Jaxson Moi injury update: Latest revealed on Tennessee DL vs. Georgia

No. 6 Georgia will renew what’s become a bit of a one-sided rivalry over much of the last decade when it travels to Knoxville on Saturday to take on No. 15 Tennessee in a much-anticipated SEC opener that will also serve as the host site of ESPN’s College GameDay. Kickoff is set for 3:30 pm ET on ABC.

The Bulldogs (2-0) enter Saturday’s game as a 4.5-point road favorite over the host Volunteers (2-0) with a over-under score total of 49.5 points, according to the BetMGM Sportsbook. That a shift from the game’s odds earlier this week when the Bulldogs opened as 7-point favorites, per BetMGM.

Georgia has dominated the rivalry with Tennessee in recent years, winning eight straight in a series that dates back to 1899. That includes four consecutive blowout wins inside Neyland Stadium, with the Bulldogs holding an average margin of victory of 30.5 points since a 41-0 shutout in Knoxville in 2017. Georgia holds a 29-23-2 advantage in the all-time series with the Vols.

The two longtime SEC rivals have played every year since 1992 when the league first split into East and West divisions. But with the league’s decision to move to a 9-game conference schedule beginning in 2026, there’s concern this could be the last season as yearly opponents. The SEC will determine three permanent opponents and a rotation of six other league opponents at a later date this season.

Ahead of Saturday’s game, the SEC released a new league availability report Thursday:

Georgia Bulldogs

TE Ethan Barbour – Out
OLB Chase Linton – Out
WR Thomas Blackshear – Out
OL Juan Gaston – Questionable
OL Earnest Greene — Probable

Tennessee Volunteers

DB Rickey Gibson III – Out
DB Jermod McCoy – Out
DL Daevin Hobbs – Out
DL Tyree Weathersby – Questionable
RB Hunter Barnes – Questionable
DL Jaxson Moi – Questionable
OL David Sanders – Questionable

As On3’s Chris Low reported earlier in the week, Tennessee will be without the services of its top two cornerbacks against Georgia with Rickey Gibson III and Jermod McCoy out for Saturday’s SEC opener. McCoy is still recovering from an ACL tear suffered in Janary, while Gibson suffered an arm injury early in Tennessee’s 45-26 blowout of Syracuse, recording just a single tackle in the contest.

Wednesday’s availability report also declared junior defensive lineman Daevin Hobbs out against Georgia after he suffered a foot stress factor late in preseason practice, according to On3’s Pete Nakos. Hobbs has already missed the first two games of the regular season. Tennessee’s defensive line could also be without senior Jaxson Moi and sophomore Tyree Weathersby, both of whom were listed as questionable Wednesday, along with five-star freshman offensive tackle David Sanders Jr., who has sat out the first two games of the season with an unspecified ailment. That said, Heupel has expressed confidence Sanders should be ready for Saturday’s SEC opener.

“Anticipated him being ready,” Heupel said of Sanders’ status after Saturday’s game. “Ultimately, medical decided for him for us, it probably wasn’t the best move to play him today and that’s why they made the decision they did.”

The Bulldogs also received some welcomed news along its banged up offensive line after junior right tackle Earnest Greene III was listed as probable despite missing much of the first two games with a back injury. True freshman guard Juan Gaston is still listed as questionable as of Wednesday’s availability report with an ankle injury suffered in the first quarter of the season-opener vs. Marshall, but Smart sounded confident both could be available to return Saturday at Tennessee.

“Both of those guys showed good progress (on Tuesday). I really liked the way both of them looked. I liked the reps they took,” Smart said during Wednesday’s SEC coaches teleconference. “They’ll take more reps (on Wednesday) and (we’ll) just see where they are. We’ve got to make a good judgement, and today and tomorrow are physical days for us so we’ll get after it and find out where they are.”