Kirby Smart updates timetable for Lawson Luckie return
ATHENS, Ga. — Georgia freshman tight end Lawson Luckie underwent surgery to repair an ankle injury he suffered last week in the team’s first scrimmage of the fall. After the Bulldogs were between the hedges for a second time, head coach Kirby Smart updated his status.
“It’s week to week. We’ve had Arian comes back in 3-4 weeks from a similar injury but we’ve had guys take 5-6 weeks. Ron and the staff is going to do the best that they can to get him back.”
Without Luckie in the picture for the time being, Georgia is down to just three scholarship tight ends. Reining Mackey Award winner Brock Bowers leads the group while sophomore Oscar Delp is expected to take a step forward this season. He spoke with reporters this week about his development as a blocker.
The Bulldogs also have another freshman tight end, Pearce Spurlin, who is back on the field this fall after missing spring practice with a broken collarbone. Spurlin was ranked higher than Luckie as the No. 2 tight end in the Class of 2023. He took third team reps on Tuesday during media observation with Luckie sidelined.
Luckie is the latest in a long line of Georgia players that have battled injuries during fall camp. Others include Smael Mondon (foot), Kendall Milton (hamstring), Branson Robinson (foot), Kamari Lassiter (foot), Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins (foot), Rara Thomas (hamstring), Dan Jackson (hamstring) and Chris Peal (turf toe).
Luckie, who was ranked the No. 145 overall player and No. 8 tight end in the Class of 2023 per the On3 Industry Ranking, put together an impressive high school career at Norcross. In four seasons, Luckie hauled in 14 touchdown passes and totaled 1,476 receiving yards on 126 grabs with the Blue Devils. He would sign with Georgia in December 2022 and began working out with the Bulldogs right away, helping them prepare for their College Football Playoff matchups against both Ohio State and TCU.
As an early enrollee, Luckie made headlines in the spring. A Georgia legacy with a father and a pair of uncles who played for the Bulldogs in the 1990s, Luckie drew the attention of Georgia head coach Kirby Smart upon arrival.
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“He’s one of the toughest guys I’ve been around, as far as playing football. He does a really good job on that. So it’s fun to be around him,” Smart told ESPN’s Alyssa Lang during the G-Day spring scrimmage. “I’ll tell you, he’s a kid that took advantage of, he didn’t go play in all these all-star games. He just said, ‘I’ll stay here and practice with the Georgia Bulldogs.’ So he had 15 to 20 practices of semifinals, and the finals game that he practiced with our team. So he’s so much further ahead.”
Luckie hauled in three passes for 48 yards that Saturday. He reportedly had three touchdown catches in one of the Bulldogs’ earlier spring scrimmages too.
“Lawson has grown up a lot,” Smart told Georgia reporters prior to the spring game. “I think nobody benefited more from bowl practice than Lawson Luckie. He just said, ‘You know what, I want to go to bowl practice’. He didn’t miss one bowl practice. He was there every day. He was everywhere with us. He traveled with the team, blocked people on scout team, scout special teams.”
“He jumped on seniors and followed them,” Smart continued. “He has grown up a lot and he’s getting very mature quickly. He’s not where he needs to be. I think he’d be the first to tell you he likes to consider himself a tough guy. He’s got a ways to go to be tough enough to be a physical blocker. He does have some savvy route running. He’s got really good hands. He continues to improve, but he can’t think that he’s all the way there.”
As a result of the buzz he created, Luckie has been included on several lists of potential impact freshmen. On3’s Matt Zenitz named him one of 10 offensive spring practice standouts.
