Tag: georgia backfield

Bleacher Report ranks top CFB backfields for 2021 – Where is Georgia?

Georgia football, or ‘RBU’, has one of the best backfields in college football. Where does UGA rank in Bleacher Reports’ top backfields?

Bleacher Report recently released its list of the top college football backfields for the 2021 season. Georgia football, referred to as ‘RBU’ by many, came in at No. 7 on the list, ahead of only Texas (8).

UGA’s backfield is once again loaded headed into 2021. Leading rushers from a year ago, Zamir White and James Cook, return for their senior seasons, along with junior Kenny McIntosh and sophomore Daijun Edwards and perhaps the most talented running back in the room, sophomore Kendall Milton.

Here’s what Bleacher Report wrote on Georgia’s No. 7 ranking:

“Considering the college-to-pro pipeline Georgia has established in the last 10 years, it’s no surprise top-ranked running backs have flocked to Athens. The level of talent in this position room is absurd, really. Over the last two seasons, Zamir White has rushed for 1,187 yards and 14 touchdowns. James Cook has posted 300-plus yards from scrimmage in each of the last three seasons, including a career-best 528 last year. Kenny McIntosh added 362 scrimmage yards, and Daijun Edwards ripped off a 100-yard game late in 2020, too. For good measure, Kendall Milton tallied 193 yards on just 35 carries. All five players are expected to return in 2021, giving Georgia a near-unending supply of upside in the backfield.”

But who could possibly be ranked ahead of Georgia here?

  • No. 6 – Texas A&M (Isaiah Spiller, Devon Achane, Earnest Crownover, Deondre Jackson, Darvon Hubbard)
  • No. 5 – BYU (Tyler Allgeier, Lopini Katoa, Sione Finau, Jackson McChesney)
  • No. 4 – Notre Dame (Kyren Williams, Chris Tyree. C’Bo Flemister)

  • No. 3 – Oregon (CJ Verdell, Travis Dye)

  • No. 2 – Appalachian State (Camerun Peoples, Daetrich Harrington,  Nate Noel, Marcus Williams Jr., Jahmir Smith)
  • No. 1 – Oklahoma (Kennedy Brooks, Eric Gray, Marcus Major)

See the full rankings here.

 

Georgia football is returning the highest-graded backfield in CFB

According to Pro Football Focus, Georgia is returning the best backfield in CFB for 2021. Details and analysis here.

Georgia is also known as ‘RBU’ and for good reason. The Bulldogs are like a workshop for elite college and NFL running backs.

Guys like Knowshon Moreno, Todd Gurley, Keith Marshall, Sony Michel, Nick Chubb and D’Andre Swift are just some examples of recent Georgia running backs that have either dominated SEC play, or have went on to productive NFL careers

What about the 2021 Georgia Bulldogs?

Things are business as usual in Athens. According to Pro Football Focus, who grades each player on each play in college football, Georgia is returning the highest-graded backfield in all of college football.

The Bulldogs return four running backs who each received a rushing grade of 80 or more this past season. The next closest is Alabama and Texas A&M at two a piece.

Those Bulldogs are junior Zamir White, junior James Cook, sophomore Kenny McIntosh and freshman Kendall Milton. 

White, the leading rusher from a year ago, will most likely be the No. 1 option with Cook, Milton and McIntosh cleaning up the rest of the touches equally. We may even see a second-year surge from Milton, who earned Freshman All-SEC honors and showed flashes of greatness in limited carries before missing time with a minor knee injury. He should be back and ready to go against Clemson in the Sept. 4 season opener.

Here’s a look at each Georgia rusher in 2020 by the numbers:

Zamir ‘Zeus’ White:  10 games played. 144 carries for 779 yards and 11 touchdowns with a 5.4 yards per carry average.

James Cook:  Eight games played. 45 carries for 303 yards and three touchdowns with a 6.7 yards per carry average.

Kenny McIntosh:  Eight games played. 47 carries for 251 yards with one touchdown and a 5.3 yards per carry average.

Kendall Milton:  Seven games played. 35 carries for 193 yards and a 5.5 yards per carry average.

 

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