Before he could get his first collegiate reception, Georgia tight end Ethan Barbour suffered a gruesome injury that will likely keep out for an extended period of time.
Barbour, a true freshman, injured his ankle in the first half of the Bulldogs' game against Austin Peay on Saturday. He had to be carted off in an air cast, and was seen in obvious pain. He waved to the Sanford Stadium crowd as he was carted off.
This is a brutal injury for a highly touted recruit who was going to play meaningful minutes in his first year in Athens. Let's dive into Barbour's injury and what it means for the Bulldogs going forward.
Who is Ethan Barbour?
Barbour, who is from Alpharetta, GA, signed with the Bulldogs as a four-star recruit this past winter. He played at Milton High School, which is just under two hours away from Athens. Barbour was ranked as the No. 11 tight end prospect and No. 35 prospect in Georgia in the 2024 recruiting class.
Georgia commit Ethan Barbour with a clutch TD for Milton 🔥🔥@EthanBarbour5 | @MiltonEagles_FB pic.twitter.com/3hXvGvKv8D
— SportsCenter NEXT (@SCNext) August 24, 2024
As a senior, has helped lead Milton to 12-0 record, recording 789 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Ten days after Georgia wins an SEC title in the Benz, signees Ethan Barbour and CJ Wiley win a GHSA state championship in the same building
— Benjamin Wolk (@benjaminwolk) December 18, 2024
Barbour already has a fan club https://t.co/dmIrv9DkeF pic.twitter.com/KMcKlqFcoH
He came into Georgia with high expectations for a Bulldogs team that won the SEC Championship and is coming off an 11-3 season.
What happened to Ethan Barbour?
On the final play of the first half, Barbour went down while blocking on a running play. The injury was gruesome, and trainers were immediately checking out his ankle.
Barbour was loaded onto a cart with a towel over his head and an air cast over his left ankle as he exited the field.
#9 Ethan Barbour looks to be in a lot of pain waving to the crowd as he leaves on a cart with an air cast on his left leg.#godawgs pic.twitter.com/oNPdJ0qVMm
— Alison Mastrangelo (@AlisonWSB) September 6, 2025
How long will Ethan Barbour be out?
Georgia has not announced the extent of Barbour's injury, but based on the need to immediately put the ankle in an air cast, a quick recovery appears unlikely.
Barbour will likely undergo extensive testing and the team should have an announcement within a few days.
Georgia tight end depth chart
Though the Bulldogs will be without Barbour for presumably the remainder of 2025, they have a loaded tight end room.
| Depth chart position | Player |
| 1 | Oscar Delp |
| 2 | Lawson Luckie |
| 3 | Jayden Reddell |
| 4 | Elyiss Williams |
Delp and Luckie — the two listed above Barbour in the depth chart before he went down — were both key contributors for Georgia in 2024. The duo combined for 596 yards and seven touchdowns in 2024, and are expected to take on more of a role this year.
With 2024 leading receivers Arian Smith, Dominic Lovett and Dillon Bell all gone, the Bulldogs are breaking in a new receiving room; this includes the USC transfer Zachariah Branch and Colbie Young, who only played five games in 2024.
Kirby Smart and company will need to depend on the veteran tight ends in critical situations, especially with the talented Barbour out of the fold.