Now, what’s the biggest motivational boost to fuel a college football program’s 2025 run? Predictions about a good momentum in chasing the National Title. In that case, Kirby Smart’s Georgia has been quite lucky. On3’s Brett McMurphy came up with a chart with the title, “COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF PROJECTING 12-TEAM FIELD.” And at the top, he placed Smart’s Georgia.

For the Bulldogs’ 2025 chapter, all hype has been on their quarterback, Gunner Stockton. Not just the fans, Smart’s quarterback has won hearts in the locker room, too. As former Georgia QB and current analyst, Aaron Murray, shared, “Guys kind of rallied around Gunner Stockton. They had a little bit more belief in him as maybe person, just a human being.” But right now, somebody else in Smart’s camp is catching the buzz. That’s none other than running back Nate Frazier. But why? 

On the August 21 episode of the UGA Football on Dawg Post podcast, analyst Ryan Kerley came up with a list of “The breakout candidates for the dogs this season, 2025.” That’s where Frazier found himself featured. Frazier already has production under his belt, making him Georgia’s most proven running back on the roster right now. He said, “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. Can he get to a thousand? Does he need to get to a thousand?”

The analyst continued, “It depends on how many touches they give him. What I do know is he’s getting touches, right? He’s pretty much the only guarantee.” Smart’s star was recently listed as one of the five college football running backs who were poised for a breakout season in 2025. During the 2024 season, Frazier led the Bulldogs in rushing with 671 yards on 133 attempts. Most notably, he is likely to be among Georgia’s lead backs moving forward as he comes into his sophomore season.

He comes off as a perfect package armed with explosive ability. Frazier can break long runs, make sharp cuts. “He has big playability. He has the fan base behind him. This is one of the fan favorites on this football team. Not that Kirby cares about that that much, but [it] plays into the mental aspect of it, and he’s just oozing with talent, right? He can make cuts. I think that Kirby has talked a good in a good light,” noted Kerley. No matter how highly the analyst talks about the running back, nothing beats the feeling of your head coach being your ultimate hypeman. In this case, Frazier is quite lucky. 

As Smart shared, “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.” But turns out that not just on-field spotlights, Frazier’s off-field shenanigans have also been the talk of the town. 

Why the $550 million brand put its trust in Frazier?

What better way to kickstart the 2025 season? On August 20, Beats by Dre dropped their Beats Elite Class of 2025. We have already seen Oklahoma Sooners quarterback John Mateer, who is part of the class, giving away Beats by Dre headsets to his teammates. Turns out, Frazier too jumps into the race to add to his national stardom. Other than the Georgia running back, the list consists of nine other players, including DJ Lagway, LaNorris Sellers, and a few others.

But what made the $550 million leading audio brand count on Frazier? Last season, he came off as an absolute phenom. One of his best games of the season came against UMass. In the 59-21 victory, Frazier rushed for 136 yards and three touchdowns. That game marked his only century last season. And how could we forget about his feat during their Week 1 face-off against Clemson?

Frazier gifted Bulldogs fans 83 yards and 1 touchdown. He finished with stellar PFF (Pro Football Focus) grades a season ago. Frazier received a 79.7 offensive grade and an 84.2 run grade. And with his on-field and off-field game, he is not only making Smart and the Bulldogs proud.

Nate Frazier often talks about his mom, Yomeisha Moore, and his whole family being the driving force. “My family, man, that’s my why. Just trying to be able to provide for them, that’s my why. Anytime I want to do something, any time I think about I don’t want to do this, I don’t want to go to practice today…I think about my mom’s working, my grandma’s working, my little sister, my little brother, being able to provide for them to give them a great life,” said the running back.

He got his mom by his side as he kept pushing for Georgia even after Kirby Smart had players like Roderick Robinson, Branson Robinson, and Cash Jones already on campus. Time for Frazier to turn his talent into pride for both his Georgia family and his own.