Georgia football hasn’t been very healthy through the first two weeks of the season, but thankfully those missing have had teammates step up for them in their absence.
Georgia opens up SEC play this week as they host South Carolina for a night game between the hedges as kickoff is at 7 p.m. on ESPN.
Week 3’s injury list features most of the players from Week 1 and Week 2, but there are a couple of additions.
Head coach Kirby Smart mentioned some updates on the quarterbacks and some of the wideouts that are still on this list.
However, it appears the ones that can be back this season are on the right track. Even though we’d all like to have everyone back as SEC play returns because now the real tests begin, getting healthy is far more important.
Injury Report
WR George Pickens (Out)
OL Tate Ratledge (Out)
WR Dominick Blaylock (Doubtful)
TE Darnell Washington (Probable)
DB Tykee Smith (Probable)
WR Kearis Jackson (Probable)
WR Arian Smith (Doubtful)
QB JT Daniels (Probable)
QB Stetson Bennett (Probable)
Arik Gilbert is still not with the team, and there seems to be no timetable for his return. Send him good thoughts, though, because it seems like the young man needs our support regardless if he is playing for Georgia or not.
Georgia football players OUT for Week 3
Still out for this week is George Pickens, who is rehabbing the ACL injury. Tate Ratledge has a foot injury that required surgery, so he will not see action until the next football season.
Pickens will return eventually this season, but ACL injuries aren’t to be messed with, and the Dawgs have a bad case of those repeating. So rehabbing and getting that knee as strong as possible is the priority for Pickens.
He is doing a great job being a leader on the sidelines and cheering on these young bucks who keep stepping up in his position.
Georgia football players DOUBTFUL for Week 3
One of the latest additions to the injury list is Arian Smith, who had a massive game against UAB before suffering from a right leg contusion.
In other words, he has a deep bruise on his leg, and while that isn’t a serious injury, the speedster may not play this week. It wouldn’t surprise me if he didn’t play at all.
I could have put him as probable, but the Dawgs have some guys who can step up and help out this week. Georgia will need his speed down the stretch of the season, so let him rest and take care of that contusion.
Also doubtful this week could be Dominick Blaylock. The wideout is rehabbing his second ACL injury, and while he has been practicing with Georgia, they are letting him be cautious with the leg.
Georgia could use him and his experience against South Carolina, but it wouldn’t surprise me if he missed one more game. However, Blaylock could be ready to go, and if he is, then great.
He has one of those injuries that need time to heal, and he must feel confident in it to play full speed. We will see Saturday, but I’m keeping him in the doubtful category because it is so up in the air.
Georgia football players PROBABLE for Week 3
The other two additions to the injury list are starting quarterback JT Daniels and backup quarterback Stetson Bennett.
Smart mentioned Bennett had some back issues he was working through and that Daniels wasn’t quite yet 100% after missing last week due to an oblique injury.
While Smart said those things, I think either quarterback could be ready to go on Saturday against the Gamecocks. Daniels could get the start, or the head coach could stay precautions and go with Bennett.
They’ve both practiced this week, and so has third-string quarterback Carson Beck. Some people think there is some kind of controversy with the quarterbacks, but nope, they’re just trying to get healthy.
It would be ideal to see Daniels back for the game on Saturday, but we will see. I think it could be a game-time decision.
Two guys Georgia fans could see back on the field this week are Darnell Washington and Tykee Smith. Both guys are out of the boot and improving. We could see them this week, but they are day-to-day, so that they may hold off on them one more week.
Washington would give the Dawgs another massive target to throw to, and Smith would add some depth to the secondary.
It wouldn’t surprise me if we could see them in a limited fashion against the Gamecocks. That decision will depend on how they feel on game day.
Kearis Jackson is still on the list even though he continues to play special teams. He seems to be coming right along, and so this week, we could see him run some routes, but it’ll depend on how confident he is in his cutting motion.
I’m keeping him on here until Smart says he is 100%. Let him heal, and once he is fully healthy, let him explode and give teams another option to worry about.
Georgia has some guys banged up, but they should handle the Gamecocks on Saturday. The Dawgs are slowly getting healthy, though, and once they do, man, it’ll be a sight to see.