Well, the next shoes have dropped for the Georgia Bulldogs. These cleats belonged to dynamic running back D’Andre Swift, who to the surprise of absolutely no one declared for the NFL Draft on Friday.
The 5-foot-9, 215-pound junior running back from Philadelphia made the announcement the way most do these days, with a post on his social-media accounts.
Swift’s message was long and seemed to be heartfelt. He thanked UGA and the Bulldogs’ fans for fulfilling his dream of playing big-time college football and helping him “grow tremendously on and off the field.”
“The time has come for me now to pursue another dream, which is to enter the 2020 NFL Draft,” Swift wrote. “My family and I have spent considerable time determining what was best for me. I will be foregoing my senior year and am exciting about seeing what is to come.”
This season, Swift became the fifth running back in UGA history to rush for more than 1,000 yards in back-to-back seasons. He had 1,218 yards rushing and 216 receiving with a total of seven touchdowns. Those totals would have been much higher had Swift not been injured at the end of this season. He was limited to six touches and eight total plays in his final two games because of an injury described as a bruised shoulder.
As it is, Swift, leaves the Bulldogs with 2,885 yards rushing and another 666 receiving. He ranks seventh on Georgia’s all-time rushing list, just behind Lars Tate (3,017) and just ahead of Knowshon Moreno (2,734).
With Swift limited in the Sugar Bowl, Georgia turned mainly to redshirt freshman Zamir White, who led the Bulldogs with 92 yards on 18 carries (5.1 per carry) and scored his third TD of the season. They also return sophomore James Cook and freshman Kenny McIntosh and signed the nation’s sixth-ranked running back in Kendall Milton of Clovis, Calif.
Offensive tackles Andrew Thomas and Isaiah Wilson previously announced their decisions to leave school early for the NFL draft. Georgia still awaits the final decision of several other juniors, including quarterback Jake Fromm, offensive guard Solomon Kindley, linebacker Monty Rice and safety Richard LeCounte.
Watch for updates as more information becomes available.
