It’s been a couple of weeks since Georgia capped off their spring practice with the 2017 G-Day game. As we head towards the summer when the Bulldogs’ remaining 20 freshmen of the 2017 recruiting class will arrive and take their place with the football team, let’s take a look at the running backs in UGA football’s post-spring depth chart.

 
We didn’t get to see a lot of senior tailbacks Nick Chubb and Sony Michel on G-Day, understandably so, but we did get a look at Ian Donald-McIntyre, Brian Herrien, Elijah Holyfield, and Prather Hudson. Of those tailbacks, walk-on Prather Hudson had the best performance, but we need to keep in mind that the G-Day spring football game is a very regulated and scripted scrimmage. Still, though, Hudson reminded me a little of former Georgia tailback Brendan Douglas out there as he ran with gusto and violence.
 
 
Prather led all rushers for the G-Day game with 7 carries for 45 yards, averaging a solid 6.4 yards per carry. Elijah Holyfield was right behind Prather in yards on the ground with 41, but it took him over twice as many carries to get there with 15 which dropped his average to only 2.7 yards per carry. Holyfield did have the lone rushing touchdown on the day, a 3-yard scamper to the left beating the outside contain. Next up was Brian Herrien with 11 carries for 21 yards, averaging just 1.6 yards per carry followed by Ian Donald-McIntyre with 2 carries for 15 yards, an average of 7.5 yards per carry. Herrien and McIntyre went up against the number one defense while Holyfield and Hudson the number two.
 
 

 
 
While Nick Chubb and Sony Michel are still clearly Georgia’s go to tailbacks going into the 2017 season, whoever occupies the number three spot on the running back depth chart is going to get some work and to some extent the number four guy will also see a few carries here and there, especially if there are any injuries to the other backs. Going into spring practice Herrien and Holyfield were the two backs battling it out for those two spots behind Chubb and Sony.
 
 
I thought Herrien had a very nice spring and he looks like he has added some good muscle in the offseason. Herrien was Georgia’s third-leading rusher last season with 63 carries for 363 yards and 3 touchdowns. And what about Holyfield? He was hampered with an injury early on last season and never seemed to get back on the field despite the coaches reporting he only missed one game due to injury. He had a good spring, but with his arrest on Monday, May 1st and being charged with misdemeanor possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia, I think that thrusts Herrien clearly into that number three spot on the depth chart once again.
 
 
Now, we will have to wait and see what happens with Holyfield as this is his first brush with trouble while at Georgia and according to UGA’s Alcohol & Drug Policy, he is subject to be suspended for 10% of the football season. The only scholarship running back from the 2017 recruiting class coming to join the Dogs is the phenomenal back out of St. Joseph’s Prep School, Philadelphia, PA. Swift was rated as consensus 4-star prospect and a top-five running back for the 2017 class. He will certainly come in, be able to compete, looking to move up the depth chart and vie for some playing time.
 
 
But right now, I’d have to put Prather Hudson in the number four spot on the running back depth chart. Whether or not Hudson can hold onto that spot when Swift gets on campus or Holyfield gets back out of the dog house, we will have to see. Plus, McIntyre has shown some flashes here and there. A little foreshadowing for fall camp, I expect Herrien and Swift to battle for that number 3 and 4 spot on the running back depth chart. Dogs are in good shape here heading into summer workouts right before they start the fall camp grind.
 

BULLDAWG ILLUSTRATED’S PROJECTED POST-SPRING DEPTH CHART

 
RB 1a. Nick Chubb | Sr. | 5 foot 10, and 228 lbs

RB 1b. Sony Michel | Sr. | 5 foot 11, and 222 lbs

RB 3. Brian Herrien | So. | 6 foot 0, and 210 lbs

RB 4. Prather Hudson | Rs. Fr. | 5 foot 11, and 188 lbs
 
Potential challengers:
 
Ian Donald-McIntyre | Rs. Fr. | 5 foot 10, and 207 lbs

Elijah Holyfield | So. | 5 foot 11, and 215 lbs

Avery McNeely | Sr. | 5 foot 8, and 174 lbs

D’Andre Swift | Incoming Fr. | 5 foot 9, and 222 lbs
 
 

 
 
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