UGA freshman RB out for the season with torn ACL

Who has to step up following the injury to freshman RB Andrew Paul?

Georgia Bulldogs true freshman running back Andrew Paul is expected to take a redshirt during the 2022 season after suffering a torn ACL. Paul suffered the unfortunate injury during Georgia’s second fall scrimmage.

Now, Georgia will rely more heavily on freshman running back Branson Robinson. The Bulldogs are hoping that junior running back Kendall Milton can heal up ahead of the season opener against the Oregon Ducks on Sept. 3. Milton has missed practice time with a hamstring injury that is not too serious.

Georgia has lost some depth at offensive skill positions this offseason and is a little banged up at wide receiver and running back. Fortunately, Georgia has excellent depth in the backfield with Kenny McIntosh and Daijun Edwards as other reliable options at the position.

Georgia running back Daijun Edwards could have a much larger role in 2022. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

Andrew Paul is a former three-star running back recruit. He played high school football for Parish Episcopal in Dallas, Texas.

The Parish Episcopal standout had 2,612 rushing yards and 44 total touchdowns in his senior high school season.

Andrew Paul was a late signing in Georgia’s class of 2022. Interestingly, Georgia will face Oregon freshman running back Jordan James, who flipped his commitment from Georgia to Oregon, in the season opener. James was a four-star recruit.

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Kirby Smart on two Georgia freshman RBs: ‘They are hard to tackle’

Kirby Smart says Georgia’s freshman running backs are “hard to tackle”

Georgia had the nation’s No. 3 ranked recruiting class for the 2023 cycle with 30 signees.

Amongst those are running backs Branson Robinson and Andrew Paul, who look to carry on the tradition of great ball carriers at UGA.

Kirby Smart spoke about the two freshmen following the team’s first scrimmage over the weekend, saying they are “different.”

“These two young guys are different.” Smart said. “They’re a little heavier, thicker, run behind their pads, and they probably don’t show up best until days like today because they’re a little harder to tackle.”

Robinson was a 4-star prospect who ranked as the nation’s No. 4 running back while Paul was a 3-star and ranked No. 42 at the position.

Robinson is 5-foot-10, Paul is 5-foot-11 and both weigh 220 pounds.

Smart noted that both the bruising backs played well but have room for improvement when it comes to pass protection.

“I thought both those guys [Andrew Paul and Branson Robinson] had good scrimmages. Not great, they’re not where they need to be, not where they need to be in pass-pro, but they are hard to tackle, and they’re thick. I’m very pleased with where they are.

Neither one going through the spring hurts their development in terms of number one, special teams, and number two, picking up pressures.”

Expect both backs to get touches this season, likely sharing time fourth on the depth chart behind Kenny McIntosh, Kendall Milton and Daijun Edwards.

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Elite RB Branson Robinson signs with Georgia

The nation’s No. 3 ranked RB is officially a Dawg.

RBU keeps getting stronger.

On Wednesday, 4-star running back Branson Robinson made it official when he sent in his national letter of intent to play for Georgia.

Robinson ranks as the nation’s No. 48 overall player and No. 3 running back in the class of 2022.

Out of Germantown High School in Madison, Mississippi, he had been committed to UGA since July. He chose Georgia over Tennessee.

 

You can catch his highlights below.

USA TODAY High School Sports recruiting rankings Power 5 spotlight: SEC

See the top 10 high school football recruits committed to SEC schools.

As recruiting for the high school football class of 2022 ramps up, more and more NCAA schools are seeing who may be its superstars of the future. And with the early signing period nearing and national singing day on the horizon, the intrigue and conversations will expectedly increase.

So to keep updated on the latest, we’re taking a look at the top recruits in each of the Power 5 conferences, according to the USA TODAY High School Sports Composite Player Rankings, which averages the grades from the three biggest recruiting services: 247Sports, ESPN and Rivals. 

First up is the SEC, a conference absolutely loaded with talent from the class, boasting 10 five-star prospects and 73 four-star players as of Nov. 3.

Here’s a look at the top-10 ranked players…

(Note: The recruit’s measurements and position are courtesy of 247Sports.)

4-star Georgia RB commit Branson Robinson has big night in Germantown HS win

Watch: 4-star Georgia RB commit Branson Robinson has big night

4-star Georgia running back commit Branson Robinson showed why he is one of the nation’s best ball carriers in the class of 2022.

The 5-foot-10, 220 pound back out Madison, Mississippi rushed for 140 yards and 2 touchdowns on 17 carries in a Germantown win over Vicksburg.

Robinson ranks as the nation’s No. 41 overall player and No. 3 ranked running back according to 247Sports.

He committed to Georgia on July 22, 2021.