Keith Marshall to Georgia: Why He & Isaiah Crowell Could Form Nation's Best Duo

It is not very often that a program can sign two of the best running backs in the country in consecutive years but that is exactly what Georgia did on Tuesday.

Keith Marshall, rated the sixth-overall prospect by ESPN and the best all-purpose back by Rivals, announced he would be playing his college football in Athens, along with Isaiah Crowell, who was the top-rated running back last year by ESPN.

Crowell started as a true freshman and rushed for 847 yards with five touchdowns, but those numbers don’t reflect that he missed two games and only got two touches against Kentucky.

And outside of Crowell, the depth chart at running back is incredibly weak, with junior Carlton Thomas only having one good game against Auburn, who ranks 11th in the SEC and 99th nationally in rush defense.

Marshall is a smaller back at 5’ 11”, 190 pounds but coupled with Crowell’s 210-pound frame, these two running backs could combine to be one of the best duos in the country, especially if guys like LaMichael James and Montee Ball leave for the NFL.

The offensive line will lose three starters, but it has not been particularly good this year to begin with. If Marshall and Crowell can pick up guys in pass protection and give Aaron Murray—one of the premier quarterbacks in the conference—time to throw, they will open up more room for them to run.

Marshall is my favorite player in this year’s recruiting class; check out his highlight reel above to see why. Georgia has had no trouble in turning running backs into stars; just look at Knowshon Moreno and Herschel Walker.

Combining these two players could easily propel the Bulldogs back into the SEC Championship game, and possibly for even more.