Vanderbilt's Mason praises Chubb: 'Best running back in SEC I've faced'

Derek Mason made his name as an elite defensive coordinator at Stanford before moving to Vanderbilt, so his praise of Georgia's Nick Chubb is not to be taken lightly.

"Nick Chubb is the best running back in this conference that I've faced," Mason told Fox Sports' Bruce Feldman. "His feet never stop. He always moves the line of scrimmage. He can anticipate contact and his ability to offset tacklers from angles is unbelievable. That's an innate ability. His ability to see what's happening in front of him and react on a dime."

Considering Mason faced former Bulldogs star Todd Gurley in his first season with the Commodores, that's a fairly significant statement. The Los Angeles Rams standout rushed for 163 yards on 25 carries against Vanderbilt in 2014, but Chubb shredded Mason's defense for 189 yards on a ridiculous 9.9 yards per carry last year.

Commodores linebacker Zach Cunningham was also effusive in his praise for Chubb, while noting his running style differs from Gurley.

"Chubb's more of a shifty, more of a quick elusive guy than Gurley," the first-team All-SEC linebacker said. "I wouldn't say as big or powerful but he's definitely up to par with Gurley. He's very quick, very instinctive, and you noticed how quick he could hit a hole."

Chubb suffered a devastating season-ending knee injury against Tennessee last season, but has vowed to be ready for the Bulldogs opening weekend matchup against North Carolina. Regardless, he should be at full speed by the Oct. 15 game against Mason and Vanderbilt.