Ealey, Dogs' new No. 24, more than a number

By Ken Sugiura

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

ATHENS – At least in one way, Georgia running back Washaun Ealey is like a lot of the Bulldog Nation. He owns a No. 24 jersey.

Ealey, though, doesn't wear his in tribute to former Georgia running back Knowshon Moreno. The Georgia equipment staff issued it to him.

"I really didn't want it at first because I knew I had big shoes to fill," said Ealey, a true freshman from Emanuel County Institute. "And with my name being Washaun and his name being Knowshon, there'd be a lot of comparisons, but I just roll with it."

Ealey plans to switch to No. 3 next year, when senior safety Brian Evans relinquishes it. If Ealey's career tracks his promising start, the jersey switch may not stop the comparisons.

"A lot of the times, that's the type of spark you need, having somebody that really wants the ball in his hands," quarterback Joe Cox said. "Hopefully, he can be that player all the time because I'm sure he's going to get a lot more carries as the season goes on."

After being sidelined early in the preseason with a hyperextended elbow, Ealey made his debut against LSU and ran for a team-high 33 yards on eight carries. He punched up a Georgia running game that ranks last in the SEC and made an easy case for more playing time.

Coach Mark Richt said that Richard Samuel will likely start against Tennessee on Saturday but Ealey should see plenty of time as running back Caleb King is recovering from a fractured jaw and concussion sustained against LSU.

Said Ealey, "I was just waiting for my chance."

At times, Ealey thought that chance would come in 2010 after a redshirt year, particularly when he injured the elbow.

However, Ealey said, coaches "told me to just keep practicing hard and learn the plays and I'd probably play."

At first, linebacker Rennie Curran thought that Ealey, 5 foot 11 and 209 pounds, ran with hesitation in practice and was worried about getting hit.

"When he lost that fear, he hit that hole hard," Curran said. "You could feel it when you hit him. I hit him a couple times and you could feel it. He's definitely a big boy that I feel can carry the load."

Ealey's progress, along with King's and Samuel's inability to assert themselves as the top back, simplified Richt's decision to play Ealey last Saturday. When Ealey went in the game in the third quarter, King and Samuel had run a combined nine times for 16 yards.

Ealey burst into holes and showed an ability to break tackles, a skill that Richt and offensive coordinator Mike Bobo have been looking for from their backs. While the play-calling and blocking have not escaped Richt's critiques of the offense, he has not been satisfied with the running backs, either.

The Bulldogs average 98.8 rushing yards per game and 3.3 yards per carry, both lowest in the SEC.

Said Cox of Ealey, "The best thing about him is he's hungry. He's been wanting to play and finally got his chance to and you could tell he was running really hard and he was just excited to be in the game."

It's quite a jump from Class A football, where he set Georgia high school records for touchdowns in a season (58) and career (133).

"It was very hard for me to just leave it behind but I just know that I'm on a different level and now everybody's good on this level," Ealey said. "I'm just going to come in an work hard and try to earn a spot."