Georgia hosting top tailback target

With Elijah Holyfield turning pro this year and D’Andre Swift (possibly) and Brian Herrien (definitely) gone after 2019, tailback will be a priority position for kirby Smart and his staff for the class of 2020. Georgia has already extended several offers to blue chip ball carriers, and one of those five star prospects is in Athens this weekend.

Hyattville, Maryland (De Matha Catholic) standout Marshawn Lloyd is rated the #4 tailback in the nation and the #24 player overall in the current 247Sports composite rankings. The 5’10, 210 pound junior holds offers from a who’s who of college football elites, including Alabama, Penn State, Notre Dame, Michigan, Florida, Texas, Ohio State, and Southern Cal.

Lloyd fits the prototype of the big, bruising tailbacks who have had success in red and black through the years. He runs through arm tackles and rarely goes down on first contact. While he may not have the world class top end speed of a Todd gurley or Keith Marshall, Lloyd’s quick for his size. As Washaun Ealey’s high school coach, current Veterans High (Warner Robins) coach Milan Turner, once said of his star tailback “he’s faster than whoever you’ve got chasing him.” Like Ealey, Lloyd also appears pretty hard to take down once you get to him.

While I don’t have any inside info here, I would not be surprised if Lloyd was the top tailback prospect on the board for the UGA coaching staff. He has all the things they look for at the position and could develop further physically in much the same way D’Andre Swift has in the Bulldogs’ strength program.

But even if Lloyd goes elsewhere look for Georgia to sign at least one elite tailback in this class, and potentially two. The ‘Dawgs have been heavily involved in the recruitment of 247Sports’ #1 ranked tailback, Texan Zach Evans, the #2 back (Clovis, California’s Kendall Milton), #5 tailback Demarkcus Bowman (Lakeland, Florida), and #7 tailback Tank Bigsby (from Hogansville’s Callaway High).

My entirely too early prediction is that Georgia doesn’t allow Bigsby (from the same west Georgia high school as Terry Godwin) to escape the state, and looks to bring in another big time back from outside the Peach State. Evans will be difficult to pull from the Lone Star State’s top programs. And while Milton has shown a lot of early interest in playing in the Classic City, distance could be a concern as Signing Day approaches. As for Bowman, I’ll believe a top Lakeland prospect ends up anywhere other than Gainesville once it happens. The Gators usually get who they want from the school with one of the coolest names in high school football. If Bowman’s not a Gator I’ll be shocked.

But right now Dell McGee has as much to sell as any running backs coach in America. Two former UGA backs (Todd Gurley and Sony Michel) are preparing to square off in the Super Bowl and another (Nick Chubb) a strong candidate for NFL Rookie of the Year. Add in a talented, deep offensive line and the chance to contend for titles in the SEC, and Athens may remain #RBU for some time to come. Until later . . .

Go ‘Dawgs!!!