Following the departures of running backs Zamir White and James Cook to the NFL, the expectations were on Kenny McIntosh and Kendall Milton to pick up where White and Cook left off last season. Most viewed McIntosh as the lead back for the Bulldogs entering 2022, and based on what the coaches are saying, he’s made taking that role a real possibility.

Georgia run-game coordinator Dell McGee and offensive coordinator Todd Monken both spoke about McIntosh during press conferences Thursday. The two coaches made it clear McIntosh brings a rare skillset to the running back room at Georgia, and given what he’s shown to this point in camp, the senior seems well positioned to make the most of the opportunity.

“He can do everything,” McGee said. “He can run inside tackles, he can run outside tackles, he’s really good on the perimeter. He has really, really good hands. Probably some of the best hands since D'Andre [Swift]. He’s good at running routes, he’s a blitz pickup on third down, so he’s definitely a complete back. He’s learned a lot from James and Zamir. He’s also a good example of — just like James and Zamir were — of staying the course, not being too anxious to enter the NFL or enter the transfer portal, just being patient.

“All of his hard work and his patience will come and pay off this year, but I think the sky is the limit for him. He’s definitely going to be an integral part of our offense and he will be relied upon heavily. He also adds value to our special teams as a kick returner.”

McIntosh won’t have to carry the load alone, as the Bulldogs also have two juniors in Milton and Daijun Edwards and freshman backs Branson Robinson and Andrew Paul. McGee commended McIntosh not only for his work in the spring and his leadership in the summer work program but also for mentoring Robinson and Paul, who one day will be called on to play bigger roles in the offense just like McIntosh is this season.

McIntosh is coming off a junior campaign where he showed glimpses of what he can do when called upon.

McIntosh led Georgia’s running backs with 5.69 yards per carry in 2021 after taking 58 carries for 330 yards and 3 touchdowns. McIntosh showed off his ability to catch the ball as well by reeling in 22 passes for 242 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

McIntosh’s pass-catching ability has already caught a lot of people’s attention, and back in the spring he credited Cook — who had 27 receptions for 284 yards and 4 touchdowns in 2021 — for helping him perfect his route-running. McIntosh’s skill was on display at times last season, when, according to Pro Football Focus, he had the lowest drop rate (0.0%) among Power 5 running backs.

Monken didn’t hesitate when asked about the running backs’ ability to catch the ball, saying McIntosh is the one who will likely lead the way in that part of the game.

“Kenny is going to have to take more of that slack,” Monken said. “It was nice having both of those guys [Kenny and James] a year ago with their versatility. I think our other guys have improved dramatically in terms of their ball skills and route running ability, getting the ball to them down the field, and their ability to track the ball … Kenny and Daijun have really improved.”

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