This article was published with The Red & Black on August 4, 2015 and can be found here.

Before the 2014 season began, fans and the media had their gazes set on a Georgia tailback. When it was all said and done, it was a different Bulldogs back who stood in the spotlight.

Nick Chubb stepped up in junior Todd Gurley’s absence and had a monstrous freshman campaign. Chubb racked up 1,547 yards and 16 total touchdowns in 13 games for Georgia. He also had eight consecutive games of at least 100 yards and one touchdown. Chubb finished the year with a season-high 266 yards in Georgia’s bowl victory over Louisville.

There are high expectations for Chubb this season, shown by his selection as a First-Team All-SEC tailback at SEC Media Days. His chances rely on the durability he showed in 2014, a season in which he surpassed 20 carries in a contest five times. If Chubb can stay on the field as much as he did one year ago, he may take home the Heisman Trophy.

Chubb’s hopes also depend on how Georgia’s other running backs perform.

Fellow sophomore Sony Michel needs to prove himself as the second portion of Georgia’s one-two punch at tailback. Michel came to Georgia from Plantation, Florida as a top prospect but had trouble keeping the same pace as Chubb. He battled ankle and shoulder injuries in 2014 but showed his talent sporadically, finishing the year with 410 rushing yards and six total touchdowns.

The biggest concern with Michel is his health. He sat out five games in 2014, and the situation is already off to a rocky start this year. Michel missed a large portion of Georgia’s spring practice after re-injuring his collarbone. Michel’s talent is apparent, but it won’t matter if he’s watching from the sidelines.

Senior tailback Keith Marshall knows Michel’s situation all too well. Marshall was the must-have recruit for Georgia’s recruiting class in 2012. While there was a lot of talk about the Raleigh, North Carolina product, another North Carolina native came into Georgia at the same time. As Todd Gurley made defenders miss, Marshall battled injuries.

Last season was another disappointing one for Marshall. The junior only played in three games before problems persisted with his knee. It was much like the 2013 campaign, which saw Marshall tear his ACL in Georgia’s sixth game of the year. Marshall didn’t receive a medical redshirt last season, which means 2015 will be his last.

Sitting fourth and fifth on the Georgia depth chart is junior Brendan Douglas and redshirt sophomore A.J. Turman.

Douglas was an unsung hero for the Bulldogs two seasons ago when injuries ravaged the stable of running backs. Although he had a costly fumble in the team’s loss to Vanderbilt he accumulated 345 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns. Douglas had trouble finding playing time last season but churned out 55 carries with an average carry of 4.1 yards. His role should be limited again in 2015, but he’s shown before he can be relied upon if necessary.

Turman has the misfortune of being on a team with several good tailbacks. Although he has not played in a regular season game yet, he showed a lot of potential this spring. Turman performed well in Georgia’s G-Day scrimmage and ended the game with 126 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns. Expect Turman to take some carries in Georgia’s games against UL-Monroe and Southern.

The Georgia Bulldogs have excellent depth at the tailback position. Chubb may be the leader of the group, but the other four backs have shown the ability to also make plays. The challenge is for Michel, Marshall, Douglas and Turman to match Chubb’s productivity.