ATHENS — Fine. Been fine. No issues.
That was the feedback Georgia tight end John FitzPatrick provided Monday on his recovery from a foot injury that kept him sidelined for the middle portion of the Bulldogs’ preseason camp.
“I’m good to go,” the 6-foot-7, 250-pound junior from Atlanta said. “I’m excited to contribute to the run game and the pass game and all facets of the game.”
That’s good news for the No. 5-ranked Bulldogs, who already know they’re going to be without Darnell Washington, their returning starter at tight end. The 6-7, 265-pound sophomore from Las Vegas was less fortunate when a foot injury befell him early in camp. Coach Kirby Smart has remained vague about the extent of Washington’s injury and even provided a glimmer of hope that Washington would play in the opener against No. 3 Clemson when he called him “day-to-day” two weeks ago.
But Washington has been spotted as recently as this past weekend using a knee scooter to get around with his foot in a protective boot. So, it’s expected to be a while still before the Bulldogs deploy the seven-game starter who had five catches in their last two games of the year.
FitzPatrick contends that they’ll be just fine at the position. The Marist High product is Georgia’s most experienced tight end with 21 games and six starts. Meanwhile, sophomores Ryland Goede and Brett Seither are ready in a rotation that includes Brock Bowers, a 4-star freshman out of Napa, Calif., who created a buzz with big plays throughout camp.
“I know the tight end room is ready,” said FitzPatrick, who has 11 career catches and scored his first touchdown last season. “Injuries will happen here and there, but it’s always a next-man-up mentality. And we’re loaded at tight end, from top to bottom, and there’s no drop-off if one guys goes down.”
Coach Smart was far from detailed when asked when either Washington or defensive back Tykee Smith might make a return. Smith, a projected contributor after transferring to Georgia from West Virginia, suffered a similar injury in the same scrimmage as did Washington.
“Each one of them are doing great,” Smart said. “They’re moving around now, and hopeful both those guys will be healthy soon.”
Credit: UGA Athletics
Credit: UGA Athletics
Arik Gilbert out
One player who definitely won’t play is wide receiver Arik Gilbert. The high-profile transfer from LSU was penciled in as a potential starter at Georgia’s split-end position. But he was removed from team activities due to “personal issues” the first week of preseason camp.
Again, Smart left the possibility open that Gilbert might rejoin the team before the season opener. But, asked about it Monday, it does not seem as though there is any timeline for a return.
“No update other than Arik is not currently with us, still,” Smart said. “We’re praying for him each and every day that he can come back healthy.”
The 6-foot-5, 240-pound Gilbert is a former 5-star prospect from Marietta. He signed with LSU out of high school and earned freshman All-SEC honors after catching 35 passes for 368 yards and two touchdowns for the Tigers.
But Gilbert left LSU with two games remaining in the 2020 season and did not return. He initially committed to Florida last spring, then enrolled at UGA in June.
Receiving corps ready
Wide receiver has been a position hit particularly hard by injury since the end of last season. The Bulldogs, of course, lost star split end George Pickens to a season-ending ACL injury the second week of spring practice. Meanwhile, sophomores Dominick Blaylock (knee), Jermaine Burton (knee) and Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint all missed spring ball while recovering from injuries. Then senior Kearis Jackson had to undergo an arthroscopic knee procedure over the summer.
Heading into Clemson, only Blaylock and Pickens have been unable to return. The Bulldogs insist the others are all completely healthy now and that timing will not be an issue going against the Tigers’ heralded defense.
“We have a lot of guys I feel comfortable with,” junior quarterback JT Daniels said. “Just the amount of work we got during the offseason, guys missing a little here and there, we have a rapport we’ve been building over time. So, there’re no concerns about that for me.”
6-8 offensive lineman commits
Smart sent out a non-descript “Go Dawgs” message via Twitter on Monday. As always, that means the Bulldogs received a verbal commitment in recruiting.
This one came from Jacob Hood, a 6-foot-8, 342-pound offensive lineman from Nashville, Tenn. Hood, who 247Sports rates as a 3-star recruiting prospect, becomes Georgia’s 16th commitment for the Class of 2022. He chose the Bulldogs over Baylor, Florida and Georgia Tech.
“It felt like home,” Hood told DawgNation.com. “I had a good feeling after my (June 11) official visit.”
About the Author
