ATHENS, Ga. — Georgia sophomore tailback Roderick Robinson, who is the team’s leading returning rusher, had toe surgery and will be out for several weeks, if not months.
That means Georgia’s starting tailback for Saturday’s opener against Clemson could be sophomore Branson Robinson, playing his first game since tearing his patella tendon just more than a year ago.
The No. 1 tailback normally would be Trevor Etienne, a transfer from Florida, but he’s facing a one-game suspension for a DUI arrest this spring. Coach Kirby Smart continues to not reveal suspensions in advance of games.
“I don’t really talk about all the other stuff, with regards to suspensions, for any of our players,” Smart said Monday when asked about Etienne.
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Smart did confirm that Roderick Robinson had surgery, and while Smart didn’t put a firm timetable on Roderick Robinson’s return Smart said it would be “probably be week to week.” In the past that has usually meant more than a few weeks.
Roderick Robinson rushed for 196 yards on 24 carries last season, when Kendall Milton and Daijun Edwards, now both in the NFL, were the top two rushers. His absence means walk-on Cash Jones, who had 161 yards on 22 carries last year, is the only tailback available on Saturday who got snaps for Georgia last year.
Roderick Robinson (0) rushed for 196 yards on 24 carries last season. (Dale Zanine / USA Today)
But Branson Robinson had plenty of experience as a freshman two years ago: 330 rushing yards on 66 carries, including a featured role in mop-up duty in the national championship, when he had two touchdowns.
“A crazy athletic guy that you can comfortably hand the ball to and he’s going to make plays,” quarterback Carson Beck said. “But that’s just one guy; our room is really deep.”
Georgia also has a trio of true freshmen, headed by Nate Frazier, who was the nation’s second-ranked tailback recruit, per the 247Sports Composite, and has looked good this preseason. Chauncey Bowens and Dwight Phillips Jr. were four-star recruits.
What does this mean for the offense?
The easy answer is the Bulldogs can just put the ball in the hands of Beck, a preseason Heisman Trophy favorite. Of course, Beck doesn’t have four of his five leading receivers from last season: tight end Brock Bowers and receivers Ladd McConkey and Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint are in the NFL, and receiver Rara Thomas was dismissed last month.
But the cupboard is by no means bare: Dominic Lovett is the leading returning receiver (613 yards on 54 catches), Dillon Bell and Arian Smith have had big moments in their careers, and tight end Oscar Delp had three starts when Bowers was injured last year.
There are several transfers expected to contribute. Tight end Ben Yurocek has almost 30 career starts at Stanford. Colbie Young was Miami’s third-leading receiver last year and offers a big, physical presence the Georgia offense has lacked the past couple of years. London Humphreys was Vanderbilt’s second-leading receiver last year, and Michael Jackson III had 146 receiving yards last year at USC.
Between those options and what should be one of the top offensive lines in the country, there’s no reason to expect Georgia to struggle on offense, even without Etienne. That said, keep it on the radar if the offense starts slow Saturday, especially in the running game.
(Photo: Brett Davis / USA Today)
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Publish date : 2024-08-26 05:59:00
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