Georgia football has done a great job staying healthy in the first two weeks of the season. Outside of a couple of additions to the injury list, everyone else seems relatively healthy. There are no major issues, and the Dawgs should have a full travel squad for the matchup against South Carolina.
The Dawgs have guys banged up, but head coach Kirby Smart only had a few names that were unlikely to play this week against the Gamecocks. Some could even still make the trip if they can go.
Georgia would love to have those guys play this week, but if it means they won’t reinjury themselves by coming back too soon, that is far more important. The Dawgs need to keep everyone as fresh as possible, so if they aren’t 90% or better, maybe it’s safer to sit them out a week.
The Dawgs can beat South Carolina without these players, so let’s not risk it and have them return for a game later in the season.
Georgia football injury report for Week 3 against the South Carolina Gamecocks
WR Arian Smith (Out)
RB Andrew Paul (Out)
LB C.J. Washington (Unknown)
WR AD Mitchell (Doubtful)
DB Nyland Green (Doubtful)
OL Earnest Greene (Probable)
S Chris Smith (Likely)
S Tykee Smith (Likely)
This list looks so much better than the one Georgia fans grew to accept last year, which is a blessing. The Dawgs are finding ways to stay healthier — hopefully, the injury bug has left the building.
We’ve included guys who are likely to play because it is important to know they have had some stuff going on this season. Chris Smith hurt his shoulder during the Oregon game but played against Samford. The same goes for Tykee Smith, who is getting back to 100% after he tore his ACL last year.
Those kinds of injuries put things into perspective if they don’t play as much. I’m not suggesting they won’t play a lot because Chris Smith will likely start, but we still wanted to include them on the list.
These guys will likely play or see some time on the field, but sometimes old injuries flare up for players.
Arian Smith is still rehabbing his ankle injury, while Mitchell suffered one during the Dawgs’ first drive of the game. Smart said he could play this week and that they were hopeful, but at the same time, it didn’t sound that promising. If he does play, it’ll probably be limited snaps.
Green is another that could go if needed, but why risk it if it isn’t necessary? Georgia shouldn’t push anything until they need to because they need these guys down the stretch.
As for South Carolina’s injury report, it isn’t nearly as good as the Dawgs’. The Gamecocks will be missing two of its key defensive starters after they both suffered ACL tears last week against Arkansas. Jordan Strachan and Mo Kaba will miss the rest of the season after unfortunate injuries. Those two guys were really big pieces for the Gamecocks, so it’s tough to see that happen to talented players.
Some more injuries for the Gamecocks include RJ Roderick — one of the safeties is questionable. Corey Rucker has a foot injury and s questionable on the Sports Illustrated injury report. David Spaulding is a cornerback recovering from shoulder surgery and isn’t likely to play against the Dawgs.
No one wants to see injuries surrounding either program because it makes for a better game when both teams are healthy.
Georgia heads to Columbia to take on the Gamecocks with most of its weapons healthy and ready to earn that first SEC victory. However, South Carolina has nothing to lose and home-field advantage, so it’ll be interesting to see how this high-noon game will play out between these two SEC East foes. Will the Dawgs cover the spread and stay No.1 overall, or will the Gamecocks knock Georgia down a few notches?