With the arrest and dismissal of tailback Isaiah Crowell, attention turns to the five players who are most likely to step into the starting role.
Ken Malcome: Malcome, a redshirt sophomore from Southwest DeKalb High, is the biggest back on the team at 6-0, 226. In 2011 he appeared in six games, starting twice against Georgia Tech and Michigan State in the Outback Bowl. He had 42 carries for 174 yards.
Keith Marshall: A true freshman from Millbrook High in Raleigh, N.C., the 5-11, 200-pound Marshall was just as highly touted as Crowell. He was ranked the No. 2 running back prospect in the nation last year after rushing for 1,891 yards and 25 touchdowns his senior season. He is Millbrook's all-time leading rusher with 4,552 yards and points with 332. He enrolled at UGA in January and participated in spring drills.
Todd Gurley: Another true freshman from North Carolina, Gurley was named the North Carolina Associated Press Player of the Year for 2011 and was ranked nationally as high as No. 11 at running back. As a senior at Tarboro High, he rushed for 2,600 yards and scored 38 touchdowns. The 6-1, 195-pound Gurley ran track for Team USA in Europe during the spring and summer of 2011.
Brandon Harton: The diminutive Harton (5-6, 174) became a fan favorite last year when he started against New Mexico State and Kentucky due to suspensions and injuries. The former walk-on from Reidsville appeared in five games, carrying 54 times for 247 yards and a touchdown. Against Kentucky, he rushed 23 times for 101 yards. He was awarded a scholarship last August.
Richard Samuel: The fifth-year senior has the most experience by far of all the returning backs. He has started nine games as a running back — Bulldogs fans will remember he has switched between offense and playing linebacker on defense — totaling 768 yards on 196 carries (a 3.7 yards-per-carry average). During spring practice, the 6-2, 243-pound back reminded the media not to overlook him behind the more ballyhooed Crowell and Marshall.
