They were the ones who enrolled in January, arriving in Athens with more fanfare than the Beatles.

Eager Georgia fans couldn’t wait to get their first glimpses of QB Jacob Eason, WR Riley Ridley, TE Isaac Nauta, DT Julian Rochester, OT Ben Cleveland and CB Chad Clay, who has since been dismissed. But the Bulldogs faithful will soon come to know as much about several recent arrivals who could also contribute for the Dawgs this fall.

A troika of talented freshmen in the form of tailback Elijah Holyfield, athlete Mecole Hardman and outside linebacker/defensive end David Marshall all figure to play prominently in first-year coach Kirby Smart’s plans.

Holyfield, the son of former heavyweight boxing champion Evander Holyfield, could be asked to assume a major role early on thanks to injuries to star tailbacks Nick Chubb and Sony Michel that might leave them unavailable for the Sept. 3 opener in Atlanta against North Carolina.

A first-team All-SEC pick in 2014 after rushing for 1,547 yards and 14 touchdowns, Chubb was enjoying another banner season in 2015 until suffering a serious knee injury at Tennessee last October. He’s still on the mend after undergoing surgery and his status for the season opener remains unclear. Michel, who chewed up 1,161 yards and eight touchdowns in Chubb’s absence last year, suffered a broken left forearm when riding an ATV this summer and his status for the Tar Heels also remains in question.

Smart could turn to tailback Brendan Douglas, but the seldom-used senior lacks explosiveness. A former four-star recruit who runs best between the tackles, Holyfield (5-11, 209 pounds) could be the better answer and might see extensive action at the Georgia Dome in his college debut. A lot depends on how quickly the freshman can pick up the nuances of the faster college game during the August preseason camp. Pass protection, in particular, generally is the hardest to for freshman backs not accustomed to such responsibilities.

A freakish athlete who played quarterback and defensive back in high school, Hardman (5-11, 180) may be just too talented to not get on the field somewhere. Don’t be surprised if the former five-star recruit breaks into the starting defensive backfield at cornerback, where he’ll begin fall camp. He’s a big-play athlete capable of making plays.

Marshall, who committed to Auburn before flipping to Georgia on signing day, is a tenacious pass rusher who is physically ready to play in the SEC right now. His arrival comes at a fortuitous time for a defensive line that has been depleted with the loss of four seniors and several suspensions. That means the opportunity is there for Marshall (6-3, 270) to start against UNC.