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Kirby Smart calls Georgia OL a 'mash unit' after injury to Monroe Freeling vs. Kentucky

On3 imageby: Jake Rowe10/04/25JakeMRowe
Monroe Freeling Georgia
Nov 9, 2024; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Georgia Bulldogs offensive lineman Monroe Freeling (57) blocks during the first half against the Mississippi Rebels at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

ATHENS, Ga. — Georgia entered Saturday’s game with Kentucky without its season-opening right tackle Earnest Greene, who has missed three games with a back injury. Once the contest was over and the Bulldogs earned a 35-14 win over the Wildcats, their 16th straight win in the series, there were even more questions.

Junior left tackle Monroe Freeling left the game at the end of the first series with what was called a left leg injury and did not return. Fifth-year senior left guard Micah Morris missed some time for the second week in a row but reentered the game later. Afterward, Kirby Smart couldn’t help but marvel at Georgia’s poor injury luck at that specific position.

“Ankle, don’t know how bad or severe it was,” Smart said of Freeling’s injury. “It was an ankle, he re-taped, tried to go, tried to put pressure on it, couldn’t. Bo (Hughley) practiced all week at right (tackle) then had to go at left. Didn’t take many reps there. Micah is dealing with a hamstring pull from the week before. He was able to go without… He didn’t get many reps in practice, then his shoulder slipped out. He’s dealing with it, came back. They’re a mash unit. It’s tough sledding. It’s the dangedest thing I’ve ever seen with the offensive line in terms of, never played with two freshmen, never played with five guys and having to roll guys. It’s been tough.”

Coming into the 2025 season, Greene, Freeling, and Morris were the Bulldogs’ most experienced offensive linemen. Greene had started 23 games and Morris had played significant snaps in each of the past two seasons. Freeling rotated at both right and left tackle in 2024, eventually taking over the starting spot for the final five games when Greene was sidelined with a shoulder injury.

As a result of the injuries, Georgia has had four different starters at right tackle through five games. It has used five different players at the position in meaningful minutes.

Each of the three players battled injuries last season. Freeling played the final two games of the year with a torn labrum, an injury that required surgery in January and caused him to miss spring practice. Morris sustained a lower body injury last season, limiting in him multiple games and causing him to miss one. Greene spent most of last season dealing with a shoulder stinger that eventually left him unable to lift his left arm.

In addition to those three players being hurt in 2024, Georgia also had Tate Ratledge miss six games with a high-ankle and MCL sprains. Starting center Jared Wilson missed two contests with an ankle injury, and Dylan Fairchild played through a ruptured calf muscle. Each of those three players were selected on day two of the 2025 NFL Draft.

It’s too early to tell how the injuries to Greene, Morris, and Freeling will impact Georgia when it travels to Auburn next week. Smart, however, believes that if those three are healthy enough to help, they will.

“We have a tough culture here,” Smart said. “We have a physical culture here. They believe in pushing through if they can. I’m proud of them for that. There’s value in terms of the culture they develop for our team. There’s value for them in terms of what they want to do at the next level because those guys play hurt every week.”

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