Tag: Georgia running backs

Georgia football player card: RB Zamir White

Georgia Bulldogs running back Zamir White is expected to start again for Georgia in 2021.

Running Back Zamir White (No. 3):

Class: Junior

Height: 6-0

Weight: 215 pounds

Hometown: Laurinburg, N.C.

High School: Scotland High School

Georgia Bulldogs running back Zamir “Zeus” White came to Athens as a five-star recruit. White was the top-rated RB prospect in the class of 2018 despite tearing his ACL in the high school playoffs as a senior. White tore it again before his first season at Georgia in 2018. White took a redshirt that season, so he is only a junior despite this being his fourth season in Athens.

Zeus was the co-winner of David Jacobs Award for overcoming injury during the 2019 season along with quarterback D’Wan Mathis. White changed the script in 2019, when he stayed healthy en route to 408 rushing yards on 78 carries.

White started at running back for all 10 of Georgia’s games in 2020. White is a physical running back who can remain upright through a lot of contact. He finished the 2020 season with 779 rushing yards on 144 carries.

White shared the backfield with James Cook, Kendall Milton, Daijun Edwards and Kenny McIntosh last season. The same running back room returns for Kirby Smart and Georgia in 2021. The Dawgs got a big boost when White and Cook announced they would return for a fourth season.

The North Carolina product is Georgia’s top rushing back, but he does not excel as much in the passing game. Cook and McIntosh are Georgia’s top receiving backs. White only caught six passes for 37 yards last year. His ability to improve as a receiver will be critical for his NFL draft stock.

White put up insane numbers in high school. He scored over 100 touchdowns and finished his career as the ninth highest rusher in North Carolina High School history with over 7,000 yards. He averaged over 14 yards per carry during his senior season. His Scotland highlights are some of the most impressive high school highlights you will ever see:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NWa6HolpNg

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Georgia running back Zamir White (3) moves the ball past Georgia defensive back Jalen Kimber (6) during the Georgia G-Day Spring football game in Athens, Ga., on Saturday, April 17, 2021. Joshua L. Jones, Athens Banner-Herald

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.

 

Report: Georgia RB to miss rest of spring practice with elbow injury

A Georgia running back is recovering from an elbow injury suffered in a UGA spring practice. Details here.

Georgia running back Kenny McIntosh suffered a dislocated elbow in a  spring practice session and will miss the rest of spring training, according to a report by UGAsports.com’s Dayne Young.

McIntosh confirmed the report with this post to his Instagram account on Sunday morning.

McIntosh posted this photo to his Instagram story.

McIntosh had an MRI done and the results showed that no surgery is needed.

Georgia shouldn’t miss a beat in spring drills without the third year back. One of the Bulldogs’ deepest positions is at tailback with all of 2020’s production returning, headlined by seniors Zamir ‘Zeus’ White and James Cook.

Sophomores Kendall Milton and Daijun Edwards will have a chance to get more reps with McIntosh out.

McIntosh has been an explosive part of Georgia’s rush and kick-return game over the last two seasons. In 2019, McIntosh flashed speed and vision abilities with 174 yards and 7.0 yards per carry on just 25 attempts and in 2020, finished as the Bulldogs’s third-leading rusher with 251 yards on 47 carries and one touchdown.

 

Check out a new episode of “UGA Football Live with J.C. Shelton” here!

Georgia RB coach Dell McGee on UGA’s loaded backfield

Georgia RB coach Dell McGee compares UGA’s loaded backfield to that of 2017, when Nick Chubb and Sony Michel were playing for the Bulldogs.

Georgia is at it again, returning yet another load backfield for the 2021 season.

Zamir White, James Cook, Kendall Milton, Kenny McIntosh, Daijun Edwards and 2021 early enrollee Lovasea Carroll all project to share the ball this season, resulting in another year of RBU going strong.

Right now, no single player is expected to shoulder the load, said Georgia running back coach Dell McGee on a Tuesday Zoom session.

“We don’t necessarily play seniority with any of our players, that’s why we have offseason workouts and spring ball.”

“A lot of our evaluation and setting of the depth chart will come from how they perform day in and day out leading up to the spring game. It’s a constant battle with our guys at the running back position.”

Last season, though, it was White who led the way in carries, yards and touchdowns.

Georgia running back stats (2020):

Zamir White: 144 carries, 779 yards, 11 touchdowns

James Cook: 45 carries, 303 yards, 3 touchdowns

Kenny McIntosh: 47 carries, 251 yards, 1 touchdown

Daijun Edwards: 37 carries, 218 yards, 1 touchdown

Kendall Milton: 35 carries, 193 yards, 0 touchdowns

Georgia’s running back battle will be exciting to follow this offseason with so much returning star power. McGee went as far as to compare the return of White and Cook to that of Nick Chubb and Sony Michel in 2017.

“It’s very similar to the situation when Sony Michel and Nick Chubb came back,” McGee said. “From a team standpoint, they want to do more and they feel like they are a part of that and part of the success that we can have.

Younger guys, like D’Adre Swift, seized the opportunity to learn from Michel and Chubb, and this year’s youngsters should take every chance they get to study and emulate Cook and White.

“I think it’s a good situation for our younger running backs and our younger players because they offer a lot of leadership mentally and physically on how to perform, how to practice and how to take care of their bodies.”

They have to treat this offseason and spring practice like it’s a brand new season,” McGee said.

They have to be eager to learn, eager to get better, eager to improve their skills because all of our players have weaknesses that they need to work on and that needs to be a point of emphasis and that starts with me making sure they’re detailed in what they need to improve on.”

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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.

 

A new episode of “UGA Football Live with J.C. Shelton” is streaming now! J.C. talks the latest college football news and breaks down Georgia’s 2022 recruiting class and more. Listen here:

Georgia football offers elite RB, son of former UGA star Verron Haynes

The Georgia Bulldogs have offered a scholarship to 4-star running back Justice Haynes, the son UGA standout of Verron Haynes.

The Georgia Bulldogs and head coach Kirby Smart have offered a scholarship to running back Justice Haynes. Haynes has received interest from some of college football’s elite programs despite being only a sophomore in high school.

Justice Haynes, the son of former Georgia Bulldog running back Verron Haynes, plays high school football for Blessed Trinity Catholic in Roswell, Georgia. Verron Haynes is famous in University of Georgia football lure for his last minute receiving touchdown in the Hobnail Boot game, which gave Mark Richt and UGA a huge win over Tennessee.

Justice Haynes has scholarship offers from Tennessee, Florida, Mississippi State, Miami, and more. He was spectacular as a freshman in high school and racked up 1,754 rushing yards along with 18 touchdowns. This helped Haynes be named to the Preseason All-State Georgia high school football team by Max Preps.

Justice Haynes already has committed to the 2023 Under Armour High School All-American Game. He’s a four-star recruit and one of the top running back recruits in his class (he currently holds the No. 4 ranking). Haynes will have a long time to decide where he wants to play college football.

Hayne’s father, Verron, ran for 738 yards over several seasons in Athens. Verron Haynes went on to win a Super Bowl with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the NFL. Best of luck to Justice Haynes moving forward.

Justice Haynes announced his scholarship offer from UGA via his Twitter account:

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Philadelphia Eagles sign Elijah Holyfield to practice squad

The former Georgia Bulldogs running back has now signed with the Philadelphia Eagles practice squad.

The Philadelphia Eagles cut Elijah Holyfield before the NFL roster deadline. The former Georgia Bulldogs running back has now signed with their practice squad.

Eagles running backs Miles Sanders, Boston Scott, and Corey Clement made the roster over Holyfield. Holyfield will have to be patient on the practice squad. Injuries at the running back position are quite common and with additional players possibly missing time with COVID-19, Holyfield may get his shot.

Holyfield played college football for three seasons at the University of Georgia. He is in his second year in the NFL, but hasn’t seen much playing time. He has zero career NFL carries in stints with both the Carolina Panthers and Philadelphia Eagles.

Holyfield was undrafted in the 2019 NFL Draft and signed as a free agent with the Carolina Panthers. Much like this season, he made their practice squad after being cut last year and signed with the Philadelphia Eagles on Dec. 31, 2019 after his contract with the Panthers expired.

Now, per Thomas Petersen, Holyfield will be on his next NFL practice squad. Holyfield impressed in training camp.

Elijah Holyfield is the son of legendary boxer Evander Holyfield.

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Philadelphia Eagles cut former Georgia Bulldogs RB

The Philadelphia Eagles have made a dozen roster cuts ahead of the upcoming NFL roster deadline including former UGA RB Elijah Holyfield.

The Philadelphia Eagles have made a dozen roster cuts ahead of the upcoming NFL roster deadline. Unfortunately, for Georgia Bulldogs fans, former running back Elijah Holyfield did not make the roster.

Holyfield played for three seasons at the University of Georgia. He is entering into his second year in the NFL, but hasn’t seen much playing time. He has zero NFL carries in his career.

Holyfield was undrafted in the 2019 NFL Draft and signed as a free agent with the Carolina Panthers. He made their practice squad after being cut Sept. 1 last year and eventually signed with the Philadelphia Eagles on Dec. 31, 2019 after his contract with the Panthers expired.

Here’s what Eagles Wire had to say about his cut and Holyfield’s future hopes with the Eagles.

Elijah Holyfield made strides and had a solid camp but with the Eagles focused on running backs who are talented pass catchers, Holyfield is likely to land on the practice squad.

Being a pass-catching running back, who is versatile is essential in the modern NFL. Holyfield will look to get another opportunity following an injury. Injuries at running back are almost guaranteed in today’s NFL. Additionally, Holyfield could make a roster if a team has several cases of COVID-19.

Elijah is the son of legendary boxer Evander Holyfield.

Nov 10, 2018; Athens, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs running back Elijah Holyfield (13) is knocked out of bounds by Auburn Tigers Auburn Tigers defensive back Noah Igbinoghene.  Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

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UGA football player card: RB Kendall Milton

Georgia Bulldogs running back Kendall Milton comes to Athens as a five-star recruit out of California.

Running Back Kendall Milton (No. 22):

Class: Freshman

Height: 6-1

Weight: 220 pounds

Hometown: Clovis, California

High School: Buchanan High School

Georgia Bulldogs running back Kendall Milton comes to Athens as a five-star recruit. He’s a member of the class of 2020. The California product was rated pretty much universally as a top ten running back recruit in his class.

Milton be competing with Daijun Edwards, Zamir White, James Cook, Kenny McIntosh, and more for playing time. With the departure of D’Andre Swift, fans should expect a lot of competition at the running back position.

James Cook is the most explosive returning player and is an excellent pass catcher, but he isn’t as polished between the tackles as Zamir White. Both Daijun Edwards and Kendall Milton are touted recruits and have the talent to earn significant carries or even start as freshmen.

Kendall Milton comes from an excellent football background. His brother, Ka’Lonn, is a senior defensive back at Fresno State. Kendall’s uncle, Kevin Hardy, won the Butkus Award at Illinois, was a first round draft pick, and played in the NFL from 1996-2004.

Milton will look to be the next great running back at the University of Georgia.

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UGA football player card: RB Daijun Edwards

Georgia Bulldogs running back Daijun Edwards comes to Athens as a four-star recruit.

Running Back Daijun Edwards (No. 33):

Class: Freshman

Height: 5-10

Weight: 201 pounds

Hometown: Moultrie, Georgia

High School: Colquitt County High School

Georgia Bulldogs running back Daijun Edwards comes to Athens as a four-star recruit. He’s a member of the class of 2020. The Colquitt County product was rated as anywhere between the 13th and 33rd best running back in the country.

Edwards be competing with Kendall Milton, Zamir White, James Cook, Kenny McIntosh, and more for playing time. With the departure of D’Andre Swift, fans should expect a lot of competition at the running back position.

James Cook is the most explosive player of the group and is an excellent pass catcher, but he isn’t as polished between the tackles as Zamir White. Both Daijun Edwards and Kendall Milton are touted recruits and have the talent to earn significant carries as freshmen.

Edwards also has the ability to catch out of the backfield. He flashes a rugged, tough style on tape. Edwards saw lots of playing time throughout his high school career and is quite experienced.

Check the tape of the four-star running back for yourself:

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