This series focuses on the 17 Georgia Bulldogs who graded at or above 70.0 by Pro Football Focus, and who played a minimum of 100 snaps in 2020.
Coming in at number five on our list:
Kenny McIntosh - 80.6 overall grade; 86.8 rushing; 71.7 receiving
Balance
Dayne: Kenny McIntosh has proven productivity. He averages 5.9 yards per carry in his Georgia career. The only question for McIntosh is, can he handle an increased volume of carries? He only has 72 carries over two seasons because of a packed depth chart and injuries. A healthy McIntosh is a very balanced runner who is nimble on his feet. In a backfield full of specialists, McIntosh may very well be Georgia's best hybrid back.
Brent: Balance, quickness, vision and the ability to make people miss. McIntosh has all of those characteristics and has been highly productive when given opportunities. In five games during which he received at least seven touches last season, he averaged 7.1 yards per touch, when combining rushing and receiving yardage (48 touches for 339 yards). Also, as you see above, he can make defenders miss in tight spaces with his elusiveness. He forced 18 missed tackles as a rusher on just 47 attempts and averaged 3.98 yards after contact per attempt. For comparison, Zamir White led the team with 27 missed tackles forced on 144 attempts.
Speed
Dayne: McIntosh has punished teams when he uses speed in open space. Todd Monken should continue to find ways to get McIntosh the ball on the edge as he did with this quick pitch against Tennessee. At 6'1, 210 pounds, McIntosh checks many of the boxes needed to be the prototypical running back in the SEC. The backfield is crowded, and coaches should still prioritize finding ways to get the football in his hands.
Brent: While his top-end speed might not be what the other backs have, his game speed and vision still make him a big-play threat. As I've said with each segment of the four-headed monster in the backfield for the Bulldogs, the key is the offense being able to call elements of the running or passing game with whomever is in the game. McIntosh has shown he's able to succeed in both areas.
Catching out of the backfield
Dayne: McIntosh showed he is a weapon in Georgia's passing attack. After only catching one pass in his freshman season, he had 10 catches for 111 yards in the abbreviated 2020 season. He is much more valuable to the Bulldogs as a playmaker than he is a blocker. As we've mentioned with our features on Zamir White and James Cook, pass protection is an issue for Georgia running backs. McIntosh very much needs to upgrade that part of his game.
Brent: Those 10 catches were on 14 targets, including catching all five of his targets for 43 yards in the bowl game against Cincinnati. As Dayne mentioned, he needs a good deal of work on his pass protection (2.5 pass block grade and no, that's not a typo), but he was unfortunately robbed of a lot of spring practice with an injury. Overall, McIntosh has shown the ability to succeed at the highest level; now it's just about taking advantage of every opportunity he gets.
Previous:
-6) Zamir White
-7) Jordan Shaffer
-8) James Cook
-9) Jordan Davis
-10) Christopher Smith
-11) Kearis Jackson
- 12) Devonte Wyatt
- 13) Lewis Cine
- 14) Warren McClendon
- 15) Jalen Carter
- 16) Arik Gilbert
- 17) Travon Walker
