What was originally thought by Kirby Smart to be a shoulder injury suffered by Nolan Smith in the Florida game now will leave the Dawgs with a huge hole to replace on defense, as multiple sources confirm that the senior OLB will miss the remainder of the 2022 season with a torn pectoral muscle.
Nolan suffered the injury in the first half of the Florida game and did not return. In speaking with media Monday, Smart called Nolan "doubtful" for the Tennessee game with an MRI upcoming.
In losing Smith, the Dawgs lose their most consistent pass-rusher. He leads the team in sacks with three, tackles for loss with seven and total QB pressures with 17. The Dawgs will look to fill the void with a couple of names - Sophomore Chaz Chambliss, and true Freshman Marvin Jones Jr.
Chambliss had a sack last week versus the Gators. And extra production will be needed against a Vols offense that's averaging over 550 yards on offense and 49 points a game.
The loss of Nolan won't just be felt from an on-the-field perspective. Last week, Smart praised the senior.
"Nolan's a natural leader," the Dawgs' head coach said. "He's been that way since I met him in the eight grade and he came up here to camp. He creates a toughness about it that he holds people to a standard of the way you strike blocks, the way you close on counters, the way you rush with effort, special teams. I mean, he plays on all special teams. He’s just a core guy.”
On Tuesday's Steakhouse, Drew Butler spoke on what Nolan brings to this team on and off the field that's so great. And he talks about UGA has recruited well enough that it's the next man up for this defense off the edge.
Georgia and Tennessee will kick off 3:30 Saturday afternoon on CBS.