Georgia’s backfield took a hit Tuesday when Kirby Smart confirmed that transfer running back Dante Dowdell is out with an injury and could miss a significant stretch of time.
Smart didn’t spell out exactly what happened to Dowdell during SEC Media Days, but the concern around the situation had already been building. Rumors had circulated at the end of last week that he was involved in a serious ATV accident, and Smart made clear the program is dealing with something substantial.
"We're praying for him and his family,” Smart said via 247Sports.com. “We expect a full recovery, but the outlook right now is we're waiting to see.
We'll go day to day with him and see. I hate that for him and his family, but he's a great kid.
It's been tough. A lot of our players have been over there to see him.
It's just one of those really tough situations."
Dowdell’s absence matters because Georgia had plans for him to be more than just another body in the rotation. Nate Frazier and Chauncey Bowens are expected to lead the Bulldogs’ rushing attack this season, and both were productive a year ago. But Dowdell was supposed to give the group a different kind of presence.
He arrived at Georgia this offseason after stops at Oregon, Nebraska and Kentucky, and he already has 16 career touchdowns. His spring showing only added to the anticipation: he ran for 61 yards and a touchdown on six carries at G-Day, enough to get fans thinking he could be a real factor once the season opened.
Now that timeline is in doubt. With Georgia’s season less than 50 days away, it seems unlikely Dowdell will be ready for the opener, and there’s at least a chance the injury could wipe out his season entirely. Smart hasn’t closed the door on a return later in the year, but there’s no clear answer yet on when - or if - he’ll be back.
The Bulldogs do have depth at running back, so this isn’t a situation that leaves them empty-handed. Still, Dowdell was expected to handle the short-yardage, power role and give Georgia a bigger option in key situations. That part of the plan is now on hold.
And Dowdell isn’t the only injury concern already hanging over the roster. Auburn transfer Amaris Williams tore his ACL during spring ball, and that injury was ruled season-ending. Williams has said he’ll do everything he can to return by the end of the year, but that kind of recovery in such a short window is a long shot.
For Georgia, the injury list is already starting to pile up before the season even gets here. That’s not the kind of start a team wants when it’s trying to defend a championship run.
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