Georgia has not lacked for tailback tandems this decade, whether they were Todd Gurley and Keith Marshall, Nick Chubb and Sony Michel or last season’s duo of Elijah Holyfield and D’Andre Swift.
Whether the Bulldogs produce another 1-2 punch this year could be up to Swift, who has averaged 6.8 yards per carry through his first two seasons and is prepared to shoulder as much of the burden as necessary under new offensive coordinator James Coley.
“Whatever workload he gives me, it’s my job to be ready,” Swift said this week in a news conference. “Whatever that workload is, I’m just trying to do the best I can. I’ll be able to show everybody in the country what I can do.”
The 5-foot-9, 215-pound junior from Philadelphia has shown plenty to this point, rushing for 618 yards and 7.6 yards per carry as a freshman in 2017, when he backed up Chubb and Michel. A lingering groin injury at the start of last season limited Swift’s rushing output to 119 yards through the first three games, but the former five-star signee wound up leading the Bulldogs with team highs of 1,049 yards and 10 rushing touchdowns.
Swift also battled foot and hip injuries last season, but he feels healthier than ever as Georgia seeks a third straight Southeastern Conference Eastern Division crown.