Amarius Mims, the Georgia Bulldogs’ starting right tackle, has been out for the last six games due to an ankle injury that necessitated surgery. Mims returned to the lineup against Ole Miss on Saturday, coming in on the second possession at right tackle, with Xavier Truss switching to left tackle.
Mims traveled to Florida two weeks ago but did not play in the Bulldogs’ 43-20 win against the Gators. When asked a few days later what he expects from Mims in order for the offensive lineman to play, Smart stated that the criteria is simple.
“He’s got to be healthy enough to play and be the best available player to play,” Smart said. “He’s working his butt off. He did extra work Friday, Saturday, [Sunday]. He’s going out today to continue to work, but at the end of the day he’s got to be confident to go out there and play. He’s much closer to that today than he was last week.”
Smart spoke about Mims’ recovery and explained that the offensive tackle is “right where we think he should be.” When Smart was asked later if there was a timeline for Mims to come back, the Bulldogs head coach explained there is no goal for an expected date back.
“It’s really about where he is. The timeline for [Lawson] Luckie would put him back about there, but he may not be the exact same as Lawson’s,” Smart said. “Lawson is a skill-position [player] and that requires more cutting and things like that. We’ve ordered a special shoe for Amarius and plan to use it. We used that with Andrew Thomas and several other kids on the offensive line who’ve had ankle injuries.
We don’t put a timeline on it just for that reason. It could be before, it could be after. It’s based on his progression and how he feels when he starts moving around and what he does.”
Mims left Georgia’s game against South Carolina on Sept. 16 midway through the second quarter. The junior tried to limp off the field before sitting back down and being looked at by Georgia’s trainers. He then limped off with their help, though he did not put any weight on his left foot.
Mims returned to the sideline in the third quarter on crutches and with a foot on his left foot. Following the injury, Georgia moved Xavier Truss from left guard to right tackle and brought in Dylan Fairchild to fill Truss’ former spot.
Georgia has rolled with this lineup in each of the three games since Mims was injured.
Mims started at right tackle in all three games for the Bulldogs this season. While the Bulldogs had to replace veteran starter Warren McClendon in the offseason, there was little concern given Mims’ ability and the growth he had shown during the 2022 season.
