No. 1 Georgia football knows what it's like to miss big piece of offense and still thrive

Kirby Smart and the Georgia football team have been through this drill before.

Chasing a national championship with a difference-maker in the passing game out of the picture because of injury.

In 2021, wide receiver George Pickens missed the first 11 games of the season with a torn ACL until returning for the regular season finale against Georgia Tech.

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He suffered the knee injury during the fourth spring practice, but had 5 catches for 107 yards in four games that season, including a 52-yarder in the national championship win over Alabama.

In 2022, wide receiver AD Mitchell missed nine games with a high ankle sprain and saw limited action in three others. He did not undergo surgery and came up big with touchdown catches in the national semifinal win over Ohio State and the national championship rout of TCU.

This time, it’s star tight end Brock Bowers who underwent TightRope surgery Monday for a left high ankle sprain sustained at Vanderbilt Saturday.

“We've always had other guys who were impactful,” Smart said after practice Tuesday. “And I think we still have other guys who are impactful players on our offense now. We've got good football players, and our guys are excited for the opportunity. We've got good coaches that will find ways to get good players the football.”

Bowers is Georgia’s leading receiver for a third straight year with 41 catches for 567 yards and 4 touchdowns for an offense that ranks sixth in the nation and No. 1 in the SEC in lowest percentage of three-and-outs at 10.5, according to Sport Source Analytics.

Now he’ll watch from the sideline.

“It was most definitely hard, it was most definitely challenging,” Pickens said in March 2022 about missing most of his last Georgia season. “You want to be out there with the guys. They’re winning games without you.”

Bowers would be thrilled if Georgia can keep winning without him for however long that may be.

“It’s something we’re going to have to overcome, something that we’re going to have to step up and play better, perform at a high level,” wide receiver Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint said.

Pickens, a second-round pick by the Steelers last year, could have shut it down to get ready for the NFL draft.

Just like defensive tackle Jalen Carter last season when he battled knee and ankle injuries in the first half of the year.

Carter was a top 10 NFL overall draft pick even with off-field questions surrounding him.

Bowers also is projected to go as high — if not higher.

“There’s no player we’re asking to step up and do more than he can,” Smart said. “As a collective effort, every player is going to do more. That includes defense getting turnovers, special teams getting better field position, other guys getting opportunities to touch the ball, and make the most of it.”

Todd Hartley, who has established himself as an alpha recruiter in stocking his Bulldogs tight ends room with talent on the current roster and in future classes, took to social media Monday after the Bowers news.

“Warrior. Competitor. Ball Player. Dawg. Toughest SOB I have EVER EVER seen,” Hartley posted on Instagram. “Love you bud @brockbowers17”

Those traits Bowers possesses have helped Georgia win two national titles with him and stand at 7-0 at the bye week.

The injury is expected to keep him off the field for several weeks when the Bulldogs schedule toughens, although Smart did not offer a timeline.

Tennessee wide receiver Cedric Tillman missed four games in the 2022 season after undergoing the TightRope surgery for a high ankle sprain.

He played in three of Tennessee’s final five games of the regular season and opted out of the Orange Bowl — a non-playoff game last season — to recover for NFL Draft workouts.

“I did everything I could to try to go out there,” Tillman told the Knoxville News-Sentinel. “I knew I wasn’t quite right, but I wanted to fight for my team. Everybody is nicked up and bruised up towards the back half of the season. Hopefully my teammates appreciated it.”

One constant for Georgia the last two and a half years has been having Bowers in the lineup.

He was there while Pickens, Mitchell (now at Texas) and wide receiver Ladd McConkey this season were sidelined.

McConkey missed four games with a back injury, but will be among players Georgia can turn to in picking up the slack with Bowers out. Sophomore Oscar Delp, who is tied for second on the team with two touchdown catches, becomes Georgia’s top tight end. He has 13 catches for 160 yards.

Smart said Georgia overcame injuries the last couple of years by being able to count on others and expects to again.

“I talked to the team about that I’ve coached football for 25 years and every year you’ve got different challenges and this year is no different than any other year,” Smart said. “The challenges are only different, so one of our big DNA traits is resiliency. This team has been extremely resilient. I have one hundred percent confidence that they’ll be resilient."

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Georgia football ready 'to overcome' Brock Bowers injury setback