Dawgs with most to gain by returning for Senior season

On Thursday evening we learned from Kirby Smart that Nick Chubb, Sony Michel, Davin Bellamy, and Lorenzo Carter are all returning for their senior seasons, but which of these guys has the most to gain from one more year in Athens?

Nick Chubb

Chubb is probably the most surprising of the four players that announced on Thursday. He has shown in the past that he is an elite level running back. The guy rushed for 2,068 yards and 19 touchdowns in the first 13 starts of his career. That’s 159.1 yards per game and 7.4 yards per carry. Those are Heisman numbers right there folks.

But 2016 was by far his least productive year in Athens as he averaged just 4.8 yards per carry. He still managed to rush for 89.8 yards per game, but it was still obvious that he wasn’t the Chubb we saw carry the torch that Todd Gurley passed to him in 2014 without missing a beat. Maybe another year in Athens will remind those NFL scouts of just how good number 27 can be.

Davin Bellamy

Bellamy was one of Georgia’s most consistent defensive players in 2016. He ranked third on the team in tackles, with 49. He led the team with eight tackles for loss and also registered four sacks.

At 6’5, 240, Bellamy possesses prototype size for a 3-4 edge rusher, but if he’s going to be a first or second round pick in the 2018 NFL draft, he’s going to have to get to the quarterback on a more consistent basis.

Sony Michel

Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

When the idea of Michel and/or Chubb returning for their senior season arose earlier this week, I was in the camp that Chubb should leave and Michel should stay. While he has been dynamic at times, he has still lacked consistency.

In 2015, after Chubb went down, Michel carried the load admirably. In the final eight games without Chubb, Michel racked up 885 yards and four touchdowns while averaging 22 carries per contest. And he’s also proven to be a viable receiving option.

A year where he could’ve be the lead-dawg in Georgia’s backfield (pun intended) would’ve benefited Michel, but that isn’t going to happen. But with both of these talented juniors agreeing to return, something tells me you’ll see Jim Chaney utilize his talented backs a little bit more in 2017.

Lorenzo Carter

If you lined up every single player on the Georgia roster and were told to pick the best one from simply looking at them, you would pick Lorenzo Carter. The guy is a freak. He appears to have all the tools, and if he were to enter the draft, his stock would probably skyrocket the way Leonard Floyd’s did after NFL scouts saw what he could do at the combine.

But Floyd at least produced on the field. Carter is still so raw. He has the look of an elite pass rusher. The motor is there, but he just needs to improve his technique. In 2016, Carter ranked ninth on the team with just 37 tackles and registered five tackles for loss and four sacks. Another year in Athens will benefit the junior from Norcross.