Wide receiver Makiya Tongue wasn't at Georgia for very long as he only spent one season with UGA in 2019. Tongue appeared in just three games during his short time Athens before ultimately deciding to hit the Transfer Portal and head to Oregon State.
Tongue's father also played at Oregon State, so this is likely a big reason why he decided to leave Georgia and head west to play for the Beavers.
Tongue's career however did not go as planned at Oregon State as he suffered multiple season-ending knee injuries. Tongue's latest injury was the third of his career, and this has caused him to decide to retire from football altogether to look out for his health.
"The past five years, I've battled three season-ending knee injuries, but came back a better, stronger man each time," Tongue shared in a social media post. "I'm proud of myself for that. While preparing for this upcoming season, I unfortunately suffered another season ending knee injury and will have to undergo another surgery."
Former Georgia WR forced to medically retire from football
Tongue continued to play wide receiver at Oregon State in 2021 and 2022, but he was unable to make much of an impact. During these two seasons he only recorded two receptions.
Beginning with the 2023 season, Tongue made the move to linebacker where he recorded six tackles and forced one fumble during the 2023 season. 2024 is where Tongue's injuries really started to impact his career as he missed the entire season with a knee injury. Unfortunately his injury luck did not get any better as he suffered another season-ending knee injury that has led him to decide to retire from football.
It is never fun to see a football career end because of injury, but it is especially difficult to see a former Bulldog's career end because of countless heartbreaking injuries. But based on the above quote from Tongue's social media post, he appears at peace with his decision, and that is all anyone can really ask for.