Georgia football is gearing up for the biggest game in the SEC this week as they travel to Tennessee to face off against the No. 15 Volunteers. The Bulldogs will have to be at their very best if they’re going to win this game, and part of that includes getting some injured Bulldogs back this week.
Kirby Smart provided three key injury updates on Monday, and while two of the updates were positive the third is about as bad as it gets.
Ethan Barbour injury update
The only significant injury Georgia suffered this past weekend was to true freshman tight end Ethan Barbour. Barbour earned the start against Austin Peay, but he unfortunately went down with an ankle injury on the final play of the first half. He was unable to walk off on his own power and had to be carted off the field which is never a good sign.
This led Georgia fans to assume he will be out for a long time, and that was confirmed by Smart on Monday.
"He's got a pretty significant ankle injury that he will be dealing with, similar to Rosemy and Rod Robinson," Smart shared via 247sports.com. "So he will have surgery and he will be out for a little bit.”
Comparing Barbour’s injury to Rosemy and Robinson makes it sound like he will be out for most of the season if not the rest of the year. Official confirmation will likely come after his surgery, but things don’t look good for Barbour this season.
Juan Gaston, Earnest Greene injury update
Georgia was missing their starting right guard and tackle on Saturday as Juan Gaston and Earnest Greene were both injured week one against Marshall. Smart didn’t share any specific update on either player on Monday, but there is hope they could be back soon.
"We will learn more about them today and see where they are," Smart said. "They are both coming off bumps and bruises. We are hopeful to get them back."
Georgia’s offensive line really struggled in pass protection against Austin Peay, so that is a key area that needs to improve this week before playing Tennessee. Gaston and Greene returning however would solve a lot of their problems, so their health is crucial for UGA as the week progresses.