Dell McGee gives his take on Georgia's running backs

It's time for some new blood in Georgia's running back room.

James Cook and Zamir White led the group of Bulldog backs over the last two seasons. During last season's national championship campaign, the two combined for 273 carries, 1,584 yards, and 18 touchdowns on the ground.

Both Cook and White are now in the NFL, leaving three veterans and two freshmen the keys to Georgia's RBU tradition. Running backs coach Dell McGee met with the media on Thursday and gave his take on the state of Georgia's running back corps.

The bulk of Georgia's rushing offense in 2022 figures to be spread between three backs. Kenny McIntosh, Kendall Milton, and Daijun Edwards are all in line for bigger roles this fall.

McIntosh is back after rushing for 579 yards and four touchdowns over the past two seasons. McGee called him a "complete back" who can do whatever is asked of him.

"He’s also a good example, just like James and Zamir were, of just staying the course, not being too anxious to enter the NFL or enter the transfer portal, just being patient," McGee said. "All his hard work and patience is going to pay off this year. The sky’s the limit for him. He’s definitely going to be an intregal part of our offense. He’ll be relied upon heavily."

But McIntosh's most vital skillset might actually be his pass-catching ability.

Cook proved to be a lethal weapon out of the backfield last season, with 27 receptions for 284 yards and four touchdowns. McIntosh has shown glimpses of his pass-catching ability during his career. He will now need to step into that role on more of a full-time basis.

"Kenny’s going to take more of that slack. It was nice having both of those guys a year ago with their versatility," said offensive coordinator Todd Monken, who also met with the media Thursday. "James could really track it. You could put him out there and feel good if we threw it 40 yards downfield. That’s completely different than most of the balls that running backs catch, just right in front of them, intermediate, short."

Milton and Edwards haven't seen the field as much as McIntosh during their collegiate careers. Milton has battled a plethora of injuries, although McGee said he is healthy now and having a great fall camp.

Edwards has been who the Bulldogs have turned to in blowouts. He has performed well in mop-up duty, averaging five yards per carry over the past two seasons.

"He closed out a lot of games, wasn’t a guy that was pouting because he didn’t get in earlier in the game," McGee said. "He’s going to be a competitor. He’s having a great camp so far, and he’s had a great spring, too. Expecting great things out of Daijun. He’s graduated into a role where he’s going to get snaps."

Those backs are joined by a pair of freshmen, Branson Robinson and Andrew Paul.

Robinson came out of high school as the No. 1 running back in the 2022 class. McGee said the Mississippi native is built like a "brick house" and compared him physically to former Auburn linebacker Takeo Spikes.

"Branson is more than just muscle," McGee said. "He’s very dedicated, he works hard, obviously, in the weight room and strength and conditioning. He’s a sharp young man. He’s going to be relied upon this year."

Finally, there's Paul out of Texas. Georgia swooped in late in his recruitment and added Paul after he posted several strong performances in the state playoffs last fall.

"He fits all the character things that we were looking for in our football players," McGee said. "We also needed another running back. We always like to keep five on our roster. Our allotted number is six, but we’ve been kind of short of that number because of the talent that we’ve had in the room."

Both Robinson and Paul enrolled over the summer. They're still working on grasping the finer mental points of the Georgia offense, a process that can at times feel overwhelming for summer enrollees.

All five backs will be relied upon to produce and provide depth for the Bulldogs this fall. The room might have a new look, but each player is intent on keeping Georgia's strong production at running back alive and well.