Tate Ratledge's 2024 season got sidetracked.

The senior offensive guard went down with a sprained left ankle in Georgia's September win over Kentucky. The injury required tightrope surgery that sidelined Ratledge for Georgia's next four games.

Even when Ratledge thought he was nearing full strength, injuries cut him down again. He re-aggravated his injury against Ole Miss and struggled against the stout Rebel defensive line. Ratledge admitted that the game was "frustrating" and that it "didn't go how I wanted it to go."

But head coach Kirby Smart said that effort showed what he respects most about Ratledge. It's part of why Ratledge is, in Smart's eyes, part of the "core of our team."

"He felt he needed to try to go and help the team. And that's just what I respect about Tate," Smart said. "Some guys would say, well, I don't want to look bad, I don't want to hurt my draft status. Tate said, I'm going to go out there and fight, I'm going to give you everything I got. And he probably shouldn't have been out there, but he stayed out there and fought".

Ratledge has made an effort to stay involved as he has recovered from his injury. He said he made a conscious effort to be more vocal with his offensive line teammates, hammering home messages such as "control what you can control."

As a veteran, Ratledge also sets an example for others with how he conducts himself during the week. Film study is just one example, something Ratledge used to his advantage in Georgia's win over Tennessee.

"I remember actually against them two years ago when we played them here, one of their defensive ends, every time he had an outside foot back, they were (stunting). So picking up on stuff like that," Ratledge said.

Ratledge played every snap of the Tennessee game. He helped anchor a group of five that played every snap together, a first for Georgia this season. For the first time in two months, Ratledge felt closer to full strength and played better as a result.

Being an anchor is something Ratledge is used to. He's one of the leaders not just of the offensive line, but of the whole team. Ratledge is also one of five players remaining on this team from the 2020 recruiting class.

That class has done a lot of winning at Georgia. With Ratledge now back on track, he hopes there's plenty more to come.

"It's been a ride," Ratledge said. "Of course, when I came here, this is something that I wanted to do. I came here because I wanted to win. And it turns out that we have done that a good bit over the past few years. But it's been a great ride. I love this place. I love this university. I love our fans."