Georgia suffered a big blow to the offensive line when star right guard Tate Ratledge suffered an injury in the 13-12 win over Kentucky earlier this season during the second quarter.
The veteran has been out of action ever since, undergoing TightRope surgery in September.
“He’s had TightRope [surgery] already,” Smart said last month. “He’s in the rehab process. We checked it the night of the game and had to get it fixed. He’ll be back as soon as he can. We expect a healthy and full recovery.”
While the timeline for each player’s recovery is different with this type of procedure, Ratledge seems to be making significant progress. He was spotted on the field ahead of the game in a brace with tape around his ankle.
That’s a significant upgrade from last week, when Ratledge was wearing a walking boot.
He entered the season expected to be at least an early second-round 2025 NFL Draft selection, so it will be interesting to watch how missing time will affect him come April.
Ratledge has started 31 games in his Georgia career, including the first three games of the season before he was forced to the sideline.
Some players have returned to action from TightRope in as little as a few weeks, though the average recovery time is between four and six weeks.
[lawrence-related id=654640]