Georgia Bulldogs Coach Kirby Smart Offers Injury Update on Darnell Washington

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LOS ANGELES - One player everyone's been listening for updates on - TCU fans and staff included - is Georgia tight end Darnell Washington.

After suffering an ankle injury against Ohio State, he’s been listed as questionable ever since. Today, Kirby Smart finally offered an update on his potential availability for tomorrow’s National Championship.

“We're hoping to get Darnell ready,” Smart said. “He's continued to work really hard, done a lot of rehab. I know he wants to, his first chance to play on the West Coast. He's from Vegas and this game means a lot to him. And I know it's an important one to him.”

His 27 catches for 426 yards and two touchdowns this season may not jump off the page, but if you’ve watched any Georgia football this season, you know of his importance to this team. at 6-foot-7, Washington has provided a complete mismatch for opponents both as a pass catcher and a run blocker for the Bulldogs. He’s also been a source of some of Georgia’s most electric plays this season, hurdling an Oregon defender in the opening game of the season.

While he missed a significant amount of the Peach Bowl, the Bulldogs are certainly hoping they can get him healthy in time to play TCU. On the opposite end, TCU are hoping they don’t have to account for him in their gameplan.

The National Championship is set to kick off tomorrow at 7:30 ET at Sofi Stadium in Los Angeles, California. The Dawgs are near two-touchdown favorites over the Horned Frogs. Georgia and coach Smart are looking to be come the first team to go back to back since Alabama and coach Nick Saban accomplished it in 2011 and 2012.