How Daijun Edwards Fits into Georgia's Offensive Gameplan this Season

How does Georgia running back Daijun Edwards fit into the Bulldogs' offensive gameplan this season?

For over almost two decades now, Georgia has featured some of the best running back tandems in the country. Gurley and Marshall, Chubb and Michel, Swift and Holyfield, White and Cook. Now McIntosh and Milton look to be the ones leading the charge heading into the upcoming season.   

The players standing behind those duos are not often taken into account. In this year's case, Daijun Edwards looks to be the man who will be the third running back rotating into the mix for the Bulldogs. Edwards is heading into a similar situation that D'Andre Swift once held in 2017. The the. freshmen Swift played behind Nick Chubb and Sony Michel, as did Nick Chubb as he played behind Todd Gurley and Nick Marshall.

Most teams only feature two running backs at most, so it might be hard to picture how a third running back would fit into an offensive gameplan, but it's evident at Georgia that if you prove yourself in practice, you'll eventually find your way onto the football field. Especially at running back. 

In 2021, Kenny McIntosh served as the team's third option and received 58 carries; in 2019, it was Zamir White with 78 carries, and Brian Herrien with 50 carries in 2018.  

Over the past two seasons, Edwards has served more as a fourth-quarter grinder for the Bulldogs. Checking in late when the football game is under control, and they need a guy to go in, grind out some yards, and kill the clock. 

Now with Edwards taking a few steps up on the depth chart with the departures of White and Cook, there's a good chance he sees an uptick in usage. 

Edwards is a very physical rusher who fights through the first sight of contact, pushing the pile for every yard, while also possessing a lot of patience behind the line of scrimmage as well. All of these traits can be found during a drive against South Carolina in 2020 when the Gamecocks were served eight straight minutes of Edwards pounding the rock late in the ball game. 

I think this drive against SC in 2020 perfectly sums up the value Daijun Edwards brings to UGA’s offense

- Very patient runner
- Fights through first sign of contact
- Grinds for every yard until the whistle
- Creates an 8 minute drive all on his own late in the ball game pic.twitter.com/ou4ax7RvyA

— Jonathan Williams (@Dr_JWill) July 17, 2022

He may not be the most prolific running back in the bunch or flash like all of the future NFL draft picks do, but he makes the most of every rep and consistently produces on offense. 

As to how he fits into Georgia's offensive gameplan, his number will more than likely be called in moments where Milton and McIntosh could use a breather for a few plays. It might sound like grunt work, but there's a lot of value in having a third option at running back who has fresh legs and can do anything and everything a coach asks of him. 

Edwards has put in the work during "clean-up time," with the promise and consistency he has shown in those moments are why he will receive an increase in touches during the 2022 season. 

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