Georgia football to be without several contributors because of injury this spring
Georgia is accustomed at this point to being with some of its top players during spring practice, as many opt to have offseason surgeries.
Georgia coach Kirby Smart announced that the following players will be out or limited this spring because of injury: quarterback Ryan Montgomery, running backs Branson Robinson and Roderick Robinson, tight end Colton Heinrich, offensive lineman Monroe Freeling, defensive lineman Christen Miller, outside linebacker Gabe Harris, defensive back Jaylan Morgan and punter Brett Thorson.
Smart acknowledged there are a few players dealing with soft-tissue injuries coming out of offseason workouts. One of those players is cornerback Daylen Everette, who is limited because of a sports hernia repair.
Miller elected to pass on the NFL draft and return to Georgia for the 2025 season. He is thought to be one of the key leaders on Georgia’s defense this season.
Miller is Georgia’s most senior defensive lineman, in addition to being the most proven. He had 27 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks in 14 games last season for Georgia.
Miller did miss two games this past season because of a shoulder injury he suffered in November against UMass. He did return to play against Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals.
The defensive line is one of Georgia’s biggest positions of concern, as the Bulldogs were already having to replace Warren Brinson, Nazir Stackhouse, Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins and Mykel Williams.
The absence of Miller should create more opportunities for Jordan Hall, Xzavier McLeod, Jordan Thomas, Nasir Johnson and incoming freshman Elijah Griffin.
In addition to Miller, Georgia already knew that offensive tackle Freeling will be limited this spring after he had shoulder surgery earlier in the offseason. Harris also is expected to be a key player for Georgia this season, as he is the most experienced outside linebacker on the team.
Montgomery and Morgan both carried in injuries from their high school careers, as they signed with Georgia’s 2025 class. Montgomery suffered a knee injury that cut his senior season short.
In total, five Georgia players are out with shoulder/labrum injuries.
With both Robinsons out, Branson is dealing with a knee injury while Roderick recovers from a broken ankle, expect Chauncey Bowens and Bo Walker to have bigger roles this spring.
Georgia defensive end Joseph Jonah-Ajonye will be limited this spring as he recovers from a foot injury.
Thorson suffered his injury in the SEC Championship game. Drew Miller stepped in as the team’s punter in the loss to Notre Dame.
Georgia begins spring practice Tuesday and concludes April 12 with G-Day.
Georgia football injury report
- Ryan Montgomery — ACL
- Branson Robinson — PCL
- Roderick Robinson — ankle
- Colton Heinrich — labrum
- Monroe Freeling — labrum
- Joseph Jonah-Ajoyne — foot (limited)
- Daylen Everette — hernia (limited)
- Christen Miller — labrum
- Gabe Harris — labrum
- Brett Thorson — ACL/MCL
- Jaylan Morgan — labrum
About the Author
Connor Riley has been covering the University of Georgia since 2014 before moving to DawgNation full-time before the 2018 season. He helps in all areas of the site such as team coverage, recruiting, video production, social media and podcasting. He graduated from the University of Georgia in 2016.
