This is the final installment in a 12-part series leading into SEC media days next week.
It has been 269 days since Nick Chubb tore three ligaments in his left knee on the first play from scrimmage against Tennessee last October, and it has been 257 days Dr. since Robert Hancock and Dr. James Andrews repaired that damage during surgery at St. Mary’s Hospital. Seems like a long time ago, doesn’t it?
Based on the very broad timelines provided by various orthopaedic societies regarding such injuries, Chubb should be approaching a window in which it would be reasonable to assume he could play. And there's another 56 days until Georgia's soldout opener against North Carolina in the Georgia Dome.
The good news for Bulldogs’ fans is Chubb was prescribed a very rigorous and aggressive rehabilitation plan, and he has followed it to the letter. Every time the doors have opened in UGA’s state-of-the-art training room, Chubb has been in there doing as he was told. He has performed every exercise and drill. To date, he has checked every box as far as achievement and progress. He’s reached more than a few ahead of schedule.
But that doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll play in Game 1.
“I’m not surprised; nobody should be,” Lavelle Chubb said of the progress her son has made. “But he’s not Superman. He’s not Batman. He’s just Nick.”
That alone gives the Bulldogs great hope.
1. Nick Chubb
Junior
Tailback
WHY HE'S VITAL: Chubb is vital just because he can run with a football like few others in the country. He breaks tackles, changes directions and outruns people with equal mastery. That's why he's been able to average 7.4 yards a carry in his career and rush for 2,294 yards and 21 touchdowns in 19 games. It was important that Chubb get back on the field for Georgia before his backfield mate Sony Michel broke his arm in an ATV accident. Now it's even more important as only senior utilityman Brendan Douglas and four others who have never played in a college game are currently available to run the football.
QUOTABLE: "Chubb is working his tail off. What I like most about Ron Courson, who is our director of athletic training, he sends me a video about once every three or four days. And I might be at the office, I might be at home, I might be on the road but when you get that video and you know it's got a link, I'm fired up. Each time I get a video I make a point to text Chubb saying, 'Nick, I see you working. I see what you're doing.' Because he wants to recognized for what he's doing. He's busted his tail. He's living the silent life right now. He's ready to come bursting out at first opportunity." – Georgia coach Kirby Smart two months ago.
BEST CASE: Chubb is able to come back full speed and play for the Bulldogs in the opener against North Carolina. But so does Sony Michel, and the two are able to split the load and give back to Georgia a running game that averaged 192 yards a game and 5.1 yards a carry a year ago. That would take pressure off the Bulldogs' quarterbacks to carry the offense and give new starters at offensive tackle a chance to develop.
WORST CASE: Neither Chubb nor Michel are able to play in the first the game and the Bulldogs have to turn to a running back corps that consist of a tough inside running and four unproven players who have yet to play tailback in a college game: Shaquery Wilson, a sophomore converted from wideout in the spring; redshirt freshman Tae Crowder; and incoming freshmen Brian Herrien and Elijah Holyfield. The lack of experience available shrinks the Bulldogs' playbook and puts even more pressure on Georgia's quarterbacks to pass the football.
FINAL WORD: Georgia wants Chubb to get back and play as quickly as possible and he appears to be significantly ahead of schedule in that regard. But the Bulldogs also know they have in the 5-foot-10, 220-pound junior a precious commodity that can't be riskily handled. Though the season-opening game against North Carolina in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff in the Georgia Dome is a high-profile, nationally-televised matchup against an opponent that won 11 games last year, it is, after all, a non-conference contest that in the end won't affect Georgia's season goals. It's not until the Bulldogs embark on the SEC schedule in a Week 3 road game at Missouri that championship pursuits start coming on line. Expect UGA to continue to be very conservative in regard to Chubb's handling at least until then. But medical and physical testing will determine when and how much Chubb will play. And he has always measured off-the-charts in that regard.
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The complete series:
No. 5, the backup quarterbacks
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