Andrew Paul impressing in push to come back from ACL injury
ATHENS, Ga. — Georgia fans were excited about Andrew Paul when he committed to and signed with the Bulldogs back in February 2022. Not but six months later though, Paul suffered a torn ACL during fall camp and missed the entirety of the 2022 season as a result.
It was disappointing to say the least considering the buzz about the freshman running back early in camp. A bit of a later riser in the Class of 2022, he was getting reps ahead of classmate and the nation’s No. 2 running back Branson Robinson. Now, less than a year after suffering the injury and in his first spring at Georgia, Paul is continuing to make his way back to full strength, seen on Thursday with his position group at practice.
“In Ron’s (Courson) words, he would compare it to probably where (Nick) Chubb was that first spring we got here. If you remember, Chubb got hurt in that Tennessee game. Andrew’s was a little bit earlier than that. I think August the last scrimmage maybe or second to last scrimmage he got injured. So he is not cleared, but he is on track,” Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said about Paul on Tuesday in his opening press conference of spring practice. “He is going to do individual drills. He is going to be able to go out and do all the competition outside of the 11-on-11. Won’t be able to do 11-on-11 tackle drills, but we feel good about where he is going to be for fall camp and what he is going to be able to do.”
As a senior in high school, Paul helped lead his Paris Episcopal School team to a third-consecutive TAPPS Division I state championship. He finished his last season at the level with 271 carries for 2,616 yards and 41 touchdowns while also adding 208 yards and another three scores in receiving. During his junior year, Paul rushed for 747 yards and 10 touchdowns while notching 883 yards and 11 scores as a sophomore. Both of those seasons he carried the ball over 100 times. Paul signed with Georgia in February after a late push from the Bulldogs to beat out the likes of Clemson and Michigan, among others.
Among those that have noticed the work Paul has put in has been teammate Kendall Milton. One of two seniors in the running back room, Milton is a leader – not only for the position group but for the team as a whole. He was impressed with Paul last fall and has loved even more what he’s seen as Paul pushes to come back.
“Lately, I’ve really been seeing a different grind coming from Andrew, just seeing him in the conditioning,” Milton said. “He had the mindset to come back, and he had a mindset not just to come back but to come back stronger than he was before. So just seeing him have that confidence and have that hunger in him, it just makes me happy for him because I saw the work he was putting in during fall camp and everything last year. He’s a great back, and when his time is here he’s going to do great things on the field. I’m excited for him, and I’m excited for his recovery.”
Georgia is through with two of 15 practice sessions this spring. The Bulldogs will be back on the field on Saturday, their first time in pads, less than a month away from the culmination of it all on April 15th when Georgia will split into red and black squads for the G-Day spring scrimmage at Sanford Stadium. Paul is one of five runnings backs that the Bulldogs have on scholarship this coming season along with Milton, Daijun Edwards, Branson Robinson and Roderick Robinson.
