The University of Georgia confirmed that junior wide receiver George Pickens suffered a non-contact knee injury in training on Tuesday, which will require surgery on his ACL.
The school issued a statement confirming the news.
“The good news is that MRI has proved to be an isolated injury, with no other structures involved,” said UGA head coach Kirby Smart. “George is a hard worker. I know that he will bring to rehabilitation the same work ethic that he shows in practice every day. “
Pickens was expected to be a significant part of Georgia’s attack next season after accumulating monstrous numbers as JT Daniels took over as a full-back. In the second year, Pickens took 36 passes for 513 receiving yards.
In Georgia’s last four games, Pickens has managed 23 passes for 373 yards and four touchdowns. Daniels was the starting defender for all these games,
Pickens has signed with Georgia as a 5-star wide receiver in the 2019 class and has so far corresponded to the hype with which it arrived. He led Georgia in all major statistical categories as a freshman.
Pickens impressed the coaches with how he grew up during this off-season.
“It’s just a matter of continued growth and maturity, and he embraced it,” Georgia wide receiver coach Cortez Hankton said of Pickens in March. “When you look at our entire team and talk about altruism, I think there is this aura of altruism and a positive vibe, which has really continued to grow. It really shines brighter. For him, he embraced that, so I’m looking forward to seeing how he continues to move forward. “
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Georgia’s wide receiver room finally started to feel like a force for the 2021 season, with Pickens being a significant reason for that. Bulldogs bring back their seven best pass pickers from the 2020 team.
The Bulldogs were already bringing two highly praised wide receivers of injury, while Dominick Blaylock and Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint are recovering from late season injuries that occurred during the 2020 season.
Blaylock, Rosemy-Jacksaint and Pickens are the three largest signatories of Smart wide receivers.
Without Pickens, look for Georgia to rely even more on Kearis Jackson and Jermaine Burton. Narrow tips John FitzPatrick and Darnell Washington also look like candidates for more targets.
Georgia brings Daniels back, along with all five running backs on the team’s 2020 scholarship. The Bulldogs open the 2021 season against Clemson on September 4.
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