous stature as Running Back U.

He doesn’t mind sharing the load.

“That was one of my key factors to coming here, you know, and being able to have two other running backs come in this class,” Bowens said. “We really just push each other every single day, try to make each other the best we can.”