By BJ Bennett
SouthernPigskin.com

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Georgia has the best collection of running backs in all of college football.

With iconic names like Rodney Hampton, Garrison Hearst, Frank Sinkwich, Charley Trippi, Herschel Walker and Tim Worley, and recent talents like Knowshon Moreno and Todd Gurley, it’s no doubt that Georgia is known as “Running Back U”. This fall will be no different. With Gurley and the dynamic Keith Marshall leading the way, the Bulldogs will have the best collection of running backs in all of college football.

Here’s a look:

Todd Gurley, Junior — Burst onto the national scene in 2012 with 1,385 yards rushing and 17 touchdowns, joining Walker at the only freshman in school history to top 1,000 yards. Gurley recorded nine 100-yard games. He earned All-American honors at tailback, also tying a NCAA record with a 100-yard kickoff return against Buffalo. Though injuries limited him last season, Gurley nearly reached 1,000 yards once again and mustered 100-yard games against rivals Clemson, South Carolina, Florida and Georgia Tech. His consistency, averaging roughly six yards per carry, has been remarkable; Gurley averaged 98.93 yards per game in 2012 and 98.90 in 2013.

Keith Marshall, Junior — Rushed for 759 yards and eight touchdowns as a backup his freshman year, averaging 6.5 yards per carry. Marshall torched Tennessee that fall for 164 yards and two scores on just ten carries. Marshall’s sophomore season was also cut short by injury, but not before he ran for a touchdown against Clemson, caught one versus South Carolina and ran for 96 yards against LSU. For good measure, Marshall is one of just eleven UGA athletes inducted into the Student Athlete Leadership Academy and is the football representative on the athlete advisory committee.

Brendan Douglas, Sophomore — Became a key contributor for the Bulldogs as a freshman, rushing for 345 yards and three touchdowns. Douglas reached double-digits in attempts in four separate games, getting extensive work against nationally-ranked Missouri and Vanderbilt. He also had a team-high six receptions against the Tigers. Douglas scored a critical touchdown in Georgia’s 34-31 overtime victory at Tennessee.

A.J. Turman, Redshirt Freshman — A prep-star All-American and a four-star prospect from Mark Richt’s 2013 recruiting class, Turman was a high school star in the Orlando area. Ranked his senior year as the nation’s 7th best “big back” by Max Preps, Turman is a physical runner at 6’0”, 200 pounds.

Kyle Karempelis, Senior — A walk-on, Karempelis ran 13 times for 63 yards and a score against New Mexico State back in 2011. He is a standout on special teams for the Bulldogs.

As if that wasn’t enough depth, Georgia just added arguably the top high school running back tandem in the country with their most recent recruiting class.

Nick Chubb — Ranked as the number four running back in the country by 247 Sports, Chubb is 5’11”, 217 pounds with sub 4.5 speed. A Parade All-American, he rushed for 2,690 yards and 41 touchdowns as a senior at Georgia’s Cedartown High School and 2,721 yards and 38 scores as a junior.

Sony Michel — The top player in the state of Florida and the second-best tailback nationally per ESPN’s Recruiting Nation, Michel rushed for 6,659 yards and 81 touchdowns during his high school career. USA Today named the speedster a first-team All-American and the Florida football Player of the Year.

The Bulldogs are so loaded at running back, that they have moved one of their most talented playmakers from the offensive backfield to the defensive backfield.

J.J. Green, Sophomore — Was second on the team last season with 384 rushing yards. Green ran for 129 yards on 17 carries at Tennessee. He also ran the ball 12 times for 87 yards against Missouri. The now-cornerback scored rushing touchdowns against North Texas, Appalachian State and Kentucky and also caught a dozen passes. Green recorded seven total tackles in Georgia’s first spring scrimmage.