SerpApi.Org
Georgia football coach Kirby Smart told reporters at SEC Media Days on Tuesday that Bulldogs running back Dante Dowdell is injured during an "off-campus accident back home during our break" that involved an ATV.
Smart told reporters in Tampa that the program does not have a timetable for Dowdell's return.
"He's injured," Smart said at SEC Media Days, according to ESPN. "We don't know when his return will be. I don't know the specifics of it, to be honest with you. It was a recreational vehicle, and he had some serious injuries."
From NFL plays to college sports scores, all the top sports news you need to know every day.
Dowdell, who transferred to Georgia from Kentucky this past offseason, is being treated for serious injuries at Atlanta's Shepherd Center.
"Expecting a full recovery but the outlook right now is wait and see," Smart said according to the Athens Banner- Herald, part of the USA TODAY Network. ".... I hate that for him and his family, but he's a great kid. It's been tough. A lot of players have been over to see him. It's just one of those really tough situations."
Dowdell's injury is a hit to Georgia's running back depth, which also features junior Nate Frazier and redshirt sophomore Chauncey Bowens.
Last season at Kentucky, Dowdell ran for 560 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 112 carries. That production was slightly down from his rushing totals in 2024 at Nebraska, where he ran for a career-high 614 rushing yards and 12 scores on 143 carries for the Cornhuskers.
The Bulldogs, picked to finish second in the USA TODAY Network SEC Preseason Poll, are set to open up the season on Saturday, Sept. 5 at 3 p.m. ET against Tennessee State.
The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dante Dowdell injury update: Kirby Smart says RB is in hospital after ATV injury
