Patient Herrien has been reliable
ATHENS, Ga. — Georgia senior running back Brian Herrien knows he may never be mentioned among the rushing greats in Bulldogs history, which is an impressive list that includes the likes of Herschel Walker, Garrison Hearst, Knowshon Moreno, Todd Gurley, Nick Chubb and Sony Michel.
Herrien is a better candidate for the most undervalued rusher in Georgia lore, having averaged 5.3 yards a carry through his first three seasons while backing up the 201617 tandem of Chubb and Michel and last year’s duo of D’Andre Swift and Elijah Holyfield.
“I feel like I’ve done everything that I’ve needed to do,” Herrien said after the G-Day spring game on April 20. “I just keep grinding at practice, but I feel like I’ve done everything I’ve needed to do.”
The 6-foot, 200-pounder from the Atlanta suburb of Douglasville has played in 40 games for the Bulldogs, rushing 174 times for 923 yards and seven touchdowns, but he has never been higher than third on the depth chart. That could change this year, as Herrien was the top backup to Swift in the G-Day contest, rushing seven times for 25 yards.
Georgia practiced this spring with two younger rushers — sophomore James Cook and redshirt freshman Zamir White — recovering from injuries, so Herrien could have his hands full in August in terms of fending off those two for the opportunity to potentially team with Swift in the latest 1-2 punch.
Cook and White attained fivestar status in the 2018 signing class, while Herrien continues to be that three-star signee from Kirby Smart’s first crop in 2016 who keeps plugging away.
“Brian is a good back, and Brian has gotten better,” Smart said. “I’ve
seen him get better this spring. He’s been here for several springs, and one of those springs he carried the ball 20 or 30 times (at G-Day) when Nick and Sony were coming back as seniors, so I’ve seen a big body of work from Brian.
“He’s got a really good skill set. He can catch the ball, and he’s got a good understanding of our offense.”
Herrien proved from the start of his college career he could be much more than a so-called garbage-time performer. In his debut against North Carolina in the 2016 Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game, Herrien broke free for a 19-yard touchdown scamper midway through the second quarter to put Georgia up 14-7 on its way to an eventual 33-24 triumph.
His freshman season also included performances of 78 yards on 11 carries in a loss at Ole Miss, 74 yards on 15 rushes in the “Hail Mary” loss to Tennessee and 82 yards on just nine carries in the win at South Carolina.
Herrien reeled off a careerlong run of 30 yards in a 2017 rout of Kentucky, and last season’s highlights included 30 yards on four carries in a drive that polished off Tennessee and a 17-yard touchdown catch in the Sugar Bowl loss to Texas.
“Brian has been here for a long time,” Swift said last month. “I think it’s his time to shine.”
Herrien quickly admits the Bulldogs can be effective this season no matter who is running with the ball. Georgia averaged 5.9 yards per rush last season and 5.8 the year before.
Yet if Smart and new offensive coordinator James Coley base their ball-carrying decisions on patience, there is little doubt whom that would benefit.
“We’ll all be ready to go, because we all compete every day,” Herrien said. “I just know the type of player that I am, and I just keep my head up. I go to work every day, and I try to make sure I do everything I can.
“I do feel like I need to attack this moment that I have in this last year.”
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.