Game week is here and the excitement around Georgia football is only building. The No. 5 Bulldogs take on No. 3 Clemson in Charlotte on Saturday night.
While all signs point to a great matchup, Georgia has been dealing with a multitude of injuries, specifically at receiver and tight end.
According to coach Kirby Smart, star receivers Arik Gilbert and George Pickens are out and we know that Dominick Blaylock is still recovering from an ACL tear suffered last year, which means, at best, Blaylock is questionable.
There is, however, great news for the Bulldogs at tight end. Georgia’s starter from a year ago, John Fitzpatrick, is back and ready to go versus the Tigers after missing part of fall camp with a foot injury.
“I’m good to go, and I’m excited to contribute through the run game and pass game and all facets of the game,” Fitzpatrick told reporters on Monday.
“I’m really excited, right now we have our first Monday practice – I’m excited to attack this practice this week,” FitzPatrick said. “There’s tons of excitement around the team and the locker room, and we feel ready.”
College football analyst Cole Cubelic recently named Fitzpatrick as one of the league’s top-returning tight ends.
MY top 5 SEC tight ends for 2021: pic.twitter.com/CmLkoY2jHx
— Cole Cubelic (@colecubelic) August 29, 2021
That means Georgia has one less spot to worry about filling for Saturday night, however, the Bulldogs will likely still be missing star tight end Darnell Washington, who underwent surgery last week to repair a foot injury. That said, Kirby Smart has recently stated that his injury is day-to-day.
We may not see Washington, but freshman Brock Bowers has been turning heads at fall camp. The 6-foot-5, 230 pound true freshman’s speed and play-making ability may give Georgia that boost at tight end it needs with Washington out.
Here’s what the tight end lineup may look like on Saturday:
- John Fitzpatrick
- Brock Bowers
- Darnell Washington (questionable)
- Brett Seither
- Ryland Goede
“UGA Football Live with J.C. Shelton” is back! This week J.C. is joined by college football analyst Josh Pate to answer questions surrounding Georgia football and break down what to look for versus Clemson! Listen here:
