A Thousand Million Questions, Part 4

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Happy Hump Day! Part 4 of our series on questions for the 2025 Dawgs is a little bit of a swerve for me, because I didn’t think of it until this past weekend when I sat down to plan the series.

QUESTION 4: CAN NATE FRAZIER BECOME GEORGIA’S NEXT GREAT BACK?

I think most of us can agree that Georgia’s RB recruiting slipped for several years. Gurshall and Chubb turned to Deandre Swift and Zamir White, which turned to Kenny McIntosh and Kendall Milton and Daijun Edwards, then 2021 and 2023 basically no RBs and 2022 had the lone bright spot in Branson Robinson who suffered a terrible injury and is now with Dell McGee at Georgia State. Sigh. Nice bounce-back by Crawford in 2024 finishing Dell’s class with Frazier, and Phillips from that class along with Bo Walker this past cycle could be productive down the road. I’m just not sure about the depth of that room in 2025. Sure, Cash is a terrific receiver out of the backfield, but he doesn’t run the ball.

Nate Frazier from snap one last year looked like the second coming of Knowshon Moreno. Can you imagine him with consistently good OL play? Word on the street says he’s gotten bigger and more willing to block, he’s learned to pick up blitzes and understand the RB passing scheme better. If true, can he put it all together and stay healthy all year? If so, he’s going to make Gunner’s life a whole lot easier. And I’m willing to bet that having a bunch of big receivers outside is going to spring him for at least a couple long TD runs this year. But he’s going to need to be both healthy and great, because the depth behind him is suspect, in my opinion.

Do we have a budding legend on our hands, or not? What say you?

26 thoughts on “A Thousand Million Questions, Part 4”

  1. If guys stay healthy, I’m not sure we’re going to see big numbers from any single back. If Frazier can get to 1k in 12 games, we’ll be right where we want.

    I’m more interested in the overall team rushing stat line from a yards per game and yards per rush standpoint. If we’re averaging 180-190 yards per game and 4.5+ per attempt against this schedule, we’ll play deep into January. Those stats tell me the offensive line played well.

    • I just don’t think we have another SEC RB right now, so Nate will have to carry that torch himself. Gunner will get some yards too, but I’m focused on the RB position in this post. There’s a reason they’re spending time working Bell there too, and it’s not because we have so many great RBs.

      • I wonder why we don’t seem to get the running backs anymore. Did we lose the guy who was recruiting them?

        • Honestly, I think Dell McGee just missed on some guys over the last 3-4 years at UGA. Who knows why, I’m sure there were lots of reasons. Crawford is a good recruiter and coach, so hopefully he hits on one every year.

          • We missed. 2021 Dell had a chance and missed on 3 great RBs: TreVeyon Henderson (Ohio State), Donovan Edwards (Michigan), Will Shipley (Clemson). 2023 had the same number of missed opportunities: Justice Haynes (Bama), Reuben Owens (A&M) and Richard Young (Bama). 2020 had misses too, but Milton wasn’t a bad get. He just couldn’t stay healthy.

      • I understand that, but I also think a lot of the running game is line dependent. Rushing for 180 yards per game shouldn’t be a stretch for any Georgia team.

  2. The short answer is no I do not see Nate as the next great UGA running back. He needs a clean hole. When Frazier is consistently engaged on or near the line he tends to struggle. I don’t see our OL opening too many clean holes for him. If he can get to the second level before he gets hit Nate can do amazing things. I just don’t see that happening a whole lot. I hope I’m wrong. We will soon see.

  3. Not many backs are going to be productive when hit behind the LOS. We were terrible in that department last year. It’s up to the OL.

    • That’s certainly part of it, but there’s more to it and most of that depends on the back (understanding the scheme, vision, speed, ability to break tackles, etc).

  4. My take is RB’s want to go to a school that is known for there offensive line play. This gives them a better chance of racking up yards. When we had all those really good backs, we had Sam Pittman heading the group. With Searles there has been a steady decline. Yes, we’ll get an occasional Frazier, but with Searles AND the NIL, I don’t think we will ever stack them like the past.

    • Maybe. Still got Milton, Branson Robinson and Frazier in 3 of the years since Pittman left.

  5. The OL has more control over Frazier’s stats than he does.

  6. I think Frazier is a great change of pace back, but not an every-down home run hitter like we have had in times past. That said, those guys don’t grow on trees and we were spoiled somewhat. It is frustrating to watch Notre Dame and see that kid Love run the ball smooth as silk, with power, vision and break away speed. We need that.

  7. I wish I could find the stat again, but well into the season last year, we were next to last in the SEC for allowing the RB to be first contacted BEHIND the line of scrimmage. There were multiple occasions last year when the defender got into the backfield so fast that I thought they were the one that was going to be the one taking the handoff. No back is going to have much success when he is already having to bob and weave before he hits the line.

  8. Who knows? But I suspect some of us may be selling our RB room and offensive line a little short. I think there is at least one running back that will complement Nate with power running.
    Expected strengths of the offense include a much upgraded receivers corps and a super-dooper TE’s bench
    AND a great punter. Field position is key to being able to open the offensive crayon book. (a good punt return game would be helpful too).
    If the defense and the punting game can keep the offense out of poor starting field positions, opposing defenses will have to back off stacking the los. If they do stack it, Gunner and the TEs will make them pay. If they don’t Nate and Co. will eat.

    • And a question…Last year..was the average starting field position worse than in recent years? I felt like it was but I have no data or anything other than my untrustworthy intuition. Poor field position is a problem for a mediocre running game..and dropped passes just made it worse..
      It breaks an opposing defenses spirit when they can’t hold you inside your own thirty because you have an unstoppable running game. Last year we just didn’t. But Thorson’s punting was usually able to flip the field.

  9. I think Sir Frazier definitely has that potential. The key is going to be not only blocking, but also having the horses behind him to keep him fresh and in good shape for the entire season. With these seasons getting longer and longer, the more important that becomes. If Walker, Philips, R. Robinson, and the transfer from up Ill. can spell him, I think he can really crank it up and bust out several 100 yard plus games. These extra 2 to 4 games a season are adding a lot of wear and tear. Having a Tate and Worley, Michel and Chubb, or Brown and Moreno situation would be a super help to Frazier.

  10. We have Frazier, Bowens who is drawing a lot of praise, Walker, Robinson, the transfer whose name I forget, and Cash. Depth is the one thing we know we do have at running back.

    • I just wouldn’t call it competitive depth just yet. Frazier is the only SEC back we have right now. Hopefully McCray pans out, Robinson gets healthy, Walker develops, etc. But until then it’s dicey.

      • I totally agree. I think the uneasiness that we’re all feeling about the RB position stems a little bit from all the unknown since Kirby has shut down all access and anytime a player is allowed to speak its a whole bunch of nuthin’.

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