Georgia Bulldogs tight end Brock Bowers suffered a left ankle injury against the Vanderbilt Commodores. Bowers, who is Georgia’s leading receiver with 567 receiving yards, was initially thought to have suffered a lower ankle injury.
However, per Dawg Central’s Graham Coffey, TightRope surgery has been recommended for Brock Bowers, and he is expected to undergo surgery on Oct. 16. He is expected to make a full recovery, but Georgia football has not provided a timeline on his return.
TightRope surgery is typically needed for high ankle sprains. Bowers missed the rest of the Vanderbilt game after going down with his ankle issue.
After the Vanderbilt game, Georgia head coach Kirby Smart updated Bowers’ status, but he did not have much information.
Looked like it was lower, but we don’t know.
Fellow Georgia tight end Lawson Luckie, a true freshman, underwent TightRope surgery this season and missed six to seven weeks. Offensive tackle Amarius Mims had the procedure after the South Carolina game and has not returned. There’s a chance Mims returns for the Florida game. Former Tennessee Volunteers wide Cedric Tillman had the surgery last year and missed four games.
Update: Georgia confirms Brock Bowers will have surgery today "to stabilize the ankle and a full recovery is anticipated." https://t.co/cxGxDqBBqU
— Seth Emerson (@SethWEmerson) October 16, 2023
If Bowers missed six weeks, his return date would be around the SEC championship game.
Fortunately, Georgia has a bye week before the Florida game on Oct. 28. Georgia needs to find its offensive identity without Brock Bowers. The Bulldogs still have an excellent receiving group, but Georgia will be thin at tight end.
If Bowers is out, Oscar Delp will become Georgia’s No. 1 tight end. Lawson Luckie or Pearce Spurlin would be Georgia’s No. 2 tight end. The Bulldogs would likely rely more on a three receiver, one running back and one tight end set opposed to running two tight end sets.
