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Kirby Smart gives early week update on Georgia's injury situation

Jeremy Johnsonby: Jeremy Johnson09/24/25JeremyO_Johnson
Earnest Greene Georgia
Georgia offensive lineman Earnest Greene III (71) during Georgia’s practice session in Athens, Ga., on Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2025. (Tony Walsh/UGAAA)

Georgia has battled through injuries along the offensive line and in a few places around the rest of the roster in its first three games. Alabama comes calling on Saturday night in Athens.

The bye week provided an opportunity to heal. Georgia got right tackle Earnest Greene and right guard Juan Gaston back in Georgia’s win over Tennessee. Both were still working back from their injuries and still hampered by them.

Greene exited the Tennessee game after starting. Gaston did not start, but relieved starter Dontrell Glover. Smart says both Greene and Gaston have come out on the other side of the bye week working toward healthy.

Georgia rotates bodies and have continued to do that in practice this week.

“Just working hard, you know,” Kirby Smart told reporters on Tuesday. “That’s all they can do right now, is put their head down and grind and try to get better. Continue to develop, and we’ll continue to do that with all those guys. I mean, we’ve got a lot of guys who get work right and left side. You’ve got to have guys that can swing and play both. There are things you do to try to help guys. I mean, they do the same thing. We do the same thing. You’re constantly looking to try to find a niche for those guys to get better.”

Georgia’s backfield healthy

Georgia running back Dwight Phillips appeared to go down in the game in Knoxville. He did not return but was practicing last week, early in the week, according to Smart. Phillips appears fine as the Bulldogs begin preparing for this week’s matchup with Alabama.

“Yeah, he seems to be fine,” Smart said. “He’s rolling in there, playing special teams, and doing things well, so he’s really had no limitations.”

Running back Roderick Robinson has yet to play for Georgia this season. He has been hampered by a hamstring injury he suffered in camp.

Smart gave a brief look into where Robinson is physically.

“He’s had a hamstring from camp and he was not 100 percent from the ankle, his ankle injury was very significant,” Smart said. “He’s worked hard to overcome that. Part of his strength is he’s a big man like Josh (McCray). Its a burst and it’s him having explosion in that leg and hamstring. I would say he’s more healthy now than when we started camp. He’s closer to being full speed and he’s still working on that and fighting to contribute and help. He’s very intelligent and he knows the offense but there’s a lot of depth in that room. If everybody is healthy there is going to be a lot of healthy competition in that room.”

Georgia’s first availability report will come out later this week. The Bulldogs were without Ethan Barbour, Chase Linton and Thomas Blackshear against Tennessee. Barbour is likely out for the season, while Linton and Blackshear could return at some point this fall.

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