UGA’s Ratledge out after TightRope ankle surgery

• Mark Schlabach, ESPN Senior WriterSep 17, 2024, 07:27 PM ET

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Georgia All-American guard Tate Ratledge underwent TightRope surgery on his sprained left ankle Monday and is anticipated to miss out on a handful of games, Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart revealed Tuesday.Ratledge, a senior

from Rome, Georgia, was harmed in the 2nd quarter of the group’s 13-12 triumph at Kentucky on Saturday. The treatment generally has a healing duration of 4 to six weeks.The news worrying star quarterback Carson Beck was better. Beck has a sprained air conditioner joint in his left (nonthrowing) shoulder, however Smart said he isn’t expected to miss out on any games. Beck was injured at the end of a run in the fourth quarter at Kentucky.

“We’ve got like seven AC joint sprains, so that’s not like a significant or major injury,” Smart said Tuesday. “Carson’s fine. He’s practiced both days.”

Georgia has an open date this week before taking a trip to No. 4 Alabama on Sept. 28 (7:30 pm. ET, ABC). The No. 2 Bulldogs play home games versus Auburn and Mississippi State before dealing with No. 1 Texas on the roadway Oct. 19.

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Ratledge, 6-foot-6 and 320 pounds, has actually started 31 games in his Georgia profession, including all three contests this season. He was a second-team All-American and first-team All-SEC selection in 2023.

Ratledge was ranked the No. 4 interior offending line prospect eligible for the 2025 NFL draft in ESPN expert Mel Kiper Jr.’s latest forecasts.

“He’s had TightRope [surgery] currently,” Smart stated. “He remains in the rehabilitation process. We inspected it the night of the game and needed to get it fixed. He’ll be back as soon as he can. We anticipate a healthy and complete healing.”

Juniors Micah Morris and Dylan Fairchild were Georgia’s guards in Ratledge’s absence.Last season, Georgia tight end Brock Bowers returned in just 26 days after going through TightRope ankle surgery. It took offending take on Amarius Mims and tight end Lawson Luckie longer to get back on the field after having the procedure.