Georgia Loses Major Piece For Season Opener Against Clemson

Georgia will not be at full strength for the season opener versus Clemson on Saturday.

The Bulldogs are expected to be without sophomore tailback Roderick Robinson II, who underwent surgery for turf toe, according to head coach Kirby Smart on Monday.

Robinson has been hampered by the injury during fall camp. Smart described his timetable for recovery as week-to-week.

The former four-star recruit finished as the team's third-leading rusher as a true freshman in 2023 behind Kendall Milton and Daijun Edwards. With that pair now in the NFL, Robinson will be relied upon heavily alongside Florida transfer Trevor Etienne, but there is a concern with depth for the matchup against the Tigers.

With Robinson assumed out, it's unclear which running backs Georgia will feature on Saturday. There's no certainty that Etienne will play, as he may be required to sit the game out after an offseason arrest. If that proves true, the Bulldogs will likely turn to walk-on junior Cash Jones and true freshman Nate Frazier, who has impressed in camp.

Redshirt sophomore Branson Robinson could add to the group. The former four-star recruit hasn't appeared in a game since 2022 after suffering a torn pettelar tendon in fall camp last year. Robinson has had no limitations in practice, but UGA isn't one to rush players back from serious injury.

Georgia has dealt with multiple injuries in the backfield before. It faced a similar situation last season when Milton and Edwards were banged up. Starting wide receiver Dillon Bell took carries to help fill the void and played well with all things considered.

Smart and company hold things close to the chest when it comes to player availability, so we won't likely know who will be taking carries until things get set in Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz stadium on Saturday.

Kickoff is set for noon ET on ABC.

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