Nathaniel Frazier | RB | Georgia | 2027 Draft Eligible
Nathaniel Frazier is the newest addition to an already-loaded Georgia backfield, and Devy players are getting excited about what this kid can bring to the table. Being a standout athlete at the top-ranked high school in the country, Frazier got a lot of attention from Power 5 programs, ultimately electing to sign with Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs. Let’s jump into his high school numbers and see what Frazier is all about.
Mater Dei
Frazier began earning national attention in 2022 as a junior for Mater Dei, where he finished the season with 61 rush attempts for 693 yards (11.4 YPA) and eight touchdowns. This may sound light for one of the top prospects in this 2024 class, but remember, Mater Dei is the #1 ranked high school football program in the country.
His efficiency took a small step back as a senior, putting up 583 yards on 91 carries (6.4 YPA) and five touchdowns. He also tacked on eight receptions for 152 yards and a touchdown. Again, he didn’t have the workload many other high school recruits have, but he was very effective with his touches and played against some fierce competition. Frazier was ranked as a 4-star recruit on ESPN, Rivals.com, 247Sports, and On3.
According to On3, Frazier came into high school with a plan to play receiver or safety. But after some injuries to the Mater Dei RB room, Frazier was moved to the backfield, where he fell in love with the running back position and really excelled. He was also a track star at Mater Dei, running a 10.58 100-meter dash and a 21.62 200 time. He’s good at making defenders take poor angles and outrunning DBs, which is all over his high school tape.
Strength/Weaknesses
As mentioned, Frazier’s biggest asset is his breakaway speed and explosive play ability. He shows impressive burst through the line of scrimmage and doesn’t need a big hole to get to the second level. Frazier also displays outstanding contact balance, fighting through tacklers by utilizing his powerful legs and acceleration. Each recruiting site has different measurables listed for Frazier, but the average is around 5 ’10”, 210 lbs. So, he already has the NFL size we’re looking for in our RBs.
Frazier knows how to manipulate defenders and force missed tackles. He has noticeable elusiveness and bend in his game and is deadly in the open field. Lastly, Frazier knows how to run real routes (including deep routes) and has reliable hands, which is not surprising considering he came into high school expecting to be a wide receiver.
In terms of weaknesses, Frazier doesn’t have a ton. If we’re nitpicking, he lacks some patience in the backfield, sometimes failing to wait for his blocks to develop. Frazier liked bouncing it to the outside when he could have stayed between the tackles, but he did this because he knew he could beat his defenders to the sideline and force poor angles. He relied more on his elite athleticism than his technique, which is common in high school. Frazier is still relatively new to the RB position, so we can expect he’ll continue to grow and learn, especially with the group of guys who can mentor him at Athens.
2024 Projections
Regarding projections for Nathaniel Frazier as a freshman, I expect very little playing time. Yes, the top two rushers from 2023 (Daijun Edwards and Kendall Milton) are gone next season, but competition will only be tougher in 2024. Former Florida RB Trevor Etienne has transferred to Georgia and is expected to take on the lead-back role next season. Behind him, we have Roderick Robinson II and Branson Robinson.
Roderick will enter his sophomore campaign after a solid freshman showing, averaging 8.2 YPA on 24 attempts. At 240 lbs, he projects to be more of the two-down grinder back that could see a lot of goalline work. Branson was expected to have a big 2023 season before suffering a ruptured patellar tendon last fall, sidelining him for the year. We don’t know what version of Branson we’ll see post-injury, but if he’s back to full health, he could certainly see quite a few touches.
I don’t see Frazier getting meaningful playing time over these three guys as a freshman. I expect he’ll see some work as a committee back in 2025 and then hopefully top the top guy on the depth chart as a junior in 2026. While I agree this is a long time to wait for a breakout, this is a very common occurrence in Athens. Smart’s backfields are always loaded with talent. Don’t let the lack of early production deter you from drafting Frazier in your Devy and C2C leagues. He will get his chance to shine, and he is undoubtedly an NFL talent and a future dynasty asset.
Thank you for taking the time to read this article, and I hope you got some valuable information you can use for your fantasy team! If you’d like additional insight into Dynasty Football news and analysis, please follow me on Twitter at @jim_DFF. Until next time, keep grinding out there, DFF family! #DFFArmy #AlwaysBeBuilding
