ATHENS — Monday was unequivocally a great day for the Georgia running back room.

The biggest news came in the form of Nate Frazier, who announced that he would be remaining at Georgia for his junior season. Despite being linked to Ohio State via the transfer portal, Georgia’s leading rusher will be back in the fold for the 2026 season.

So too will Georgia’s second leading rusher, Chauncey Bowens. He also announced on Monday that he would not be entering the transfer portal, instead returning to Georgia for his third season in the program. Were it not for some late-season injuries, Bowens would’ve had an even bigger season in 2025.

Georgia wasn’t just content to stand pat at the running back position, as it added Kentucky transfer Dante Dowdell. He rushed for 560 yards and 3 touchdowns for the Wildcats last season. Dowdell stands at 6-foot-2 and 225 pounds, giving the Bulldogs a bruising running back in the mold of Josh McCray.

The Bulldogs made running the football a major priority in 2025. With the talent Georgia brings back at the position in 2026, it figures to do so once again.

Other forces on the Georgia offense will only further incentivize the importance of the Georgia running back room in 2026.

The Bulldogs have to replace six of their top seven pass catchers in 2026. Much of that comes at the wide receiver position, as Zachariah Branch, Dillon Bell, Colbie Young and Noah Thomas all move on to the NFL.

Georgia added Isiah Canion from Georgia Tech, but the Bulldogs are banking on internal players to replace what the Bulldogs lost from the 2025 team.

One of the pass catchers who needed to be replaced is running back Cash Jones. He, despite constant protests from the fan base, was Georgia’s third-down running back. He caught 20 passes for 195 yards last season while handling pass blocking duties as well.

Someone on the Georgia roster will need to replace what Jones brought to the table in that regard. Maybe that presents extra opportunities for Frazier or Bowens to earn extra touches for Georgia in 2026.

Georgia’s third-leading rusher this past season was not a running back but rather quarterback Gunner Stockton. He carried the ball 129 times this past season, taking a beating in the process.

Stockton’s legs are a plus-asset for the Georgia offense. But the Bulldogs simultaneously have to find a way to limit the punishment Stockton takes over the course of the season. Perhaps leaning even more on the running game in 2026 allows Georgia to accomplish that.

The Georgia running back room does have options beyond Frazier, Bowens and Dowdell. Dwight Phillips Jr. will enter his third season with the program, while Bo Walker will be a sophomore. Walker had three rushing touchdowns in a late-season win over Charlotte.

The Bulldogs also signed four-star running back Jae Lamar as a part of the 2026 signing class. He is the lone running back signee in Georgia’s 2026 haul.

Kirby Smart said it time and time again in 2025. Georgia wants to be a team that stops the run and runs the football. Doing the latter is much easier with a backfield led by Frazier and Bowens.

Georgia went from 15th in the SEC in rushing to fourth in terms of yards per game. With its top rushers back for a third season, along with some emerging pieces, the Bulldogs are primed to improve even further in that all-important metric.

“One thing I’ve known and I’ve seen throughout my two years of college football is the majority of times a team that has the most rushing yards in a football game wins the game,” Frazier said. “If you can run the ball and stop the run — that’s something that Coach (Kirby) Smart has been emphasizing a lot during this season. If you can run the ball and stop the run, you have a higher chance of winning the game. It’s really a big deal for sure.”