Kirby Smart reveals DB William Poole will miss remainder of 2022 due to personal issues

After two weeks of absences from Georgia senior defensive back William Poole, head coach Kirby Smart revealed on Monday that the corner won’t be with the team for the rest of the 2022 season. As Poole is a super senior, it’s unclear whether he’ll suit up as a Bulldog again.

Smart said last week and reiterated again Monday that the Georgia native is dealing with personal issues. he did not go into specifics about what those personal issues might entail. Poole did not travel with the Bulldogs to South Carolina last week. He also didn’t appear in the Samford game in week two.

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Poole has only made one appearance for Georgia this season, playing as a reserve against Oregon. He is a sixth-year senior for the Bulldogs and played in 34 career games. While many have not been in a starting role, he is still critical to what Smart is trying to do with his defense.

On the Bulldogs’ depth chart, Poole filled a backup role behind sophomore Kamari Lassiter.

A member of the 2017 signing class, Poole was a highly-recruited four-star prospect. He was the No. 181 overall prospect in the class and the No. 21 corner, according to the On3 Consensus.

Of his six years on campus in Athens, the 2021 season was the most productive for William Poole. The DB missed the first four games of the season due to academic issues but went on to be a major piece of the defense.

He played in 11 of 15 games on the way to the national title. He started in both games versus Alabama and posted a career-high five tackles in SEC Championship Game. Poole had four tackles and a career-best two pass breakups in CFP finale as well. On the season, he finished with 14 total stops, four pass breakups and one QB pressure.