Kirby Smart provides update on availability for Ladd McConkey among others
ATHENS, Ga. — Kirby Smart has seen a pair of practices from his team this week as the Bulldogs prepare to take on Ball State. On Tuesday, the eighth-year Georgia head coach shared updates on the availability of a couple key players.
On the offensive side of the ball, a pair of starters that missed the opener last weekend are still trying to get back on the field this Saturday. Running back Daijun Edwards (MCL sprain) and wide receiver Ladd McConkey (back) received updates from Smart on Tuesday having seen a pair of practices this week.
“Daijun has looked good. He’s practiced and done well. He’s not in a black jersey but still has a knee brace,” Smart said. “Ladd has not practiced with us. He’s done routes on air, he’s run, he’s cut but he has not taken hits and done reps, practice reps. He’s done reps on air.”
Smart added that the back injury for McConkey has been difficult to gauge. It’s not the normal injury like an ankle or knee that’s so common in football, so the head coach said he’s having to rely even more heavily on head athletic trainer Ron Courson to figure out a plan of attack.
“It’s tricky to me because I don’t understand it. It’s one of those where I listen to Ron instead of talking about it,” Smart said. “I couldn’t even explain to you exactly what it is. It’s a really big word, but it’s frustrating for him because he doesn’t control – when he runs, he does great, everything is fine and then one sudden movement it sets him back. He has pain and he’s back down. He’s battling his tail off, he rehabs three or four times a day, he’s like, ‘I can go coach. I can go. Let me go out there and practice.’ We’re not going to do that until we’re certain.”
Smart also noted that wide receiver Jackson Meeks who has been in a boot is out of the boot and running alongside McConkey as he tries to work his way back from a foot injury.
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Meanwhile, on the defensive side it’s the inside linebackers that dominate the injury report. Smael Mondon, last year’s leading tackler, played snaps on third downs late in the game and recorded a tackle in his return from a foot injury that he suffered in the spring. Then, a pair of youngsters – redshirt freshman EJ Lightsey (shoulder) and true freshman Raylen Wilson (hyperextended knee) – missed the contest entirely.
“Raylen is back in a black shirt,” Smart said. “He’s practiced the last two days. It’s so great to have him out there. I don’t think he’s 100 percent, but he’s coming off a hyperextended knee. He’s wearing a little bit of a brace and there’s a little bit of a lumber there. But he’s really a bright kid. It’s like he didn’t miss a lot mentally. He was able to stay in tune with what’s going on while he was not practicing, which is really hard for a freshman to do.”
“Smael has been good, like you said. I didn’t know how much he played the other day, but in our mind he was playing. He was playing in sub situations,” he continued. “He’s played a few more snaps this week, kind of building him up, trying to ramp him up slowly to a full game’s quota of snaps. I don’t know how much that’ll be this week, but he’s practiced well.”
Other banged up Bulldogs include running back Kendall Milton (hamstring), who played on Saturday and led Georgia in both carries and yards but was not quite 100% according to Smart, defensive back David Daniel-Sisavanh (turf toe), linebacker EJ Lightsey (shoulder), tight end Lawson Luckie (ankle) and defensive back Chris Peal (turf toe). Daniel-Sisavanh, Lightsey, Luckie and Peal did not played on Saturday, the latter two of whom were not in uniform.
