ATHENS — Georgia will be without safety Dan Jackson for the rest of the season.
The part-time starter, a junior from Gainesville, has been dealing with a foot injury for the last several weeks. After getting further examination during the off week, a stress fracture was discovered and the decision was made to have surgery.
“It was bothering him in the Vanderbilt game,” coach Kirby Smart said after the Bulldogs’ Tuesday afternoon practice. “Not sure when that surgery is going to take place. He wasn’t able to go with us much last week and hasn’t been able to go with us this week.”
Jackson and his parents were scheduled to meet with sports medicine director Ron Courson to discuss surgery options and a rehabilitation plan. None of them include returning this season.
That means the Bulldogs will be without one of their best tackling defensive backs for the Florida game. Teammates call Jackson “Dirty Dan” for his willingness to initiate contact with any opponent. The Gators (4-3, 1-3 SEC) come into Saturday’s game leading the nation in rushing yards per carry (6.4) with one of the SEC’s top rushing quarterbacks in Anthony Richardson.
Smart’s updates on defensive tackle Jalen Carter and wide receiver Adonai Mitchell also were not encouraging. Indications are neither will play against Florida.
“They’ve done a little bit, but we don’t feel great about them,” Smart said. “Jalen has probably looked better than Adonai. But I don’t know at this point if either one of them will be able to play.”
Smart said sophomore linebacker Smael Mondon is fully recovered and ready to go after an ankle injury.
Though Jackson lost his starting spot to freshman Malaki Starks the second week of the season, he continued to play a major role on the Bulldogs’ defense and on special teams. He most often was on the field with Georgia’s nickel and dime packages, which utilize five or six defensive backs. He is a starter on several special-teams units, including punt-block and kickoff coverage teams.
Christopher Smith and Starks are Georgia’s regular starters at safety. With Jackson out, several other young players will have increased roles.
Sophomore David Daniel-Sisavanh has played in all seven games, and fellow sophomore Javon Bullard has played in six with three starts at the star position. Junior Tykee Smith cross-trains at safety, while JaCorey Thomas has worked full time at safety but has appeared in only two games.
“It’ll be done by committee with all those guys,” Smart said.
Jackson was fifth on the team with 16 tackles and is one of four players with at least one interception. He started the season opener against Oregon and has played in all seven games.
A former walk-on, the 6-foot-1, 190-pound Jackson earned a scholarship last season, when he started four games and played in all 15 for the national champion Bulldogs. He finished the season with 39 tackles and two tackles for loss.
Jackson began to have issues with his foot in the Auburn game. Initial X-rays did not reveal a fracture. He continued to play while experiencing increasing levels of pain. After playing through the end of Georgia’s 55-0 win over Vanderbilt, the decision was made to shut him down. An MRI last week revealed a hairline fracture, and the decision was made this week to have surgery.
