UGA to add running back Brian Herrien to Class of 2016
Georgia’s backfield will officially add one more name to the depth chart Saturday.
Former New Manchester High School head coach Rob Cleveland confirmed that running back Brian Herrien is set to sign with the Bulldogs on Saturday. Herrien, who led Georgia’s AAAAA classification in rushing in 2015, becomes the 21st signee in Georgia’s Class of 2016.
Herrien did not sign with a school on National Signing Day due to academic concerns. Cleveland explained Herrien initially had to record all As his final semester at New Manchester, as well as a 16 on the ACT. After recording an 18 on the ACT, he only needed As and Bs at New Manchester, which he officially registered once grades were finalized Thursday.
"He's qualified, and he'll be a Georgia Bulldog in the fall," Cleveland said.
Cleveland credited Herrien with taking a serious approach to his academics beginning with his junior year of high school. The now-retired head coach said Herrien increased his workload in his final year, waking up at 5 a.m. every day to work on ACT test prep.
The payoff will be realized when he puts pen to paper Saturday.
The academic questions were the only ones Cleveland said ever surrounded Herrien. The two have known each other since Herrien was in eighth grade, and right away he began to shine in the eyes of his head coach. This potential progressed through his senior season of high school, when he recorded 1,970 rushing yards despite only playing in 10 games. His efforts helped earned the 6-foot-1, 210-pound Herrien first-team all-state honors.
Herrien becomes a new piece for Georgia head coach Kirby Smart to plug into the running back position. The running backs were severely limited in the spring due to junior Nick Chubb’s recovery from his knee injury and A.J. Turman’s transfer, which forced the team to move wide receiver Shaquery Wilson to the position. Herrien will now join former Woodward Academy running back Elijah Holyfield as two true freshmen to be considered for playing time.
Cleveland praised Herrien for being an all-purpose player going forward. He said Herrien is capable of both being a power back as well as using his finesse to his advantage when carrying the ball. He also said Herrien is fully capable of catching the ball out of the backfield as well as returning kickoffs for Georgia come fall.
While the future remained in doubt for longer than most would have hoped, Cleveland made it clear that Herrien’s collegiate career holds plenty of promise.
“You can describe Brian in one word: winner,” Cleveland said. “In high school football, we call them a moth; when the lights come on, they're going to perform. He'll do the same thing on Saturdays. The fans at Georgia are going to love watching him run the football.”
This story was originally published May 13, 2016 at 7:25 PM with the headline "UGA to add running back Brian Herrien to Class of 2016."