Georgia linebacker Darris Smith helped off field with injury after questionable hit on second-half kickoff

Georgia went into halftime with good spirits after a strong first half against Florida. But the Bulldogs saw an unwelcome sight on the second-half kickoff when freshman linebacker Darris Smith had to be helped off the field following a questionable hit.

On kick coverage, a Florida blocker leveled a big hit on Smith, and he stayed on the ground afterward as the trainers came onto the field. He ended up getting helped off and the officials ruled there was no targeting on the play.

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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.

Nolan Smith injury takes Georgia star defender out of annual rivalry game vs. Florida

No. 1 Georgia was cruising early on in its annual rivalry showdown with Florida in Jacksonville, Fla., going up 21-0 early in the second quarter. But a Nolan Smith injury will bear monitoring, with the star edge defender dinged up in the first half.

Smith left the contest following a tackle for a loss late in the first quarter. CBS reported he is out for the game.

“Bulldogs outside linebacker Nolan Smith, he got injured at the end of the first quarter,” CBS sideline reporter Jenny Dell reported on the air. “The team touched his right shoulder, he yelled in pain and he was inside the injury tent for about 10 minutes. Came out, tried to push against a teammate, grimaced immediately. He is out for this game, guys.”