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Georgia Football Injury Report: Bulldogs list one OL probable, another questionable

On3 imageby: Jake Rowe9 hours agoJakeMRowe
Earnest Greene Georgia
Rob Davis/UGA Sports Communications

Georgia lists three players out, one questionable, and one probable for its SEC opener at Tennessee on Saturday. The Bulldogs’ first official student-athlete availability report was posted on Wednesday night, with redshirt junior right tackle Earnest Greene categorized as probably. Freshman right guard Juan Gaston is questionable while a trio of true freshmen, Ethan Barbour, Chase Linton, and Thomas Blackshear, are out.

Greene, who started 23 straight games at left tackle for Georgia before missing last year’s Tennessee game with a shoulder injury, has only played two series this season. He made his first career start at right tackle in the win over Marshall, but exited after 19 plays due to back stiffness. Greene was Georgia’s left tackle in 2023 when the Bulldogs beat the Volunteers 38-10 inside Neyland Stadium.

Gaston, the first true freshman to start a season opener on the offensive line since 2017, also left the Marshall game after two series. His injury was apparent on the field as he was rolled up on as Gunner Stockton scored the second touchdown of the day. Gaston is battling both knee and ankle ailments, but is expected to return in the coming weeks, if not Saturday.

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

Smart wants to see both players as healthy as possible before making them available for the Tennessee game. According to the 10th-year head coach, this is the type of matchup where Georgia needs all healthy hands on deck.

“This is not a game that you want somebody that’s not 100 percent healthy out there playing,” Smart said. “It’s going to be physical. It’s going to be quick, and it’s going to be violent. I mean, all SEC games are, but this one really is going to be that way…They (Tennessee) play with really big physical guys up front. You need all the power you can get. You need all the stamina you can get.”

Blackshear’s injury is undisclosed after catching one pass in the season opener. Linton has not appeared in a game this season after preseason surgery. Barbour suffered a gruesome ankle injury on Saturday in Georgia’s win over Austin Peay. He has undergone surgery and will be out for the rest of the year.

Tennessee lists three players out, including it’s projected starting cornerbacks coming into the season. Ricky Gibson and Jermod McCoy won’t play. Neither will defensive lineman Daevin Hobbs.

The Vols also list four players as questionable. That group includes defensive lienman Tyron Weathersby, running back Hunter Barnes, defensive lineman Jaxon Moi, and offensive lineman David Sanders.


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