Georgia Bulldogs star offensive guard Tate Ratledge is set to miss an extended period of time after undergoing tightrope surgery on his ankle. Ratledge suffered a sprained MCL and ankle in Georgia’s 13-12 win at Kentucky.
The All-American and All-SEC offensive guard is expected to be out through at least Georgia’s Nov. 2 game against Florida.
“Tate (Ratledge) does have an ankle (injury). He’s had tightrope already and he’s in the rehab process already,” said Georgia football coach Kirby Smart. “We checked at the night of the (Kentucky) game and had to get it fixed and he’s getting it fixed already. So, he’ll be back as soon as he can and expect a healthy and full recovery.”
Georgia will play offensive guard Micah Morris more in Ratledge’s absence. Additionally, Georgia will play offensive tackle Monroe Freeling more snaps with Ratledge out.
Exactly how long Ratledge will be out is unclear. Last season, Georgia offensive tackle Amarius Mims left the South Carolina game on Sept. 16, 2023, and underwent tightrope surgery. Mims did not return until Georgia’s Nov. 11, 2023, game against Ole Miss. Mims returned for three games, but was forced to exit early in Georgia’s 2023 SEC championship loss against Alabama.
If Ratledge misses the same amount of time as Mims, then he would be projected to return on Nov. 9 for the Ole Miss game.