How love, determination paved Nate Frazier’s path from Compton to Athens

Nate Frazier crossed the goal line, spun, and dropped down to his right knee. 

The freshman running back had just given Georgia a 44-42 win over Georgia Tech in a wild eight-overtime thriller. Frazier, who grew up over 2,000 miles from the endzone in which he now knelt, had just authored one of the most iconic plays in a rivalry that stretches back over a century. 

In so many ways, Frazier should not have found himself in the west end zone of Sanford Stadium on that frigid Black Friday night. 

For starters, he had only arrived in Athens a few months previously. He did not early enroll like his two freshman peers, Chauncey Bowens and Dwight Phillips. When the season began, Frazier found himself buried on the depth chart behind veterans such as Trevor Etienne, Roderick Robinson, and Branson Robinson.

But Frazier’s story and the obstacles he overcame go back farther than his arrival on Georgia’s campus. It goes back to California, and to the love of a single mother who did all she could to help her son reach his full potential.

Umbrellas and playbooks

Babysitting proved to be a contact sport when it came to Frazier. 

Yomeisha Okafor often left her toddler son in the care of her mother during the day. Without fail, she often got similar reports that indicated Frazier’s future athletic prowess. 

“Nate would turn around backwards, crawl down the stairs and take off running,” Okafor said. “My grandmother used to say, this kid, ‘Granny had to chase Nate up the street again,’ or, ‘Granny almost got hit by a car because Nate took off running up the street.’”

Okafor raised Frazier as a single mother for the first few years of his life. She depended on her support system, which included her mother, grandmother, and her sisters, to help raise her only child. 

Okafor “kept an umbrella” over Frazier as she navigated life as a single mother in Compton. But he still saw the lengths his mother went to for his happiness.

“Living in poverty and just watching those struggles and him watching me scrape up money to pay for him to play youth sports and just watching me do it alone, I think that’s where he gets that encouragement from and just wanting to make it easy for everybody,” Okafor said.

Frazier taught his mother plenty as the two grew up together. Okafor learned patience, how to be more affectionate, and how to value her son’s feelings as much as her own. 

While Okafor always assumed the role of a mother first, she and Frazier developed a “ride or die” relationship that goes beyond a typical parent and child. They have always held each other accountable and challenged each other through thick and thin.

“Before Nate made it to college, I told him, if you don’t do anything else, make sure you leave with a degree,” Okafor said. “He’s like, well, how are you going to tell me to go and make sure I get a bachelor’s degree, and you didn’t finish yours? I’m like, all right, bet. I’ll go back and get my bachelor’s. So I went back and I got my bachelor’s degree. Now Nate has to make sure he gets his bachelor’s degree before he graduates from Georgia.”

Through it all, the hyper kid with a personality as large as his home state changed his entire family for the better. 

“Nate is the reason why we all tell each other that we love each other now,” Okafor said. “We were never comfortable with doing it. My mom never did it with us. My grandmother never did it with her. We just knew that my mom loved me and my grandmother loved me. Nate is the reason why we all tell each other ‘I love you’ now. He does not hang up the phone, he does not leave the house, he does not walk away without letting you know that I love you.”

Okafor ran track growing up. When Frazier turned five, she put her son in the same track club she used to run in.

Football came along organically. When Frazier showed interest, she signed him up. It didn’t take long for him to prove he had talent. In his first game, Okafor recalled, Frazier scored three touchdowns. 

Chijioke “CJ” Okafor met his future wife and her son when Frazier was around seven. A youth football coach himself, Okafor took Frazier to a football camp not long after they met. 

Frazier then stunned those in attendance by racing—and beating—kids several years older than him. 

“I can remember it like yesterday,” CJ Okafor said. “I was like, ‘Oh damn, he’s fast.’”

CJ Okafor said Frazier has always been one to follow a playbook. Even from the earliest days of his football career, Frazier had his own playbook of what he wanted his future to be. 

The first step included a high school career at Junipero Serra, a California powerhouse that has churned out stars such as Adoree’ Jackson, Robert Woods, Marqise Lee, and others. 

After that, Frazier had his sights set on USC and then the NFL. CJ Okafor made sure Frazier kept the end goal in mind, making the annual NFL Draft a major event in the household. 

Okafor knew, even back then, that Frazier had what it took to hear his name called at the next level. For Frazier, the stakes were higher than just fame.

“I said, ‘You have a gift that can change the destiny of your family,’” CJ Okafor said. “You can go to college, you can get a degree, you’ll make good money. If you can make it to the NFL, that’s great, but you have a gift that can change. So I always hammered that in his head, like, hey, you have a chance to buy your mother a house, get your grandma out of the hood, you know what I mean?”

Nate the Great

Frazier spent his first two high school seasons at St Pius X-St. Matthias Academy. During his sophomore season, he picked up scholarship offers from Arizona State, USC, and Oregon, among others. 

As his sophomore season wound down, Frazier and his family mulled a potential move to powerhouse Mater Dei. At first, Frazier wanted to remain in place. But he also knew that in order to reach his ultimate goals, he needed to play with the best.

Mater Dei running backs coach Glenn Campbell had heard of Frazier even before he transferred in after the 2021 football season. It didn’t take him long to see what made Frazier special.

“I call him Tesla, obviously because of his speed and how fast he can get up from zero to a hundred,” Campbell said. “I noticed that he had great acceleration, great eye, understood the game, but yet he can go 99 at any time.”

In a program full of future Division I players, Frazier’s work ethic stood out to Campbell. He constantly requested Campbell’s presence at extra film sessions and additional workouts.

Frazier pushed himself hard. He also had his mother there to lend a hand whenever needed. 

“She’s more about refining a young man,” Campbell said. “I saw her get on him for a couple of things, as far as hydration was concerned at one point. You know, she’s definitely involved in it. They look more like close childhood friends, you know, when it comes to how they feel and how he feels towards his mom, that’s their bond.”

It appeared Frazier would have his pick of where he’d take his talents after he left Mater Dei. More schools came calling during and after his junior season, including Tennessee, Alabama, Penn State, Miami, Texas A&M, and others. 

Still, USC loomed large. The Trojans had been part of Frazier’s playbook dating back to his childhood days. His mother had taken him to numerous Trojan games and had always wanted her son to play in the cardinal and gold. 

So when Georgia offered Frazier in March 2023, running backs coach Dell McGee and the Bulldogs had some serious work to do. Georgia hosted Frazier on campus in April and then again for a multi-day visit in June.

“We felt (McGee) was a great coach,” CJ Okafor said. “He made us feel comfortable. Made us feel real comfortable. He made him have great leadership. Then you walk through that locker room, you start seeing the history of the Dawgs… You know, one of my people, one of my favorite players when I was a kid was Robert Edwards. Nobody ever knows he’s a running back that played there, but he was a Dawg.”

Later in the summer, Frazier texted his parents out of the blue. He wanted to be a Bulldog. 

CJ Okafor felt excited. He wondered if Frazier was ready, but also understood his desire to play with the best. 

Frazier’s mother, meanwhile, had more serious reservations. She wondered how an African-American from California would do in the Deep South. Yomeisha Okafor asked Frazier for one reason why he didn’t want to go to USC. 

“He said, if I ever wanted to walk out my door and just take a jog, the minute I hit the outskirts of USC, I’m in somebody’s hood,” Yomeisha Okafor said. “I don’t know if you’re familiar with the urban areas around California, but it’s very dangerous. And that was enough for me. He’s like, Mom, Georgia is in a, it’s a football town… The university is in Athens. It’s a very small town where a lot of people know each other. The football players are respected and they actually are very well taken care of and looked after.”

Frazier made things official by committing to the Bulldogs over Alabama, Oregon, and Miami on August 6. 

“The main reason I picked Georgia was the family atmosphere, the development and the academic part as well,” Frazier told Rivals analyst Chad Simmons. “If you look at the history of Georgia with their two backfield players like Sony Michel, Todd Gurley, Nick Chubb and D’Andre Swift, all of those guys were around playing with each other at the same time. They all made it to the NFL so if you look at that closely and when they played, if you’re a good player and you go to Georgia, you’re going to play.”

Frazier had made his choice. His path would take him not to USC, but across the country to a program he had only visited twice. 

Still, those close to him knew he’d be able to handle everything Georgia could throw at him. In Frazier’s mind, he didn’t have a choice.

“I drove him. I got on his nerves,” CJ Okafor said. “But his name is Nate the Great. And I made sure he lives up to that… You make it to the NFL to play, or you make it, get a degree, you’re going to be great. You’re going to be great in life. So, you’ve got to live up to your name.”

The rollercoaster

Frazier faced an uphill battle to immediate greatness upon arriving in Athens in the summer of 2024. 

Georgia had Roderick Robinson, Branson Robinson, and Cash Jones already on campus. The Bulldogs, in addition to signing Chauncey Bowens and Dwight Phillips in the freshman class, also picked up Trevor Etienne as a transfer from Florida. 

Still, Frazier put his head down and got to work – as best he could, anyway.

“My welcome to Georgia moment is just the heat, man,” Frazier said. “Just practicing in that heat, being able to be tough. You’ve got to be tough to go through those practices.”

Still, Frazier had a reason to keep going. 

“My family, man, that’s my why,” Frazier said. “Just trying to be able to provide for them, that’s my why. Anytime I want to do something, any time I think about I don’t want to do this, I don’t want to go to practice today, I don’t want to do this, I don’t want to do that. I think about my mom’s working, my grandma’s working, my little sister, my little brother, being able to provide for them to give them a great life.”

That drove Frazier to go above and beyond. Offensive coordinator Mike Bobo recalled that he always saw Frazier around running backs coach Josh Crawford – McGee left to be Georgia State’s head coach in February 2024 – or one of Georgia’s graduate assistants, trying to get extra work and “catch up.” 

Eventually, that began to show on the practice field as Georgia prepared for the 2024 season.

“I think the biggest thing when I was watching Nate is when he came in in fall camp,” said linebacker Justin Williams, a fellow 2024 signee. “I’m on the same field, and I misfit a run, and Nate cuts. By the time he cuts and I turn around, he’s already 20 yards down the field. And I’m like, what the heck? This man’s flying. And I knew that from then on, this guy’s going to be special.”

Such moments were positive signs that Frazier would contribute later in the year. But then the situation changed suddenly. 

Due to an offseason driving arrest, Georgia held Etienne out of the season opener against Clemson. Roderick Robinson missed the game due to an injury. With Branson Robinson still recovering from a ruptured patellar tendon, the running back depth chart suddenly looked quite thin. 

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart then turned to the true freshman Frazier, who rushed for 83 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries while adding a 24-yard reception as the Bulldogs defeated Clemson 34-3.

Campbell did not feel shocked. He said he knew Frazier had that capability, so he did not feel surprised to see it on the big stage.

Frazier’s mother, on the other hand, couldn’t believe it. 

“It was an out-of-body experience,” Yomeisha Okafor said.

Frazier’s career got off to a flying start. The good times, however, dried up soon after that. 

He totaled just 30 carries over the next six games. That included the loss to Alabama where Frazier didn’t get one carry, albeit in a game where the Bulldogs had to throw more than usual as they tried to rally from a deficit. 

Injuries began to pop up as the season went along. Branson Robinson went down with an MCL injury against Mississippi State. Etienne hurt his ribs against Florida, played sparingly the following week against Ole Miss, then missed the final three games of the regular season. 

Frazier thus became the feature back for the Bulldogs over the final month of 2024.  But that bigger role didn’t come without its share of ups and downs. 

In the win over Florida, Frazier committed an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty by celebrating after a touchdown, a move Smart called “stupid.” He also lost a fumble in the second half against Ole Miss with the Bulldogs trailing by 12. 

“You know, what I’ve learned with college sports right now is the fans will eat you alive,” Yomeisha Okafor said. “So for weeks on end, all I hear is, yeah, he’s a good player,  but that dude needs to learn how to hold on to the ball. You see the derogatory comments and it’s like, oh man. So I checked in with Nate and he’s like, ‘Mom, I’m good. Like, I’m all right. It’s a fumble.’ He’s like, ‘Next year, I’m going to get it right. I want to see what they say next year, because next year they’re not going to be able to say that.’”

With his mother and the rest of his family keeping him grounded, Frazier finished the season strong. 

Frazier scored the game-clinching touchdown in the huge home victory over Tennessee. Against UMass, Frazier rushed for three touchdowns and crossed the 100-yard mark for the first time. 

The signature moment came on that cold November night against Georgia Tech in Sanford Stadium. Frazier powered his way into the end zone for the winning score, giving the Bulldogs their seventh straight victory over their arch-rival. 

Frazier’s mother watched from the stands as her son made history. She nearly fled the icy conditions, but Georgia fans provided her with warm weather gear and advocated for Frazier to get the ball throughout the overtime periods.

She observed with pride the fruits of her sacrifices and her son’s hard work. 

“I’m on a far much better path than I am on than when I was, you know, as a young adult,” Yomeisha Okafor said. “So of course, I’m doing way better for myself now. When you see something that you helped produce succeed, it’s like, yeah, I did that, like he did that. When I say I did that, meaning that I supported my kid and helped him chase his dreams. But when I say he did that, I mean, your hard work has paid off, kid.”

Bridging the past, present, and future

Frazier is a person who understands his roots. 

He developed a reputation for honoring the great Georgia backs of the past through his celebrations. He emulated Sony Michel’s jazz hands and Todd Gurley’s signature bow. Even one of his lowlights conjured memories of a Bulldog great – Frazier drew a penalty for a Gator Chomp to throat slash combo against Florida just as Gurley did in 2012. 

“They’re one of the main reasons why RBU has been alive,” Frazier said. “I want to just keep that a tradition. So just doing the things that they do, I feel like that would be a bonus to be able to have everybody who sees it just keep it going and keep it going and further going. Because I really don’t ever want that to stop.”

CJ Okafor said Frazier has always been one to know his history. As a child, he aspired to attend USC and emulate Trojan legends like Reggie Bush and Joe McKnight. 

“That’s one thing about him, he has an old soul,” CJ Okafor said. “You’re raised by your mom, your grandma, great-grandma in the house… So, basically, when you get to football, for you to know where you’re going, you’ve got to know where you came through here, what it took for them to be great. So, you have to do the research. You’ve got to know. If you want to be one of the greats, you have to respect the greats.”

Frazier has embraced not just the Georgia legends, but the South as a whole. 

He hunts and fishes as a form of therapy for his mental health, something his mother loves. Frazier also frequently interacts and posts pictures with Bulldog fans on social media 

That’s not to say, however, that Frazier has forgotten his California roots. 

Frazier is something of a community legend around Compton. He is beloved by those who watched him growing up, with people often breaking out his “Nate the Great” nickname, according to his stepfather.

That extends to the next generation of California prospects as well. Long Beach Poly corner Donte Wright, one of Georgia’s two pledges in the 2027 class, committed to the Bulldogs in part due to his relationship with Frazier. 

Five-star cornerback Duvay Williams is also familiar with the Bulldog back. Williams attends Junipero Serra, where Frazier played before Mater Dei.

“I know Nate Frazier. I’ve been playing with him since youth ball, ever since he was on the Buckeyes,” Williams said in June. “He came back around, like last month. Talked to him, how he liked it. He said it’s great, come see it, see what they’ve got to offer. I have a good connection with Nate, for sure.”

Frazier also stops by Mater Dei when he returns home, sitting in on Campbell’s running back meetings and answering questions. He even remains involved from afar. 

“We still have a running back chat group. He’s on that running back chat group with my team, with my running backs that are now up and coming, trying to get to where he’s at,” Campbell said. “He’s giving advice on what he’s experienced when he was there. And now where he’s at now, the differences and similarities. You know, there’s some that are different based on what he’s doing. So he’s a great role model.”

Back in Athens, Frazier is now the top dog in Georgia’s running backs room. 

There are plenty of things to improve on. Bobo, for example, wants to see Frazier focus on getting the “dirty yards” as opposed to trying to hit a home run on every carry. But as Smart said, Frazier has also grown in his pass protection ability, knowledge of the offense, and his confidence. 

As Frazier prepares for his sophomore season, he is also prioritizing his mental health off the field. 

Hunting and fishing are a big part of that. So too is hiking. Frazier shared one particularly memorable experience with his mother, where he looked down on much of Georgia from high above. 

Those peaceful moments allow Frazier to think. 

He looks back on where he came from, thinking of his mother’s sacrifices and the early guidance he received from his stepfather. 

He can reflect on the highs and lows of his freshman season, a year that featured crucial mistakes and historical moments in nearly equal measure. 

But most of all, those peaceful moments allow Frazier to remember why he works so hard to become the best back he can be in red and black. 

“I’m from California,” Frazier said. “A lot of people where I come from, my city, there’s only a couple of options. So my why is my family. My why is putting my city on my back and stuff like that. And it’s just showing all of the kids from where I’m from, there are other options than just doing what it is out there.”