ATHENS – Elijah Holyfield isn’t quite that tall, but he’s strong, runs well and is generally reminiscent of – dare we say it – Nick Chubb.
It’s okay to dare say it, because Chubb is the one saying that.
“Yeah because he’s such a powerful, downhill back,” Chubb said.
It’s been a good preseason for Georgia’s tailbacks, and not just because Chubb has looked like his old self, and Sony Michel has made progress back from his arm injury. If one or even both are limited or can’t play, the good news is Holyfield looks like he could be the next in Georgia’s long line of standout tailbacks.
Chubb described Holyfield as being not only “very powerful,” but also “a patient back.”
“Good vision,” Chubb said. “Stuff like that.”
There were also good words for the other freshman tailback, Brian Herrien, a late addition to the signing class. Herrien may be more of a longshot to get carries, but his style is a complement to Holyfield. In fact, Chubb compared the two freshmen, at least in styles, to himself and Michel.
“Brian, he’s elusive, he can do it all,” Chubb said. “He kind of reminds me of Sony.”
That makes for a deep backfield, which is why sophomore Shaquery Wilson was shifted back to receiver this week. Redshirt freshman Tae Crowder and senior Brendan Douglas are both still around, and Douglas – a good pass protector – was third in line at Wednesday’s practice, behind only Chubb and Michel.
Now that it appears Chubb is all but set to play against North Carolina, and probably start, the next big question is Michel’s health. While he hasn’t taken significant carries yet, he’s at least staying in condition, and since it’s not a leg injury, he could ready to game action fairly quickly.
“He’s keeping his spirits up,” Chubb said. “When you talk to him about it, I figured he’d be more upset than he is, because it happened so late. But he’s doing good, and he’s working hard, and that’s what we all expect from Sony. Just a hard-working kid.”