From 2014 to 2017, the Georgia football team went 41-13, highlighted by four bowl game victories and an SEC championship. Offensively, Georgia housed one of the most fantastic running back rooms in college football during that span, with the trio of Todd Gurley, Sony Michel, and Nick Chubb running wild in the toughest conference in the FBS. On Thursday, the SEC Network announced their top ten conference running backs of the last decade, with Chubb earning high marks. However, Michel’s omission almost wholly discredits the list as having any validity.
The SEC Network presented Chubb as the only representative of the Georgia football program regarding top conference running backs since 2014. Besides Michel, Gurley, James Cook, and Zamir White were also notably absent from the exclusive list.
Former Georgia Football RB Sony Michel: Absent From Top Ten Running Back List
Georgia football fans are up in arms following the SEC Network’s Thursday release of their top ten conference running backs of the past decade, and rightfully so. Most notably missing from the list is former longtime Georgia rusher Sony Michel. From 2014 to 2017, Michel shined with the Bulldogs, posting two 1,000-rushing seasons and scoring 39 touchdowns from scrimmage.
Michel represented one-third of Georgia football’s most dominant running back rooms for four seasons. Michel tallied 410 rushing yards behind Todd Gurley and Nick Chubb as a freshman. The following season, Michel scampered for 1,161 yards and eight touchdowns following an injury to Chubb. Michel rushed for 840 yards and four scores in 2016, while a healthy Chubb posted 1,130 rushing yards and eight touchdowns.
The Top 10 SEC RBs of the Last Decade (per SEC Network)
1. Derrick Henry 🐘
2. Nick Chubb 🐶
3. Najee Harris 🐘
4. Leonard Fournette 🐯
5. Quinshon Judkins 🦈
6. Benny Snell Jr. 😼
7. Isaiah Spiller 👍
8. Kerryon Johnson 🦅
9. Alex Collins 🐗
10. Ralph Webb ⚓️Thoughts?… pic.twitter.com/WKT3LR7sU1
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) August 15, 2024
In 2017, his final season with Georgia football, Michel totaled 1,323 all-purpose yards with a career-high 17 touchdowns. Chubb also recorded 1,345 rushing yards and double-digit scores. Michel’s most significant game was arguably against Oklahoma in the College Football Playoff semifinals on New Year’s Day circa 2018, rushing 11 times for 181 yards while adding 41 receiving yards. Michel scored four times, including a walk-off 27-yard score in double-overtime.
Michel: Ranking Among SEC and Georgia Football History
Following a stellar four-year college career with Georgia football, Sony Michel finished his tenure with 4,259 scrimmage yards and 39 touchdowns. Michell trails only Nick Chubb and Hershel Walker for most rushing yards in Georgia Bulldogs history. He is also fourth in career total touchdowns. Michel’s 16 rushing touchdowns in 2017 are also tied for fifth most in program history.
Michel’s 3,638 rushing yards are the 20th most in SEC history. Only Najee Harris, Larry Roundtree III, and Chris Rodriguez have amassed 3,600 rushing yards since Michel left Georgia following the 2017 season.
SEC Network: Snubs Sony Michel
The glaring omission of Sony Michel by the SEC Network is alarming. Instead, the media outlet picked fellow Georgia football running back Nick Chubb and former Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry over Michel, and rightfully so. However, the SEC Network also picked Ralph Webb, Quinshon Judkins, and Isaiah Spiller over Michel.
Michel averaged more rushing yards per carry than the trio while having over 500 more all-purpose yards than Judkins and Spiller. Meanwhile, Webb had 500 more rushing yards than Michel but on nearly 350 more carries. Michel also had four more touchdowns than Webb despite significantly fewer snaps. Additionally, the SEC Network picked Benny Snell Jr., Alex Collins, and Kerryon Johnson over Michel.
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