Georgia’s fall camp is still days away, but the first jolt of bad news has already hit.
A single ominous tweet on Friday sent speculation spinning around a possible serious injury for a new Georgia transfer, and the name that quickly surfaced was running back Dante Dowdell. No one inside the program has publicly confirmed an injury, but the rumor mill moved fast, and the chatter has centered on a potentially season-ending setback.
Dowdell arrived in Athens after stops at Oregon, Nebraska and Kentucky. He spent his first collegiate season at Oregon, his second at Nebraska and then turned in a solid junior year with the Wildcats before transferring to Georgia for what he hoped would be his final college season. The Bulldogs brought him in to handle power-back duties, especially in short-yardage situations, and that role may now be in jeopardy.
The speculation has gotten even more specific, with rumors suggesting Dowdell may have been involved in some kind of ATV accident. Nothing has been confirmed, and for now the details remain murky. Kirby Smart is expected to face questions about it at SEC Media Days on Tuesday, July 21.
If the rumors prove true, the timing couldn’t be worse for Georgia’s transfer class. The Bulldogs brought in just 15 transfers this year, the fewest in the SEC, and they were counting on those newcomers to help right away.
Losing one of them before the season even begins is a hit. Losing two would be a major problem.
That’s because Auburn transfer linebacker Amaris Williams already tore his ACL during spring ball and is expected to miss the entire season. Dowdell would become the second transfer addition headed for a lost year if this latest injury talk holds up.
Georgia does have some cushion. The Bulldogs return the fifth-most production in the country from an SEC Championship-winning team, which gives them a strong base to absorb setbacks. And Dowdell was not projected to be the centerpiece of the backfield anyway, with Nate Frazier and Chauncey Bowens expected to handle the featured work.
Still, Dowdell was brought in to give Georgia another physical option, and that kind of depth matters. If the reports end up being accurate, the Bulldogs will have to find another player to step into that role, because they can’t lean on Frazier and Bowens alone all season.
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Georgia Fans Are Stuck Waiting On One Massive In-State DB Decision
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Williams is now expected to decide on July 31, giving Georgia a little more time to stay in the mix as the race narrows. Clemson has been viewed as the team to beat, but the delay has kept the door open and turned this into one of those recruiting waits that can shape how a class feels before it even gets off the ground. [Read more 🡒]