Kirby Smart gives injury updates on Ladd McConkey, Warren McClendon
ATLANTA, Ga. — Georgia had a pair of offensive starters go down in the first half and miss the final 30 minutes of action as the Bulldogs beat LSU 50-30 for the 2022 SEC Championship. Fourth-year junior Warren McClendon and redshirt sophomore Ladd McConkey both suffered left knee injuries. Kirby Smart was asked about them after the game and gave what can be called an optimistic prognosis.
“McClendon is a light MCL [sprain]. Don’t know how long it will be. He wasn’t able to go back in obviously. Don’t know what grade is. Ladd’s is a continuation of what he’s been having. His knees have been bothering him, and he has some tendinitis in there. It didn’t so much hurt him on the play as it just started aggravating him more and didn’t feel like he could go.”
McConkey isn’t dealing with a specific injury as he is what can be best described as a sore knee. Smart says he is dealing with some tendonitis and soreness in there. The play where he went down aggravated the injury and McConkey, according to his head coach, didn’t feel like he could go back in.
Smart says that Warren McClendon has a “slight MCL” and stated that he doesn’t know how long he might be out. Smart said the same about another Georgia offensive lineman, Amarius Mims, a few weeks ago and he missed just one week. Mims entered the game after McClendon’s injury and played the entirety of the second half at right tackle.
McClendon, a Brunswick native, has started every game for the past two years at right tackle. He started all but one game at right tackle in during the 2020 season. If he were to miss his next start it misses would be the first in the past 37 games.
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The Bulldogs have needed McConkey in a big way this season with AD Mitchell missing almost the entire regular season. He had five catches for 69 yards and a touchdown despite playing only a half of football. He has now caught 51 passes for 675 yards and five touchdowns. He also has six carries for 120 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.
McConkey and McClendon will have some time to heal up before they are needed next. Georgia’s next game won’t be for three weeks. It’ll take place on New Year’s Eve and it’ll likely be back in Mercedes-Benz Stadium as the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff. The most likely opponent is Ohio State but TCU and Alabama are also possibilities.
The College Football Playoff selection show will air Sunday at 12 p.m. ET on ESPN. It will be Georgia’s second straight trip to the Playoffs and third under Kirby Smart.
