Kirby Smart reveals Dan Jackson will require surgery, shares plan

Georgia coach Kirby Smart confirmed one of his contributing defensive backs will undergo surgery, following a Dan Jackson injury that surfaced recently and limited him in practice over the last couple weeks.

Jackson had been a key contributor in some of Georgia’s packages with extra defensive backs on the field, logging 16 tackles, a tackle for a loss, an interception, a pass breakup and a forced fumble.

“Yeah he’s got a foot injury that he’s probably going to have to have surgery on,” Smart said on Tuesday. “It bothered him in the Vanderbilt game and I’m not sure when that surgery’s going to take place. I know (executive associate athletic director – sports medicine) Ron (Courson) knows, he wasn’t able to go with us much last week and hasn’t been able to go much this week.”

Jackson’s absence comes as No. 1 Georgia readies for its annual rivalry game against Florida in Jacksonville, Fla.

However, after depth in the secondary was a massive concern for the Bulldogs a year ago, it has been less of a problem this year. Smart sounded confident Georgia could move some pieces around to replace Jackson for the time being.

Georgia will adjust in secondary due to Dan Jackson surgery

Smart explained how the Bulldogs will get by in the secondary following Dan Jackson’s surgery to repair his foot injury.

“Well Malaki (Starks) and Chris (Smith) are starting, so they’re there,” Smart said. “Dan was playing some in a dime role, which if you remember last year we couldn’t play dime. We didn’t play dime much at all with our depth at DB.

“But David Daniel-(Sisavanh)‘s a guy that will step up and play. (Javon Bullard) and Tykee (Smith) both work and rep all the time at safety. JaCorey Thomas has been repping all year at safety, so it’ll be done by committee by all those guys.”

Georgia is coming off a bye week and will take on Florida in a game that kicks off at TIAA Bank Field at 3:30 p.m. ET, with a national broadcast on CBS.