ATHENS — While Georgia brings back its top running backs in Nate Frazier and Chauncey Bowens, the Bulldogs do have to replace a very important piece in Cash Jones.
The rushing statistics don’t accurately capture how important Jones was for Georgia last season.
His 13 carries netted just 15 yards and that’s after getting 11 yards on 2 carries in the season-ending loss to Ole Miss.
Where Jones really excelled for Georgia came on third down. Most obviously, that was as a pass catcher. He hauled in 20 passes for 195 yards and a touchdown last season. His 20 receptions were the most among Georgia’s running backs.
The hidden value with Jones comes as a pass blocker. Georgia and Gunner Stockton felt very comfortable that Jones would always be a net positive in that regard. When you factor in the instability Georgia had on the offensive line in the early parts of the season, his presence provided a real boost to the Georgia offense.
Georgia does have options in replacing Jones next season, starting first with Frazier.
His contributions to the running game are obvious, finishing with 947 yards last season. Georgia would probably like to see him become a more explosive runner, upping his yards per carry number from 5.47 this past year while cutting into some of his carries.
Fewer rushing attempts could open the door for him to play a bigger role on third down. When asked, Frazier has done well as a pass catcher. He hauled in 16 passes for 116 yards this past season.
The unknown from Frazier comes as a pass blocker, given so many of those game reps went to Jones a season ago.
Georgia dipped into the transfer portal to add Kentucky transfer Dante Dowdell. At 6-foot-2 and 227 pounds, he’s the biggest of Georgia’s running backs and should, at the very least, fill the role left open by Josh McCray.
As Jones showed last season, size isn’t everything when it comes to pass protection. At a listed weight of 195 pounds, he held up more than enough against bigger linebackers and blitzers.
How Bowens factors into the running back room will be one of the more interesting early-season storylines to monitor. Injuries piled up for Bowens as the season progressed, limiting his effectiveness and carries. But in games against Alabama and Florida, Bowens showed he could be a key piece of the Georgia rushing attack.
The Bulldogs will lean heavily on their running game in 2026. The success it had in 2025 was a big reason Georgia once again won the SEC.
“You know, man, you’re about to get the ball that game for sure and throughout the season,” Frazier said prior to the Sugar Bowl. “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.”
Jones wasn’t much of a factor on the ground for the Bulldogs in 2025. But he was a key part of the running back room and thus the Georgia offense. We haven’t even factored in his excellent special teams play, such as when he recovered an onside kick against Texas.
Replacing all Jones brought to the table won’t be easy for the Bulldogs next season. Even if Frazier seems like a prime candidate to be a third-down running back, inserting him there creates a trickle-down effect to the rest of the Georgia running back room.
The running back room is set to be a position of strength for the Bulldogs in 2026. With Frazier and Bowens leading the way, Georgia is going to need them to be complete players if Georgia is to have a better ending to the 2026 season.
