ATHENS, Ga. -- When Kirby Smart steps inside the Georgia Dome on Sept. 3 to face North Carolina, there's a chance his best player won't be his old self.
In fact, there's a pretty good chance that Georgia running back Nick Chubb, a former Heisman Trophy candidate, won't be 100 percent. To expect him to be less than 12 months removed from a devastating knee injury that left multiple ligaments severed is pretty naive.
But maybe Chubb doesn't have to be 100 percent to be effective. The bullish back with more than 2,200 yards to his name has pushed through his rehab with the fervor of a superhero, according to his head coach and teammates.