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Georgia Bulldogs: Smart tackles RB concerns at SEC Media Days

By Kathryn Morrison

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Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart addressed the media at SEC Media Days on Tuesday concerning the returns of two star running backs, Nick Chubb and Sony Michel.

The first time Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart has dealt with a great deal of trouble and uncertainty leading up to the start of the 2016 season. From numerous off the field disciplinary issues to the question of who will be the starting quarterback, the beginning of Smart‘s head coaching career with Georgia hasn’t exactly been a walk in the park.

Beyond plenty of off the field problems and questions at quarterback, Coach Smart has had a hard time at another position: running back. Initially, the only issue was the recovery and return of Nick Chubb, which seemed as though it was resolving.

In 2015, Chubb suffered a knee injury which caused him to miss the second half of the season and has been on the road to recovery since. Just months ago, many believed that there was a real possibility that Chubb could miss a few games heading into the 2016 season. Recently, Chubb himself announced that he would in fact be ready to play by the Georgia Bulldogs season opener against the North Carolina Tar Heels on September 3rd.

Just as it seemed as though the Bulldogs had found the light at the end of the tunnel with Chubb, Georgia running back Sony Michel broke his left forearm in an ATV accident on July 3rd. After undergoing surgery, Michel‘s recovery time was an estimated 6-8 weeks.

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Now, as the start of the season approaches, the Georgia Bulldogs are still unsure if either of these top running backs will be ready for the season opener. Head Coach Kirby Smart took to the podeum at SEC Media Days on Tuesday to detail the recoveries of these two key players.

VIA Marc Weiszer of the Athens Banner-Herald:

"Georgia star running back Nick Chubb should begin preseason practices without hardly any limitations as he returns from a knee injury but may not scrimmage right away.As for running back Sony Michel, coach Kirby Smart said Tuesday “there’s a lot of unknowns,” for his availability for the start of the season after he was in the hospital for about a week after breaking his left foreram in an ATV accident.“Certainly those two guys are featured players, really good players that we want to have available for every contest, but we’re going to do what’s best for them long term and the doctors and medical people will make those decisions,” Smart said at SEC Media Days at the Wynfrey Hotel. “It puts a challenge on us on how we practice because you’re trying to be ready for a first game.”He added: “Our identity is a big, physical (team). We want to run the ball. Well, the two backs that are best at doing that have two question marks by them.”Michel’s injury occurred on July 3 and he had surgery the next day.He is up in the air for the Sept. 3 opener against North Carolina at the Georgia Dome.“Don’t know,” Smart said. “It’s an injury that they don’t have a lot of experience with because it’s not a normal football injury.”"

It is likely that the Georgia Bulldogs could still thrive in the season opener even without the presence of Chubb, but the absence of Michel only lessens those chances as depth at running back decreases. Next up to fill in would be freshman Elijah Holyfield, who is the son of Evander Holyfield, a former heavyweight boxing champion.

Aside from handling issues at running back, the quarterback saga continues as the Georgia Bulldogs head into preseason camp, with returning starter Greyson Lambert, Brice Ramsey and top-ranked freshman prospect Jacob Eason.

Not to mention, Kirby and the Georgia Bulldogs have recently had their hands full with the second arrest of sophomore defensive lineman Jonathan Ledbetter.

According to Seth Emerson of DawgNation,

"Georgia defensive lineman Jonathan Ledbetter will be receive unspecified “discipline” after his second alcohol-related arrest, as well as what the school is calling “an intensified education, counseling, and medical assistance program.”In a statement released on Monday morning, head coach Kirby Smart did not outline a specific suspension, but UGA policy mandates a two-game suspension for a DUI, which Ledbetter was arrested for on Sunday morning."

Next: Bulldogs: DL Jonathan Ledbetter arrested...again

Coach Smart definitely has his hands full this off-season. Hopefully the injury issues will be resolved sooner rather than later. As for off the field issues, hopefully they will slow down as the season approaches. Ledbetter‘s arrest is the eighth for the Bulldogs since the start of the Kirby Smart era. 

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