This article was originally published with The Macon Telegraph on August 16, 2016 and can be found here.

Due to injury concerns among its known commodities, Georgia needed some reinforcements in the backfield. Based on the start of preseason practice, two of the freshmen on the depth chart have handled the challenge well.

Brian Herrien and Elijah Holyfield are getting their first taste of college football after finishing high school careers on high notes. Their importance to the team was high due to Nick Chubb’s continued recovery from a knee injury he suffered in October. That level jumped a notch when Sony Michel fractured his left forearm on July 3.

Based on what Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said after the team’s first scrimmage Saturday, both Herrien and Holyfield have performed up to his standards.

“I saw some real tough runners,” Smart said. “They broke a lot of those tackles. Those guys ran with a lot of effort and toughness. They didn’t put the ball on the ground.”

Herrien’s path to this point was an unusual one. Due to some uncertainty with his grades, most programs shied away from recruiting a player who reeled off 1,910 yards on the ground in high school for New Manchester in 2015. Herrien improved his grades in his final semester, and he signed with Georgia on May 17.

New Manchester head coach Myron Terry has stayed in touch with his former back since he left for Athens. Terry said the 6-foot, 205-pound Herrien has been working extensively on pass protection, a skill most freshmen must possess in order to see the field.

According to Terry, Herrien has already been putting in extra time to do everything he can to get better.

“He’s learning different pass protections with them running a pro-style offense,” Terry said. “That’s been the hardest thing. As I told him, he has to protect the franchise. He has to protect the guy that’s throwing the ball.”

Holyfield, meanwhile, was on the Bulldogs’ radar for a bit longer than his fellow freshman halfback. The son of former heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield committed to Georgia in September and proceeded to rush for 1,069 yards and 21 touchdowns at Woodward Academy in College Park.

Holyfield and Herrien are part of a highly touted freshman class for the Bulldogs in 2016. With 21 players, the group was solid considering the talent within it as well as the way it remained largely intact despite a coaching change.

“The freshmen are really good,” Chubb said. “They came in, did what they needed to do, worked hard and busted their tail in the weight room. They’re looking good on the film. I’m proud of the freshmen.”

Smart, meanwhile, had told people to not get overly excited about his team’s additions, but Saturday he said he has been pleased with their performances.

“I’m proud of the way (the freshmen have) competed and responded,” Smart said. “We’re sitting out there, and I’m going, ‘Wow.’ On every two-deep, there’s this guy who just got here, and he’s surpassing guys who are sophomores and juniors quickly.”

What this season holds in store for Holyfield and Herrien is unclear. Their odds of playing running back improved somewhat Monday, as the team moved Shaquery Wilson back to wide receiver after shifting him to the backfield in the spring due to depth concerns. Smart has also mentioned that both Herrien and Holyfield could potentially fill a role in special teams, which could turn into something even bigger if they handle those duties well.

As far as Herrien is concerned, his former coach believes he is capable of whatever task Smart and the staff throws his way.

“Obviously, he wants to play this year,” Terry said. “He has to be able to gain the trust of the coaches, and he’s been working on that. Playing running back in the SEC is going to be a challenge, but there was never a doubt that he could step in and compete, and not only compete but do it at a high level.”