Georgia’s Kirby Smart Drops Surprising Injury News That Could Change OL Lineup Forever

Isn’t it fascinating how a bruising setback can sometimes be the spark a team needs to recalibrate and roar back stronger? That’s exactly what Kirby Smart and the No. 12 Georgia Bulldogs showed last weekend, smashing the Kentucky Wildcats 35-14 after a gut-wrenching loss to Alabama derailed their perfect 3-0 start. It’s almost as if Smart had planted a silent promise, confident his squad would snap back—and snap back they did, with Gunnar Stockton leading a Senate-worthy offense and key backs pounding their way to over 100 yards rushing. But just as the Bulldogs regain their footing—climbing two spots to No. 5 in the SEC—nagging injuries loom large, threatening to tangle their momentum before the daunting trip to Auburn. Can Georgia’s battered offensive line heal in time to hold the line? Or will Smart’s “best guy” mantra be tested under pressure? There’s more to this story, and trust me—this is far from over. LEARN MORE

Kirby Smart and the No. 12 Georgia Bulldogs returned to form last weekend, taking down the Kentucky Wildcats 35-14 in a dominant bounce-back win. The victory came just one week after Georgia’s heartbreaking 24-21 loss to Alabama, a result that ended their perfect 3-0 start to the 2025 campaign.

Smart wasn’t surprised by the turnaround. Speaking after the game, per DawgNation, the head coach said he fully expected his players to respond the way they did.

“I wasn’t shocked at all by the response of the team. I expected it,” Smart said.

Georgia’s offense fired on all cylinders, led by quarterback Gunnar Stockton, who threw for 196 yards and a touchdown while adding 48 yards and two rushing scores.

Running backs Chauncey Bowens and Nate Frazier combined for over 100 rushing yards, and wide receiver Dillon Bell paced the team with 68 receiving yards. The Bulldogs jumped out to an early 14-0 lead and never looked back, reclaiming momentum in the SEC standings.

Still, injuries remain a concern heading into this week’s road matchup against Auburn. During Wednesday’s SEC head coaches teleconference, Smart offered updates on two key offensive tackles, Monroe Freeling and Earnest Greene, who are both recovering from lower-body injuries.

As reported by 247Sports, Freeling is working his way back from an ankle issue sustained on the first drive against Kentucky. “Monroe’s been able to do a little bit,” Smart said. “He’s been running and working out, but we’ll know more later this week. It’s about finding out if he can handle the strain of playing at this level.”

Freeling has appeared in 26 games for Georgia, starting nine. Smart added earlier in the week that the injury was “not as serious as we thought,” and that the team hopes to have him available against Auburn.

Greene, meanwhile, has missed three consecutive games, though Smart confirmed he’s making progress. “He’s running, moving around, doing individual drills,” Smart said. “He just keeps getting better.”

In their absence, redshirt sophomore Bo Hughley and freshmen Dontrell Glover and Juan Gaston have stepped into bigger roles on the offensive line. Smart emphasized that the lineup decisions are based purely on performance: “The plan is to play the best guy that gives us the best chance to win.”

Georgia’s recovery comes at the right time. According to the Week 7 SEC Power Rankings, the Bulldogs climbed two spots to No. 5 after their statement win. As Smart put it, “I wasn’t shocked at all by the response.”

Now, they’ll aim to carry that same energy into a tough road test at Auburn before matchups against Ole Miss, Florida, Texas, and Georgia Tech close out their schedule.

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