Account
Nick Chubb Is Georgia's Future at RB, but He Could Get a Shot to Shine in 2014
May 14, 2014
Nick Chubb will enter a crowded backfield when he steps foot on Georgia's campus this summer, but don't be surprised if the 5'11", 216-pound, 5-star prospect from Cedartown, Ga. makes an impact for the Bulldogs during his true freshman season.
Photos of Chubb from the state track championships hit the Internet on Tuesday courtesy of Radi Nabulsi. They created quite the buzz.
I was asked if #UGA RB Nick Chubb might be a bit stiff. No, he's not. Here he is showing that 40-inch vertical. pic.twitter.com/kgnlgbbncd
— Radi Nabulsi (@RadiNabulsi) May 13, 2014
Here is a another shot of incoming #UGA RB Nick Chubb. Opposing linebackers be warned.... pic.twitter.com/tp05lHgIP0
— Radi Nabulsi (@RadiNabulsi) May 13, 2014
Before you ask, yes, he's still in high school.
Chubb clearly is an athletic freak, but what should Georgia fans expect from him?
After rushing for 2,374 yards and 27 touchdowns in his first two seasons on campus, Todd Gurley clearly has the top spot on the depth chart on lock down. He's a bona fide Heisman Trophy candidate, and if the Bulldogs are going to win their third SEC East title in the last four years, he's going to be a big part of the process.
With that being said, he's returning from a nagging ankle injury that kept him out of three games in October last season and limited him during the final six.
Keith Marshall has served as Gurley's primary backup over most of the last two seasons, until the rising junior tore his ACL versus Tennessee in October last season. The 5'11", 219-pounder has totaled 1,005 yards and nine touchdowns over the last two seasons, and despite being similar in stature to Chubb, is more of a weapon in space than he is between the tackles.
Gurley is No. 1 right now, with Marshall serving as more of a "1B" than a true backup.
If Chubb picks up on the offense when he arrives on campus, he could serve as the primary backup to Gurley and become a big part of the rotation with Marshall if Gurley goes down again.
After all, he's essentially a Gurley clone.
Once he gets into a college strength and conditioning program, like Gurley, Chubb will likely push 230 pounds. Gurley was also was a track star in the hurdles coming out of high school and competed as a member of Team USA in Europe in 2011, according to his Georgia bio.
Richt said in his national signing day press conference that the two incoming star running backs, Chubb and fellow 5-star Sony Michel, will have a chance to play right away.
"We will absolutely give those guys a chance to show what they can do, and if they can be productive, we'll get them in the game," he said, according to quotes released by Georgia.
Don't be surprised if Chubb earns some snaps in 2014 in a reserve role and establishes himself as the next feature back between the hedges. He has the athleticism to be a superstar, a scheme that has proven to be effective to running backs of similar stature and a running mate in Michel who will take some pressure off.
Sounds like a recipe for success.
* Barrett Sallee is the lead SEC college football writer for Bleacher Report. All stats are courtesy of CFBStats.com and all recruiting information is courtesy of 247Sports.com.