Kirby Smart updates status of RB James Cook, LB Jermaine Johnson for Georgia-Alabama game
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
Georgia head coach Kirby Smart had some good news on the status of running back James Cook and linebacker Jermaine Johnson in his Tuesday evening press conference. According to The Athletic’s Seth Emerson, Smart announced that both players are “expected to play” against Alabama on Saturday in Tuscaloosa.
Cook missed the previous game against Tennessee after sustaining an injury to his right shoulder against Auburn. Through the first 2 games of the season, he recorded 67 yards on just 12 carries, rushing for 41 yards on 5 touches against the Tigers before exiting in the 2nd quarter.
Johnson has only played in the season opener at Arkansas thus far, where he registered 2 tackles. Last year, the senior had 20 tackles after playing in all 14 games, with 3 tackles for a loss and a pair of sacks.
Alabama and Georgia will kick off at 8 pm ET in the teams’ first meeting since the 2018 SEC Championship Game, a 35-28 Crimson Tide win.
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.