Recruit recommits, lifts UGA to No. 1 class

ATHENS — Well, we know now why Kendall Milton was a no-show for post-practice interviews Wednesday.

Milton, a sophomore running back, suffered a knee injury during Georgia’s practice Wednesday, according to several reports, citing anonymous sources. Milton was scheduled to talk to reporters for only the second time this season after the workout.

Milton’s injury is thought to be a sprain and won’t require surgery. However, it will keep Milton sidelined for at least a couple of weeks and definitely for the No. 1-ranked Bulldogs’ next contest, Oct. 30 against Florida in Jacksonville. Georgia has a bye Saturday.

Dawgs247.com was the first to report Milton’s injury.

Milton is the third back in what mostly has been a three-man backfield rotation for Georgia (7-0, 5-0 SEC) this season. He has the second-most carries on the team with 49 (for 243 yards), while junior Zamir White (83-400-7 TDS) and senior James Cook (47-301-4) have gotten the majority of work.

Milton’s injury comes at a time when fellow running back Kenny Mcintosh also has been sidelined, with a hamstring injury. However, coach Kirby Smart said earlier this week Mcintosh could return Saturday.

Meanwhile, Milton’s career at Georgia remains a study in patience. He played in seven games while missing three with injuries last season. But the former 5-star recruit (per Rivals) has been steadily progressing for the Bulldogs and has been running down some milestones this season.

Milton scored his first career touchdown against Arkansas on Oct. 2. On Saturday, he ripped off a career-long 35-yard run against Kentucky that was just inches from becoming an 88-yard touchdown.

That’s not to mention Milton making arguably the play of the game earlier against Kentucky.

With the Bulldogs facing a sec

NEXT GAME No. 1 Georgia vs. Florida in

Jacksonville, Oct. 30, 3:30 p.m., CBS, 750, 95.5, 1380 ond-and-13 at the Wildcats’ 28 in a scoreless game in the first quarter, Milton went out for a pass. Squatting under the Kentucky zone in the middle of the field, it looked like quarterback Stetson Bennett intended to deliver the ball to Milton. But Bennett’s arm was seized

by Kentucky defensive end Joshua Paschal. The football went forward, bouncing all the way and looking very much like an incomplete pass.

As virtually everyone on thefield stood staring at the loose ball, only Milton had the foresight to follow it and jump on it. And it was a good thing he did. The play was ruled a forward fumble after a video review. Thanks to Milton, Georgia retained possession right there.

The Bulldogs would score on the next play, a 19-yard run by Cook.

“Might have been the play of the game,” coach Kirby Smart acknowledged after the 30-13 Georgia victory. “It was a momentum swing. It was one of those (plays) that if we don’t get that ball, it’s a turnover and everyone’s demoralized.”

It was only a few minutes after his fumble recovery that Milton nearly went the distance for the Bulldogs. Only a desperation shove from Kentucky defensive back Tyrell Ajian kept Milton from turning a routine off-tackle run into an 88-yard score. Ajian got just enough of Milton for his left cleat to catch the chalk on the Georgia sideline.

Such explosive runs are what Georgia fans have been expecting of Milton since he arrived. But that run and a 24-yarder last year against Auburn have been as close to that realization as he has been able to come.

The best news forthe Bulldogs is that Milton gets it. He knows that his roles on special teams and as the third-string running back are as important as any one single role. ATHENS — Thanks to the recom

“At the end of the day, we’re an mitment of a former decommit, offense that has weapons at every the Georgia Bulldogs are back position, and those weapons are at the top spot in the national deep at every position,” Milton recruiting rankings. said earlier this season. “Some Bear Alexander, an All-amergames it’s going to be the passican defensive lineman who ing game, some games it’s going attends IMG Academy in Brato be the run game, some games denton, Florida, committed it’s going to be both. So when we to the Bulldogs for a second go out there, it’s just about everytime Thursday. He made the body doing their job, andthe outannouncement on his Instacome will take care of itself.” gram account.

But after throwing the football “Bulldawg Nation I’m coma lot early in the season, the Bulling home. No interviews please. dogs methodically have been movI want to enjoy this moment ing up the rushing ranks in thesec. with my family and focus on They’ll enter the Oct. 30 game my season. #1000%commitagainst Florida sixth in the league ted,” Alexander wrote. in rushing (192.7 ypg). The 6-foot-3, 325-pound Alex

“We have a lot of confidence,” ander — whose given first name Milton said. “We’re a very physis Keithian — is a 4-star prosical team. We emphasize ‘keep pect, according to the 247Sports pounding, just keep pounding, Composite ranking. But he gets keep chopping,’ and it’s hard to a 5-star rating from Rivals and take that the whole game.” is considered the sixth-best

It’s a continuation of a Georgia defensive lineman in the countradition. The backs share the worktry overall. load to stay fresh and keep healthy, Alexander’s commitment for the season and for their forepushes Georgia past Alabama seeable future. That’s why you’ll to the No. 1 position in the hear no complaints from Milton 247Sports Composite national about opportunities. team ranking for the Class of

After finally get his first career 2022. Alexander is the 21st comtouchdown, on a 1-yard run against mitment overall for the BullArkansas in the fifth game of his dogs, and the fourth prospect sophomore season, he was asked to carry a 5-star rating. if he was starting to grow impatient His commitment comes less to score. “I wouldn’t say I got impathan 24 hours after Georgia tient,” said Milton, who scored 40 landed Mykel Williams, a contouchdowns his final two seasons sensus 5-star defensive line at Buchanan High School in Clovis, prospect who hails from ColumCalif. “It was one those trust-thebus and previously committed process kind of things. … But when to Southern California. It comes we got down there on the goal line 48 hours after the Bulldogs lost and coach (Dell) Mcgee said, ‘Get in the nation’s top-ranked receiver, there,’ that’s all I had on my mind.” Luther Burden, who commit

Even Milton’s firstcareer touchted to Missouri. down was overshadowed by someAlexander joins a Georgia one else. Defensive lineman Jalen class that includes defensive Carter came in as thelead blocker back Mikal Starks, a consensus on the play and took out three 5-star prospect from Jefferson, defenders to allow Milton to get as well as running back Braninto the end zone. son Robinson of Madison, Mis

“I’m just happy that it hapsissippi, and quarterback Gunpened,” Milton said with a laugh. ner Stockton of Rabun County, who hold 5-star evaluations from Rivals.

Alexander was one of Georgia’s earliest pledges for the 2022 class. He committed Feb. 3, before the Bulldogs had closed the book on their 2021 class.

But Alexander’s recruitment took a turn when UGA defensive analyst Nick Williams, who had built a relationship with Alexander in Athens, left in May to join Jimbo Fisher’s staff at Texas A&M. It was not considered a coincidence when Alexander decommitted from the Bulldogs the next month.

Alexander continued to take visits to Alabama, Miami, Texas A&M and Georgia. But other than naming Texas A&M and Georgia as his finalists in August, his recruitment hadn’t advanced until Thursday.

Alexander visited Georgia for the Arkansas game Oct. 2. He and Tony Jones, the high school assistant coach who accompanied him, raved about that visit. It appears to have been the turning point.

“T h at d e fense i s w ild,” Alexander told Andrew Ivins of 247Sports. “Jordan Davis, Devonte Wyatt, Jalen Carter, those guys are wild . ... (Defensive coordinator Dan) Lanning and Kirby (Smart) are great guys and, of course Tray Scott, too. I feel like those are guys who like where they are.”

Alexander is a native of Denton, Texas, and played his junior season there at Ryan High, where they won the Texas 5A D-I state title. Over the summer, he transferred to IMG Academy for his senior season.

“The decision, this journey, has been one hell of a ride,” Alexander wrote in his post. “I’ve had the opportunity of a lifetime to be recruited by some of the most prestigious universities in the world. My heart led me to Georgia, but I wanted to see more and needed to be sure I was making the right decision.”