Will Georgia have a seventh straight season in which a running back tallies at least 1,000 yards on the ground? Head coach Kirby Smart wasn’t shy when he delivered his answer. In fact, he was adamant.
“I’d love to have two 1,000 yard rushers,” Smart said. “In a perfect world, I want success. I want success for each one of those players.”
Let’s face it, the odds of Georgia having two 1,000 yard rushers aren’t great. It did it in 2017 behind Sony Michel and Nick Chubb, who were both taken in the top 35 picks of the NFL Draft. UConn, Memphis, Oklahoma, and Pittsburgh all accomplished the feat last season. UConn and Oklahoma achieved it by way of their quarterback and running back, and if you didn’t know already, Jake Fromm isn’t rushing for 1,000 yards this season.
D’Andre Swift is probable to reach the mark once again this season following his sophomore year in which he rushed for 1,049 yards and 10 touchdowns, making him the sixth straight Georgia back to eclipse four digits.
So who else besides Swift?
It really comes down to three options: senior Brian Herrien, sophomore James Cook, and redshirt freshman Zamir White.
Herrien rushed for 295 yards and three touchdowns while averaging 5.9 yards per carry. Cook tallied 284 yards and two touchdowns on 6.9 yards per rush. White didn’t take the field last season following his ACL injury.
Based on the depth chart, which may mean nothing at this point, the answer would be Herrien. Still, don’t turn away from Cook yet. He was the more productive option last year based on yards per carry, and was impressive during fall camp according to Smart.
“(He’s been) much more consistent with his pass pro. Much more consistent with his ability to break tackles and make runs. First of all, he's a great player in space. Last year he was just kind of feeling his way through. He didn't understand motions and shifts and all the different things. Now, he's much more consistent and he's had an opportunity to show that. I feel like James has had a really good camp."
Could Swift and Cook become the next electric tandem to grace the backfield in Athens? Does Herrien cement his senior status by locking down the role of spelling Swift? Or maybe Zamir White shows what made him so highly touted as a recruit. Regardless, the Bulldogs’ backfield is loaded with talent, and according to Smart, could be filled with multiple guys who come close to the magic number.
“If each one of those backs has success, you could end up where nobody gets 1,000 but three or four guys get really close. I’m not past playing four backs.”
