Georgia arrives for Orange Bowl without Brock Bowers, another starter

MIAMI, Fla. — Georgia’s team plane has arrived in South Florida, but the Bulldogs did so without a pair of their top players. Tight end Brock Bowers and offensive tackle Amarius Mims were not seen getting off the plane with the rest of the team at Miami International Airport on Tuesday night, and head coach Kirby Smart didn’t provide much clarity.

“Right now we’ve got our guys that are healthy playing,” Smart said when asked about the topic of opt outs. “Guys that are completely healthy cleared to play, they’ve all said they’re going to play.”

“That’s up to Brock. Brock’s been with us the whole time and he’s been doing all the things he’s got to do,” Smart added when asked specifically about Bowers. “It’s more important though that he’s 100%. The guy probably played earlier than he should have, came out there and competed his butt off. He’s done everything he can for Georgia. He’s not 100% so it makes it a little harder to do.”

The fact that Bowers and Mims did not get off the plane with the team does not mean they will not be in Miami eventually. While it indicates that the two players will sit the game out, it falls well short of confirming it.

Bowers told reporters last week in Athens that he “wasn’t sure” about his availability for Saturday’s showdown with No. 5 Florida State but that he had been with the team for meetings and practice ahead of the Orange Bowl.

A projected first-round pick, Bowers was a unanimous selection for All-American status this season and won his second-straight Mackey Award as the nation’s top tight end. For the third straight season, the Napa, Calif. native led Georgia in receiving as he hauled in 56 passes for 714 yards and six scores. He did that in just 10 games, missing two after having tightrope ankle surgery in October and another to close out the regular season with soreness in that ankle.

Meanwhile Mims, who also projects highly in the NFL Draft, started six of the seven games he played this season. He also started a pair last year in the College Football Playoffs. Like Bowers, Mims suffered an ankle injury that required surgery. He missed more time however and ended up leaving the SEC Championship Game early with an injury as well.

Freshman cornerback Daniel Harris, who announced intentions to enter the transfer portal on Monday, got off the plane with the rest of the team.

The next few days in Miami should give Georgia fans a good idea of what to expect out of their team when they take the field on Saturday. Georgia practiced this morning in Athens and is expected to do so twice in Miami on Wednesday and Thursday with portions open for media viewing. The Bulldogs will hold a closed session walk through on Friday before kickoff to Saturday’s game at 4:00 p.m. ET on ESPN.