Ladd McConkey ruled out vs. UT-Martin due to back injury

Georgia will be without wide receiver Ladd McConkey when it opens the season on Saturday. He’s dealing with back stiffness, which is why he’ll sit out the opener, according to DawgsHQ’s Jake Rowe.

McConkey is coming off the best year of his career in Athens in 2022, totaling 762 yards and seven touchdowns as a key part of the offense. He also added two rushing touchdowns, as well.

Kirby Smart provided an update on McConkey’s status ahead of the season opener, confirming he was dealing with a back issue. However, he indicated McConkey would be able to give it a go in the opener as of his Monday press conference.

“Ladd is doing great,” Smart said. “We had to shut him down for a little bit. He had a back injury, but he’s fine. He’s dealt with it before, he’s had it last year. He practiced Saturday and it was good and he’s expected to be out there today. So he should be fine.”

McConkey’s absence means Carson Beck will be without a key weapon when he makes his first start at quarterback for Georgia. Kickoff between the Bulldogs and UT-Martin is coming up at 6 p.m. ET.

Georgia will also be without Lawson Luckie against UT-Martin

Smart also confirmed tight end Lawson Luckie will be out for some time as he recovers from tightrope surgery. He provided a positive update during his press conference this week and expressed hope Luckie wouldn’t be out too long as he works his way back.

“Lawson ended up getting the tightrope surgery. We don’t know when to expect him back. He’s already out of a boot and walking with pressure on it, which is great news,” Smart said. “He’s out at walk-throughs, at meetings. He’s very attentive. He’s going to help us special teams wise. But in the time that he’s been gone, Oscar [Delp], Pearce [Spurlin] have both picked up the load, done a great job. We’ve had some other guys audition and move around at that position.”

Luckie is gearing up for his freshman season at Georgia after coming in as a highly rated recruit. He was a four-star recruit, the No. 145-ranked player in the country and the nationls No. 8-ranked tight end from the 2023 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies..

On3’s Matt Connolly contributed to this report.