Nick Chubb ready to pass Herschel Walker as best RB in Georgia history?

By Chris Schultz | Aug 10, 2015

Nick Chubb had a remarkable freshman year for the Georgia Bulldogs but is he poised to be the best running back in program history?

Touchdown, Nick Chubb! You better get used to hearing that a lot on Saturdays this fall. The Georgia sophomore is coming off one of the most remarkable seasons in the history of college football when he was named SEC Freshman of the Year after rushing for 1,547 yards in only eight starts.

There was a lot of hype surrounding the four-star player out of Cedartown, GA upon his arrival in Athens. To say he surpassed expectations would be an understatement. Dawg Nation was reeling after the news that their star player and Heisman hopeful, Todd Gurley, tore his ACL, ending his year and college career.

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However, the tears did not last long and hope was restored when Chubb took the field in Columbia, Missouri against the Missouri Tigers. The freshman ended up rushing for 143 yards, and he scored a touchdown in route to a 34-0 victory on the road. It wasn’t until the next game, though, that Bulldog fans began to realize just how special this player was. In his second start, Chubb proved he was no fluke, running for more than 200 yards and a pair of touchdowns against Arkansas.

Just how good is Chubb? He could go down as one of the best running backs ever to come out of the University of Georgia. Did I just say that?!

Related: Herschel Walker Brings the Pain to Bill Bates

I realize that Georgia can sometimes be called “Running Back U” and is the home to some of the best at that position, you don’t have to look far to find the stats to back up such a claim. Only the great Herschel Walker gained more yards in his freshman campaign with 1,616 yards. Chubb amassed 1,547 yards in only eight starts last season. The talented youngster would have broken the record if not for playing second fiddle to Gurley to begin the year.

Although he was unsuccessful in passing Walker on that list, Chubb did still run his way into the record books in 2014. He ran for a career high 266 yards against Louisville in the Belk Bowl, setting a Belk Bowl record.

Chubb also has a shot to top almost all the individual rushing statistics at Georgia. Keep in mind, that this is the same program that produced some of the nation’s greatest running backs of the game, such as Walker, Gurley, Knowshon Moreno, Garrison Hearst, Tim Worley, Terrell Davis, and Musa Smith. This tradition began way before these names made the list. During the World War II, guys like Frank Sinkwich and Charley Trippi were blazing the path–both going No. 1 overall in the NFL Draft.

Chubb will be the focal point in the Bulldog offense with Gurley in the NFL and the Dawgs breaking in a new quarterback. New offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer knows he has a huge weapon in number 27. Even though Georgia hasn’t won the SEC in 10 years, Mark Richt and company have 13 returning starters and are early favorites to win the East.

However, it’s safe to say that the Bulldogs will only go as far as Chubb will take them and that could be to Atlanta for the SEC Championship Game and he could earn a trip to New York for the Heisman ceremony in the process.

It is premature to say he’ll be a better college back than the incomparable Walker, but in two years saying Chubb is the greatest back to come through Georgia may not be so far-fetched.

Next: Heisman Watch 2015: Top 15 Candidates

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