Tag: james cook uga

Top 10 SEC running backs for 2021 season

Ranking the top 10 SEC running backs for the 2021 college football season.

SEC talent is always at the top of college football, and this year is no different, especially when it comes to running backs.

In 2020, the league’s rushers were led by Alabama Heisman finalist Najee Harris, who was drafted in the first round by the Pittsburgh Steelers in this year’s NFL draft.

But who will lead the rushing attacks for SEC programs in 2021?

We rank the top 10 SEC running backs for 2021 by production and overall ability:

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 Bulldogs RB James Cook returning for another season

Georgia Bulldogs running back Jame Cook is returning to Athens for another season and will not enter the 2021 NFL Draft.

Georgia Bulldogs running back Jame Cook is returning to Athens for another season and will not enter the 2021 NFL Draft. James Cook, the younger brother of Minnesota Vikings running back Dalvin Cook, missed the Peach Bowl to mourn the loss of his father.

2021 will be Cook’s fourth season with the University of Georgia, but he’ll be a junior, since nobody lost eligibility in 2020. James Cook came to Georgia as a highly touted recruit from Miami Central High School.

James Cook is projected to start as the third down back for Todd Monken and UGA’s offense next season. Cook is a dangerous receiver and is Georgia’s best receiving back. He could take over as lead running back if Zamir White declares for the 2021 NFL Draft.

Look for James Cook to get more touches next season. He’s averaged 6.6 yards per carry in his career and 11.2 yards per reception. Cook never had more than seven carries in a game during the 2020 season.

The Miami Central graduate gained 320 yards on 47 total touches in 2019. He totaled 61 touches in 2020.

Cook’s best play of the season came when he burned the Alabama defense for an explosive touchdown.

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Georgia football RB coach Dell McGee honors James Cook

Georgia Bulldogs running back James Cook tragically lost his father this week. UGA RB coach Dell McGee honored Cook by wearing his jersey.

Georgia running back James Cook tragically lost his father earlier this week.  On Tuesday, Cook’s father, who is also named James, unexpectedly passed away due to complications with diabetes.

Cook’s dad, also father to Minnesota Vikings’ running back Dalvin Cook, was only 46. Georgia Bulldogs players are playing with a heavy heart for one of their teammates today.

Dalvin Cook and James Cook both flew home to Miami to be with family. Dalvin Cook is missing his final NFL game of the regular season against the Detroit Lions. James Cook is missing the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, but he is not forgotten.

Georgia football running back coach Dell McGee showed James Cook that he’s thinking of him by wearing his jersey for the Peach Bowl:

Cook leads all Georgia running backs with a 6.7 yards per carry rushing average and has five touchdowns. He’s additionally Georgia’s best receiving back.

Our prayers and condolences are with the Cook family.

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Halftime: UGA Twitter reacts to a huge first half from Georgia run game

Georgia is leading South Carolina 28-10 at halftime thanks to a big performance by the Bulldogs running game. Here’s what UGA Twitter says.

No. 9 Georgia is leading South Carolina 28-10 at halftime.

The story so far is a dominant Georgia offense, led not by the arm of quarterback JT Daniels like last week vs. Mississippi State, but by the Bulldogs run game.

Georgia has ran 23 times for 208 yards and 3 touchdowns.

UGA Twitter reacts to a strong first half:

 

 

 

Watch: Georgia rushes for 208 yards in the first half vs. South Carolina

No. 9 Georgia leads South Carolina 28-10 at halftime after a huge performance from the Bulldogs run game. Highlights, details and more here.

Georgia decided to keep quarterback JT Daniels arm in the bag vs. South Carolina and so far, it’s working as the Bulldogs take a 28-10 lead into halftime in Columbia.

UGA has rushed 23 times for 208 yards and junior running back James Cook looks incredible so far with five carries for 98 yards and two touchdowns – 20 yards per carry.

The Bulldogs rushed for eight yards vs. Mississippi State last week

Part of the reason for such a low total was how explosive the passing game was behind quarterback JT Daniels as he passed for 401 yards and four touchdowns.

The other reason was Georgia couldn’t get a push on a struggling Mississippi State defense.

Tonight vs. South Carolina, the story has been completely different, especially on the Bulldogs front, which is creating gaping holes for these Georgia running backs.

Just check out these stats from ‘running back U’.

  • Junior RB James Cook (5 carries, 98 yards, 2 TDs)
  • Sophomore RB Zamir White (11 carries, 75 yards, 1 TD)
  • Kenny McIntosh (5 carries, 53 yards)

Granted South Carolina is missing four defensive starters to opt-outs and their leading pass rusher JJ Enagbare due to COVID testing, so Georgia has a huge advantage in the depth department.

Still, it’s nice to see this Bulldogs run game come back to life.

Check out some of the best runs of the first half:

Which UGA players played best, worst against Alabama?

Which Georgia Bulldogs players performed well and poorly against the Alabama Crimson Tide?

The Georgia Bulldogs fell 41-24 to the Alabama Crimson Tide in an SEC showdown. Georgia took a 24-20 lead into halftime, but the Dawgs failed to score in the second half and turned the ball over multiple times.

First, let’s take a look at the offensive side of the ball for Georgia.

The Bulldogs offensive line held up well and did not commit many penalties in a road environment.

There was running room for the backs, but Todd Monken and Kirby Smart elected to roll with more of an aerial attack against Alabama.

James Cook stood out in the first half and exposed Alabama linebackers in the passing game. His 82-yard touchdown was Georgia’s best play of the game.

Quarterback Stetson Bennett played subpar in defeat. He struggled with ball placement and deflected passes at the line of scrimmage. One of his deflections at the line was intercepted in the first quarter, which was a large momentum change. Bennett deserves some fault for the interception. When four passes are battled down at the line of scrimmage, it is a pattern, not a freak play.

Bennett’s third interception was brutal. His pass went into a group of three Alabama defenders. Bennett played well in the first half, but grew uncomfortable in the second half and didn’t make the right read on a couple of occasions. Bennett was no match for Alabama quarterback Mac Jones, who is a superior downfield passer and connected for big plays all night.

Bennett’s No. 1 target throughout the night was Jermaine Burton. Burton’s stock is holding steady following the contest. He was a source of intermediate plays and was often open. He dropped a key pass in the red zone that was intercepted. Burton is promising considering he’s only a freshman.

Defensively, Nakobe Dean played well. He helped the Bulldogs get off the field on a couple of third downs and flashed elite speed. The overall performance from the defense was disappointing, especially in the second half when Dan Lanning’s group fell under immense pressure from turnovers and questionable officiating.

Defensive backs Tyrique Stevenson and Tyson Campbell were frequently victimized. The Crimson Tide have elite wide receivers with excellent speed. Jaylen Waddle burned Tyson Campbell and the UGA defense for a 90-yard touchdown in the second half. Campbell has the talent to play better, but he and the secondary needed more support from the pass rush.

Georgia’s pass rush needed a better performance from the interior. Jordan Davis, Travon Walker and company were quiet and didn’t disrupt Jones enough. Alabama frequently blocked with six players to stymie the UGA blitz.

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Georgia football players take to Twitter to try and save CFB season

Following the postponement of the Big Ten and PAC-12 football seasons, Georgia football players took to Twitter to express their opinions.

Following the somber news of the Big Ten and PAC-12 postponing their fall sports due to COVID-19 safety concerns, a number of Georgia football players took to Twitter in an attempt to voice their opinions on playing this season.

Malik Herring, James Cook, Jamaree Salyer and Justin Shaffer were some of the Dawgs players who tweeted out the trending movement among athletes: #WeWantToPlay.

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart supported his players stance and gave them retweets on their posts.

The 2020 college football season could be hard to salvage with two of the five Power Five conferences opting out of the season, but that isn’t stopping players from expressing themselves.

A look at Georgia’s 2020 running back room

A breakdown of Georgia football’s running backs for the upcoming 2020 college football season.

It seems like every time an elite running back leaves the University of Georgia, there is another one ready to step in the very next year.

This offseason headlines the departure of running backs D’Andre Swift and Brian Herrien.

Swift was selected 35th overall by the Detroit Lions in the second-round of the 2020 NFL Draft, while Herrien signed an undrafted free agent deal with the Cleveland Browns.  Herrien finished with 1,413 yards and 13 touchdowns during his career at UGA. Swift finished with 2,885 yards and 20 touchdowns in a year less.

Georgia’s offense will lose a lot of production with these two gone, but now it’s time to look at who will be carrying the load for the Dawgs in 2020 and beyond.

1. Zamir White (RS So.) –

Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

Nobody has dealt with adversity as well as Zamir White has. Coming in as the No. 1 running back in the 2018 class, White endured two knee surgeries in under two years. White redshirted his freshman year and has begun to show why he was the top running back recruit in the country.

White was the third back in 2019, playing behind D’Andre Swift and Brian Herrien. He showed glimpses of greatness in this year’s Sugar Bowl, getting 18 carries for 92 yards and a touchdown. Hopefully White will be able to maintain his health and have a breakout year for the red and black as RB1.

2. James Cook (Jr.) –

Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

James Cook has had it tough during his time in Athens.  With a seriously talented backfield ahead of him for the past two years, the former five-star could see his opportunities increase drastically this season.

Cook is a great receiving back and could be used perfectly outside of the backfield with the Dawgs’ new offensive coordinator Todd Monken.  Monken was known to use his running backs as receiving threats during his time as OC on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Cleveland Browns, which will be fun to watch with Cook. Cook averaged 9.2 yards-per-reception, capitalizing on his few opportunities. Look for Kirby Smart and Monken to get creative with the way they use Cook in 2020.

3. Kenny McIntosh (So.) –

Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Kenny McIntosh could potentially take the No. 2 spot behind White this season over Cook. Now entering his sophomore season, McIntosh was ranked as the #11 running back prospect in the country for the 2019 recruiting class. He didn’t get that many touches last season, but made them count when he did. McIntosh eluded an Arkansas State defender this year on his way to a 61-yard touchdown.

4. Kendall Milton (Fr.) –

Kendall Milton is an incoming freshman that could make a huge difference for Georgia’s offense this year.  Milton is listed as the 7th running back in the country, per 247Sports.  Milton is the ideal all-around back with power, size, speed, vision and elusiveness. The Clovis, California native was at the top of many teams’ wishlists, but Milton chose the Dawgs.

If you watch Milton’s high school film, he plays with amazing vision and poise that you typically see out of elite college and NFL backs. His patience and his power are his two strongest attributes. Milton is expected to make a big splash in the SEC this season.

Watch Milton’s senior highlights here:

Georgia Bulldogs player card: RB James Cook

Georgia Bulldogs running back Jame Cook is projected to start as the third down back for Todd Monken and UGA’s offense in 2020.

Running Back James Cook (#4):

Class: Junior

Height: 5-11

Weight: 190 pounds

Hometown: Miami, Florida

High School: Miami Central High School

Nov 30, 2019; Atlanta, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs running back James Cook  runs the ball against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Georgia Bulldogs running back Jame Cook is projected to start as the third down back for Todd Monken and UGA’s offense in 2020. Cook has a unique skill-set and is a versatile back, who is a threat as both a runner and a receiver.

Cook gained 320 yards on 47 total touches in 2019. Look for him to be more involved in Georgia’s rushing attack in 2020 following the departure of D’Andre Swift. Zamir White is projected to start, but Cook offers more in obvious passing situations. Cook came to Georgia as a four-star recruit.

As Dawg fans know, James Cook is the younger brother of Minnesota Vikings running back Dalvin Cook.

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