Georgia to be Without All-SEC Starter Against Texas

The college football world will take center stage in Austin, Texas, this Saturday as the No. 1 Longhorns (6-0) welcome the No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs (5-1) in a top five SEC battle.

Injuries continue to plage Kirby Smart's Bulldogs entering Week 8. Georgia went into last week's 41-31 win over Mississipi State without former five-star linebacker Smael Mondon Jr., who led the team in tackles in 2022 and finished second in 2023.

The senior has missed the last two games with a foot injury after missing time last season due to the same issue. He had surgery in the offseason and missed the spring period until returning for fall camp.

According to Matt Zenitz of 247Sports, Mondon aggravated the injury in late September. He has not played since Georgia's 41-34 loss at Alabama on Sept. 28 and is expected to not suit up on Saturday night in Austin.

Mondon earned second-team All-SEC honors last season after racking up 68 tackles and three sacks. His ability and experience will be missed by Georgia, but the Dawgs have recruited extremely well at the position. Blue-chip sophomores CJ Allen and Raylen Wilson are experienced in their own right. Additionally, five-star true freshman Chris Cole has seen an uptick in snaps with Mondon on the sidelines.

Additionally, Georgia will be without redshirt sophomore tailback Branson Robinson, the team's third-leading rusher. The former four-star left the Mississipi State game with an MCL injury and his timetable for return is unknown. UGA is left with starter Trevor Etienne, true freshman Nate Frazier and walk-on junior Cash Jones.

Texas-Georgia is slated for 7:30 p.m. ET (Fox). The Longhorns are listed as 3.5-point favorites, per ESPN Bet.

Related: NCAA Reportedly Investigating College Football Loophole Used by Oregon Against Ohio State