Caleb King’s injury adds to UGA backfield questions

Athens — With less than two weeks remaining until the season opener, it’s getting down to crunch time in the competition at all positions on the football field, especially tailback

Georgia began earnest work on its gameplan for Georgia Southern on Monday. Yet there was Caleb King, the next big thing at tailback for the Bulldogs, jogging slowly outside the lines of practice fields as intensity raged inside them.

A “tweaked” hamstring has sidelined King for the last three practices and he’ll likely miss at least one more.

Meanwhile, with starter Knowshon Moreno still in a non-contact, green jersey, true freshman Richard Samuel is getting the majority of meaningful full-contact carries during practice scrimmages.

“It is a bad time for anybody to miss right now,” Georgia coach Mark Richt said of King. “But it’s not like he’s been missing all this time. He’s just recently missed a few days so hopefully he’ll come back soon. We’re hopeful that it’s midweek.”

King said he’s mindful of the work he’s missing, especially since the competition between him and Samuel is so tight.

“Competition always makes you better, so you don’t way to take any days off,” King said. “But I tweaked my hamstring. It’s a minor setback. I should be back Wednesday working hard.”

Samuel said it was “not necessarily an advantage” for him that King is out. “We’re both talented,” he said.

Meanwhile, Richt was asked if he was concerned that Moreno is not getting full-contact work.

“He’s getting contact,” Richt said. “That green jersey is supposed to keep you from ever having to strike somebody or somebody to strike you. But when you get the ball in your hands you tend to get shots. I think he’s getting plenty right now.”

In the end, King said he thinks all three players will get plenty of action once the season starts.

“I believe we’re all going to get our share of [carries],” he said.

Southerland tests foot

Fullback Brannan Southerland underwent a CT scan on his let foot at St. Mary’s Hospital on Monday. He’ll find out the results of that test when he meets with his doctor on Wednesday.

“Hopefully we’ll start working out of this boot next week,” said Southerland, referring to the hard plastic walking boot he has been wearing. “That’s what we’re hoping to hear from the doctor, to go ahead and get into a tennis shoe and further the rehab process at this point.”

Unless the test reveals a setback, Southerland still hopes to return by the fourth or fifth game.

Feel-good fullbacks

Without Southerland, Georgia is down to one natural fullback for the first two games of the season. The Bulldogs converted walk-on linebackers Ben Boyd and Josh Sailors to fullback after third-stringer Fred Munzenmaier received a two-game, alcohol-related suspension in January.

That left redshirt sophomore Shaun Chapas as the only experienced fullback.

“I feel very comfortable with what Shaun Chapas has done this camp and also the two guys that we’ve moved over,” offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said. “Justin Fields really had a good two scrimmages. Boyd is not as big as Fields but is probably more athletic than any of the guys that we’ve got. I’m feeling good about that position.”

Injury report

Several players returned to practice Monday but there are still well over a dozen players in green jerseys due to injuries.

Defensive tackle Kade Weston was out for the second straight practice Monday after suffering a bruised knee.

Georgia is down to about three healthy defensive ends. Among the injured are potential starters Rod Battle (hernia) and DeMarcus Dobbs (ankle).

On the positive side, starting DE Jeremy Lomax (turf toe) was one of players to lose the green jersey and return to full speed. So were wide receivers A.J. Green (hip flexor) and Tavarres King.

Etc.

Richt said freshman walk-on Ty Frix is pushing starter Bo Fowler for snapper duties. “Right now it’s still up for grabs… . Frix does a nice job. He’s snapping extremely well. It’s a competition.” … Georgia fans can meet Bulldog legend Charley Trippi at a book-signing Aug. 29 at the UGA Bookstore. He’ll be signing copies of the book The 50 Greatest Plays in Georgia Football History. Trippi wrote the foreword.