On Monday, it was reported that Ratledge had sustained a sprained MCL and a sprained ankle during the road victory against Kentucky. However, it was later confirmed on Tuesday by Georgia head coach that the offensive guard had undergone tightrope surgery to address the ankle injury.
The surgery took place on Monday, and while there is no specific recovery timeline, the usual recovery period following tightrope surgery ranges from four to eight weeks.
Georgia has had its share of tightrope surgeries in recent years. Most notably, Brock Bowers made a remarkable return to action just 26 days after undergoing the procedure last season, although his case didn’t involve an MCL sprain. Amarius Mims also had tightrope surgery during his time at Georgia. Current players such as Lawson Luckie and Jamaal Jarrett have also undergone the procedure.
Tate Ratledge was injured in the second quarter of the game against Kentucky and was ruled out for the remainder of the match. This marks the second time Ratledge has faced a significant injury early in Georgia’s season; in 2021, he suffered a season-ending injury on the first drive of the opening game against Clemson.
With Ratledge sidelined, Georgia will be adjusting its offensive line rotations. Micah Morris saw the most significant increase in playing time during the Kentucky game, taking 42 snaps after Ratledge’s exit. The Bulldogs experimented with different line combinations, including moving Monroe Freeling to tackle and adjusting other positions.
Heading into the season, Georgia retained four of its five 2023 starters on the offensive line: Ratledge, Earnest Greene, left guard Dylan Fairchild, and right tackle Xavier Truss. Morris, who played in 13 games last fall, is expected to step up at guard, as demonstrated by his role in filling Ratledge’s spot.
Last season, Tate Ratledge started in 12 of Georgia’s 13 games, missing only the Georgia Tech game due to injury. He earned a spot on the 2023 All-SEC First Team as selected by both the Associated Press and coaches. This was a strong follow-up to his 2022 season, during which he recovered from a Lisfranc injury and started 14 of Georgia’s 15 games.
Interestingly, Ratledge had been serving as the backup center to Jared Wilson throughout most of preseason camp. With Ratledge now sidelined, Georgia will need to adjust its plans for reserve center roles, with Drew Bobo being a potential option to fill that spot.
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