Georgia Bulldogs defensive back Tykee Smith joins Christopher Smith as key secondary players to return for another season.
Georgia Bulldogs defensive back Tykee Smith is returning for another season. Smith suffered a torn ACL in October and and was forced to miss the rest of the 2021 college football season. Smith additionally battled a foot injury to start the season.
Smith transferred to the University of Georgia from West Virginia this offseason. He was just getting healthy before he tore his ACL in practice.
Former West Virginia Mountaineers safety Tykee Smith will be an important player for Georgia in 2022. Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports
Smith, a junior, recorded three tackles against Auburn and will be able to redshirt this year. Smith is putting his NFL aspirations on hold. With a healthy 2022 season Smith will boost his NFL draft stock.
Smith entered the season ranked one of the top safeties in the country. He transferred to UGA partially to be reunited with Georgia defensive backs coach Jahmile Addae, who was his former position coach at West Virginia.
Tykee Smith will counted on to start at safety or nickel for the Bulldogs in 2022 alongside Christopher Smith. Tykee Smith, Dan Jackson, David Daniel, Javon Bullard, and Kamari Lassiter are some of Georgia’s key returning players in the secondary. The Dawgs lost a few key pieces in the secondary to the transfer portal.
Key Georgia football DB Tykee Smith tears ACL and will be out for the remainder of the season.
The Georgia Bulldogs will be without defensive back Tykee Smith for the rest of the 2021 college football season. Smith transferred to the University of Georgia from West Virginia this offseason.
Tykee Smith has battled a foot injury to start the season. He was just getting healthy and then tore his ACL. Smith, a junior, recorded three tackles against Auburn and will be able to redshirt this year. Smith’s NFL aspirations may have to wait another season following his injury.
Smith entered the season ranked one of the top safeties in the country. He transferred to UGA partially to be reunited with Georgia defensive backs coach Jahmile Addae, his former position coach at West Virginia.
Smith was counted on to start at safety or nickel for the Bulldogs in 2021 alongside Christopher Smith and Lewis Cine. Christopher Smith suffered a separated shoulder last week against Auburn.
Dan Jackson, David Daniel, William Poole, Javon Bullard, Kamari Lassiter, and Lovasea Carrol are among the players Kirby Smart will turn to in the absence of Tykee Smith and Christopher Smith.
Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports
Tykee Smith had the difficult task of guarding explosive passing attack in the Big 12 last season, but he helped the Mountaineers have the top passing defense in the country.
No. 2 Georgia is demolishing Vanderbilt in Nashville right now. UGA was up 14-0 before Vanderbilt fumbled on a kickoff, which gave the Bulldogs a short field. Running back Zamir ‘Zeus’ White took it from there.
It’s No. 2 Georgia at Vanderbilt right now on SEC Network. Check out UGA’s first score here
It didn’t take long for No. 2 Georgia to find the endzone at Vanderbilt. The Bulldogs now lead 7-0 early in the first quarter thanks to this touchdown rush from freshman tight end Brock Bowers.
It’s No. 2 Georgia versus Vanderbilt this Saturday. Here’s what Vandy’s media is saying about the Bulldogs.
No. 2 Georgia (3-0) travels to Nashville to take on Vanderbilt (1-2) this Saturday at noon.
The Bulldogs are coming off of a 40-13 win over South Carolina in the SEC opener and the Commodores return home after a 41-23 loss to Stanford.
Vanderbilt, under first-year head coach Clark Lea, has a tall task ahead in trying to contain Georgia’s high-powered offense and score against UGA’s top-ranked defense.
Here’s what Vanderbilt media is saying about Georgia ahead of kickoff:
When will TE Darnell Washington and DB Tykee Smith be back for Georgia? Kirby Smart gives an update here…
Georgia football has been without two of its most talented players since fall camp. Both tight end Darnell Washington and transfer defensive back Tykee Smith have been recovering from ankle surgeries the last five weeks.
Sep 26, 2020; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Georgia Bulldogs tight end Darnell Washington (0) starts his route during the second quarter of the game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Georgia won the game 37-10. Mandatory Credit: Brett Rojo-USA TODAY Sports
UGA coach Kirby Smart gave a status update for Washington and Smith in his Monday press conference ahead of Georgia’s matchup with Vanderbilt this Saturday.
Nov 14, 2020; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers safety Tykee Smith (23) celebrates after defeating the TCU Horned Frogs at Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports
“We haven’t ruled out this weekend,” Smart told reporters. “They were back running last week, weight-bearing, like running on their own. So we’ve thought all along that this would be the target, this week or next. But can’t say they’re going to be cleared for this game. I’ll find out a lot more today because they’re going to be able to run, do some exercises. Not necessarily be in their groups but they’re going to be running and accelerating on their own…They’re on 100 percent of their weight as of Thursday/Friday. We’re moving them forward and we’ll see where they are today.”
Smart added that both Bulldogs targeted this week’s matchup with Vanderbilt as the return date.
The fact that Washington and Smith are progressing to the point where they are running and cutting is great news for the Bulldogs, who have been riddled with injuries early on.
Star receiver George Pickens is still working back from an ACL tear in the spring, but the media caught a glimpse of the junior straight-line running and catching passes in practice on Monday. Smart said wideout Dominick Blaylock was almost back to 100% from an ACL tear until he tweaked his hamstring, signaling it will be sometime before he’s ready for gameplay.
It’s not like UGA doesn’t have guys who can step in and make plays, though, Adonai Mitchell was named SEC Freshman of the Week for his play against South Carolina, racking up four catches for 77 yards and his first career touchdown.
On defense, other than a few chunk plays versus the Gamecocks, UGA’s young secondary has played well without Smith, the top returning defensive back in college football, according to Pro Football Focus.
The addition of Washington and Smith – whenever it may be – can only be a boost to the No. 2 team in the land.
Former Georgia defensive end Ray Drew joins J.C. to talk his UGA career, big games in Sanford Stadium, his welcome to the SEC moment and more in a new episode of ‘UGA Football Live with J.C. Shelton’. Listen here:
