Nate Frazier has arrived, and he’s here to stay.

Two players really stood out in Georgia’s win over UMass on Saturday. One was Carson Beck, but fans are accustomed to his solid play, so that was just more of the same. The other player who made a huge impact, however, was a pleasant surprise.

That player was freshman running back Nate Frazier.

Frazier had an impressive performance, rushing for 136 yards on 21 carries and scoring three touchdowns. All three of those touchdowns came in the second half, helping Georgia pull away and seal the win.

Kirby Smart saw what every Georgia fan saw—an electrifying performance from Frazier—and he spoke about just how impressive the freshman has been after the game.

“More confidence. You know, he’s still learning, still making mistakes,” Smart said via 247sports.com. “But he’s electric. When the ball hits his hands, he’s different. He bursts through the hole. Sometimes he’s too fast, doesn’t always show patience. But he runs hard, works hard, and loves it. And those linemen love blocking for him.”

“Nothing changed, he did the same thing this week. He’s been competing in practice, improving each time. He faced a tough, physical offensive line, and the smaller defenders gave us a huge advantage.”

Nate Frazier has stepped up when Georgia has needed him the most.

With many of Georgia’s running backs sidelined by injury, Frazier has truly exceeded expectations these past few weeks.

It’s worth remembering that Frazier is just a freshman, and the potential for him is as high as Georgia has seen in some time at the running back position. These additional reps this season will only speed up his development.

While it’s crucial for Georgia’s other running backs to get healthy, it’s reassuring to know that Frazier can be counted on to perform when needed. Though the focus should remain on this season, it’s hard not to look ahead and imagine how much better Frazier could become in the years to come.