How good was UGA running back D’Andre Swift against Kentucky on Saturday?
So good that Kentucky’s head coach publicly encouraged Swift to declare early for the NFL Draft after this season. Here was the professional advice from Mark Stoops after the game on Saturday night:
“Give (Georgia) credit— D’Andre Swift is an impressive player. I just gave him a ‘congratulations’ after the game and wished him ‘goodbye,’ because he needs to go to the NFL. He’s an elite player …”
Swift, who is a junior, had one of his signature games of his UGA career against Kentucky, carrying the ball 21 times for 179 yards and two touchdowns. His 39-yard touchdown run in the third quarter broke a scoreless tie between the two SEC East teams.
As far as Swift’s NFL future, it would be a surprise if he returned for his senior season at UGA in 2020. However, both Nick Chubb and Sony Michel returned as senior running backs for the Bulldogs, and both got drafted within the NFL’s first two rounds.
One thing that is very unusual is for a rival coach to go public to encourage another team’s star player to declare early for the NFL Draft. Obviously, Stoops’ words are highly unlikely to impact Swift’s thought process on his future, as Swift was already projected to be an early NFL pick in most mock drafts.
Thoughts? Please post below.
