Georgia's Mykel Williams gets huge 'game-time decision' injury update before Alabama clash
09/28/2024 08:50 AM
The biggest game of the first month of the 2024 college football season will kickoff at 7:30 PM ET on Saturday night, as the Georgia Bulldogs make the 275 mile trip west to Tuscaloosa to take on the Alabama Crimson Tide. When these two SEC rivals meet, it will mark the first of potentially many matchups between top five ranked opponents this season.
Unfortunately for fans in Athens, the Bulldogs may be doing so without arguably their most impactful defensive player. Mykel Williams, who may end up being the first defensive player taken in the 2025 NFL Draft, is still dealing with a lingering ankle injury, and therefore his status for the matchup with Alabama likely won’t be determined until right before kickoff.
“Georgia star defensive lineman Mykel Williams is a gametime decision for the No. 2 Bulldogs at No. 4 Alabama today,” tweets College Football insider Pete Thamel. “It's considered a ‘true gametime decision’ with his injured ankle. He's Mel Kiper Jr.'s No. 4 overall NFL Draft prospect.”
Williams suffered a Grade 2 ankle sprain in the 3rd quarter of Georgia’s season-opener against Clemson. He was seen wearing a walking boot as he exited Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Earlier in the week, Georgia head coach Kirby Smart provided an update on Williams’ condition, seemingly leaving the door open for the junior defensive lineman to make a return to the field after missing the previous two Bulldogs wins.
“Mykel’s been able to do a little bit. I still don’t know his timeline,” Smart said Wednesday, according to Brooks Austin of SI.com. “He was able to get out there and run around and he was able to get some reps today.”
The Bulldogs defense has managed to remain dominant even in Williams’ absence. Through three games, Georgia has yet to surrender a touchdown, which is not abnormal for a Kirby Smart coached team. But against Kalen DeBoer, Jalen Milroe and the Alabama Crimson Tide offense, it’s unlikely that will remain the case.
The 4th-ranked Tide come into this SEC showdown averaging 49 points per game, thanks in large part to the performance of their junior quarterback. Milroe, who finished 6th in Heisman voting last season under head coach Nick Saban, has played nearly flawless football thus far this season. Through three games, Milroe has accounted for 14 touchdowns and over 700 combined passing and rushing yards.
Given the amount of talent that Georgia has on their defense, it’s possible they have the dogs — pun intended — to keep Milroe in check even without Mykel Williams. But Kirby Smart would be feeling much better if Williams was able to give it a go on Saturday night.
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