Georgia’s No. 1-ranked prospect at defensive tackle hasn’t played in a game this season because of a neck injury.
And it’s not really known when he will return.
Elisha Shaw is a 6-foot-4, 310-pound senior from Tucker High School who is rated as the state’s No. 5 overall prospect in the 247 composite rankings.
The 4-star lists UGA and Alabama as his co-leaders, followed by Ole Miss. He is also considering Auburn and Texas.
Last month at practice, Shaw said he injured his neck when his head went down too low while making a tackle. He got a scare when the initial X-rays appeared to show a facture but they later turned out to be negative.
However, since that day, Shaw has been wearing a neck brace and hs been unable to participate in football. He still attends all team functions while awaiting medical clearance.
“I have a neck injury, and they are saying I’m going to be out for a little bit,” Shaw told the AJC on Wednesday night. “It feels OK now, but I just have to let it heal.”
When does Shaw expect to return? “I have to wait until I get more word from the doctor. But we haven’t discussed when I’m coming back right now.
“It’s frustrating. I feel bad that I can’t help my team, but there’s nothing I can do until I get cleared.”
Shaw has tried to stay in shape while on the injured reserved. He recently returned to doing some running drills and light weightlifting.
“He’s out there with the guys every day,” Tucker coach Bryan Lamar said. “He’s a special kid. He has got such a great personality and such a great outlook on life. He was down a little bit when it happened. His teammates, his coaches and everybody kind of picked him up. He’s doing better.
When asked about Shaw’s timetable for a return, his coach said, “We don’t know. He still has to follow-up with the doctors. He’s feeling good. I don’t get too much into the specifics of it. I’m not a doctor or anything.
“Maybe he’ll be back in the playoffs, maybe he won’t. I don’t know. But he’s feeling better.”
It has been a rough year for Shaw, who missed most of last spring’s football workouts with a knee injury.
What’s the latest with recruiting? “All the colleges are still in there with him,” Lamar said. “Nobody has dropped off on him (because of the injury). They still want him.”
Last week, Shaw made an unofficial visit to UGA for the South Carolina game, and spoke with Bulldogs assistant Chris Wilson. “He just told me to get healthy and stay positive,” Shaw said.
Shaw, who hasn’t set any dates yet for official visits, plans to attend an Alabama home game within the next month.
- It’s hard to call any kid with more than 10 D1 offers a “sleeper prospect,” but that’s the deal with Tucker cornerback Dominick Sanders. His recruiting will likely blow up after his senior film gets out. “He’s still got the same big schools there,” Lamar said. “You’ve got Missouri. Arkansas is still in there, as is Kansas State and Iowa State. Virginia came in there the other day, and they haven’t officially done anything yet. I’m sure a lot of schools will be coming through when it’s time to really evaluate."
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