Georgia entered their season-opener against Tennessee State with a relatively small injury report. Sophomore edge Chase Linton however was nowhere to be found during warmups after not being on the injury report, and after having no idea he was injured he was seen in street clothes on the sideline during the game.
Kirby Smart was asked about his injury after the game. He didn't share anything too specific about his injury, but he did confirm that Linton is dealing with a lower leg injury.
“You know, a lower leg injury that we’re hoping to get him back from," Smart said via dawgnation.com.
Chase Linton's injury could have long-term effects on Georgia's defense
Georgia needs as many bodies on their defensive front as they can get this season. They already lost transfer Amaris Williams to an ACL tear and Xzavier McLeod who retired from football during fall camp, so the last thing they need is another injury up front on defense. Unfortunately another injury has occurred that kept Linton off the field during Georgia's week one victory.
Linton is yet to make his mark at Georgia. He only recorded one tackle during his freshman season last year, but after a good offseason he was expected to make an impact this year. This injury though could prevent that.
Georgia fans have no clue how serious his injury could be. Maybe Smart opted to keep him sidelined knowing they wouldn't need him to beat Tennessee State, or maybe he is actually dealing with a long-term injury. If Georgia wants to be their best on defense this year they need Linton to be another depth piece for their defensive front, so hopefully this injury is minor and he is able to play again soon.
Chase Linton's absence gave true freshman PJ Dean a chance to step up in his place
Other Bulldogs stepped up in Linton's place to help Georgia dominate Tennessee State on Saturday. True freshman PJ Dean may have been the Bulldog to take advantage of this opportunity the most as he finished the game with 1.5 sacks.
Dean was an elite recruit in the 2026 class, so he was somewhat expected to make an impact for Georgia this season. Recording 1.5 sacks in the first game of his career, even if it was against Tennessee State, is about as good of a start as can be expected though.
If Linton's injury is long-term then it will take multiple Bulldogs to step up in his place. Dean looks like he can be one of those guys because 1.5 sacks in a true freshman's first game of their career is good enough to deserve more playing time. Regardless of how serious Linton's injury is Dean probably earned himself more playing time.
Georgia's defense struggled getting to the quarterback last season as they finished dead last in the SEC in sacks. They are off to a solid start this season with three sacks against Tennessee State, but if they are going to be an intimidating pass rush for opposing quarterbacks all year they likely will need Linton and Dean (among many others) to be making plays this season.
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