Kendall Milton feels he's "flipped the switch"

Carving out a niche in a backfield as deep as Georgia’s is not easy.

However, sophomore Kendall Milton is giving it his best shot.

“Every day is fun. We understand the talent that’s in the room, the skill that we have at running back and it pushes us every day,” Milton said after practice Tuesday. “But at the end of the day, we’ve all got the same goal and the same dream.”

Georgia’s backfield certainly qualifies as deep

Along with Milton, Zamir White, James Cook, Kenny McIntosh and Daijun Edwards are all vying for playing time and reps in what appears to be one of the more stacked backfields in the SEC.

“Last year was actually great for me, I was able to learn a lot from James and Zamir, just sitting back and absorbing stuff every day,” Milton said. “Going from high school to the SEC is a very big jump, so just sitting back, learning ways to be successful, that was a blessing for me.”

Milton said the brotherhood within the group is genuine.

“We hold each other accountable off the field and on the field, just make sure we’re handling business,” Milton said. “At the end of the day we all want to be successful, we all want to take care of our families through this game and be great at what we do. We have each other’s backs.”

Head coach Kirby Smart apparently likes what he’s seen.

Following Georgia’s scrimmage last Saturday, Smart complimented Milton for his effort during short yardage and goal line plays.

“I think Kendall has done a really good job today with some physical runs,” Smart said. “That’s who he is. We had a couple of third and shorts that he was able to convert as a big back, so he did some good things.”

Smart considers Cook, White and Edwards as being “steady, hard workers,” also stating he’s been pleased with the play of some of his walk-ons who have stepped up in the absence of McIntosh, currently out injured.

Smart also seemed especially pleased with the group’s pass protection, an area stressed annually.

“They’re all working really hard on their protections. That’s one of the areas we really targeted this spring in terms of pass protection and pick-ups,” Smart said. “A lot of people want to come after JT (Daniels); be aggressive, blitz, and do things. They’re going to be asked to really make people pay for that, and the way to make people pay is to block and pick it up. I’m pleased with what those guys have done.”

A healthy Milton, who said he’s now at 220 pounds, showed glimpses as a freshman of just how good he can be.

The California native rushed 35 times for 195 yards, including a team-best 56 yards in the Bulldogs’ win over Tennessee the week before ripping off a season-long 24-yarder in Georgia’s loss at Alabama.

Just as he was starting to gain even more momentum, Milton’s season took a hit when he limped off the field in the third quarter of the Florida game with a meniscus injury. He would miss the next three games.

Nevertheless, Milton did enough to impress the voters who determined the Associated Press and SEC Coaches All-Freshman Team. Now healthy, he’ll look to carry that momentum over into what he has will be a memorable sophomore campaign.

“I’m still trying to raise my game. I’m still trying to improve my pass pro and fill in all the gaps where I really lack and haven’t gotten too much practice over the years,” Milton said. “At this point, I feel like my weaknesses are getting better. I’ve put a lot of work in during the offseason and done a lot of things to turn those weaknesses into strengths. This offseason, I feel I’ve been able to flip the switch a little bit.”