Size doesn’t matter.

Whenever the still-open Georgia tailback battle is discussed, more often than not Carlton Thomas is written off as a contender for every-down type of reps – presumably because of his smaller stature.

But Thomas, the elusive speedster who stands at just 5-foot-7, is still very much in the mix.

“I really don’t respond to it. It’s not for the people to say,” Thomas said. “It’s my coaches’ decision, and if my coaches didn’t believe in me I’d probably be somewhere else. But they have confidence in me that I can be an every down back.”

And their confidence is justified. The redshirt freshman shined all spring before scoring the only touchdown in the annual G-Day game, and hasn’t disappointed this fall, most notably a six-carry, 90-yard performance in the Bulldogs’ most recent scrimmage.

Caleb King, the presumed No. 1 coming into camp, was jogging during Tuesday’s practice, but will likely be out at least a few more days. In the past, Richard Samuel, another presumed frontrunner, has had problems with fumbling and making moves once he gets past the line of scrimmage.

And Thomas isn’t going anywhere.

“I think he’s definitely tough enough to [be an every down back],” said first-year running backs coach Bryan McClendon. “He has a mentality to do it, he’s a tough kid. And he’s the type of guy that wants to carry the ball 30 or 40 times a game.”

Thomas, Scout.com’s No. 15 running back in the country out of high school, points to Barry Sanders (5-foot-8) as a childhood idol. Georgia coach Mark Richt has pointed to Florida State and NFL standout Warrick Dunn (5-foot-9) as proof that a smaller guy can take the punishment.

And McClendon, a former Georgia wide receiver, played with Thomas Brown, another 5-foot-8 running back who finished his Georgia career fifth on the school’s all-time carries list.

“He’s a real tough guy, mentally and physically,” said fullback Shaun Chapas. “He’s small in size but he plays big. He can get the job done.”

McClendon said Tuesday that “some guys” are starting to set themselves apart on the depth chart at tailback. He wouldn’t show his cards as to who those backs were, but did say his ideal situation would be to have four backs that he could “depend on” for Oklahoma State, and two that would get the majority of the carries.

Whether one of those two backs will be Thomas has yet to be determined. But he’s ready if it is

“That’s what I put all the hours in the weight room for,” Thomas said, “to be that every down back. And that’s my mentality.”