The SEC’s first availability report for Georgia’s matchup with Missouri brought a short list, but there are still a few names worth watching.
Georgia had just two players on the report: defensive lineman Joshua Horton is questionable, while outside linebacker Amaris Williams is out.
A handful of other Bulldogs were not listed, including cornerback Ellis Robinson and wide receiver Craig Dandridge. Robinson exited in the fourth quarter of Georgia’s 42-7 win over Ole Miss after what Kirby Smart described as a hip or thigh injury. He also left Georgia’s game against Florida with a knee injury before being replaced by Braylon Conley, while Demello Jones has handled the other cornerback spot all season.
Dandridge, meanwhile, was unable to finish Georgia’s most recent game because of a lingering hamstring issue. Even so, he did score Georgia’s first touchdown on a speed sweep against Ole Miss. Talyn Taylor was the only Georgia receiver to record a catch in that win.
There is also optimism around running back Chauncey Bowens, who is expected back after missing time with a foot injury. He has not played since Georgia’s win over Vanderbilt, and Smart gave a lengthy update earlier this week.
“He’s not 100%,” Smart said. “Just because someone’s dressed up and cleared does not mean they’re able to go out there to play and perform.
He’s working his tail off to get back. The fact he was even available says a lot about his toughness and his want to be there for the team.
He’s working hard at that. He’s trying to go.
He’s trying to do things. The training staff, the doctors, and everybody we’ve met with are comfortable with where he is and what he’s doing, but he is not 100% right now.”
Smart also addressed defensive back Tyriq Green, the freshman special teams standout who has been sidelined since Georgia’s win over Western Kentucky on Sept. 12.
“We’re hoping to get him back. He probably would’ve been cleared to play last week.
I don’t know that we could’ve carved a role in such a short time that he was cleared. He’s been working his way back.
We’re expecting to have him try to fill some more roles this week. We have to kinda see where he’s at.
Sometimes with that injury, it’s the stop-start. It’s the slamming on the brakes that hurts, not the accelerating, so we’ll see where he’s at this week.”
Tight end Elyiss Williams dressed but did not play against Ole Miss, while linebacker AJ Kruah and defensive end Joseph Jonah-Ajonye were out for that game.
Missouri’s report was lighter. Wide receiver Cayden Lee is not listed after leaving in the fourth quarter of the Tigers’ loss to Texas with a knee injury.
The SEC will release more availability reports on Thursday, Friday and 90 minutes before kickoff on Saturday. Georgia and Missouri are set for 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC.
In Other News...
Notre Dame's Playoff Path Just Got A Lot More Favorable
The latest College Football Playoff rankings reshuffled the top of the bracket in a way that matters well beyond the usual weekly debate. Georgia moved to No. 1, Alabama and UCLA climbed as well, and Notre Dames jump from No. 11 to No. 5 after a key win gave the Irish a much cleaner path into the field. Even the ripple effects reached Indiana, which slid from a first-round bye to a lower seed and lost the chance to host a playoff game.
There was movement elsewhere, too, with the Big 12 getting a modest boost in positioning as BYU held onto a ranking spot despite a loss. Still, the conference has yet to land an at-large CFP team in the current format, which keeps the focus on how much the bracket can still change from here. For Georgia, the top-line takeaway is simple: the Bulldogs are sitting at No. 1, but the seeding picture around them is shifting fast. [Read more 🡒]
Georgia Faces A New SEC Twist With Ranked Missouri Visiting
With the SEC championship game set to disappear when the College Football Playoff expands in 2027, Kirby Smart has already weighed in on one of the conferences biggest coming changes. Georgia, which is sitting atop the SEC standings, now turns its attention to a ranked Missouri team coming to Athens, a matchup that carries more than usual weight in a season where the leagues old title-game path is about to change.
Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz has made clear he has concerns about what the SEC will look like without that extra championship showcase, and his team arrives with enough talent to make the conversation feel timely. Quarterback Austin Simmons, top rusher Jamal Roberts and receiver Cayden Lee give the Tigers real offensive pieces to work with, though Lee is coming back from a knee injury and the report so far is encouraging, with no structural damage. [Read more 🡒]
Carson Beck Just Got The NFL Chance Georgia Fans Wanted
Gardner Minshews season-ending UCL tear in Week 9 has opened the door for a quarterback change in Arizona, and the Cardinals have moved quickly to make it official. Rookie Carson Beck will start against the Los Angeles Rams, giving the former Georgia standout his first regular-season opportunity after arriving as a third-round draft pick with the benefit of college starting experience.
For Georgia fans, it is the kind of development that always gets attention, especially when one of their former quarterbacks reaches a meaningful NFL moment this early. Beck now steps into a new level of pressure and visibility, with a division matchup providing the first real look at how his game translates when the games count for keeps. [Read more 🡒]