Good news on the injury front for two defensive linemen
It appears that both defensive linemen Jordan Hall and Xzavier McLeod are making good progress from their recent injuries.
Although their status for Saturday’s game against Tennessee Tech (2 p.m., SEC Network+) is unclear, head coach Kirby Smart said after practice Tuesday that both players are improving.
“Yeah, they’re both doing great, man,” Smart told UGASports. “They were running today, flying around the sideline; just running. They were straight-line running, cutting … I’m fired up.”
Hall has missed the past month after undergoing another surgery on his leg to repair a stress fracture in his fibulas, while McLeod has been dealing with what Smart called a “muscle tissue-type” injury.
“I know on Sunday or Monday, I looked out my office, and the two days together … Labor Day … Jordan was out there smoking it across the field,” Smart said. “He was up at 5:30 in the morning on Game Day, rehabbing on his own. He beat Ron (Courson) there, riding a bike in Atlanta. I mean, he’s a different dude when it comes to rehab. He has attacked it and dove all in. I think he’s probably ahead of McLeod.”
But not by much.
“They’re both pushing,” said Smart, who also offered updates on three other players.
Star Joenel Aguero: “Joenel (soft tissues injury) practiced and did everything today,” Smart said. “ I wouldn’t say he’s 100 percent, but he did everything.”
Defensive tackle Warren Brinson: “Warren (contusion) dd some things,” Smart said. “He was out there, he was moving around pretty good. I’d say Joenel is ahead of Warren, but Warren’s got a shot.
Defensive end Mykel Williams: “Mykel (ankle) is out there, you know, watching our guys, doing rehab,” Smart said. “He’s been in all the walkthroughs and things, but he’s just not participating in them.”
More from Kirby Smart
• On 13 freshmen playing against Clemson: “I would be interested to see how 13 compared to other years. Obviously, the type of game you play in would dictate that. Meaning, you know, last year we probably had more than 13 play because of the score and the differential,” Smart said. “A couple of years ago against Clemson, we probably didn't have many. I know one that did, but I don't know many more than that one. But every year is different."
• Regarding Dan Jackson’s influence on the program: “Dan is a product of toughness. The program. I mean, first of all, we're lucky to have Dan Jackson because we fell into him,” Smart said. “We didn't do one thing to earn Dan being here. He came to us, and he has made himself into a really good football player, but he did that through hard work. He's proof that if you stick around and you have toughness and you're smart, you're going to play.”
• No, Smart and the Bulldogs have not started their preparation for their SEC opener at Kentucky. “I don't have time. I don't. What I do is look at all the third and one and fourth and one plays in our conference, you know, all the explosive plays in our conference, and the tape was extremely long considering there's 60- and 70-point games out there,” Smart said. “It's not looking at anybody specifically. It's just what's going on.”
• Smart on what he’s seen from transfers Michael Jackson and Jake Pope: “Both working hard. Both doing good,” Smart said. “Both are part of our culture and our program and doing a really good job of pushing and fighting for playing time.”
• On the growth of sophomore offensive lineman Monroe Freeling: “He's physically stronger, mentally in a better place, more confident in the system,” Smart said. “We wouldn't put him in there and rotate him if we didn't have a lot of confidence in him. So, he's going to continue to get better.”
• Smart on the two-minute warning in college football: “I think it's an extra timeout. You know, like I've said repeatedly, I think it's going to get coaches more criticized. It's another thing that you can screw up, and you got to be really smart,” Smart said. “I'm not talking about me now. I'm talking about you got to be really smart to not screw it up based on the analytics and all the things. A lot of people just say, ‘I'm not worried about that. I'm just going to play with my gut.’ But when you read all the analytics into it, it's pretty deep.”
• Smart on how many members of his staff deal with clock management: “We’ve got three or four people on staff that do that, and I think it's really critical that you got people covering your back,” he said.
