Sevaughn Clark withdraws name from portal, coming back to Georgia

Georgia just got yet another boost to its running back depth. Walk-on ball carrier Sevaughn Clark has reportedly withdrawn his name from the NCAA Transfer Portal on Friday, less than a month after entering on April 20th. Anthony Dasher of UGASports was first to report.

In three seasons at UGA, Clark has 27 carries to his name for a total of 109 yards, all coming in mop-up duty. That includes 35 yards on five carries in the National Championship Game this past season against TCU. Over the course of his career, Clark has appeared in 11 games including six during Georgia’s 2021 National Championship season.

Georgia Running Back Room

Clark now rejoins a running back room that has five players on scholarship plus several capable contributors that are walk-ons. Kendall Milton and Daijun Edwards are the oldest in the room as seniors entering their respective fourth seasons. Behind them in experience are Branson Robinson, Andrew Paul and Roderick Robinson.

In 28 career games, Milton has 176 attempts for 1,049 yards and nine touchdowns, also adding a score through the air, while Edwards has managed to be more available, playing in 39 contests with 226 carries for 1,202 yards and 11 touchdowns. Both provide a solid starting presence but have battled the typical nicks and bruises of a running back – Milton more than Edwards.

As for the other three, Roderick Robinson is going into his true freshman season while Paul will be a redshirt freshman having missed all of 2022 due to a torn ACL. Branson Robinson, the nation’s No. 2 running back in the Class of 2022, carried the ball 68 times as a true freshman last year for 330 yards and three touchdowns including a pair in the National Championship.

Georgia also has Cash Jones, a walk-on, who’s proven to be a viable option if called upon. Jones saw action as a reserve running back and special teams player in 11 games last year alone. He had two carries for 44 yards and a touchdown before the Red Team (first-team offense) in rushing attempts, rushing yards and receptions during the annual G-Day spring scrimmage.

The Bulldogs recently went to the transfer portal to add former four-star Len’neth Whitehead from Tennessee to the running back room as well. In three seasons on Rocky Top, Whitehead was able to total 207 yards on 32 carries and two touchdowns – all of which came in 2021. That season saw him pile 76 yards on nine carries against Missouri. He also caught a pass for 10 yards and was named the SEC’s Co-Freshman of the Week. Whitehead missed the majority of the 2020 season and all of the 2022 campaign before transferring back to his hometown. He too will be a walk-on alongside Jones and Clark.

“No, we have good backs,” Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said when asked about the running back position and whether it was a concern of his headed into the fall after having so few available for the spring game with Milton, Paul and Branson Robinson all unavailable. “Andrew Paul had a really good fall camp. We feel really good about him coming back healthy, and it’s going to be like his freshman year because he really didn’t get that so he’ll be behind. Branson, whenever we’re able to get him back, man, he had a great spring. He got the workload. We’ve got two backs with a lot of experience in Daijun (Edwards) and Kendall, who’ve played and done a good job. So I’m excited about those guys.”

“Cash (Jones) has done a great job. Roderick Robinson had a good day today,” he continued about the two that got the majority of touches with Edwards only getting five touches (three carries / two catches). “He’s (Robinson) a different kind of back, but he catches the ball coming out of the backfield. He’s big and physical. Guys don’t like tackling him. So we have a good group of backs. I feel really confident about the group we have.”

Georgia had 15 scholarship players enter the transfer portal this offseason including five during the opening of the portal this spring. Transfers, and their next destination if applicable, include: AD Mitchell (Texas), Dominic Blaylock (Georgia Tech), Brett Seither (Georgia Tech), Ryland Goede (Mississippi State), Jacob Hood (Nebraska), Griffin Scroggs, Bear Alexander (USC), Shone Washington, Bill Norton (Arizona), Trezmen Marshall (Alabama), Rian Davis (UCF), Jaheim Singletary (Arkansas) and Marcus Washington (Louisville).