Mississippi native and Georgia running back Dante Dowdell is being treated in an Atlanta hospital following a serious injury linked to an accident involving an ATV, Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart confirmed during SEC Media Days.
Dowdell, who transferred to Georgia from Kentucky in the offseason, was injured near his hometown of Picayune, though specific details surrounding the incident remain slim. Smart first told ESPN about the accident, noting that there is not a definitive timetable for Dowdell to return to the playing field.
“We don’t know when his return will be,” Smart said. “I don’t know the specifics of it, to be honest with you. It was a recreational vehicle, and he had some serious injuries.”
Dowdell was expected to be one of the more trusted backups to returning Bulldog bell cow Nate Frazier. Last year, the Mississippian tallied 560 yards and three touchdowns on 112 carries. Before that, he spent his first collegiate season at Oregon and his second at Nebraska. He competed for Picayune Memorial during his prep years.
As for Dowdell’s rehabilitation, Smart told reporters that the running back is currently being treated at Shepherd Center in Atlanta — a world-renowned hospital specializing in medical treatment, research, and rehabilitation for people with spinal cord injuries, brain injuries, multiple sclerosis, and other neuromuscular conditions.
While Dowdell continues to be treated, Smart said Georgia football players have made in-person visits to their teammate, and that the program will continue to support the running back and his family on his journey to recovery.
“He’s just a tremendous kid. Great family. We’re very supportive of them,” Smart said. “Our players have been up there to see him. It’s a really tough deal.”
Georgia will begin the 2026-27 campaign versus Tennessee State on Sept. 5. The Bulldogs’ most recent season ended in 39-34 College Football Playoff loss to Ole Miss on New Year’s Day.