Running backs: Competition between Caleb King, Isaiah Crowell should translate into success
UPDATE: CALEB KING LOST HIS ACADEMIC ELIGIBILITY ON JULY 8, 2011
Fourth in a series breaking down Georgia’s 2011 football team by position groups. . . .
Georgia tailback Caleb King, here breaking loose for a 27-yard gain against Georgia Tech last season, brings knowledge and experience to the table. (AJC photo by Brant Sanderlin)
THE RUNNING BACKS
- Returning starters: TB Caleb King (Sr., 5-11, 224)
- Others to watch: Isaiah Crowell (5-11, 210) is the most anticipated freshman running back Georgia has had since fellow Columbus resident Jasper Sanks showed up in Athens in the late 1990s. Crowell will be in an all-out competition with King for playing time, but Carlton Thomas, Ken “Boo” Malcome and sophomore walk-on Brandon Harton will be looking to get into the mix. . . . Meanwhile, the Bulldogs will be breaking in a new starter at fullback for the first time in four seasons in converted tight end Bruce Figgins or sophomore Zander Ogletree.
- Key losses: Georgia lost its leading rusher from 2010 with the abrupt departure of junior Washaun Ealey after spring practice. Ealey and coach Mark Richt “mutually agreed” they’d each be better off if Ealey transferred. Ealey, who started seven games — King started five — and rushed for 811 yards and 11 TDs with the Bulldogs last season, ended up at Jacksonville State, a Football Championship Subdivision school for whom he’ll be immediately eligible to play. . . . Georgia lost a ton of experience at fullback with the graduations of three-year starter Shaun Chapas and backup Fred Munzenmaier.
-
It's Isaiah Crowell's breakaway ability that had recruiters salivating. Among his long-distance scampers was a 90-yard TD run against eventual state champion Buford.
Key fact: For all the fan criticism and off-field disciplinary issues, King has actually been a fairly solid SEC back. He has averaged 5.0 yards per carry in his career with that average creeping up in each of his three seasons to 5.4 last year. He has also mastered the playbook and the critical criteria of Georgia backs to be able to effectively pass block, particularly in blitzing situations. The only area where he remains unproven is as a consistent “home run” threat.
- Key questions: Will this be Crowell’s year or King’s year? Everybody wants to discover the next big thing, and there is certainly evidence that Crowell could be that for the Bulldogs in 2011. Crowell had an incredible 11.7 yards per carry average at Carver (1,721 yards, 147 carries, 18 TDs), including multiple TDs runs of 50 or more yards. So he would appear to bring big-play capability to the table. But, early on at least, as Georgia faces a pair of top 10 opponents in Boise State and South Carolina in the season’s opening weeks, King is the one who should know every assignment and will need to fill the role of “Mr. Dependable.”
- Recent developments: Figgins’ move from tight end to fullback can’t be over-emphasized. For the first time in Richt’s 11-year tenure the Bulldogs are coming into the season without a proven commodity at fullback. Ogletree was recruited to play the position and projects as a capable every-down player eventually. But the 6-4, 265-pound Figgins’ willingness to move from a position at which he once was a starter into the backfield gives Georgia a legitimate jumbo presence with blocking and pass-catching skills. Walk-on Dustin Royston (5-11, 242) will be a factor as well.
- Outlook: Pretty good. Losing Ealey has to hurt from a production standpoint but his absence also eliminates a negative element and clears the way for hearty competition between multiple and varied talents. Should be an entertaining horse race all season.
- Your turn: What say you about the running backs?
PREVIOUS POSITION BREAKDOWNS:
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
264 comments Add your comment
Mary Kastner
July 6th, 2011
4:50 pm
Wanna get together and party?
Drummer
July 6th, 2011
4:50 pm
Chip.
I totally 100% disagree with you on this one. Sorry bud.
Rotating in 3 or 4 backs hasn’t really ever worked under Richt.
Best 2 seasons (so long ago) were 02 & 07.
Musa Smith ran for over 1250 in 02, and Moreno ran for over 1300 in 07.
Going with the #1 back worked, the competition thing hasn’t ever worked.
Lattimore did ok with South Carolina last year as the premiere back, lack of competition didn’t seem to hurt his production, the biggest season since Spurrier came to South Carolina.
Richt’s under some deluded thought that rotating his #1 rb, with 3 or 4 terrible rb’s, helps the rushign game.
He’s wrong.
SSIgator
July 6th, 2011
4:50 pm
Steve Beard -
“I too am full of hope and expectations. I am also an alcoholic.”
No Steve. You are a UGA fan.
Steve Beard
July 6th, 2011
4:51 pm
No.
Steve Beard
July 6th, 2011
4:53 pm
SSIgator, did you have jaundice as a child? Or grow up in a house with asbestos?
Drummer
July 6th, 2011
4:54 pm
This run game is in dire straights
Offensive line is not deep.
Malcome is 4th on the depth chart, Crowell, has no expeirence, Caleb King is unproductive as a scorer.
Clarence Oakley
July 6th, 2011
4:55 pm
Do any of you UGA fans and UGA haters from other teams know if Dickey Betts is still touring?
Mary Kastner
July 6th, 2011
4:56 pm
I saw Dickey.
DawginLex
July 6th, 2011
4:57 pm
Betts?- Saw him in Macon last week at duane allman’s grave eating a Nu Way chili dog.
No mention of touring
Rico Cepeda
July 6th, 2011
4:57 pm
I don’t understand.
DawginLex
July 6th, 2011
4:59 pm
Rico, it’s a southern rock and roll thang, not hip hop so you wouldn’t understand.
Clarence Oakley
July 6th, 2011
4:59 pm
Thanks dawgin lex.
Rico Cepeda
July 6th, 2011
5:00 pm
I understand.
Mary Kastner
July 6th, 2011
5:02 pm
How old are you Rico and do you have alot of friends?
SSIgator
July 6th, 2011
5:02 pm
DawginLex -
“Regarding Richt. He deserves another chance. He has won 2 SEC titles and played for a 3rd.”
What company did you work for in the real world where your annual perfomance review is based upon what you did in the first five years (of ten) with the company instead of the last year – year ten? You can’t live your life through the rear view mirror. Or maybe you can at UGA.
Rico Cepeda
July 6th, 2011
5:03 pm
I am old enough and no I don’t have alot of them. I don’t understand.
Texas Torpedo
July 6th, 2011
5:05 pm
Hey girls. We stole your OL Coach!!!!! Watch the LONGHORNS steal the show.
Mary Kastner
July 6th, 2011
5:07 pm
Texas Torpedo, LONG what??????? Could you be more specific.
Texas Torpedo
July 6th, 2011
5:08 pm
Better check on Rico Ms. Mary. I don’t think we got nothing that long after all.
Drummer
July 6th, 2011
5:08 pm
Chip,
Any chance Richt will apply his “competition makes you better” theory to QB this season? I’d like to see the QB’s rotated until one of them beats a team with a winning record. Split the reps 3 ways: Murray, Mason and Lemay, and may the best man win?
Narvie
July 6th, 2011
5:10 pm
What time do the Braves play? And uh, I saw Betts at The Handlebar in Greenville a couple of years ago.
Mary Kastner
July 6th, 2011
5:12 pm
Big deal narvie or narwhal or whatever you are. I got on the tour bus with the whole band after the show in Greenville. They threw me out in Mobile the next morning too. Rats. All of you. Except maybe Rico.
Narvie
July 6th, 2011
5:15 pm
Are they gonna play the Rockies again tonight? Beat em last two games. When does Georgia play?
Drummer
July 6th, 2011
5:20 pm
Better coaches and a OLine with depth is the only thing that will make the RB’s better.
CHDawg
July 6th, 2011
5:26 pm
My thoughts: If you look at King’s HS highlights he is unbelievable. His gift is his elusiveness at 95% of full speed–freakish really. The problem, I think, is that UGA has packed the weight on King since arriving, and that the SEC is a lot faster than HS. Putting weight on a back is normally a good thing, but it has slowed him down and neutralized his great God-given ability, imho. It does make him better between the tackles and blocking. I think they need to take off every bit of fat and maybe lighten him up a bit more–the key is getting him back to SEC-fast. His gift will take off at that point. You don’t have to coach it at all. Malcome is the real deal. I expect him, if he gets healthy, to be the story of ‘11. He looks like he has made the jump and is ready to romp. C. Thomas reminds me a little bit of Thomas Brown–we’ll see if he continues to improve. He will contribute. Harton and Crowell are unknowns–both could contribute. The hyping of Crowell sets up a lot of expectations that could cause problems for him. I hope he understands it may take him more than two weeks of summer practice to get as good as he can at UGA. He needs to hang in there and not believe the hype–it may take a year or two, but he clearly has a lot of potential. FB should be interesting. Figgins can catch it, I suspect he can take out an LB 1V1. I agree with importance of the O line! They are really the key to our running game, and the other point is that it doesn’t matter how well you can run if you can’t hold on to the grocery sack! I think we are much better at RB this year! We’ll see about FB. Go Dawgs!
Paddy
July 6th, 2011
5:52 pm
Ealy will not be missed! In his own words; he was coming back to UGA only to improve his draft status. Lest you all have forgotten; attitudes like that never wins games but sure as hell can lose you a bunch! Although loaded, look for Jacksonville State to have a dissapointing year. Any guesses why?
Bob
July 6th, 2011
5:57 pm
@CHDawg…you may be right about King and the weight, but I think his ineffectiveness has been a combination of attitude and competition. Remember that he went down the scale in high school, ending his senior year at GAC, a small classification school. Just my opinion.
Bulldog Arch
July 6th, 2011
6:13 pm
Don’t be surprised to see Harton tote the rock more than expected.He may be more of a factor than many think!
old time dog
July 6th, 2011
6:17 pm
Who are the proposed starters on OL and which backups are likely to get more than nominal playing time? eYe got my ideas but am still questioning that line play from last year.
UGA Trash
July 6th, 2011
6:27 pm
AJC headline: A Publix employee in Jacksonville was attacked after complimenting a man wearing a Georgia Bulldogs T-shirt.
Typical trailer park trash UGA fans.
old time dog
July 6th, 2011
6:28 pm
Bulldog Arch… Trying to remember but didn’t the coaches(richt,bobo} say Harton had been maybe the most impressive runner around or during the spring game? Don’t know anything about him really other than eYe think he was maybe a walkon. Paddy…Evidently the best for all concerned that Ealey is gone but eYe bet he does pretty good at Jax St. UGA had a situation at rb where neither King nor Ealey really topped out and eYe think Mr. Ealey felt he was more or less entitled.
Bob
July 6th, 2011
6:29 pm
Hey trash, that Publix employee was complimenting the Dawg fan in the men’s room…what would you do?
alto dawg
July 6th, 2011
6:32 pm
Yeah old time dog I think Harton is a walk-on that really go the coaches attention. You’re wrong on Ealey. He will flop there just like he did at Athens.
Caleb Queen
July 6th, 2011
6:34 pm
The athletic history of UGA is full of so many sordid, sleazy incidents – dating back to Vince Dooley and continuing through Mark Richt – that it’s impossible to overlook. The school has come to stand for drunkenness and lawlessness, coddling of illiterate athletes who should never have been admitted to college, and rampant cheating by coaches.
Caleb Queen is a prime example of the punks who Mark Richt recruits.
Bob
July 6th, 2011
6:38 pm
Thanks for reminding us “ole time dog”. Harton was best in the spring game, and obviously has talent. I just don’t think Richt is man enough to admit (and play) a walk-on better than his prized recruits, but isn’t that typical of Richt’s stubborn to a fault? And, to think that we’re paying his salary, too.
Poultry From Moultrie
July 6th, 2011
6:40 pm
Nobody you got can hold a candle to the man we’ll stuff your overrated butts with again this year. Remember? Lattimore will make Crowie and Queen look like Bteam players. SC42 GA 17
old time dog
July 6th, 2011
6:44 pm
Bob, Nickle on the dollar return. Hell though, eYe might get suprised and see it hit a dime on the dollar! IF.
Saban
July 6th, 2011
6:54 pm
ANother losing season for the dawgs, another national championship for me. Man I got some good players for my b team from Georgia this year.
Saban
July 6th, 2011
6:57 pm
Just In. Sports Illustrated article says Georgia will be lucky to get 5 first downs against Boise State.
Coach Grohbo
July 6th, 2011
6:58 pm
The only competition between these guys will be for the honor of being the first player to get a suspension.
Munzenmaier did it in 2008. Ealey narrowly beat out Caleb last season, and Ealey won it again this past offseason. This time, my money is on Crowell.
Unfortunately, the best running back Georgia has (Branden Smith) will never get the opportunity to prove it on the field.
Bob
July 6th, 2011
7:05 pm
Chip, you have a great blog; however, some retard keeps posting lies and junk. Anyway to block this idiot or send him/her to the Hawks’ blog?
old time dog
July 6th, 2011
7:06 pm
Saban…You may get to play for the NC. That eYe wouldn’t necessarily doubt. eYe wouldn’t take SI to heart however. They had us preseason #1 a few seasons ago. Think the prognosticator was from your area of Alabama. Could be the water in the area or bad ink. check it out.
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
July 6th, 2011
7:10 pm
5 yds a carry yet we switched him in and out and Crowell is going to gain big yds, wont be surprised to see Crowell not eclipsing 600 yds under Bobo
Bob
July 6th, 2011
7:12 pm
old time…I believe “Saban”. “Coach”, “Caleb Queen”, and “Poultry” are the same ‘tard. Probably, a Techie in his basemant waiting for his momma to tell him that supper is ready. Normally, he would be playing draggon con, but has let his subscription expire.
CHUCK UGA
July 6th, 2011
7:24 pm
This is why I support police brutality in some instances:
http://www.ajc.com/news/nation-world/mentally-disabled-man-beaten-1001751.html?utm_source=bleacherreport.com&utm_medium=referral
Some people are just not worth sharing oxygen with.
richmondDawg
July 6th, 2011
7:42 pm
Just saw that Dee Hart tore his ACL, and will miss his freshman season at bama…hate the team, feel bad for the kid…
ugaredinal
July 6th, 2011
7:50 pm
Last season we finally saw more of what King can do. He stays healthy , he will be ahead of others when the season starts. Crowell will posh him though and may not start but should get alot of PT none the less. What I like more is this will be year 2 of the 3-4 D. What I want to see is get back to 2 a days to toughen up on the field mentalities along with the new conditioning attitudes now in place . We have to play all 4 quarters not 3 and 1/2 . Look for D numbers to get even better as people know more about where they have to be on every play . Last season you could see guys out of place at times .
Brucerugby79
July 6th, 2011
7:51 pm
KIng will surprise and dallas is a poser–great work Chip-I enjoy reading your stories
ugaredinal
July 6th, 2011
7:52 pm
richmonddawg yeah he did . He was probably going to push for alot of PT here .
Mary Kastner
July 6th, 2011
7:55 pm
I love laying here listening to the rain hit on Narvie”s tin roof. Wish the Braves would get rained out so Narvie would turn on.