Star Georgia receiver George Pickens goes down with ACL injury

Georgia football will be without its best receiver for the rest of the spring — and perhaps even longer.

The team announced Wednesday morning that star junior receiver George Pickens went down with a non-contact knee injury in Tuesday’s practice. An MRI revealed the injury was to Pickens’ anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and it will require surgery.

The release also states that Pickens “has already started his pre-op rehabilitation program under the supervision of the UGAAA sports medicine staff and a full recovery is anticipated.”

“The good news is that the MRI showed it to be an isolated injury with no other structures involved,” Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said in the statement. “George is a hard worker. I know he will bring the same work ethic to rehab that he shows in practice every day.”

Pickens has established himself as the clear No. 1 receiving target in Georgia’s offense over his two seasons in Athens. As a freshman in 2019, he led the team with 49 catches, 727 receiving yards and eight receiving touchdowns. He followed that with a sophomore campaign in which he registered 36 catches, 513 yards and six touchdowns.

Coming into 2021, Pickens had been primed to be one of the nation’s top targets and a potential first-round selection in the 2022 NFL Draft. Now, his junior season appears to be in jeopardy.

If Pickens does indeed miss part or all of the 2021 season, that puts more pressure on Georgia’s other pass-catchers.

Sophomore Jermaine Burton and junior Kearis Jackson will step up as the top targets, while experienced players such as senior Demetris Robertson and redshirt sophomore Dominick Blaylock will likely see an increased role as well. Pickens’ absence could also lead to breakout opportunities for young players such as sophomore Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint and redshirt freshman Arian Smith.

This story was originally published March 24, 2021 at 12:51 PM.