Georgia Bulldogs guard Tate Ratledge undergoes ankle surgery

Georgia All-American guard Tate Ratledge underwent TightRope surgery on his sprained left ankle Monday and is expected to miss a handful of games, Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart announced Tuesday.

Ratledge, a senior from Rome, Georgia, was hurt in the second quarter of the team's  13-12 victory at Kentucky on Saturday. The procedure typically has a recovery period of four to six weeks.

The news concerning star quarterback Carson Beck was better. Beck has a sprained AC joint in his left (nonthrowing) shoulder, but Smart said he isn't expected to miss any games. Beck was hurt at the end of a run in the fourth quarter at Kentucky.

"We've got like seven AC joint sprains, so that's not like a significant or major injury," Smart said Tuesday. "Carson's fine. He's practiced both days."

Georgia has an open date this week before traveling to No. 4 Alabama on Sept. 28 (7:30 pm. ET, ABC). The No. 2 Bulldogs play home games against Auburn and Mississippi State before facing No. 1 Texas on the road Oct. 19.

Ratledge, 6-feet-6 and 320 pounds, has started 31 games in his Georgia career, including all three contests this season. He was a second-team All-American and first-team All-SEC selection in 2023.

Ratledge was ranked the No. 4 interior offensive line prospect eligible for the 2025 NFL draft in ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr.'s latest projections.

"He's had TightRope [surgery] already," Smart said. "He's in the rehab process. We checked it the night of the game and had to get it fixed. He'll be back as soon as he can. We expect a healthy and full recovery."

Juniors Micah Morris and Dylan Fairchild were Georgia's guards in Ratledge's absence.

Last season, Georgia tight end Brock Bowers returned in only 26 days after undergoing TightRope ankle surgery. It took offensive tackle Amarius Mims and tight end Lawson Luckie longer to get back on the field after having the procedure.