Bulldogs’ CB Shattle Fenteng to undergo surgery, seek medical redshirt

Receiver Michael Bennett is covered by defensive back Shattle Fenteng (31) during Georgia practice.

Credit: Steven Colquitt

Credit: Steven Colquitt

Receiver Michael Bennett is covered by defensive back Shattle Fenteng (31) during Georgia practice.

Georgia cornerback Shattle Fenteng is going to require shoulder surgery and will miss the rest of the season, coach Mark Richt said Wednesday.

Fenteng, a junior college transfer from Hutchinson Community College, injured his left shoulder while diving for a ball in a pass-skeleton drill the second week of the Bulldogs’ preseason camp back in August. He tried to come back at the end of camp and actually played on two special teams plays in the Clemson game. But he has been unable to play since and Georgia finally decided it would be best to surgically repair the injury.

“It’ll be doubtful that he’ll play again this season,” Richt said after Wednesday’s practice. “I’m pretty sure he’s going to require some surgery on his shoulder. It just never got better.”

Fenteng will apply for and should be granted a medical redshirt and still have two seasons remaining to play for the Bulldogs.

The 6-foot-2, 187-pound Fenteng came to Georgia as a junior college All-American and was expected to the answer to the Bulldogs’ need for a shut-down corner. A resident of Loganville, Fenteng starred on Grayson’s 15-0 Class AAAAA state championship team in 2011 before heading to Hutchinson. He had eight interceptions, 24 pass breakups and 84 tackles in two seasons at Hutchinson.

“He’s a guy who’s tall, we use the term long because he has long arms,” Richt said. “He’s a good athlete. He’d have been a guy we thought as he learned what to do would be able to matchup against some bigger guys and it just didn’t work out for him this year.”

With Fenteng sidelined, junior Devin Bowman has emerged as Georgia’s starter at boundary corner. However, redshirt freshman Aaron Davis recently moved back to that position from safety and has been getting snaps there with the No. 1 defense.