In the days since Nate Frazier electrified Mercedes-Benz Stadium for Georgia in its 34-3 win over Clemson, teammates have been flooded with questions about the freshman from California.
Tight end Lawson Luckie may have the best answer of all.
“He came in with his hair of fire. He just runs,” Luckie said. “He’s done a great job of stepping in and learning quickly because he wasn’t a mid-year, so he’s had less time. But he’s done a great job of learning the offense. He always keeps his feet rolling.”
It was quite the debut.
Frazier accounted for 107 total yards, 83 of which came on the ground on just 11 attempts. Those numbers equaled an impressive 7.5 yards per carry.
He also scored his first touchdown.
“He’s been awesome, but the players can tell you that I get on him all the time because he’s out of control,” head coach Kirby Smart said. “He’s just foot to fire, moving, going at the speed of light. He doesn’t know he might run into a brick wall cutting back.”
Smart recalled a recent practice where Frazier was given a warning about what he can expect if he was not paying attention.
“He cut back a couple of times in practice and I told him when you get in a real game like that, you cut back like that, they’re going to light you up,” Smart said. “I might have actually said some things I can’t say in here. But he cut back and went all the way across the field for about 50. I told him, it was OK now. He can do that.”
If Saturday’s game was an indication, the thought of Frazier pairing with Trevor Etienne as a part of a backfield that also includes Branson Robinson, Chauncey Bowens, and Dwight Phillips Jr. is appealing to the Georgia faithful.
“This is just the beginning,” said wide receiver Dillon Bell, who chipped in with a 27-yard run. “We’ve got Trevor, all those other backs … it’s going to be a scary sight for other teams.”
Even Smart admits the potential is there.
“Nate’s a great kid. He got an opportunity, and he seized the moment,” Smart said. “Even with a lot of people locked in front of him. But it’s like I told you, Chauncey Bowens is a good back. He will have an opportunity to grow and play. So, I'm looking forward to that room because I think we got some juice in that room as they get more experience.”
