As Georgia gets ready to enter its second week of fall camp, the running back room has some questions that need to be answered.
Along with Branson Robinson already out for an undisclosed amount of time, there are other concerns for head coach Kirby Smart as he looks ahead to the start of the 2023 campaign.
“That'll be the challenge,” Smart said. “Andrew (Paul) coming off the knee, where is he in terms of catching the ball, stamina, burst, acceleration; as far as Branson, when can we get him back?”
That’s not all.
Senior Kendall Milton has all the talent in the world, but he’s been slowed by injuries in each of his previous three years. Can he stay healthy?
Milton finished as Georgia’s third-leading rusher last year with 592 yards (eight touchdowns) and had the highest-per-carry average on the team at seven yards per attempt.
Fingers are also crossed for senior Daijun Edwards, Georgia’s second-leading rusher last year with 797 yards and seven scores.
Edwards missed some time in the spring with a knee injury, but is back healthy and will need to stay that way.
“Daijun has got to be a guy that is consistent, stays healthy, and durable,” Smart said. “He and Kendall both should be the leader of that group in terms of the way they work, catch the ball out of the backfield. I'm just excited to see all those guys work.”
Freshman Roderick Robinson enjoyed a solid spring, and at 240 pounds, is Georgia’s biggest back. He could see action, although Smart typically takes it slow with freshman running backs.
Tennessee transfer and Athens native Len’Neth Whitehead is also on the team.
It might also be worth keeping an eye on walk-on Cash Jones, who Smart brought up on his own during his session with the media last week.
According to Smart, Jones (6-0, 182) enjoyed a great offseason and recorded excellent numbers in the weight room.
“Cash may be our fastest back. Pound for pound, he may be the strongest guy on the team. His unique ability is to catch the ball out of the backfield,” Smart said. “I don't know that we have a superstar in the room. We've got a group that by committee does a tremendous job, and they work really hard, and they put the team first. All those guys play on special teams, and they've been a huge help for our special teams unit.”
