Will Georgia ever again see Keith Marshall circa 2012?

The former four-star signee out of Raleigh, N.C. is hoping to return to freshman form this fall but is once again hampered by injury, this time a tweaked hamstring suffered last week during spring drills.

It’s disappointing for Brian Schottenheimer and the Bulldogs offense, especially after losing another ballcarrier, Sony Michel, to a shoulder injury during the previous practice.

RELATED: Marshall misses scrimmage with hamstring injury

Marshall, a redshirt junior, has worked extremely hard to battle back from an ACL tear six games into his sophomore campaign that, along with ankle soreness, cost him most of last season as well. Taking a redshirt was a good move for Marshall since he wasn’t at full strength and had fallen behind several players in the backfield, including freshman Nick Chubb, for carries.

For now, sources only have indicated Marshall’s latest injury is a strain and not a tear. Mark Richt hasn’t announced his staff’s intention, but it doesn’t appear to threaten Marshall’s availability for the remainder of spring practice.

Marshall had made strides since the end of last season and was battling for the No. 2 spot behind Chubb in Georgia’s rushing attack as a player who could spell the Heisman candidate for 10-12 touches per game. It appears, however, utilizing his talent more sparingly to avoid further injuries is what the Bulldogs must try and do this fall if they intend to keep Marshall on the field and off the sidelines.

It’s an option we’ve reported on previously and one the Georgia offense must consider if Marshall’s 100 percent heading into the season opener.

Three years ago, Marshall was the Bulldogs’ lightning to Gurley’s thunder, a reliable speed threat with great change of direction and above-average hands. He gave Georgia an added dimension offensively under Mike Bobo and recorded three multi-touchdown games as a freshman on the SEC East’s top-ranked scoring unit.

If Marshall can recover from this latest hamstring pull and act as a change-of-pace factor alongside Chubb, Georgia’s offense should be one of the nation’s best on the ground in 2015.