Georgia's Brock Bowers Undergoes 'Tua Tightrope' Surgery After Suffering High Ankle Sprain, Will Miss Extended Time

One of the most explosive players in the country will be missing some time due to injury. Georgia tight end Brock Bowers suffered an ankle sprain that will keep him out of action for upwards to six weeks.

The All-American tight end suffered the injury during their game against Vanderbilt this past weekend. Kirby Smart did announce that X-rays came back negative for Bowers, but did discuss a sprain to his ankle.

One of the bigger questions concerning this injury is whether or not he was dealing with a high ankle sprain, which Rusty Mansell confirmed on Monday. Now, the Georgia tight end will undergo what most folks like to call the 'Tua Tightrope' surgery, the school also confirmed he will miss four-to-six-weeks.

If this is the route Georgia has decided to take, and it sounds like they have, we could see Bowers back this season.

Brock Bowers #19 of the Georgia Bulldogs is hit by Isaiah Richardson #21 of the Samford Bulldogs in the first half at Sanford Stadium on September 10, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)

Thanks to the results from Tua Tagovailoa’s 2018 surgery, the procedure has been used more often for athletes hoping for a quicker return to the field. The recovery time has greatly improved over the years with team’s using this technique.

Tagovailoa had the procedure done twice over a two year period, first in 2018 after the SEC title game against Georgia. Then in 2019, Tua injured his other ankle against Tennessee in Tuscaloosa, opting to have the same surgery, returning 21 days later. 

What Lies Ahead For Georgia, Possibly Without Brock Bowers?

The Bulldogs will face Florida after the bye-week, which is always an interesting matchup because of the rivalry. But this time, Georgia will need to find additional playmakers to step up in the place of Brock Bowers. Georgia will then host Missouri and Ole Miss, before going on the road to Tennessee.

Georgia will finish the regular season with its traditional rivalry game against Georgia Tech. So, if you add up the number of weeks on this schedule, with a recovery time of three-six weeks, there is a chance we could see Bowers back in the regular season.

If Kirby Smart had his way, Bowers could fully recover from the procedure and return for either the SEC Title game, if they make it, or the college football playoffs. But there are a number of trap games on that schedule, including a trip to Tennessee that could keep the Bulldogs out of playoff contention.

The other problem is the Georgia offense, with Carson Beck using Brock Bowers as one of his top targets. We all saw what Bowers did in the second half against Auburn, with over 120 yards receiving and the game-winning touchdown.

Along with his ability to block, Bowers is undoubtedly the best tight-end in college football, so this will not be an easy task to fill his role.