Georgia Football: Quick Injury Report for the first home game of 2021

For the most part, Georgia football left Charlotte, N.C., healthy and unscathed.

Outside the loss of starting right guard Tate Ratledge, the Bulldogs minimized the injuries, which will be a key to their success this season as it progresses.

Georgia welcomes UAB for the first home game of the season as the Blazers and Dawgs kickoff at 3:30 p.m. on ESPN2.

Much like Week 1’s injury report, the Dawgs still have more players out than they would like to and have to add one more in Ratledge. However, according to Kirby Smart’s press conference on Monday, guys on this list are extremely close to being back and able to play at a 100% level.

While no one should overlook UAB or any team for that matter, Georgia is extremely talented, and the fans at Sanford Stadium will be loud — especially after the big win over Clemson.

Injury Report

WR George Pickens (Out)

TE Darnell Washington (Doubtful)

DB Tykee Smith (Doubtful)

OL Tate Ratledge (Out)

WR Dominick Blaylock (Doubtful)

WR Kearis Jackson (Probable)

The good news is while they had to add a guy to the list,  more guys like Warren Ericson, Quay Walker, Jalen Kimber, Jermaine Burton and John Fitzpatrick are off it and playing.

Georgia Football players OUT for Week 2

George Pickens is still not cleared to play yet and is still out for the Week 2 matchup against UAB. Rehab for this injury is a steady process and one that the staff isn’t going to take lightly.

The last player that is out and will be out for the remainder of the season is Ratledge. He hurt one of his feet and will require surgery, so his year is done.

Georgia Football players DOUBTFUL for Week 2

Three guys who are likely not going to play this week are Dominick Blaylock, Tykee Smith and Darnell Washington. They are both still dealing with their foot injuries, and it just takes time for those to heal.

While the update remains the same from last week, I  switched them to doubtful because even if they were ready to go, I  don’t think anyone would risk getting them hurt again against an opponent like UAB. They are needed for SEC play, and while I  believe they could help both sides of the ball, it’s not worth it.

Georgia is plenty deep, and those young wideouts need the experience, and the secondary has guys stepping up back there who also could use more playing time. So I  wouldn’t hold my breath about Smith and Washington playing against UAB.

Blaylock is the other player who could play, but it’s doubtful, in my opinion. Smart hinted during his press conference he is one of the guys that could return soon.

"Dom is really close. He is going against our defense with the scout offense,” Smart said in his Monday press conference. “He is getting closer. It is a confidence factor for him.”"

This injury is the second ACL tear on the same leg for Blaylock, so, understandably, his confidence isn’t as high as it normally is. However, with it being the same injury twice, it is imperative to make sure he is 100% able to go without any hesitation.

It wouldn’t surprise me if we didn’t see him until Vanderbilt to give him enough time to get his confidence up and in shape to play.

Georgia Football players PROBABLE for Week 2

Even though Kearis Jackson played a limited amount against Clemson, it was only on special teams. He didn’t run a single route against the Tigers, and Smart said in his press conference that it’s not running in a straight line that still bothers Jackson — it’s when he cuts and plants that foot.

Jackson must feel comfortable and confident on the field, and if he isn’t yet, then the coaching staff isn’t going to make him do anything that could risk hurting him. This circumstance is similar to Blaylock’s — it’s all about how comfortable they are.

The Dawgs are deep at wide receiver, maybe not experience-wise, but those youngsters got a lot of reps against a tough Clemson team, and it wouldn’t hurt for them to get more against another impressive defense like UAB.

I  put Jackson as probable because we could see him for punt situations again, but it all depends on what he feels like in terms of running routes. This game isn’t worth risking him tweaking anything and setting him back, so we will likely see what we did against Clemson. Even though he will play, it’s not 100% of his duties, so he will stay at probable until that changes.

Georgia’s list of injured guys may have shrunk, but the Dawgs are still missing some key playmakers on offense. However, I  think this game against UAB could see more young players gain confidence and make their own plays.