Is Georgia’s Todd Gurley a future NFL star?

The Georgia Bulldogs have one of the best college football running backs in Todd Gurley, but he has struggled with injuries throughout his career to this point. Gurley has put up two huge games for the Bulldogs so far this season, and has put up those numbers while looking like a potential NFL workhorse type of back. He is extremely strong and can shed tacklers in the open field, while also having the breakaway speed to make plays on the outside.

So the question now becomes with Gurley in his junior season, is he a future NFL star running back?

There is no doubt that he appears to have the type of game that is a cross between Adrian Peterson and Eddie Lacy. He has the physical ability that both players possess, with the same type of speed that Peterson has. Obviously he isn’t on Peterson’s level at this point in his career, but he has a very similar body type and athletic ability to him. His physicality and stamina is what draws attention from the majority of fans debating his NFL potential.

It’s always difficult to predict whether a college athlete is going to translate his game to the next level, but Gurley is a bit of a different story. Assuming injuries stay out of his way and don’t continue to be an issue, he will end up being a major star in the backfield for whichever team takes him in the draft. Some will probably disagree with that statement, but he has proved himself when he’s on the field healthy.

He has carried the football 35 times for 329 yards so far this season, which averages out to 9.4 yards per carry. A lot of players have big numbers this early in the season due to playing against poor competition, but Gurley has already played against both Clemson and South Carolina this season. Those two games are not easy, and he showed up the competition all game long.

Gurley has already received some very glowing comments from a couple of different scouts and executives around the NFL.

"“I haven’t seen a back like Gurley in a long time,” said an NFC personnel executive. “He has such an impressive blend of speed and power. He competed in the 60-meter hurdles at Georgia and I think that has helped him with his leg drive.”“He’s in the Adrian Peterson mold — big, tall, thick trunk, downhill runner with track speed to finish.”“Powerful guy, runs through contact and finishes every single run.”“Strong, powerful and has great vision. Both guys (Gurley and Marshawn Lynch) are intense runners. They are both very capable in the passing game.” “He reminds me of Fred (Taylor) coming out of Florida. Big back with plenty of speed.”“He’s a bigger version of Jamal (Lewis). They are both power backs with excellent acceleration. Gurley has better balance and lateral quicks than (Lewis).”"

There were two NFL executives that compared his game to that of Marshawn Lynch, and he also drew a comparison to Peterson. Fred Taylor and Jamal Lewis aren’t shabby running backs to be compared to either. It’s always interesting to see what scouts are thinking and saying about a draft prospect.

Needless to say, there are a lot of positives about Gurley’s game. He has the power as you can see from the video above, and he is a hard worker and has an obvious passion for the game and especially for winning. The Bulldogs would be nowhere near the team that they have been without Gurley.

All of that being said, it is still difficult to say 100 percent that a college star will be a star at the next level as well. Despite that fact, Gurley is the same type of prospect that Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck was a couple years back. His injury issues have worried some teams, but at the end of the day a lot of teams passed on Peterson due to injury concerns and regretted that decision.

At this point in time with the way Gurley has played this year, he has proven himself to be as sure of a draft pick as a player possibly can. He is a workhorse, every down type of back, and will only get better with NFL coaching and more experience. There is no doubt that he is the total package when it comes to performing on the field, and there are plenty of NFL teams out there with needs at running back.

Here is one more Gurley clip for you to enjoy in closing.

Expect to see Gurley become a star in the NFL. He is the total package and will be a star for years to come.

More From FanSided.com

College Football Player Rankings: The Top 25
NFL Week 3 picks and predictions
MLB Power Rankings: Angels on top
Pau Gasol: 5 ways he’ll help the Chicago Bulls