ATHENS — Georgia running back Dwight Phillips has always been known for his speed.

It’s the first thing teammates mention when asked about the third-year running back.

“A lot of speed, for sure,” offensive tackle Earnest Greene said. “You know, Peanut’s one of those guys who came in his freshman year, and we saw the ability that he had with not only just having straight-line speed, but he’d make people miss and stuff like that. And that’s a big part of football is what you can do after you get the ball in your hands.”

All that speed, though, has yet to lead to much production. In his first two seasons, Phillips has totaled just 243 rushing yards. If you limit his production to SEC games, Phillips has only 54 rushing yards.

If Phillips is going to become more than just a gadget player for Georgia, he’s going to have to become a complete running back.

Phillips had just one reception a season ago, as the play resulted in a six-yard loss. With Cash Jones now with the Atlanta Falcons and Kentucky transfer Dante Dowdell sidelined for the foreseeable future, there’s an opportunity for Phillips to show how he’s progressed during the month of August.

“Dwight has worked his tail off,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said. “Like, how can he help us? He’s one of the most explosive players we have on our offense. If we’re gonna be more explosive, than we’ve got to get guys that when they touch the ball, big plays happen. And whether that’s — the form of touches may change, but he’s gotta touch the ball because he’s been one of our most explosive guys,

“Probably even more so in practice than what you’ve seen in games.”

Phillips was one of three running backs Georgia signed during the 2024 recruiting cycle. Nate Frazier and Chauncey Bowens have both outproduced Phillips thus far. They also return for the 2026 season, crowding the top of the Georgia depth chart.

To his credit, Phillips has noticeably bulked up during his time in Athens. The physical advances made by Phillips are not dissimilar to those of James Cook. He came into Athens in 2018 as an undersized running back best known for his speed and explosive ability.

Cook was slightly more productive than Phillips in his first two seasons, while being a far greater asset in the passing game.

In his third season, he ran for 303 yards. As a senior, Cook more than doubled that to 728. He eventually became a second-round pick by the Buffalo Bills and led the NFL in rushing last season.

It’s a massive ask to think Phillips could replicate those numbers. But it has happened under Smart before.

Most importantly, Phillips continues to put in the work. He was one of Georgia’s best practice players this spring and that carried through into the off-season.

“He’s had a great offseason,” Smart said. “He works really hard. That room has a lot of mudita in it. They really care about each other. The success of each other is more important than the success of one person, and I appreciate the mentality in that room.”

Georgia wants to be more explosive this season. Phillips Jr., simply hopes to contribute.

He’s put himself in position to do so. And while he might not yet be a big home run hitter for this Georgia offense, he seems ready to get on base much more for the Bulldogs in 2026.

“When you’ve got a guy that can hit a home run like that, you take pride in getting him those home runs,” Greene said. “So as long as we take care of what we’ve got to take care of up front, the sky’s the limit for the offense.”