Kirby Smart updates injuries
NASHVILLE – Head coach Kirby Smart updated the injury status of a pair of key Bulldogs Tuesday morning: running back Branson Robinson and linebacker Smael Mondon, who suffered foot injuries during the spring.
"They won’t be full-go practice 1. They’ll be able to run. We call it dry-land running, that’s the next stage. But they won’t be full go in practice," Smart said. "We’ll go with a little slower ramp-up process with both of them. They’ve both been dealing with significant injuries. We hope to get them back, but I don’t know when they'll be full speed."
Smart said neither player suffered setbacks from their respective injuries.
"No, they both had injuries in spring practice, and if anything, they’ve progressed and probably we have moved up the timeline if anything," Smart said. "But we can’t judge until we get them out in pads."
Smart did not know if either player will miss any games.
"I think that was the outlook a while back; I don’t know if that’s the outlook now," said Smart.
Robinson finished as Georgia’s fourth-leading rusher as a true freshman with 68 carries for 341 yards before injuring his foot midway through spring practice and missing the annual G-Day game in April.
The sophomore isn’t the only running back who's been ailing.
Senior Kendall Milton is primed to start for the first time in his career, but will need to avoid the hamstring injuries that kept him off the practice field for most of the spring.
Right now, however, the news is positive.
"Kendall is full-go," Smart said.
There's positive news to report on running back Andrew Paul.
The Texas native missed all of last season with a torn ACL, but his recovery has gone well and Smart expects him to be ready to start the season.
"Andrew is doing great. He's a typical ACL guy. We've had them in fall camp. Every person we've had who had them happen early in the year, they're not always 100 percent to start, but he's going to be cleared," Smart said. "He'll be in a rigid brace to start, and he'll work himself in confidence to come out of it, but there's nothing that I've seen that's kept me from believing he won't be ready to go."
Mondon, meanwhile, has also been dealing with a foot injury after finishing the season as the team’s leading tackler with 76.
Defensive end Mykel Williams (toe) will be ready to go once practice begins.
"Mykel is not full go now but he will be full go by call camp," Smart said. "But he’s had a great rehab, a work in progress. He’s not back completely, yet but he’s ahead of Branson and Smael."
Smart said linebackers Jalon Walker (Labrum), Marvin Jones (Labrum), and safety Dan Jackson (foot) are 100 percent.
"Typical Labrum repairs, they’re cleared for full go. They will probably be in a harness, and the biggest thing will be conditioning level and getting back to practice," Smart said of Walker and Jones. "Dan is doing everything, doing all his reps. His foot injury was a pain for him, but he’s overcome it and is in good shape."
