Freshman running back Andrew Paul suffered a season-ending ACL injury in Georgia's second scrimmage Saturday. That certainly wasn’t the news Kirby Smart wanted to hear.

With Smart’s history of playing freshmen, the Texas native certainly would have been a welcomed addition to the Bulldogs' backfield.

But while being down one scholarship back before the season begins obviously concerns Smart, Georgia should still enter the Sept. 3 opener against Oregon still in fine shape as far as its running back situation is concerned.

Let’s revisit the running back room as it stands today.

McIntosh has been a great soldier his previous three years with the Bulldogs, and his loyalty appears ready to be rewarded this fall.

Check out what Smart had to say following Saturday’s second scrimmage when asked specifically about the former four-star.

“He has always been a worker. He was in the shadows of those other guys and now, he steps up and he leads. He pushes guys. He’s got better stamina. There were times where he would get tired in practice in the past. He might be gassed and taking reps. Now, he might be the rush guy. He can go cover a punt. He can run routes out of the back field. He is elusive,” Smart said. “He has to work really hard on his weight to maintain his weight. I think it is really important if he can stay above that 205 to 210 mark for bulk and protecting himself. He has had the best camp he has ever had by far in terms of no mental lapses and picking up pressures. He has done a tremendous job.”

Last year, McIntosh rushed 58 times for 328 yards (5.7 average) with three touchdowns and finished sixth on the team in receiving with 22 catches for 242 yards and two scores.

Look for those numbers to take a significant jump as McIntosh is primed to become a significant piece in Todd Monken’s offensive arsenal.

Milton has missed parts of his first two seasons with the Bulldogs due to meniscus issues, and recently Smart acknowledged he’s been dealing with a Grade-1 hamstring injury.

During last week’s media viewing, Milton was dressed out and working out with the rest of the backs, although we understand he did not take part in Saturday’s scrimmage. We can presume this was for precautionary reasons.

Still, it’s Milton’s history that has some fans understandably concerned.

We’re told Milton worked extremely hard all offseason to get himself into excellent shape, and as far as the knee that’s given him previous trouble, that doesn't appear to be an issue.

“He’s looked great during fall camp,” running backs coach Dell McGee said recently. “You lose reps when you’re not on the football field, but the way we structure practice and walkthroughs, he’s getting those mental reps that are well-needed against various looks. So, from that perspective, he’s still inclined to be a good running back on Saturday nights and afternoons.”

Hopefully, the hamstring issue does not linger.

When he’s healthy, Milton has the potential to be a big contributor in the backfield. He can be the thunder to McIntosh's lightning after having rushed 56 times for 264 yards and touchdowns in the eight games he played last year.

Edwards (5-foot-10, 201 pounds) isn’t the biggest tailback and he may not be the fastest. But when he’s on the field, he produces.

Last year, Edwards saw action in all 15 games for the Bulldogs, rushing 49 times for 231 yards and three touchdowns.

This year, Edwards is expected to go from No. 5 on the depth chart to potentially No. 3 behind McIntosh and Milton.

"He is very unselfish, he closed out a lot of games, he wasn't a guy that was pouting because he didn't get in earlier in the game,” McGee said. "He has value and has a role on special teams and that's a very, very important component of our success on the football field. He is going to be a competitor and he is having a great camp thus far and he had a great spring too so, we expect great things out of Daijun."

Known primarily for his Atlas-like physique, Paul’s absence assures the fellow freshman of getting some key reps with the Bulldogs this fall.

Listed at 5-10 and 220 pounds, Robinson has already shown in practices and scrimmages that he’s not a lot of fun to tackle.

While there are certainly nuances of the game he’s still learning, McGee has been very pleased with what he’s seen.

“Branson, the way he’s built, he’s built like a brick house. He doesn’t have a neck. He’s very similarly built in the shoulders like one of my old teammates, Takeo Spikes. Nick Chubb was a good-looking student-athlete as well,” McGee said. “But Branson is more than just muscle. He’s very dedicated. He works hard in the weight room obviously, and in strength and conditioning. He’s a sharp young man with a lot of promise this year.”

Clark is a veteran of the Bulldog program after walking on in 2019, following a solid career at Dawson County High School.

The 6-foot-1, 215-pound tailback played quarterback his senior year, passing for 936 yards and nine touchdowns, while rushing 156 times for 857 yards and 15 scores.

At Georgia, he’s seen action in eight games for the Bulldogs, rushing 20 times for 65 yards.

Clark held offers from Army and the Air Force Academy before deciding to walk on with the Bulldogs.

Like Clark, the native of Brock, Texas also turned down several college offers in order to walk on with the Bulldogs.

He passed on Army, Florida Atlantic, Florida International, and New Mexico State.

A former three-star, Jones is listed at 6-0 and 180 pounds. He’s appeared in one game for Georgia, rushing one time for six yards last year against Charleston Southern.