Georgia Football: Zamir White will be next great Bulldog running back

Georgia football has been known for having a long line of great running backs and sophomore Zamir White is next.

Over the past 15 years, or so, Georgia has produced an incredible amount of NFL talent at the running back position.

Well, it goes back further than 15 years — just ask Herschel Walker — but for the sake of this article, we’re going to stick to recent history.

It all started with Knowshon Moreno in 2007-08 as he rushed for over 2,700 yards and had 32 total touchdowns. He had a decent NFL career but wasn’t a true superstar. He was followed by Todd Gurley from 2012-14 as he had almost 4,000 all-purpose yards and 42 total touchdowns. He has been one of the best running backs in the NFL ever since.

Nick Chubb and Sony Michel became a deadly duo in Athens from 2014-17 and both are now on NFL rosters making waves for the Browns and Patriots, respectively. They combined for over 8,300 yards and 87 total touchdowns in that timeframe.

Most recently, D’Andre Swift was a star, finishing his career with over 3,500 all-purpose yards and 25 touchdowns. He was picked by the Detroit Lions in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft, leaving a hole in the Bulldogs’ backfield for the 2020 season.

That’s where Zamir White comes into play.

The former five-star got his debut with the Bulldogs last season and he made the most of it while ranking third on the depth chart at the position. Now, Swift and Brian Herrien are gone and White is the go-to guy in the backfield with incredible upside.

White had 408 yards and three touchdowns on just 78 carries last season and his ceiling is much higher. He is almost a lock as a 1,000-yard rusher if he stays healthy and 10 touchdowns should be expected as well.

Standing 6-foot-0 and 215 pounds, White has great size for the position and doesn’t go down on first contact and he’s explosive. He has all the tools you look for in a great running back and Georgia is known for churning out these types of players. Yes, he’s the next great rusher.

Don’t be surprised when you see White mentioned as one of the top five running backs in the 2021 NFL Draft class and potential Heisman candidate after rushing for over 1,000 yards in this COVID-19 shortened 2020 season.