This time last year, Kirby Smart’s Georgia Bulldogs were going with some major depth chart concerns. With three freshmen at the position of linebacker, injuries plaguing the running back room, it looked like a mess. A year later, turns out that Smart failed to mark himself safe from those depth concerns. He is yet to crown a QB1 between Gunner Stockton and Ryan Puglisi. In the meantime, Smart could see some hope as his running back room ranked Top 10 in College Football. But college football analysts are raising red flags for one of them. That’s none other than Roderick Robinson II. But why so?

On the August 21st episode of the Georgia Bulldogs Football on DawgsHQ podcast, Jake Rowe shared, “I’m not sitting here telling you that I’ve got anybody do- -ing this guy, that I’m about to mention. Nobody is. But the perception is that he’s just not where I thought he would be. That is Roderick Robinson.” Robinson is a rising sophomore. He is the leading returning rusher from the 2023 season in Smart’s squad. He holds a record of 24 carries for 196 yards in 2023.

However, he lost his charm last season, coming with only three yards in four carries. Moving into the 2025 season, Smart’s running back has yet to overcome this phase. The analyst added, “The reps he I would have thought Roderick Robinson would be getting some significant number one reps in the scrimmage. I haven’t heard anything about that. Mostly number two reps. I thought that between him and Josh McCray, and I stated this if both stayed healthy, I thought Roderick Robinson was an obstacle for McCray because he’s not learning a bunch of new stuff.”

A turf toe injury forced Robinson to miss Georgia’s first 11 games in 2024. Smart saw some hope when he returned against Texas in the SEC championship game. But again suffered a broken ankle after four carries for three yards. Even though Smart’s linebacker is 100% healthy again, Rowe does not see much hope.  He said, “Right now, I don’t really have high expectations for him going into the season. I know he’s a really talented player and he’s been able to stay healthy.” While Smart must figure out ways to motivate Robinson as he misses the hype train, there is another running back who is turning everyone into his fan. 

Kirby Smart’s running back starter, who is gaining the buzz

When it comes to Smart’s running back room, there are crater-sized gaps. Courtesy? They lost the second-leading rusher, running back Trevor Etienne, to the 2025 NFL Draft. Moving into the 2025 season, Smart has to address the loopholes in his running back room that rushed for just 124.4 yards per game last season, ranking second-to-last in the SEC. 

On top of that, the Bulldogs will need to have a balanced attack for projected first-year starter Stockton. Smart’s quarterback has posted a negative rushing total last season. While Smart must be facing a double-edged sword, there is someone who comes off as a glimmer of hope. That’s none other than Nate Frazier. He got featured in Ryan Kerley’s list of “The breakout candidates for the dogs this season, 2025” on the UGA Football on Dawg Post podcast. Talking about his stats?

He led the Bulldogs in rushing with 671 yards on 133 attempts last season. Kerley added, “So Nate Frasier has the most production as a guy who has been on campus for 15 months. Ended up being Georgia’s lead back last season. 600 yards.” It’s topped up with his explosive ability to break long runs, make sharp cuts. 

Nate Frazier ticks all the boxes according to Kirby Smart. The head coach sang in high praise of his running back, “His knowledge and pickups, third-down pass pro, knowing when I can get in, when I can get out, when I have to stay in and protect, how I protect? The knowledge and understanding of that, and not, you know, having to rely on the quarterback to tell him? That’s big.” Can Frazier stop the running back room from sinking if Roderick Robinson hits another slump season?