Georgia TE Brock Bowers' status for Orange Bowl uncertain against an extremely shorthanded Florida State
Georgia could be without TE Brock Bowers and OT Amarius Mims against an extremely shorthanded Florida State team in the Orange Bowl on Saturday.
Both Bowers and Mims suffered high ankle sprains during the regular season and have been working their way back to full strength since. It was especially clear when Bowers returned to the field that he wasn’t 100%.
Georgia coach Kirby Smart said Tuesday that Georgia will have its “guys that are healthy.” Does that group include Bowers and Mims? According to Rivals’ UGASports.com, the two players are expected to join the team Thursday. And Smart made it seem Tuesday after the rest of the team arrived at the Orange Bowl that it would be Bowers’ decision if he’s going to play.
“That’s up to Brock,” Smart said. “Brock’s been with us the whole time and he’s been doing all the things he’s got to do. It’s more important, though, that he’s 100%. The guy probably played earlier than he should have, came out there and competed his butt off.”
Both Bowers and Mims are widely expected to be early picks in the 2024 NFL Draft, so you can understand why they wouldn’t want to risk taking the field if they aren’t 100%. Bowers is viewed as the top tight end in the draft and could be a top-10 selection in April. He had 56 catches for 714 yards and six scores in 10 games in 2023. For his career, he has 175 catches for 2,538 yards and 26 touchdowns and had played in every game in his career until he was injured against Vanderbilt.
Florida State missing a ton of key pieces
The list of Georgia players who may not or are not playing in the Orange Bowl is much, much shorter than the list of Florida State players not competing. That's why the Bulldogs are 17.5-point favorites.
Numerous Seminoles have announced since the team missed out on the College Football Playoff that they aren’t going to play against the Bulldogs. The latest players to opt out and prep for the draft are starting cornerbacks Renaldo Green and Jarrian Jones. They weren’t on the team’s Tuesday depth chart.
QB Tate Rodemaker was set to start the Orange Bowl, but he’s entering the transfer portal as Florida State has been reportedly looking in the portal for a new starter to succeed Jordan Travis in 2024. That leaves freshman Brock Glenn to start the Orange Bowl. He was the team’s starter in the ACC title game against Louisville.
Running back Trey Benson is also opting out of the game to prepare for the NFL Draft, along with wide receivers Johnny Wilson and Keon Coleman. Benson rushed 156 times for 906 yards and 14 TDs in 2023. Coleman, a transfer from Michigan State, has 50 catches for 658 yards and 11 TDs and was the team’s primary punt returner. Wilson has 41 catches for 617 yards.
No. 2 rusher Lawrance Toafili (463 yards) is also out for the Orange Bowl due to injury, and TE Jaheim Bell (39 catches) is opting out. There will be a lot of new faces on the offense.
Green and Jones aren’t the only significant defenders set to miss the game either. Star DE Jared Verse has opted out to prep for the NFL. Verse leads the team with nine sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss.
The defense also looked set to be without DE Patrick Payton (6 sacks) after he announced that he was heading to the transfer portal. But Payton has been back at practice with the team and is listed as a starter.
