The Georgia Bulldogs got a positive injury update on freshman running back Kendall Milton after the loss to Florida.
The Georgia Bulldogs lost against the Florida Gators in more ways than one. The entire UGA team seemed to suffer an injury throughout the game or before it. The conference-only schedule is weighing on the Dawgs and they’ll have to rely on depth in several key positions from here on out.
Fortunately for the Bulldogs, freshman running back Kendall Milton only suffered a slight MCL sprain in the defeat. Milton, a former five-star recruit out of California, went down following a first down run in the second half.
Kendall Milton’s father, Chris Milton, has the scoop on his injury:
Slight MCL strain.. Nothing serious… Thank God. Thank you to EVERYONE that reached out. I couldn’t hit you ALL back personally.. He’s GOOD…
A sprained MCL is much preferable to a torn ACL, torn MCL, and other serious knee injuries. Milton could possibly return during the season or for the upcoming bowl game. Milton has 31 carries for 183 yards on the season. He’s broken a lot of tackles in the limited touches he’s received.
Zamir White and James Cook are Georgia’s healthiest running backs at the moment. The duo will look for more carries this Saturday against the Missouri Tigers. Georgia out-rushed Florida 165 yards to 97, however the Gators dominated with their aerial attack.
Florida defensive back Brad Stewart Jr. (2) breaks up a pass intended for Georgia running back Kendall Milton (22) during the annual Florida Georgia rivalry game held at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville Fla. Nov. 7, 2020. Photo per The Gainesville Sun
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.
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.
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.
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:
2020 Georgia Commit Daijun Edwards •4 🌟Running Back •Height: 5’10 •Weight: 201 •247 composite rating: #21 RB •Accounted for 5,234 total yards and 66 TDs while playing AAAAAAA football in one of the toughest classifications in the state of Georgia.
PFF released a stat which lists new Georgia QB Jamie Newman as the No. 1 in TDs versus the blitz among power 5 QBs. Read our analysis here!
Pro Football Focus (PFF) recently released a graphic showing Wake Forest transfer quarterback, new Georgia signal caller Jamie Newman as first among all power five quarterbacks in touchdowns versus the blitz.
It seems as if every month we learn of a new stat that shows Newman as one of the top quarterbacks returning for the 2020 college football season.
Early this year, PFF listed Newman as the No. 3 returning quarterback in college football behind Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence and Ohio State’s Justin Fields and rated Newman as the highest graded passer on throws of 30 yards or more.
What we’ve learned from these advanced stats from PFF is that Newman is not only a 500 yard rusher, but he’s also got a cannon for an arm, which he’s not afraid to let loose with pressure in his face.
With star receiver George Pickens on the outside and running backs Zamir White and James Cook out of the backfield, Newman should have every opportunity to stretch the field in Georgia’s 2020 offense.
Of course, there are still some remaining questions about the offensive line rebuild and new offensive coordinator Todd Monken’s system translating, but there is no questioning the quality in talent that coach Kirby Smart and staff have put together on this offense for 2020.
University of Georgia Bulldogs running back KJ McCoy attended East Georgia State College from 2017-2018.
Running Back KJ McCoy (No. 39):
Class: Redshirt Freshman
Height: 5-10
Weight: 200 pounds
Hometown: Swainsboro, Georgia
High School: Swainsboro High School
Georgia Bulldogs running back KJ McCoy is a redshirt freshman. Before attending the University of Georgia, McCoy attended East Georgia State College from 2017-2018.
He impressed during the 2019 spring game, when he gained 46 total yards on seven total touches. McCoy’s cousin, Isaiah, also walked on to the team in 2019.
McCoy played both football, basketball, and track at Swainsboro High School.
McCoy will be competing with Kendall Milton, Zamir White, James Cook, Kenny McIntosh, and more at the running back position. McCoy would surprise a lot of folks if he earned touches in Georgia’s very talented backfield. He’s projected to be primarily used as depth on the scout team next season.
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.
New Georgia football offensive coordinator Todd Monken takes over a talented UGA offense with air-raid scheme.
After a pedestrian year from the Georgia Bulldogs on offense in 2019, Kirby Smart wasted no time making scheme changes, bringing in Todd Monken from the Cleveland Browns to take over for James Coley as offensive coordinator and play caller.
Monken has coached all over the football landscape, including 23 years of college coaching experience and eight years coaching in the NFL.
Most recently, Monken spent a season as the offensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns and before that, three seasons as the offensive coordinator and receivers coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
As offensive coordinator at Oklahoma State from 2011-2012, Monken coached Brandon Weeden, Justin Blackmon and the air-raid Cowboys offense to record breaking seasons, averaging well over 500 yards a game.
So, how does Monken’s air-rade scheme fit with a Georgia team built for defense and a power run game?
In 2019, the Bulldogs struggled with the deep passing game and the blame can’t be all on Coley, as Jake Fromm had issues with his deep ball and other than George Pickens, receivers either struggled with injuries, getting separation from defenders or dropped passes.
In 2020, there will be no shortage of depth or talent on the Georgia offense and in the light of recent off-season moves, it seems Kirby is planning to be more aggressive offensively.
The Bulldogs bring in a great arm in Wake Forest transfer quarterback Jamie Newman, paired with returning receivers George Pickens and Dominick Blaylock and added five receivers in the 2020 recruiting class.
Georgia will have the ability to stretch the field on anyone and that is exactly what Monken’s offenses do. Still, the traditional Georgia run game can only benefit from the space the air-raid creates.
As Cleveland Browns offensive coordinator in 2019, Monken led an offense that saw former Georgia great Nick Chubb run for nearly 1,500 yards, so we can expect that running backs Zamir White and James Cook will get their fair share of touches in 2020.
Bulldog fans should be excited to see what 2020 will bring for this young team. In Monken’s system, expect to see much more complex route trees than in previous years, as well as a more aggressive approach to offensive strategy because of the security blanket that is the Georgia defense.
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.
Georgia football coach Kirby Smart provides update on status of running back James Cook for the Allstate Sugar Bowl
Georgia football running back James Cook was arrested earlier in the month for driving without a valid license and carrying an open container of alcohol, per the Athens-Clarke County Police.
However, head coach Kirby Smart confirmed the sophomore running back can play against Baylor in the Sugar Bowl, after touching down in the Big Easy on Friday.
James Cook is cleared to play in the Sugar Bowl despite his arrest earlier this month. Smart said Cook passed a marijuana test.
Cook will give the Bulldogs some much needed talent at running back for the game, with senior Brian Herrien likely out and junior D’Andre Swift’s status also up in the air.
UGA Wire will provide you with more updates as we get them.
