Injury status confirmed for Georgia football star OL Tate Ratledge

The Georgia Bulldogs offensive line had a rough outing last Saturday night against Kentucky Wildcats, in large part due to an injury suffered by 2023 first-team all-SEC guard Tate Ratledge. Ratledge left early in the game and was carted off of the field. The Bulldogs pulled away with the victory, with fans nervously awaiting news on Ratledge’s status going forward.

As first reported by On3’s Rusty Mansell, Ratledge avoided a season ending injury. He is, however, currently expected to miss around six weeks with a sprained MCL and ankle, which would put a potential return date for the Nov. 2 matchup with the Florida Gators after Georgia’s second bye week of the season.

Ratledge is projected to miss the massive upcoming road games against Alabama and Texas, meaning Georgia will need projected starter Micah Morris to step up in his place. Morris, a former four-star recruit in the class of 2021, has played in 28 games over his four years with the Bulldogs including all three thus far this season. Morris consistently sees snaps as a part of the offensive line rotation.

Georgia will have a bye week to settle the rotation along the offensive line before heading to Tuscaloosa to take on the fourth-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide in a prime-time matchup with major implications for the SEC and the College Football Playoff. The line will have to play significantly better than was seen against the Wildcats for Georgia to win in Tuscaloosa for the first time since 2007.