Ankle injury has set Holyfield back longer than expected

Will freshman running back Elijah Holyfield see the field for the Bulldogs this fall?

Back during fall camp, Holyfield’s name was a buzz word regarding his work with the team, so much so that many figure him to play a fairly significant role for Georgia this far.

But after suffering an ankle injury midway through fall practice, Holyfield has yet to see the field, despite the fact he only missed a handful of days.

“He’s working hard. He’s another guy who, if not for his injury, you probably would have seen him the first game,” head coach Kirby Smart said. “He’s had to overcome the injury and I still don’t think he’s 100 percent healthy.”

Just don’t count him out just yet.

Although Georgia finally appears healthy at running back with the return of Sony Michel to join Nick Chubb and carries figure to be scarcer with Brendan Douglas and Brian Herrian also in the mix, an opportunity to play still figures to be there

“He’s just getting back. It’s tough when you’re a true freshman. In my career I’ve seen true freshmen get injured and the amount of mental mistakes they make when they come back is just huge,” Smart said. “So it’s not just the injury. It’s the mental makeup of ‘how do I catch back up and learn what these words mean.’ I’ve seen it with Charlie Woerner. I’ve seen it with Elijah. I’ve seen it all throughout my career with guys. That’s his struggle more than anything. He’s got great ability.”