Will Georgia have a Feature Back in 2024?

Georgia's running back room is loaded in 2024, but does one guy stand out among the rest?

When you say the words "Georgia Football" one position comes to mind: running back. From Herschel Walker to Nick Chubb and Sony Michel, the program produces NFL talent at running back year in and year out. The Bulldogs currently have five backs active in the NFL (Nick Chubb, James Cook, DeAndre Swift, Kenny McIntosh, and Zamir White) and will likely have two more next year with Daijun Edwards and Kendall Milton both headed to the Draft.

But heading into spring practice, there are more questions than answers at the position. Roderick Robinson is Georgia's leading returning rusher. He had just 24 carries last year. The door is wide open for someone to step up and shine this coming season.

Trevor Etienne (7) is tackled by Jamon Dumas-Johnson (10). Etienne is now at Georgia, while Dumas-Johnson is now a Kentucky Wildcat :: Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union

The most likely candidate is Florida transfer Trevor Etienne. The younger brother of the ACC's all-time leading rusher Travis Etienne, the younger Etienne is a threat running and catching the ball, but perhaps more importantly, he has two years of SEC game experience under his belt. He's already played in 24 games, averaging 6.1 yards per touch. If there is a question mark with Etienne it's his lack of touches. He only touched the ball 11.6 times per game while at Florida. He could be in for a bigger rep share if his durability holds up and he's able to be strong in pass protection in Mike Bobo's pro-style system. 

If he can hold up in all those departments, he could have a season reminiscent of Kenny McIntosh's final year in 2022 when the now Seattle Seahawk had 800 yards rushing and 500 yards receiving.

Of course, like most positions at Georgia, the other talent in the room could take up a lot of reps. Branson Robinson, Roderick Robinson, and Andrew Paul are back for another year. Roderick Robinson is a load at 240 pounds and can be a bruiser for Georgia in short-yardage situations. Andrew Paul received rave reviews as a freshman but suffered a knee injury. He came back in 2023 and was able to get some touches late in games. As for Branson Robinson, he suffered a knee injury before last season following a sensational freshman season in 2022 but will likely be back for the fall. In what capacity remains to be seen.

With a room that loaded, it'll be hard for any player to monopolize reps, but it should create an awesome competition in camp. Etienne is the vet and has the inside lane to start, but how many touches he gets will be predicated on his ability and the performances of those talented backs behind him.