Is there room for more than Nick Chubb in the Georgia backfield this season?

With the Todd Gurley era officially over in Athens, it is widely assumed that the sophomore running back is the heir apparent to the Georgia football kingdom.

And with good reason.

Chubb proved to be an elite talent with All-America ability, amassing 1,760 yards from scrimmage and 16 touchdowns as a true freshman while sharing the backfield with Gurley for parts of the season.

But sometimes lost in the hysteria over Chubb’s dominant season is the presence of fellow sophomore running back Sony Michel. The two arrived at Georgia last year as a pair of five-star recruits looking to become the next Todd Gurley/Keith Marshall-esque tailback combination for the Bulldogs.

Behind Gurley and Chubb, Michel turned in what would have been considered a solid freshman season for many (64 carries, 410 rushing yards, six total touchdowns) while appearing in just eight games due to injury.

He showed game-changing speed in his first year on campus, and should be able to offer a different running style from the more physical Chubb.

But what kind of opportunities can be expected for Michel in the wake of Chubb’s development?

Georgia will be breaking in a new starting quarterback again this season, meaning that the running game could be leaned upon early in the season while the new signal caller gets his bearings.

That should be good news for Michel, because Chubb can’t carry the ball 35-40 times per game on a consistent basis.

Looking at the distribution of the Bulldogs’ 555 rushing attempts last season, it is clear that a strong second running back is necessary to make the most of a rushing attack that tops 42 attempts per game.

In the six games that included a healthy Gurley, he received just 48.6 percent of the team’s total rushing attempts. That number may a little skewed by a blowout of Troy in which he only had six carries, but it still serves to make a point that even the best running backs in the Georgia system are unable to to carry the load by themselves.

Without Gurley in the lineup, Chubb got the call for 58.3 percent of the Bulldogs rushing attempts. Four of those seven games were played without both Gurley and Michel, leaving Chubb as the only top tier option.

If we assume that Chubb will remain healthy and is ready for a 300-carry season (a number which would surpass Gurley’s highest output by 78 carries), that’s still only 54 percent of last year’s rushing attempts.

That leaves plenty of opportunity for Michel to surpass his 64-carry total of a season ago.

At this point it appears the biggest obstacle between Michel and an increased workload is not the potential of Chubb hogging all the carries, but concerns over his health.

Michel’s spring was cut short with a collarbone/shoulder issue, which stems from an injury that kept him out of action in the fall.

Meanwhile, Keith Marshall, Gurley’s former running mate, appears to be healthy again with his eyes on a standout senior season after a couple injury-plagued ones. He should provide ample competition for the No. 2 spot on the depth chart behind Chubb.

How do you see Georgia divvying up its rushing attempts this season?