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The Georgia offense was his with a big blow following the news that running back Branson Robinson suffered a season-ending knee injury in preseason camp. The rusher was set to see major action in the Bulldogs’ backfield in 2023.
The injury, a ruptured patella tendon, was reportedly incurred on a non-contact activity. The setback severely limits depth on the UGA roster.
Robinson was pegged to compete for a large role at tailback after breaking out towards the end of last season. The rusher ran for 330 yards last year, averaging 4.9 yards per carry and finding the endzone three times.
Most of the freshman’s playing time came in reserve action with Kenny McIntosh, Daijun Edwards, and Kendall Milton leading the charge, but he was expected to see the field more often as a sophomore.
Robinson was more than reliable when called upon, seeing his best output against Auburn. When facing the rival Tigers, the tailback toted the rock 12 times for 98 yards.
He later put an exclamation point on his rookie year with a two-touchdown performance in the national championship game.
Just a week before his 2023 season, though, he finds out the year is over.
Rusty Mansell and Wes Blankenship discussed the injury and what it means for Georgia moving forward.
No way around it – Branson Robinson’s injury is a big blow for Georgia’s offense
More: https://t.co/zTUscoLGE9 @RustyMansell_ @JakeMRowe pic.twitter.com/91fQZa6uvz
— DawgsHQ (@DawgsHQ) August 23, 2023
“That’s a big blow to Georgia,” Mansell said. “That’s a big blow to this offense. He was considered probably, I would say in my opinion, the best running back potentially in that room… To hear the news that Georgia will not have Branson Robinson for the year, there’s really no way to sugarcoat that.”
Luckily for the Dawgs, two of the team’s three most productive backs from 2022 return in Edwards and Milton. They’ll likely shoulder a larger load with the news of the injury.