ATHENS, Ga. - Georgia junior running back Sony Michel always has known where he stood with classmate Nick Chubb.
Michel often came off the bench in relief of Chubb, but that changed last October when Chubb suffered severe ligament damage in his left knee on his first carry at Tennessee. That has led to months of Michel being atop the depth chart while Chubb is rehabbing the injury, but now comes the great unknown.
Will Chubb be ready for Georgia's opener Sept. 3 against North Carolina in the Chick-fil-A Classic, or will he be back to 100 percent at all in 2016?
"I've just got to be prepared for any situation and any circumstance that happens," Michel said after last Saturday's G-Day game.
The 5-foot-10, 220-pound Chubb rushed for 1,547 yards as a freshman in 2014 and had a staggering 745 yards through the first five games last season. He was averaging 8.2 yards per carry before the visit to Knoxville and was on pace to challenge Herschel Walker's school record of 1,891 yards, which was set in just 11 contests in 1981.
Chubb ranked behind only LSU tailback Leonard Fournette in most Heisman Trophy polls before the injury, which resulted in three torn ligaments, including the posterior cruciate ligament. Then-Georgia coach Mark Richt said a day after losing to the Volunteers that he hoped Chubb would be back for the 2016 season but would make no guarantees, and that way of thinking hasn't changed under new Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart.
"I am very pleased with his work ethic," Smart told reporters earlier this spring, "but to sit here and tell you that he's going to be ready for North Carolina would be a stretch for me."
Chubb began walking on his own in December and entered March having done some straight-ahead running. Once the spring practices started, he was able to add some cutting ability to his comeback trail, but he was held out of all contact work, including G-Day.
The 5-foot-11, 212-pound Michel stepped up last fall in Chubb's absence, rushing for 1,161 yards for the season and 5.3 yards per carry. He had four 100-yard performances in the final eight games, which is solid by most standards but paled to the 13 straight Chubb had assembled before his setback.
Michel staying healthy this spring was key for a Georgia position that also had Brendan Douglas (wrist) out for most of the workouts and lost A.J. Turman to a transfer. As the Bulldogs kept practicing, Chubb kept rehabbing and was a continual role model in the eyes of Smart.
Though there is no guarantee Chubb will be cleared for the opener against the Tar Heels, Michel obviously is hoping for the best.
"I've got faith in the trainers that they're going to do a great job with him," Michel said. "They will make sure he's ready to compete when it's the right time. I'm not surprised by what he's done to this point, because he's such a hard worker.
"That's what I would expect from him."
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.