Kenny McIntosh expected to impress at Reese's Senior Bowl

Georgia running back Kenny McIntosh will participate in the activities of the Reese’s Senior Bowl next week with the game set for next Saturday, and it’s a testament to the kind of player he is. Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy recently spoke about the running back talent that’ll gather in Mobile, Ala. and called it “the best we’ve had since I’ve been here.” McIntosh was the first player that came to mind.

“I think it’s our best group, at least in the five years I’ve been here. That’s typically, probably our hardest position to find really good players at because as you know, most of these good junior running backs bounce early. But this group is stacking up to be really good,” Nagy said.

“Kenny McIntosh from Georgia is a really explosive player. I think he’s going to have a really good week showing off what he does in the passing game,” he continued. “That Georgia room has been tough for us to penetrate over the years. Prior to me getting here, we didn’t get Sony Michel, we didn’t get Nick Chubb, last year we didn’t get Zamir White or James Cook so Kenny’s a big one.”

Every year there are RBs who show up at the @SeniorBowl, end up getting drafted, and then have immediate success in the NFL.

"I think this year's group is the best we've had since I've been here." ~ @JimNagy_SB

A look at who those guys are this year 👇 pic.twitter.com/f8Cku6Kwah

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) January 26, 2023

McIntosh had a breakout season in 2022, carrying the football 150 times for 829 yards and 10 rushing touchdowns. He added 41 catches for 504 yards and two scores. He was Georgia’s third-leading receiver on the year and leading rusher.

McIntosh played his best football for the Bulldogs down the stretch. After a fumble against his home-state school, the Florida Gators, McIntosh stepped it up and had a career-high rushing total. He would top that later in the season with 143 yards on 19 carries at Kentucky in November, one of five games in which he totaled over 100 yards combined rushing and receiving.

“He’s run angry,” Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett said about McIntosh after an impressive performance against Georgia Tech. “Even after that fumble in the game (Florida), he started getting pissed off when he was running it. He’s a different back when he does that. We try to convey to him, let him know during the week, ‘Hey man, they can’t tackle you if you don’t want them to,’ and I think he’s done a really good job of that.”

“Kenny’s special with the ball in his hands,” he added. “I saw the safety, he came down a little bit too far and I just threw it over his head. He kept going, got horse-collared. He’s a weapon out of the backfield. All of our backs, I can’t remember how many yards we had, but we ran the ball really well today.”

McIntosh, a former four-star prospect out of University School, came to Georgia behind the likes of D’Andre Swift, Zamir White and James Cook. Those guys were stars, and McIntosh played a supplemental role up until this year as the South Florida trended upward throughout his entire Georgia career.

He had 174 yards rushing and two touchdowns as a true freshman in 2019. He racked up 251 yards rushing and a touchdown in 2020. He took a big step forward in Georgia’s first National Championship season in 2021, piling up 330 rushing yards and three touchdowns while also catching 22 passes for 242 yards and two scores. With the likes of Swift, White and Cook out of his way, McIntosh had the mentality to make the most of his opportunity.

“This is my last year man. I know what I want, and I’ve been waiting all my life for this moment,” McIntosh said. “To be able to be here, I want to take full advantage of this opportunity by going out there and giving it my all every day.”

McIntosh will be joined in Mobile by fellow Georgia Bulldogs Chris Smith, Warren McClendon and Jack Podlesny. Kickoff time for the game is set for 2:30 p.m. ET next Saturday on the NFL Network.