The Georgia Pass game could get a boost if receiver Adonai Mitchell can come back from the high ankle sprain he sustained in the second game of the season and be ready to face Tennessee.
Mitchell hasn’t played in his last two games against Florida or Vanderbilt and only saw three snaps against Auburn (October 8) since suffering an injury against FCS Samford.
Coach Kirby Smart said Mitchell would be working “on the side” earlier this week and the Bulldogs’ most explosive perimeter threat had been limited in his actions.
The 1st-ranked Bulldogs (AP, Coaches’ Poll) play 1st-ranked Tennessee (CFP Rankings) at Sanford Stadium at 3:30 p.m. Saturday.
Mitchell, who hit a high-flying 40-yard TD catch in the CFP championship game, was the feature receiver early in the season and was sorely missed.
The defense has marginalized Georgia receivers and dared to throw sixth-year quarterback Stetson Bennett over the lead.
A viable Mitchell would make UGA more likely to take on that challenge.
Georgia’s pass protection was elite, keeping Bennett clean with the lowest pressure rate in the SEC.
Of course, the biggest injury news of the week was the severity of Nolan Smith’s chest injury, which will require season-ending surgery on Thursday.
Smith led UGA with 7 tackles for loss and 3 sacks when he injured himself on the fifth snap he took in last Saturday’s win over Florida.
Preliminary availability report
• OG Xavier Truss (toe), likely
• RB Kendall Milton (quad), likely
• OLB Chaz Chambliss (hamstring), likely
• TE Arik Gilbert (personal), questionable
• OT Amarius Mims (knee), questionable
• WR AD Mitchell (ankle), questionable
• OLB Nolan Smith (breaststroke), out
• SS Dan Jackson (foot), out
• RB Andrew Paul (knee), out
• OT Earnest Greene (rear), out
• SS Drew Bobo (labrum), out
• LB CJ Washington (neck), out