Dogs guard out until August

Chris Little, who was hoping to make a push for playing time this spring on Georgia’s young but deep offensive line, is out until August camp with a stress fracture in his foot.

The 6-foot-6, 330-pound guard suffered the injury last month during mat drills but tried to work through it in practice. He couldn’t and underwent surgery that involved inserting a screw.

“You’ve got to look at it on the bright side,” Bulldogs coach Mark Richt said Friday. “He’s at least going to be a month ahead on the rehab than what he would have been after spring. He’ll just happen to have a better summer and a longer time in the summer to reach full speed.”

Georgia held its fourth practice Friday and its first in full pads.

Backup tight end Bruce Figgins sprained his ankle and backup middle linebacker Marcus Washington injured his shoulder. Richt didn’t know if either would be available March 17, which is when the Bulldogs resume workouts following spring break.

Richt said the defense has gotten the better of the offense the past two days and admitted he had to get after the offense Friday.

“In shorts, when everybody knew there was no tackling and no contact, they were flying around and making plays and looking brave,” he said. “Then when we started to have some contact, all of a sudden we dropped more balls and fumbled more balls.”

The offense has been competing mostly without standout tailback Knowshon Moreno so Caleb King and newcomers Richard Samuel and Dontavious Jackson can get acclimated sooner. Richt said Moreno probably is “sick to his stomach” because of the lack of action he has received in competitive drills.

Richt said Samuel, who just turned 17 last month, produced an early highlight when he tagged a blitzing linebacker.

Strongside linebacker Darius Dewberry (groin), guard Tanner Strickland (ankle) and receiver Demiko Goodman (leg) are among a handful of players who missed time this week but are expected back March 17.