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Ethan Barbour injury update: Kirby Smart shares latest on ankle

On3 imageby: Dan Morrison09/07/25dan_morrison96
Ethan Barbour, Georgia
Sep 6, 2025; Athens, Georgia, USA; Georgia Bulldogs tight end Ethan Barbour (9) reacts after a sack against the Austin Peay Governors in the first quarter at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The injuries have been piling up early for the Georgia Bulldogs and head coach Kirby Smart. That continued in Week 2 against Austin Peay, with tight end Ethan Barbour going down with an ankle injury.

The injury occurred on the very last play of the first half. Ethan Barbour would go down on the goal line with an apparent lower leg injury. He wasn’t able to put any weight on it. Instead, Barbour would be carted off the field and an air cast was placed around his leg. Unsurprisingly, he did not return.

After the game, Smart shared what he knew about the injury. It’s an ankle issue for Barbour. The exact injury he suffered and how long he’ll be out, however, Smart was not able to share just yet.

“Yeah, it was a tough ankle injury,” Kirby Smart said. “I’m not sure — it was a bad deal. I don’t know what the prognosis is gonna be or how long, but it was a tough one to see, especially in the last play of the half.”

Ethan Barbour came to Georgia as a four-star recruit in the Class of 2025. He was the 220th-ranked player overall and the 12th-ranked tight end in that recruiting cycle. That came after he played his high school football at Milton in Alpharetta, Georgia. Coming out, he chose to go to Georgia over several other schools, including Florida, Georgia Tech, and Alabama.

Only a true freshman, much has been asked of Ethan Barbour early this season. He, alongside Juan Gaston on the offensive line, started in Week 1 as a true freshman. Barbour played 23 snaps in that Week 1 game, making him a key rotational piece on the offense. However, he notably did not record any stats during the course of his playing time. Both are now dealing with injuries as Smart is now seeing his depth seriously tested.

Along with Barbour and Gaston, Smart has seen injuries to offensive linemen. That includes Earnest Greene and Micah Morris. On top of that, running back Roderick Robinson has a hamstring issue, meaning the offense is plenty beaten up. That’s before considering that the Bulldogs are also dealing with issues on the defense and at punter.

Kirby Smart knows that his depth is only going to be further tested by these injuries as SEC play begins. So, he needs to find answers quickly. Georgia is set to hit the road to travel to Knoxville next week and play the Tennessee Volunteers.