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Raylen Wilson injury update: Georgia linebacker leaves Sugar Bowl vs. Ole Miss, goes to locker room

Byington mugby: Alex Byington01/02/26_AlexByington

Georgia‘s defense is currently without one of its top tacklers after junior linebacker Raylen Wilson left Thursday’s Sugar Bowl against Ole Miss and headed to the locker room early in the second quarter. Wilson was seen complaining about his lower right leg, according to ESPN sideline reporter Laura Rutledge.

“A developing story down here on the Georgia sideline, Raylen Wilson, who is a key piece on this Georgia defense, a communicator, the linebacker has been taken into the locker room,” Rutledge said during the ESPN broadcast. “He was pointing to his right lower leg, having some issues there. He was on the (training) bike for a little bit and trying to stretch it out.”

UPDATE: Wilson later returned to the game in the third quarter and finished the game with four total tackles, including one for loss.

Entering Thursday night’s Sugar Bowl national quarterfinal, Wilson ranked second on the Bulldogs’ roster with 70 total tackles, adding 5.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks and three quarterback hurries in 13 games this season. The 6-foot-1, 235-pound Wilson has 132 total tackles, 13 for loss, and 4.5 sacks in 39 career games the last three seasons in Athens.

Sophomore linebacker Chris Cole, who replaced Wilson on the field, forced a pivotal fumble by Rebels running back Kewan Lacy that senior defensive back Daylen Everette returned 47 yards for the scoop-and-score to give Georgia a 21-12 lead with 2 1/2 minutes left in the first half.

Desmond Howard claims Georgia is playing its best entering College Football Playoff: ‘They have no quit in them’

Outside of perhaps undefeated Indiana, no college football team is hotter than No. 3 Georgia, which avenged its lone regular season loss four weeks ago in Atlanta to secure back-to-back SEC titles. Since a three-point loss to Alabama in Week 5, the Bulldogs have won nine straight games, including four over Top 25-ranked teams.

And a big reason for that run of success has been Georgia’s revitalized defense that has held its last four opponents — three Top 25 teams — to a combined 29 total points, including a 28-7 drubbing of No. 9 Alabama in the SEC Championship game on Dec. 6. It’s because of that defensive resurgence that ESPN’s Desmond Howard believes the Bulldogs (12-1) are peaking at the best time ahead of Friday night’s Sugar Bowl national quarterfinal game against No. 6 Ole Miss (12-1) in the College Football Playoffs.

“This Georgia team is playing its best football right now. You want to peak at the right time (in the Playoffs),” Howard said Wednesday morning on ESPN‘s First Take. “Defensively, we couldn’t recognize who they were earlier in the season – they couldn’t even get a sack. But the last part of the season, they started to look like a Kirby Smart defense, they started to look like a Georgia team (of old). A very resilient team, they have no quit in them. This is going to be a hell of a matchup. I can’t wait, I’m excited about this game.”