The Georgia Bulldogs, like many other teams, sought to improve their roster via the transfer portal this past spring in the offseason. One of the biggest pickups for Georgia saw the Bulldogs land one of the top running backs in the portal, Josh McCray, who transferred from the Illinois Fighting Illini.
After finishing 102nd nationally in rushing last season, this was the lowest mark in the Kirby Smart era. Getting back to the “standard” set by Smart was the goal for Georgia this offseason, and landing McCray is a great first start. Smart praised McCray’s power and sees a big role for him in the Bulldogs’ backfield.
Kirby Smart Sees Illinois Transfer Josh McCray as Georgia’s Answer for Tough Yards
Georgia head coach Kirby Smart praised Illinois transfer Josh McCray at the Regions Tradition. He said that the Bulldogs need a powerful back for third and fourth down situations, and very well could have found him in McCray.
Getting healthy along the offensive line will be one way the Bulldogs hope to shore up the running game, but they also hope that the addition of Josh McCray can be part of that formula.
During a recent interview on Wednesday, while at the Regions Tradition golf tournament, head coach Kirby Smart revealed how he expects McCray to help.
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“Talented kid from a great high school program,” Smart said. “Size, in a world of a lot of third and ones and fourth and ones in college football with analytics people going for it, you need short-yardage backs. We think he gives us the potential to do that.”
McCray, the rising senior transfer from Illinois, joined the Bulldogs’ running back room in the spring window following the departures of Trevor Etienne (NFL) and Branson Robinson (transfer).
After rushing for 609 yards and 10 touchdowns on 117 carries last season for the Illini, McCray is expected to form a tandem with Georgia’s returning rusher, Nate Frazier. At 6-foot-1 and 235 pounds, McCray gives Georgia the big back that it lacked at times last season. Listed at the same height, Roderick Robinson is Georgia’s only back who brings a similar size, but he has struggled with injuries.
In his four seasons at Illinois, McCray played SEC competition just twice. One of those came last season, in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl, where he rushed for 114 yards and two touchdowns in a 21-17 win over South Carolina.
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He will hope to find similar success against SEC competition at Georgia, where he joins a running back corps that will feature Chauncey Bowens, Bo Walker, Dwight Phillips Jr., and Cash Jones, in addition to Frazier and Robinson.
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