Georgia's Nick Chubb and Sony Michel were the most prolific running back duo in college football history. Where ever they go in April's NFL Draft, all signs point to can't miss picks that will hit the ground running.
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Georgia has a history of producing unmatched talent at the running back position. This year is no different. There has never been a collegiate running back duo like Chubb and Michel. In college football's history we've had great players in the backfield at the same time like Barry Sanders and Thurman Thomas at Oklahoma State and Craig James and Eric Dickerson at SMU, but never have two running backs produced like the Georgia Bulldogs pair.
Over four years, Michel has totaled 4,234 yards from scrimmage and 39 touchdowns, averaging a whopping 6.5 yards per touch. Chubb has done even better, rushing and receiving a total of 5,130 yards from scrimmage and 48 touchdowns. Chubb also averaging 6.5 yards per touch. If you do the math, that's 9,364 yards from scrimmage, or over five miles. Their 85 touchdowns over four years is more than some programs have amassed over that same time period.
While their success has been similar their talents are uniquely separate. Both should be coveted heading into the draft and neither should make it to the weekend.
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Nick Chubb
Chubb has been a stud since replacing a suspended Todd Gurley in 2014. He is the protypical 2-down back that can churn up a bunch of yards between the tackles. His power and explosiveness were on full display this offseason when he squatted 600 pounds!
There will be more power numbers to crunch after the combine, but it's safe to assume Chubb will end up going in the second or third round. When looking for weaknesses, some will be scared off by his 2015 knee injury. He tore his PCL (posterior cruciate ligament), MCL (medial collateral) and LCL (lateral collateral).
Strengths:
Feet and Balance:
Explosiveness:
Power:
NFL Comparison: Mark Ingram
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Sony Michel
MIchel had a breakout year in 2017. That's not to say, his years prior weren't impressive, but Michel rushed for one less touchdowns in his senior year than all three other years combined.
While Chubb is the methodical workhorse, Michel is the one-step and gone, game-breaker teams will salivate over. He averaged 7.9 yards per carry and scored one touchdown per 9.75 carries. He's a sturdy 5-11, 215 pounds and is expected to run around a 4.45 40-yard dash at the combine. Along with his size and speed, he is also an elusive receiver out of the backfield. Michel forced 28 missed tackles on 55 career receptions with the Bulldogs, according to Pro Football Focus.
If there was a reason to be wary, Michel never carried the ball over 16 times his senior year. His most productive year was 2015 when Chubb went down with a knee injury. 2015 also marks Michel's worst year in terms of yards per average.
Strengths:
Speed:
Elusiveness:
Big Play Ability:
NFL Comparison: LeSean McCoy
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