CBS provides update on Darris Smith injury during Florida-Georgia game

No. 1 Georgia has weathered a second-half surge by rival Florida that cut it to a one-score game, doing so without a special teams player that was hurt in the second half. Freshman linebacker Darris Smith‘s injury caused him to leave the game on the first play of the second half.

He will not return to the game, according to a report from the CBS broadcast crew calling the game.

“Quick update on outside linebacker Darris Smith, he’s the one that took that hard hit to the head and neck area on the opening kickoff to the second half,” CBS sideline reporter Jenny Dell said. “He was helped off the field to the injury tent. He’s been in the locker room since, obviously he’s out for this game.”

The Darris Smith injury occurred when he was chasing down a kickoff in the second half. As he ran downfield, Florida freshman edge rusher Jack Pyburn planted him into the turf with a block.

Smith was shaken up and had to be tended to on the field before eventually being helped off.

Georgia led 28-3 at the time.

Smith has appeared in five games for Georgia this year, mostly on special teams. On defense, he has one tackle after arriving as a highly touted recruit. He was a four-star prospect and the No. 117 player in the nation from the class of 2022, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

Smith was part of an impressive 2022 recruiting class for Georgia, which came in at No. 3 in the On3 Consensus Team Recruiting Ranking.