Georgia TE Brock Bowers to undergo ankle surgery; timeline for return unclear

Georgia All-America tight end Brock Bowers, considered one of the top prospects in college football, will undergo surgery to fix the high-ankle injury he suffered on Saturday in the Bulldogs’ win over Vanderbilt and is expected to miss some time. 

The school issued a statement saying that Bowers will undergo surgery on Monday and that “a full recovery is anticipated.” Bowers’ timetable for a potential return is unclear.

Bowers is expected to undergo “tightrope” surgery, which is a newer method that has been adopted as a better way of strengthening the ligaments connecting the fibula to the tibia. Several athletes, such as Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa when he was at Alabama, have had the procedure in recent years with strong results, including shorter recovery times.

The injury came when Bowers appeared to fight for extra yardage after a catch against the Commodores. His ankle was torqued awkwardly while being tackled. Bowers, who missed the rest of the game, was spotted after the game wearing a walking boot.

Top-ranked Georgia has a bye this weekend. It returns to action with a slew of tough games that includes No. 20 Missouri, No. 13 Ole Miss and No. 17 Tennessee and is bookended with games against rivals Florida and Georgia Tech.

A true junior, Bowers has been one of the best tight ends in college football over the past three seasons. This year, he has been the top target for QB Carson Beck, with Bowers catching 41 passes for 567 yards and four TDs so far this season. He entered the Vanderbilt game with three straight 100-yard games — including 157 yards and the game-winning TD in a heroic effort against Auburn the week prior — but left Saturday’s game after four catches for 22 yards.

Bowers not only has helped Georgia start this season 7-0 and ranked No. 1 in the country, but he also was a major part of the Bulldogs’ back-to-back national titles. Bowers caught 56 passes for 882 yards and 13 touchdowns as a freshman in 2021, followed by 63 catches for 942 yards and seven touchdowns as a sophomore in 2022.

NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah broke down Bowers’ tape over the summer and compared him to the San Francisco 49ers’ George Kittle in terms of style and potential impact at the next level.