Georgia's running back situation may affect quarterback decision

When healthy, Georgia possesses a roster geared toward running the ball with Nick Chubb and Sony Michel.

With both of those players injured, the Bulldogs are in a bind in what they do best.

As Chubb (knee) and Michel (broken arm) recover from their injuries, there’s no guarantee either will be able to play in Georgia’s season opener against North Carolina on Sept. 3. Therefore, there’s at least a slight chance that head coach Kirby Smart could lean toward a starting quarterback who might be better suited in a throwing attack than one built around the run.

“I think that’s going to play a small part,” Smart said. “At the end of the day, we have to put the best guy who’s going to give us a chance to win. You say if you don’t have either back – which I certainly hope that isn’t the case – does it become a situation where you have to throw the ball better? We’ve got to look at the long term, not just the first game.”

With both backs available, Georgia could opt to pick a veteran at quarterback – either Greyson Lambert or Brice Ramsey – who can put the offense in mistake-free situations while leaning on the running game.

Without the backs, perhaps freshman Jacob Eason, who has the best natural arm strength on the roster, could be called upon due to his ability to stretch the field vertically. But with any true freshman quarterback, mistakes are going to come and would need to be expected.

That’s what makes Smart’s decision even tougher now that his tailbacks aren’t healthy with less than two months to go before the regular season begins. At the same time, Smart realizes the top option for the job could emerge without the running back situation factoring in.

“There’s more to this season than the first game,” Smart said. “We’re not putting all our eggs in the first game basket. We have to figure out who will be our best leader and give us our best opportunity to win. And I don’t think that’s dictated by who the back is or if there’s a back healthy, or two backs healthy.”

This story was originally published July 12, 2016 at 4:00 PM with the headline "Georgia's running back situation may affect quarterback decision."