Will Caleb King Break Out in 2009?

When Knowshon Moreno announced his intentions to go to the NFL it opened the door for a new starter to take over the tailback position for the Dawgs. One of the favorites to take on the role is redshirt sophomore Caleb King. Here is a look at the running back from Norcross, Georgia who wears #4 for the Dawgs:

King began his school career at Parkview High School in Lilburn. By the time he was a sophomore, he had taken over as the go to player in coach Cecil Flowe's offense. As a sophomore he rushed for over 900 yards and 397 yards receiving and 3 return touchdowns. However, it was during his junior year that he became the focus of many national recruiters. As a junior, King rushed for 2,768 yards and 19 touchdowns.

King's Parkview Highlights


For his senior season, king transferred to Greater Atlanta Christian. He was off to a fantastic start (939 yards and 13 touchdowns) and was considered a five star recruit before breaking his leg. The injury would end his high school career, but King soon announced his intentions to go to Georgia as part of the class of 2007.

King's Senior Year Highlights


Caleb King arrived at Georgia in the fall of 2007 and found himself at the back of crowded Georgia backfield that included seniors Thomas Brown and Kregg Lumpkin as well as freshman phenom Knowshon Moreno. King redshirted that fall and finally made his Georgia on field debut at G-Day 2008, making some exciting plays in front of a rain-soaked crowd.

G-Day 2008 Highlights


In the fall of 2008, King was second on the depth chart behind Knowshon Moreno. King had his best game of the season in the opener against Georgia Southern, racking up 95 yards on 12 carries.

Georgia Southern Game Highlights


After scoring his first career touchdown against Central Michigan, King's playing time began to decrease. He had a couple of key runs in the victories over Tennessee and LSU, but after missing struggling with his blocking (particularly against Florida) King was demoted behind freshman Richard Samuel. He did have a nice catch and run in the Bowl game and finished the season with 247 yards rushing on 61 carries (4.0 YPC) and 1 touchdown.

For King to become the featured back in the Bulldog offense, there are a number of areas which he must improve. The first and biggest weakness King has is his blocking. He needs to add some strength to hold provide time for Joe Cox. Secondly, King must lower his head and attempt to break tackles. He has good quickness and the ability to make defenders miss, however he will need to be able to break tackles to prevent broken runs from turning into losses.

Look for a competitive competition between King, Richard Samuel, Dontavious Jackson, and Carlton Thomas this fall. King appears to have the upper hand with his experience and the fact that Samuel is out for spring practice and G-Day.

GO DAWGS!!!