Kirby Smart confirms freshman TE Ethan Barbour suffered a 'tough' injury in Georgia Bulldogs' win over Austin Peay

It is only Week 2 of the 2025 college football season, and the Georgia Bulldogs can't seem to stay away from the injury plague.

Last week, it was starting right guard Juan Gaston and starting right tackle Earnest Greene, who both exited the team's win over the Marshall Thundering Herd with injuries.

This time, it was freshman tight end Ethan Barbour, who went down against Austin Peay just before the first half with a lower leg injury. He was carted off the field and ruled out following Georgia's weather delay.

"Tough ankle injury," Georgia head coach Kirby Smart confirmed to reporters after their 28-6 win over Austin Peay. "It was a bad deal. I don't know what the prognosis is going to be or how long, but it was a tough one to see, especially on the last play of the half."

It's even more disappointing considering Barbour, a true freshman, had earned his first career start in the season-opener against Marshall. He had not contributed to the stat sheet just yet, but he flashed a ton of promise throughout camp and practice.

While Barbour takes his time to recover from his ankle injury, fans can expect the Bulldogs to rely heavily on senior Oscar Delp and junior Lawson Luckie at the tight end position. Barbour's injury could also mean more opportunities for fellow true freshman Elyiss Williams.

Barbour, a former standout at Milton High School in Alpharetta, GA, committed to the Bulldogs as part of their 2025 recruiting class. He was ranked as a four-star prospect, the No. 226 overall player in the nation, the No. 11 tight end, and the No. 35 recruit in the state of Georgia.

After two games and two wins against non-conference teams, Georgia is set to begin the much tougher stretch of their 2025 college football schedule, starting with the Tennessee Volunteers on the road next weekend.