Nolan Smith to undergo surgery. These Georgia defenders will have chance to step up for him

Georgia outside linebacker Nolan Smith will undergo surgery Thursday for a torn right pectoral muscle, the school confirmed Tuesday afternoon.

Smith will have surgery to repair the muscle at Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center in Athens. The injury occurred in the first half of Georgia's 42-20 win at Florida Saturday.

Reports earlier in the day said the injury was season-ending. The school only said  Smith will perform his rehabilitation at the University of Georgia and a full recovery is anticipated. Coach Kirby Smart will be available after practice Tuesday evening.

Smith, a 6-foot-3, 235-pound Savannah native, leads Georgia with 3 sacks, 7 tackles for loss and 16 quarterback pressures.

The senior has played a lot of football at Georgia which gives him great insight to the “ins and outs of this defense.”

That’s according to fellow outside linebacker Chaz Chambliss who is relatively inexperienced by comparison but logged his most snaps as a Bulldog Saturday after Georgia’s top pass rusher was knocked out of the game due to injury.

Smart on Monday revealed that Smith sustained a pectoral muscle injury instead of a separated shoulder he first suspected during the first half. Smart only talked about Smith as it related to him being unlikely to play Saturday against Tennessee.

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“It does not look good for availability this week,” Smart sad. “It’s one of those deals we’ve done an MRI on it and still getting some opinion on it but he’s probably doubtful for this week.”

Chambliss, a 6-foot-2, 250-pound sophomore missed the last three games due to a hamstring injury, but returned to log 30 snaps against Florida, according to Pro Football Focus. He had his first sack of the season late in the game after getting a half sack against Tennessee last season.

“Chaz did a nice job,” Smart said. “It was great to get him back. Didn’t know he would have to play that much in that role. His hamstring still been bothering him. It bothered him a little bit the other night after the game.”

Sixth-year senior Robert Beal also had a career-high in snaps with 51. He had 2 tackles and Chambliss had 3 along with at least one missed tackle on a run play.

“Injuries have kind of hindered him a little bit,” nose guard Zion Logue said of Chambliss who is from Carrollton. “He finally got his opportunity to go play just like last year against Tennessee.”

Tennessee’s offensive line includes right tackle Darnell Wright who hasn’t given up a sack this season in 540 snaps and senior Jeremiah Crawford or Gerald Mincey at left tackle.

Volunteers coach Josh Heupel calls Georgia's defense “athletic. They can run (at) all three levels. They’re physical on all three levels. They don’t have any busts. They play their assignments extremely well. They make you earn it. It’s a great test for us.”

Another option to help fill in if Smith can't go is true freshman Marvin Jones Jr. who was out for the Florida game with the flu. The five-star prospect from Fort Lauderdale has seen action in two games this season against South Carolina and Vanderbilt, recording a tackle in each. Smart said he wants to get Jones and junior M.J. Sherman, who has played 29 defensive snaps this season, “going,” as well.

Smith will now be able to help the defense with his words.

“He knows all the small things in the game,” Chambliss said in an interview in September. “Just listening to him and Beal and taking advice from them is the best thing I can do. I hope it rubs off on me.”

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Georgia football linebacker Nolan Smith likely out for Tennessee game